# Raising kids around guns......I believe in it,do you????



## varminthuntr

i want opinions!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## BigDDL

Absolutely. Children learn from their parents. If you teach a child the proper way to safely handle firearms, and enforce safety at all times there is no reason that children cannot enjoy target practice and other shooting activities. There is no excuse, however, for not securing all of your firearms at all times. A gun safe/cabinet is a must have, and there are some that are inexpensive and will work. They may not keep out moisture or protect the firearms in a fire but they will keep out kids and teenagers. If you don't have a gun safe at least buy some trigger/action locks. Curiosity will tempt even the best behaved children.


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## Dak

I have no problem with kids growing up around guns. I certainly did; not that is an endorsement..  I do think it helped teach safe handling. Certainly hard to grow up in a hunting family and not be around guns.

We didn't have a means to lock up the guns or secure the trigggers...ok, I'm older...no one I know of did that back then. However, the ammunition was never accesible.


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## 1911guy

I am glad to see this great post that all of us had better pay attention to and support. My oldest son is only 4 years old and is always watching dad and imitating what I do. I am an avid shooter and have the luxury of living in a rural area that allows me to have my own pistol range set up in my back yard. My son always wants to come out and watch me shoot and is really watching and observing, I can't afford to make any safety mistakes because I am the role model and "instructor". I bought him a plastic replica of my 1911 and have showed him the basic safety percautions and rules ...treat every gun as if it were loaded, keep the muzzel in a safe direction, safety always on, finger off the trigger untill sights are on the target, and absolutely NO horse play around guns. After several fake target shooting sessions with him (which of course were all bullseye shots) we broke out my single shot .22 rifle and with my hands on the rifle at all times, he took several shots using open sights and hit the target every time! Now I have seen smiles at christmas and birthdays but this smile was differant...he had accomplished something that he was proud of and he knew that dad was proud of as well. I think that with the chaoticness of life today , sometimes the kids get left out. Shooting is an excellant bonding experience, a great source of pride for my son, and he will learn that with practice and patience his skills will improve (what a valueable lesson so early on). I often get flak for allowing my son to touch and opperate "the evil gun", my response to those people is ... a gun is only as evil as the idiot behind the trigger, and my son is no idiot. I feel better knowing that my son has a working knowledge of gun safety and the deadly conciquences of mishandeling a gun, i say this because you always hear stories of kids getting into someones guns and someone getting hurt, because I cant go into his friends houses and make sure that all guns are properly secured, I can arm my son with the knowledge to know not to touch it and if his friend touches it leave the room right away and tell his parents.... I hope this situation never arises. The best tool I can give my children is is knowledge, which if a parent tries is not all that hard to instill. Remember the future of our beloved shooting sports is dependant upon us getting our children involved at an early age. This is my oppinion and I hope you all find it informative.


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## Danimal

GREAT JOB 1911guy!!!!!

That is basically how/when I learned,....which was,..um more than a few years ago....


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## Bore.224

You bet ! All schools should have Firearm education, its just as important as driving a car as far as I am concerned. But I guess teaching 5th graders how to use condoms and that being gay is a valid choice in life is more important right now. uke: AAHHH Don't get me started 8)


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## 1911guy

Bore .224 sounds like he has a case of homophobia! It is everyones right to choose their sexuality, I don't downstroke anyone for being gay or lesbian, its just the way it is. We don't like it when people bash us for slaying the innocent, fuzy, cute cuddly critters that wander the woods. Imagine if you were at your favorite hunting stand and a bunch of PITA potlickers appeared infront of you, you'd be pretty mad that they didn't see things the way you do. Lets not get me going on human rights, OK?


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## Bore.224

1911guy said:


> Bore .224 sounds like he has a case of homophobia! It is everyones right to choose their sexuality,


If teaching kids homosexuality is a normal choice then yes I have homophobia, I agree what you do is your own business and no one elses, and I will give you no grief 1911 guy if you like men! 

Homosexuality has always been here always will but it is not normal and in my opinon is a disorder. Just think if we were all gay the last human would be dead in 80 or so years kind of sounds like a disorder to me!!!


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## rifle6

i have many guns, all locked up in my fort knox safe, there are three not in it, the one on me and my wifes carry gun and my backup. the three carry guns are in a quick safe mounted on the side of my bed. my 4 year old copies me so i try to be safe and teach her right.

going up on a farm in central utah, i grew up with a loaded shotgun at the back door, one or two in the hay barn, and a couple .22 rifles in other locations, always loaded all the time. we just grew up different then. and that was not that long ago. i'm only 30!

teach them as young as you can, it will pay off later!

my 4 year old girl has a cricket .22 that she is getting pretty good with. with lots of help of course!


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## hunt4P&amp;Y

I will say I think gun safety class is more important than learning to drive. If a kid knows how to handle a gun they will know what to do when someone either a. points it at them, or B. they find on on the street. The more familiar someone is with guns the better.

