Family Knowledge of Firearms

Dippah said:

Hey All,

I've got some questions if you don't mind:

1) At what age were you introduced to guns?

2) Were you allowed to play with toy guns (pop guns, Super-soakers, Nerf guns, etc.)?

3) How accessible were firearms in your home, and at what age would you say you were reasonably comprehensive that it wasn't something for you to touch without an adult handing it to you?

4) Would you say taking a child shooting early on helps mitigate intrigue, and if so, how young?

5) What does your spouse that isn't 100% 2A say about these things, or are they?

A lot of this stems from me growing up knowing there was a firearm in the house. I was taught around the age of 12 to load and fire a .357. Obviously young but smart enough to know you pull the trigger and the gun goes bang with consequence. Just curious as to others experiences and open to advice. I'm looking to purchase a bedside type safe but am mostly concerned with painted/cerokoted guns these days should my kid find one and what they might actually do in the moment.

Thanks in advance for any knowledge you can send my way

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1- they were always there. A rack up on the wall with a sporterized 1903, a Marlin 336, and a Remington model 12 pump. I was probably about 4 when my Dad told me that if I wanted to see them to ask him any time, but not to touch them without him there.

2- tons of toy guns

3- very accessible, as mentioned above. I don't specifically remember learning the safety rules, but I think the "all guns are always loaded" was so beat into my brain that the other rules seemed to just be a natural extension.

4- I think the younger the better as long as they're able to be safe mentally and physically. I got out of shooting when my daughters were young so didn't start my oldest as young as I wished. When she got to be about 14 I needed to find something for us to do to spend time together. Great bonding time!

5- My wife 1991 - I don't think I'm comfortable having a gun in the house.

My wife by 2013: They want to ban AR15s? You should get one.
Me: I have one
Her: you should get another one.

Full disclosure: she doesn't "like" guns now, but is glad I have some. What really pisses her off though is the gov saying we shouldn't have them.

1) I don't remember. On my 5th birthday I was old enough to go hunting (FINALLY!!!). I found a copy of the essay I wrote in maybe junior high, complete with drawing of what I saw through the scope, detailing visualizing the spine of the bird through the fluffy feathers (basically a wild chicken) to make sure it would be a clean kill. Trigger broke and I just watched through the scope as my oldest brother tried to rip the pellet rifle away because I "missed". Nope, wait for it...wait for it...the head rolled 90 deg to the right. It was already dead on it's feet but didn't know it yet.

2) Yep.

3) Growing up in bear country, there was always a loaded rifle hanging high on the wall in my parents room. Before 'kindler and gentler' parenting became en vogue, the definite consequence of a switch or belt made it absolutely clear touching it without a bear in the house would make us wish the bear got us. Maybe 12-14 to have my dad unlock the safe to hand me a .22 to go find some rabbits.

4) Even before taking them out in the field, showing them in the house is critical. There is an antigun commercial running where a little blonde headed kid asks his dad if there are guns in the house while dad is cooking. Then it cuts off but should be immediately followed with "yes and after we clean up from breakfast I'll show you." If you take the mystery away, they won't try to figure it out by themselves. My kid (and his friends with their parents' permission) knew they could always ask me and I would walk them through the safes. One evening I had just opened a beer when asked and I explained that even though I hadn't taken a sip yet, after the booze gets opened the safe stays shut. No exceptions, ever.

The first time they shoot a rifle, have them hit a tomato juice can after they figure out how the sights really work. Show them what happens when a bullet hits a 'real' target and the mess it makes. Then hand them a little hammer to try to 'fix' the can by bending the pieces back to original shape. That was quite an impressionable lesson - you can't take back a bullet and you can't fix what you shot. So don't shoot anything you don't want really dead. Paper targets just make it easier to practice so you can hit where you want to for real later.

5) Very slow to come around. Had I known this, I would have done many things differently in my life. Although after the trend of zombie movies and shows started, showing her the difficulty level in 'topping up' an M1 compared to an AR-15, she said we needed to get some ARs. (Little did she know what was already in the safe.)

If you have a bedside safe, or any safe really, fully expect your short-people will find the key/learn the combo/jimmy the lock. Remove the temptation through education and it makes it safer for everybody.

1. Around 11, dads brothers got him into hunting deer and he got me into it soon after
2. Yes
3. There was never a safe or locker, the rules were laid out and followed.
Funny thing is they wouldn't let us have a BB gun as it was felt we wouldn't be responsible enough. But I got a 12ga for Xmas when I was 13 or 14 and it went right into my closet.
4. Definitely. Started my kids around 5 or 6 with BB guns and bows in the back yard. Set up a range, used range rules and commands. So first time they went to a real range it was second nature.
5. Wife's father was a hunter. Understands their usefulness/purpose, just wants them properly secured.

