testtest

Best Age to Start on Handguns?

wmg1299

wmg1299

Professional
I was a police officer when my children were young. My instructors in the Academy were proponents of teaching children to use handguns as soon as you felt they were responsible enough to handle basic instruction (usually 6-8 years old). They were of the opinion that most tragedies involving children finding firearms were due in part to childhood curiosity and thinking that guns were forbidden fruit (the other component was improper storage). I purchased a Ruger SR22 and a Taurus 94 in .22 LR to teach my kids about both semi-autos and revolvers, and taught them the basics of shooting when they each turned 7. While I wouldn't describe my boys as firearm enthusiasts, they did both develop a healthy respect for guns and followed my instructions to never touch them without an adult present.
I live in an area where most households own at least one firearm, and a good amount of my sons' friends have fired guns at some point in their lives. However, most of my sons' friends have only fired long guns. What age did you guys start firing handguns? What age do you feel is appropriate to start teaching children to handle handguns?
 
I don't recall exactly. Under 10 years old though. I was shooting the old man's Thompson Center .357 magnum before I was 10.

I had my own kid ( daughter) in the backyard with a .22 before she was 11. Before she could drive she could shoot my .45s and my .44 Mag.
 
I was 12 when I started with shotguns. My dad wasnt into handguns.
I didnt introduce my kids to firearms until they were about 16. That involved a lot of conversations, sometimes heated, with my wife. It wasnt about us thinking the kids couldnt handle them saftely. It had everything to do with not wanting others finding out. Living in a not friendly to firearms state, as I explained to the kids, if anyone knows you own them, you would never be allowed to hang out with your freinds again. It didnt matter that they were locked up as required by law. They kids (and parents) would have been "labeled". Times have centainly changed. According to my kids, it seems you have to have pictures taken with the biggest and most amount of firearms possible to post on social media to be popular these days.
 
All these responses are valid, and interesting in how and why they differ. I've always been of the opinion that the 'point of maturity' of any individual kid was more important than just the age. Seems that most here agree. That is always part of the equation, even when talking primarily of age.

Damn jmcd, hate hearing that. Man, there is simply no end to the anti-gun madness.
 
jmcd said:
Times have centainly changed. According to my kids, it seems you have to have pictures taken with the biggest and most amount of firearms possible to post on social media to be popular these days.
Click to expand...

This is something new! I haven't heard anyone say something like that. I did read a couple days ago that a kid was suspended from school because the teacher saw a BB gun in his room while he was doing online learning.

I started shooting a .410 shotgun at 9 years old. I don't remember shooting a handgun until I saved up and bought a .22 revolver when I was in my early teens.
 
Man, how in hell in this country, is it possible that a kid can be suspended from school for anything he had in his own room, in his own house, regardless of whether or not he was doing online learning? Never in a million years did I ever think I'd see this kind of crap in the United States of America!

Will it be the wrong print on the wallpaper next, or the color of the curtains, or maybe he didn't make his bed that morning? There are people in places of power today who should never have become part of the gene pool! This is pure idiocy, asininity, or insanity ........... maybe all three!
 
Damn jmcd, hate hearing that. Man, there is simply no end to the anti-gun madness.
[/QUOTE]

I thought I was being overly paranoid at first, but a couple of friends of mine that live in different towns ended up doing the same thing. Something they thought about and did on their own.
 
somorris said:
This is something new! I haven't heard anyone say something like that. I did read a couple days ago that a kid was suspended from school because the teacher saw a BB gun in his room while he was doing online learning.
Click to expand...

They have shown me some pics of some of the things the kids have posted. I get kids will be kids, but what are the parents doing if the kids have access to them? (Mind you, this is usually at a party, with all the beer cans in the backround so you see where this could go.)
 
I agree with that(op) my children were instructed as soon as they could sit and understand. Anytime the wanted to touch, feel, (play) I let them. They were not allowed to run around with it, it became a gun safety course. They knew to NEVER TOUCH(it's always loaded) OR TRY AND TAKE IT FROM SOMEONE. My parents had an absolute fit about my practice. When I told my father what we did with his firearms when no one was home the blood ran from his face. I told him because of that I was being proactive.
They learned how to shoot both handguns and rifles early in life. They also learned how to disassemble and clean just as well.
 
Pitdogg2 said:
I agree with that(op) my children were instructed as soon as they could sit and understand. Anytime the wanted to touch, feel, (play) I let them. They were not allowed to run around with it, it became a gun safety course. They knew to NEVER TOUCH(it's always loaded) OR TRY AND TAKE IT FROM SOMEONE. My parents had an absolute fit about my practice. When I told my father what we did with his firearms when no one was home the blood ran from his face. I told him because of that I was being proactive.
Click to expand...

I had a similar understanding with my kids. My agreement with the boys was that they were never allowed to touch any firearm they ever found in our home, or anywhere else, but anytime they wanted to go shoot I would take them that weekend. I really think my instructors were right that this was a great way to control the curiosity that gets kids hurt with firearms. The boys asked to make special shooting trips a few times when they were younger, but now mainly just look forward to shooting when we go visit the in-law's on their land 4 or 5 times a year. I guess I got lucky with this one, because there is no way I could afford to take them shooting every weekend at current ammo prices.
 
I was around 6 or 7 years old when I shot my dad's Ruger .357 revolver. I had a BB gun from the day I can remember. When I was 9 I started learning to shoot the 7mm mag. My first hunting rifle is a Remington 721 30-06. Though my mom's lever .308 Savage is better. I think it's safe to say I've been around guns the day I was born.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top