When I was a Jr. in High school there was a kid that pulled what I thought was a Glock pistol. I later found out it was a Airsoft gun. But when he pulled it out I was like HOLY SHI he has a gun, and he was about three feet away from me. I freaked out. I grabed the barrel of the gun and pushed the slide back, making it impossible for him to get a shot off. I then punched him in the face. There were kids in the room that didn't even know what was going on. The teacher wasn't in the class yet, so I was like freaking out on him. Once I found out it was fake I calmed, but I was like you are a complete idiot.

I told him to put it back in his backpack and that I woulden't rat him out if he left it there. I then wrote a note and went up and made it look like I was asking a question and I left it on her desk. She then called our SRO and the kid got busted. This was something that I think could have got really ugly if our SRO would have seen him pull the gun. He would be dead right now. I fully believe that if it was a real gun, and that if he was wanting to shoot some of us me pushing the side back, would have saved us. I was very familiar with guns at the time, and there were other kids in the class that weren't and they were just screaming.

Just for the record the kid got expelled from the school and is officially a piece of $hit to this day. I have seen him a few times, and he always turns the other way.

Sorry so long winded.


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## SoCal Kid

Bore.224 said:


> You bet ! All schools should have Firearm education
> 
> You're wrong there, it should be all smart schools have firearm education. Im 13 in southern California :x and besides the scary gangs and drug dealers around here im the only kid who knows how to handle firearms and what a cartridge even looks like, and if i even talk about it i am looked down on
> 
> :sniper: CALIFORNIA


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## Horsager

I've been pushing primers since I was strong enough to use a Lee Auto Prime. Dad had me shooting wadcutters loaded to light 38 spcl performance at 5-6. I had a chipmunk 22 before they were Henry crickets.

I fully expect my own kid (someday) to be able to tear down, clean, and re-assemble semi-auto Beretta shotguns and AR-15 style rifles before he/she is old enough to play an instrument in school.


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## Jiffy

I don't believe you are going to get any "nay" votes on this website.

I was shooting at age 5 or 6 with my father. At age 7 or 8 I was trusted with a .22 on my own........from there the love affair with firearms has just blossomed.

My daughter is almost 5 and is already pretty good with a pellet gun. She must have inherited it from her mother. :wink: She keeps bugging me about the .22 but I think it will be a couple years yet. These are all highly supervised shoots I may add.

So I guess I would have to say yes, I believe it is good for kids to be brought up around firearms. I learned some of my most valuable life lessons with a rifle in my hand. I'm more than willing to afford that opportunity to my children. IMO you would be doing a great disservice to yourself, your child, and your country not to. Someday our kids will be the defenders of this nation. Its never too early to start training. :beer:


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## johnrotten

I DO 100% first thing my father told me when he showd me a gun fo rthe first time is this is a gun this will hurt and or kill you and or some one around you .......and if i see you touching this ill break ever finger on each hand got it.....now is that the way to go about it no but does it get the point across yes but as long as you bring kids up around guns the right way showing them what they can do and making it fun for the kids to learn i think it is a great idea


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## bmxfire37

yea, i grew up with a loaded 12 gauge and .357 in the house. i never touched them i never told my friends. and i expect my children to do the same. we knew what guns were what they could do and not to touch them.

we also got out and shot with them to learn more respect.

the guy behind me had the nerve to ask my brother and i not to shoot pellet guns at targets in the back yard.

he dident want his kids knowing what guns were.

those are the kids that get shot/shoot someone.

i told that guy my brother and i could could play with our d*Cks if we wanted too and if he dident get down over that wall i was going to put him over it.


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## gentleman4561

Absolutely if you dont they will be brainwashed by peta and others like them. it is very important to teach children gun safety and shooting skills


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## bmxfire37

i would post the dude peeing on peta thing i made...but it seams liek you beat me to it


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## Hyperlite x134x

As a kid who personally grew up in a house without a gun in it, i 100% agree that kids should be introduced to firearms at a young age. I had my first experience with guns about a year ago at a friends house with his dads supervision. We shot 22s and i absolutely LOVED IT (i also wasnt that bad of a shot). I also learned all about gun safety and how to shoot. Since then i have shot many times with the 22s and look forward to possibly shooting his 7mm at a shooting range possibly with my parents there so that they can see me shooting and how safe and everything i am with guns. If i had grown up around guns, it would have made my life so much better, but i guess its better late than never.


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## bmxfire37

agree...if kids were more adapt to guns, maybe a few accidental shootings could be prevented this year. you dont have to have guns in your home, but teach your kids!


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## Hyperlite x134x

i definately will and i will also probably try to get a house with lots of land so that i can have my own shooting range


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## Reddbecca

I believe that the best way to raise children with guns in the house is to let them experience them and teach them the cold hard facts. The more you keep them locked away and forbidden and treated as some restricted mystical object, the more they're gonna want them and the more they'll be likely to use them imporerly if they find one hidden in the bushes at the park.


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## hagfan72

My girls had guns in their hands since they were old enough to hold them. No fear, no mystery, just a healthy respect for them and what they can do. They know not to mess with them unless mama or I am there.