1) At what age were you introduced to guns?
Firearms - 21.
Air guns - 12.

2) Were you allowed to play with toy guns (pop guns, Super-soakers, Nerf guns, etc.)?
Yup. Air guns weren’t part of the toys category, so regular firearms rules applied.

3) How accessible were firearms in your home, and at what age would you say you were reasonably comprehensive that it wasn't something for you to touch without an adult handing it to you?
I always knew my grandpa had one around his house. Never saw it. I knew not to touch it, or anything else that wasn’t mine, for as long as I remember.

4) Would you say taking a child shooting early on helps mitigate intrigue, and if so, how young?
It depends on the child and parent, but if taught well, then yes. My son was 12 when I took him out the first time. He handles firearms safely in my presence and doesn’t touch them otherwise. I waited until there was no doubt in my mind as to his readiness.

5) What does your spouse that isn't 100% 2A say about these things, or are they?

She’s ok with my owning them but doesn’t want to see them. That means my dry fire and holster practice is limited.

It was about 13 , my dad worked his ass off but found time to enroll us in a program to shoot 22LR under a school half crawlspace . Safety was first before you could handle the gun , also at age 15 I got my own rifle on Christmas .


btw , that was the only gun I have sold . I will never sell another while I am alive , I would pay double for that same gun . One regret I have .

1) Introduced myself to them in college, didn't get my own until I was ~25

2) I was not allowed to play with toy guns, until I made a gun out of EVERYTHING (sticks, cardboard, etc), and my mom acquiesced.

3) Apparently there was a pistol I had no idea about

4) Absolutely. Five-ish I guess, but would depend.

5) She's not around to ask.
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I've got some questions if you don't mind:

1) At what age were you introduced to guns?
Dad was career military. I was hunting in Alaska by the 5th grade. My younger brother and I had to go to the firing range with my Dad every couple of months no matter the duty station and fire his pistols, Woodsman, P38, 1911 as early as 10 or so.

2) Were you allowed to play with toy guns (pop guns, Super-soakers, Nerf guns, etc.)?
Toy guns yes. I was the fastest draw in my neighborhood as a cowboy. This was before those others were invented.

3) How accessible were firearms in your home, and at what age would you say you were reasonably comprehensive that it wasn't something for you to touch without an adult handing it to you?
They stayed in my parents bedroom closet until needed. We were on our own for archery and BB guns.

4) Would you say taking a child shooting early on helps mitigate intrigue, and if so, how young?
As young as they want to go themselves. I personally know competition shooters who started their kids in competition as young as 8 because the kids wanted to do it, seeing their parents doing it all the time.

5) What does your spouse that isn't 100% 2A say about these things, or are they?
My late wife grew up with a her dad's .22 rifle in her hands. There were times that she had more guns that I did.

A lot of this stems from me growing up knowing there was a firearm in the house. I was taught around the age of 12 to load and fire a .357. Obviously young but smart enough to know you pull the trigger and the gun goes bang with consequence. Just curious as to others experiences and open to advice. I'm looking to purchase a bedside type safe but am mostly concerned with painted/cerokoted guns these days should my kid find one and what they might actually do in the moment.

Thanks in advance for any knowledge you can send my way

Its mystery and lack of knowledge that gets kids into trouble. Take them out as early as possible, train them in safety, let them shoot some and make sure they know they will be going out regularly to shoot on some kind of schedule. Keep the ammo and loaded guns locked away.

Dippah said:

Hey All,

I've got some questions if you don't mind:

1) At what age were you introduced to guns? 5 years old.
>22 single shot bolt action rifle, Colt Woodsman pistol, .410 shotgun (knocked me on my a**)

2) Were you allowed to play with toy guns (pop guns, Super-soakers, Nerf guns, etc.)? Yes, plus had a BB gun at about 8

3) How accessible were firearms in your home, and at what age would you say you were reasonably comprehensive that it wasn't something for you to touch without an adult handing it to you? Very accessible.
The rule was, if you want to see/touch, ASK. Do NOT touch without Dad present and involved

4) Would you say taking a child shooting early on helps mitigate intrigue, and if so, how young? Absolutely

5) What does your spouse that isn't 100% 2A say about these things, or are they? Why would anyone marry someone who is not a 2A supporter??????

Thanks in advance for any knowledge you can send my way

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