Introducing firearms to your children

[gaseousclay]

I'm sure I'll get different answers from all of you but at what age is it appropriate to introduce firearms to your kids? My son is still years away from this but I initially thought 6 might be a good age but then I changed my mind and think older might be better. This way, I can enroll my son in a hunter education course on top of the things I've learned. I hesitate to start him young because I want him to understand the concept of safety and responsibility first.

What do you think?

 

[CWKahrFan]

Here's my input...

Depends on what you mean by "introduce"... There are dozens of potentially dangerous objects and mechanical devices around my home from toasters to garbage disposals to electrical outlets, power saws, kitchen cutlery, automobiles, gasoline, prescription pills, etc... It goes on and on.

Informing and teaching the kids about ALL of them, one step at a time, even before they can talk intelligently about them is just PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE. I don't put guns in a scarier special category. They're just like all those other things that must be approached with caution and respect so that someone doesn't get badly hurt or even killed. I endeavor to not put any exaggerated emotional charge on gun handling per se.

Kids watch and observe everything... They're learning about how to drive a car safely, for example, before I even mention the subject to them verbally. When do I "introduce" cars to my kids?... I'd say from the first time they even see one... or maybe ride in one. Everything is process.

 

[BuckRub]

Start them out on BB guns around 4. Then 22 at around 5 and 4-10 and 30-30 and pistols around 6 and everything else at 7. Help them and explain safety along the way and at 8 hopefully your child will know and respect gun safety and when they're around 6-7 they should be able to help theirselves in case a home intruder stumbles up.

 

[Mike38]

My father let me shoot a .22 rifle at around age 10. Very closely supervised. He let me shoot on my own around two years later. Might be a bit older then most people would agree, but I stuck with it for my children. Better safe than sorry I guess?

I have a 6 year old grand daughter that wants to try shooting. Her parents (my daughter) do not own firearms but are not against such. I’m torn, but I think I’m sticking with the 9 or 10 year old mark.

 

[Pahoo]

These are great days, for you !!!

My son is still years away from this but I initially thought 6 might be a good age but then I changed my mind and think older might be better.

There is no set time and it's possible that he has already had an introduction. I compliment you on being a responsible parent and am guessing that this is your first man-child. In the coming months, you will see your influence on him, when it comes to guns, if you haven't already seen it. You will respond, in a responsible manner. You will know what to do, in your own best ways. ...


Be Safe !!!

 

[SamNavy]

Also get the kid a bow. A month ago I spent $75 at BassPro and got my 5yr old daughter a "little kids" bow and a box target. The bow isn't strong enough to actually make the blunt-tip penetrate into the box, but I've told her that as soon as she can shoot the whole quiver (6 arrows) and hit the box every time all the way over at the shed, I'll get her a stronger bow that will actually stick in the target. She can do it at 5 yards, but not at 10. We practice a couple times a week... not gonna be long before I'm looking at one of the cheap plastic compounds on the rack at Dicks.

I think that the precision/concentration/patience that learning a bow requires is a basic building block skillset that transitions directly to firearms. A kid who has the discipline to safely knock an arrow-stance-draw-aim-breathe-release-followthough is way ahead of the game vs. the rather "simple" task shooting a gun.

Just like with anything we talk about, supervision is a must. I wouldn't let any kid shoot a gun unsupervised, and even a cheap bow can be just as lethal... keep'em locked up just like your firearms when not in use.

 

[Quadpod88]

I was introduced to a 12 guage at age 9, started off missing skeet with my grandfather... this my be a little off topic, but you are talking about introducing guns to kids. I don't have a kid of my own but i want to get my brother a .22, he is 11 now, but my mom is anti-gun. How could i go about convincing her that with supervision firearms are safe and a good way to teach resposibility?

 

[ClydeFrog]

Kids & firearms...

Im not a child psychologist or a expert, but Id say 9/10 is a good age to start basic firearms and/or safety training. Kids around that age should be mature enough to use safe methods or be aware of their actions on a range.
Some children older or younger may be able to learn & be responsible but others may not.
Id start on a site or range that isn't active & doesn't have many distractions.
Hunter safety or NRA/Eddie the Eagle type classes are a value too if possible.

Author, father, sworn LE officer & legal use of force expert Massad Ayoob wrote a book dealing with issue of owning guns when you have children in the home.
www.massadayoobgroup.com
The main point is to teach safe or proper methods to kids, then set a good example for any youth to follow.

Clyde

 

[perpster]

No right/wrong answer, but consider the possibility that he gets introduced to a firearm under the wrong circumstances at a friend's house. Better for him to know what to do / not to do. The NRA Eddie Eagle program has some very good stuff for this.