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## bmxfire37

i was 5 years old shooting my dads .357 mag... imagine that, a 50 lb kid with a pistol...it was big at the time, still is.


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## vpboat

It's no different than a kitchen knife or a hot stove. You teach your children to respect the dangers in our homes and teach them the benefit of having such devices in the home. My children would treat a gun sitting out while cleaning or something with the respect it deserves. Because I talk to them, because I don't hide them from them. Don't get me wrong. I keep everthing safes of some sort. But, not because I'm worried about my children. I'm worried about some stupid friend they may have over. To many are taught that guns are bad or dangerous. This just makes a child curious at some point. I've had to defend my children and myself with a gun in my own home. After that experience, my children get just as mad as I do when someone tries to restrict gun rights.
When they see these college campus shootings. They ask me, "Why didn't somebody pull out their gun and get that guy before he killed all those people?". Well son, "Law abiding citizens like us are not allowed to carry guns on college campus." My son, "Well then who is going to protect us from the people take the guns there anyway." Well son, "I don't know, but, remember this when you are old enough to vote." Teach your children about guns or someone else will!


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## blhunter3

Guns don't kill people, people kill people.

I am 19 and we only had a loaded .22 for varmits that would venture into the barn. My grandparents had guns and grandpa showed me first hand what a gun can do. He shot a milk jug with a shotgun. He said thats what happens when dumb people PLAY with guns and if your playing with a gun your a dumb person. Playing is for toys and gun are never toys. That was when I was 4 or 5. Ever since then I have always enjoyed shooting and cleaning guns. To me gun safety should be manditory in high school, so all kids can have at least some knowledge on how they work.

I am going to teach my girlfriend how to shoot and operate guns so she has a knowledge of how they work, just in case something ever happends.

If kids and people have some knowledge of guns then we would all be safer IMO.


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## bmxfire37

wow this is an old one, yea i recon i belive in it. got aloaded pistol and a loaded shotgun. no point in haveing an unloaded gun ...my as well have a steel pole.

a gun levels the playing field

then again i have no kids in my house any more

but as i was brought up...respect them
and everythings ok


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## varmit b gone

I grew up with a loaded 243 in my Dad's closet and a 22 pistol above the coffee maker along with anouther 22 in my Mom's rodeo rig. I remember loving every time my Dad would go out to the ranch and having that gun with him for coyotes and shooting p dogs. the first time I ever shot a gun was when I was 5 and Dad laid prone and let me aim and fire while he took the recoil of the 243. I was hooked. When I was 6 Grampa brought out the single shot and taught me how to shoot and gave me many saftey lessons. At seven I was hunting p dogs by myself. I really think it is a good thing for kids to grow up with guns, but in a safe way.


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## Mattu

I think if kids are appropiately introduced to guns and supervised there less likely to try to find them or play with them. If my grandpa didn't let me go out with him and shoot his .22 rifle all the time I probably would of ended doing something stupid, but since he taught common sense and let me shoot all the time I never had the desire to try to get a hold of them without his knowing. Saw a show on HBO were a kid took his dad's handgun out while he wasn't home to show his friends. They dared him to shoot it, which he did outside. He failed to realize though that a round automatically goes into the chamber after firing and just took out the magazine and not the one in the chamber. He ended up shooting and killing one of his friends back inside. Although blame can defianetly go to the twelve year old kid for being just plain old stupid, 95% has to go to the parents. They should of A.) kept the gun locked or hid the ammo. B.) educated the kid on the operation of the gun so he would of realized it was still loaded or C.) enrolled him in hunter education or another safety course which would of mimized the risk of him pointing and pulling the trigger of a gun at someone. Two things they drill in you at Hunters Education is A.) always treat a gun as being loaded and B.) never point at something you don't plan to shoot.


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## SoDakShooter

I grew up around guns. My parents did not want me to shoot them untill I went through hunter's saftey. But they did teach me about saftey before I ever shot a gun. Which I think was a bit of a mistake because I was allways curious about them. Of course as soon as I was shooting guns my brother 3 years younger then me was grandfathered into the priviledge. But they kept them locked up and even though I knew where the key for the cabinet was I never touched them. I think it is really important to take a kid at an early age and have them shoot a pumpkin and say thats what happens to someone if your not careful.


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## snowslayer

I agree completely. they need to be educated from the start so that they are at least not afraid of them and need to do in certian situtuations


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## Bore.224

It all comes down to this, if you do not teach yer kids about firearms and firearms handling and safety, HOLLYWOOD WILL!!!!! :eyeroll:


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## 722.222

I was raised with guns my kids are being raised with guns and 1st rule is all guns are "loaded" and only pointed at what can be shot. We shoot often and each child knows how to use them.


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## hagfan72

My daughter's 4th birthday was yesterday, and guess what she got? Her very first BB gun. Start 'em young, I say. Of course, she can't use it without me or mama being there, but she will be flawless at muzzle control by the time she gets her first .22, which ought to be on Christmas.


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