Jump to content
SASS Wire Forum

4 Year Old At The Range


Subdeacon Joe

Recommended Posts

A child, old and big enough to pull the trigger on any firearm she may encounter, (friends playmates others homes), a Father, using a light recoiling rifle, under his total control to de-mystify firearms and show the child they aren't quite what the movies, TV and the MSM would have her believe.

Yep bad Father.

I'm glad I had one just like that and he was around to show my son the same way when he was as young.

In my case, with my son, it worked out rather well. 

At at a pre-teen party, with the adults upstairs, one wannabe tough started showing off a semi-auto Browning 1910

My son 11 yo son asked for a look, determined it was loaded with a round chambered,cocked of course and the safety off.

He unloaded it, called me to pick him up and told one of the "responsible" adults about and gave them the gun.

Tough guy had taken it from his Mother's dresser drawer, where she kept it, hoping her son didn't know it was there. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Teach a child in the way they should go and they will never depart from it ! 

Second Amendment Fight at it's Best !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I'm glad I had one just like that and he was around to show my son the same way when he was as young.

 

One of my early memories from when I was maybe 4 or 5 was being prone on a canvas tarp, my dad laying next to me and arm around me, coaching me through shooting a .22 rifle.  I was "aiming" it, although I'm pretty sure that Dad was able to get enough of a sight picture to do the real aiming, and pulled the trigger. Target was a #3 can filled with water, range maybe 2o yards or so.  Also shooting his Ruger Mk. 1.
A few months before he reposed I asked him when he started teaching me to shoot.  "About when you started walking," was his reply.

I started teaching my wife's kids about firearms not long after we set up our household.  I think they were about 5 and 6 at the time.  Laid all the guns out on a sheet on the floor, talked them through what they were, how to open the actions, how to check the chamber, WHY you do that, all the usual stuff.  Told them that any time they wanted to look at them or handle them, as long as I wasn't in the head or in the middle of fixing dinner, I would get them out for them.  Later I would give them the key to get one out of the cabinet (old style with the glass front and a cheap lock) and they could get one out, but I had to hear the action open (or the ramrod hit the breach) before they brought it to me.  

 

 

Tough guy had taken it from his Mother's dresser drawer, where she kept it, hoping her son didn't know it was there. 

 

And right there is the biggest problem - Mommy and Daddy get a gun, read the manual, load it, put it someplace "safe" and tell Little Johnny, "Little Johnny, you mustn't EVER touch this! It is dangerous!" and then never practice, never take the kid to the range,  just ignore it and hope for the best.  Well, of course the first chance he gets Little Johnny will be getting it out of the sock drawer, or off the closet shelf, and start playing with this strange and wonderful thing that is so interesting that his parents don't want him to touch it.  

On the other hand, there seem to be few like that, since there are very few children (under 14 years old) who are accidentally shot by another child playing with Mommy and Daddy's guns.   A few years ago Parenting Magazine did one of the usual scare pieces about "OHMYGAWD!!!! 44% of households have a GUN!!!! and half of them don't lock them up!!!!!"  Well, given the tens of millions that represents, the 100 or so children shot by accident shows a pretty darned good safety record.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is my youngest granddaughter. She was four. Also have a video of her shooting that Ruger, but can't load video to the website. And, like in the OP video, her daddy's got a hold of the gun too.

Solana, Ruger Mk II.jpg

 

Her big sister, same day. She was eight.

AmelieSingleSix.jpg.eac19383c669ea4ab0808e8621e404e8.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Watch her finger on the trigger, nice....especially on the last shot.

 

My dad had me shooting when I was her age. Shot my first 1911 when I was five....never looked back.

 

Way to go Dad, both hers and mine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Watch her finger on the trigger, nice....especially on the last shot.

 

My dad had me shooting when I was her age. Shot my first 1911 when I was five....never looked back.

 

Way to go Dad, both hers and mine.

The hammer is down and it’s pointed safely down range it looks like she just shot.

My son got his first rifle a Marlin Little Buckaroo before he was born and before we knew what sex he was. I didn’t buy it his mother did.

Two weeks after he was born he was sitting on the scoring table at the National Metallic Silhouette championship and by the time he took the hunter safety course he could have taught it 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but it's never too early to teach about range safety also.  The little one didn't have any eyes on, nor did dad have eyes or ears. 

 

Sorry.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but it's never too early to teach about range safety also.  The little one didn't have any eyes on, nor did dad have eyes or ears. 

 

Sorry.

Look again the girls and dad have eye protection with the long hair it’s impossible to tell about ear protection 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Look again the girls and dad have eye protection with the long hair it’s impossible to tell about ear protection 

 

 

I think the reference was to the original post.  I almost didn't post it because of the lack of safety glasses on either dad or daughter.  At least she had ears on.  Can't tell if the dad had plugs in or not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I'm with Pat on this one.  Nothing against the Dad or the kid.  Four is just not old enough.

 

I Kinda disagree with both of you .

At 4 My Kids and Grandkids was

 

1.Holding guns .

2. Learning about guns .

3.Seeing guns in the home 

4. helping to clean guns 

5. shooting BB guns 

6. Going to the range 

7. Wearing safety glasses and ear plugs 

8. Being taught guns aren't toys  

9.Knowing what gun safety was before they ever fired a real gun

10. Members of The NRA at Birth 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

I Kinda disagree with both of you .

At 4 My Kids and Grandkids was

 

1.Holding guns .

2. Learning about guns .

3.Seeing guns in the home 

4. helping to clean guns 

5. shooting BB guns 

6. Going to the range 

7. Wearing safety glasses and ear plugs 

8. Being taught guns aren't toys  

9.Knowing what gun safety was before they ever fired a real gun

10. Members of The NRA at Birth 


My daughter was taught about guns and gun safety at 4 but she didn’t touch one until she was 6. She knew about numbers 2,3,8 and 9 in your list. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.