 

[tynman]

There is no right or wrong but in my case my kids ages range from 4,5,7 and 9. So I watch them and see how they act (boys are a little more careless) but I gave the 2 older ones a test with a BB gun, I told them the rules and how they should act around a weapon. It didnt work the first time so I had to go through the rules again and sure enough this time it work for the 2 older ones. So now I let them sit around the table and watch me clean them.(which they get borded watching but I make them tell me the rules). My 2 younger ones could careless at this point. But my next step will be taking them to a range with the BB gun and see how they do. Then we might move up to the 22.

So do what you feel is right for you and your kid.

 

[gav1230]

Another thingnto remember is that if they are too young the noise and recoil might scare them and make them more hesitant to learn more.

 

[TheNatureBoy]

Since I'm a hunter as well as a target shooter my daughter is used to seeing my guns. I put her behind a scoped pellet rifle when she was 10, stepped up to a scoped .22 lr. about 3 years later, tried her on a .243, and purchased a Savage model 12 .22-250 for her earlier this year.

 

[gaseousclay]

So do what you feel is right for you and your kid.

I was thinking 10 would be appropriate for my boy. He's only 5 months old now so I have yrs to go

 

[Gster]

My youngest daughter started showing interest when she was 10. She has killed deer with rifle and bow & arrow. My grandson started showing interest when he was 5. Started teaching him right away with one of them toy shotguns from Cabelas. All the while teaching the SAFTEY. At 6, I bought him his own Cricket .22 and taught him to shoot that. Here in Pa. we have the Mentoring Program for kids. Check it out here:
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=622413&mode=2
At 7 yrs. old he shot his first buck with a .50cal. muzzle loader.

He is 10 now and he shoots every gun I own, including handguns. He keeps me busy loading .45s because his favorite is the 1911.
I believe that when they start showing interest, that is when you start them. If they are interested, they will learn.

 

[coronatj]

Good question. I introduced my son to bb guns a few years ago. He was probably 7 - 8. He has his own. In the past year, I have taken him out to the range and introduced him to 38's, 9's, .22 and 5.56.

Depending on how he likes the Savage .22 that is coming next week, I may pick him up his own youth .22.

 

[kilimanjaro]

I got my first .22 at ten years old, for Christmas. The whole family went out later that day to a public shooting area outside of Phoenix and fired off exactly one box of .22LR, cost 50 cents. It's a Sears & Roebuck youth rifle, still have it today, 50 years later.

Dad didn't lock it up, just made sure we shot up all the ammo each time we went out. I could disassemble it and clean it all I wanted at home. I learned pretty quick it was a lethal weapon and not to point it towards any living thing, loaded or not, unless I was 'hunting'.

Lots of kids back then had deer rifles or bird guns at twelve years old, they were in the gun cabinet in the living room along with Dad's rifles and shotguns. Always a bit jealous of them because our house had only a few .22rifles. That changed when I got an M1 carbine at fifteen my Dad got in a trade at work. Of course, Dad made sure we shot all the ammo up for that, too. Never kept ammo in the house, until the kids were in college.

 

[TDL]

At the first sign of curiosity/interest: Demystify. I demystified the daylights out of my kids by making them clean weapons.

Also be aware that boilerplate methods of securing weapons at home are no substitute for knowing your kids. Your nine year old, or one of his pals, may well know how to go on youtube and find the one minute videos on how to defeat most pistol safe combinations in a few minutes.

If you have a six year old, condition one in a pistol safe maybe 99.999% effective. If you have a 15 year old who has some depression, each gun broken down into two parts and locked separately, and ammo locked in third location may not be enough.

 

[doofus47]

TDL:

At the first sign of curiosity/interest: Demystify. I demystified the daylights out of my kids by making them clean weapons.

I'm on the TDL plan. My 7 year old daughter is curious as a cat, so I have been cleaning my pistols and rifles with her for several years. She's used to seeing them before/after I go to the range or hunting. We go over the 4 rules, the names of parts, and what to do when you hand someone a firearm or if someone hands one to you.
I've brought my air rifles back home from my parents' place and we'll probably be out chasing cans next summer.

I'm in no rush to put a real firearm in her hands. She'll be ready when she's ready.

 

[geetarman]

I was introduced to guns when I was 9 or 10. My Dad never forced the issue on me. He waited until I started asking questions. When I showed interest in guns, he showed interest in teaching me how to shoot and shoot safely.

I took the same approach with my son. I waited until he began expressing interest and when he did, I began bringing him up to speed.

One negative though. . .he is a better shot than I am so I don't make bets with him any more.

 

[gaseousclay]

I'm in no rush to put a real firearm in her hands. She'll be ready when she's ready.

I feel the same way about my boy. I think i'll take it slow and only teach him about firearms if and when he shows interest. I don't want to force it onto him.