Teach 'em Young

[Subdeacon Joe]

[Charlie Plasters, SASS#60943]

I still have the first old can my older son shot with a flintlock pistol when he around 4. The first time he shot my Ruger Blackhawk he got skin from the web of his hand pinched by the hammer - we stuck it in the snow to stop the little bit of bleeding. He still remembers it. At the time I couldn't afford a gun safe so guns were stored in my closet. We always had a rule that at any time day or night no matter what I was doing if the boys were curious about a gun or just wanted to see one I would stop whatever I was doing and we would pull them out. Everytime was accompanied by the safety lessons of how they work, every gun is always considered loaded, etc. Never had any issues with the boys getting into them.

[Tascosa, SASS# 24838]

My daughter shot my 1911 when she was 5. Of course I helped her hold the pistol and only put one round in the mag at a time. My son and I did the same thing. My children always helped me clean my guns when I took them out to clean. The mystery of the guns were gone, and they learned how to be safe with a firearm. We never had a problem and if they wanted to take a friend shooting, (I finally bought a .22 rifle) I contacted the parents and if they agreed I took them all shooting. I was surprised how many parents wanted to shoot also. So maybe I did some good.

[Blackwater 53393]

My eight year old grandson already has lots of experience around guns. I carry all of the time. My son also carries all of the time. Guns are NOT a curiosity to him.

 

My sister-in-law gave me a huge leather recliner several years ago. When I sit in that recliner, I place my carry pistol on a table next to the chair. There are other chairs and a couch, as well as other small tables scattered around the room.

 

Bopper, my grandson, is part monkey and climbs all over the furniture and can get from one end of the room to the other and never touch the floor. We have stressed gun safety and gun etiquette with our grandchildren, as has my son. In one of Bopper's early excursions around the room, he crossed over my table, into my lap. He grinned at me and said, "Don't worry, Papa, I never touch your guns." I looked and he'd crossed over my table without disturbing my pistol or the spare magazine next to it.

 

Another time, much more recently, we were practicing shooting at the small range near my house. I'd bought a pair of Model P Jr.s for him to use as beginner guns if he decides to shoot in CAS. I was taking him through the manual of arms for the new revolvers and we had reached the point where he was ready to dry fire them. I handed him one gun to start with and showed him how to cycle the action, holding it in both hands. He worked it fairly successfully, but initially, he struggled a little with the timing between hammer cock and trigger pull. I could tell that he was a little frustrated, and I explained that it took practice to get good at it.

 

He looked at me and asked, "But Papa!! What about like this??" and began rapidly manipulating the the little revolver one handed, "Clicksnap, clicksnap, clicksnap, clicksnap, clicksnap!!"

 

Another trip or two and we'll move to live fire, but I'm moving slowly. And YES! He can do it with either hand, but he's still much better with his right hand than with his left.

[Alpo]

Some of y'all may remember Lobita. I took her to Fandango when she was a few months shy of three.

 

This is her fifth birthday, with her new pink rifle (you can see her at the edge of the bench).

 

The shooter, la Rubia, is her 14-month-old sister.

 

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b67/therealalpo/Guns/th_Solanashoots2.mp4

 

 

 

Photobucket is commencing to annoy me. When I open my account and go to that, it's a movie. When I click on the link it takes me to a still.

 

And it's not supposed to be a link. It was supposed to put the dang video here on the page, just like in Joe's post.

 

Dang frang rabbis giggis frurgus-snurgus.

Edited December 13, 2016 by Alpo