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Oak · 02-26-2010, 03:41 PM

At what age, and obviously not toddler size either? I have 3 grand kiddos, ages from 7 to 9. The 2-7 yr olds are grand sons and they both love calling to spend the weekend here, mostly because we have a couple of game sets and an extensive game collection for them. XBox 360 and PS3 and 42" HD LCD for my graphics work in their bedroom, which also doubles as my 2nd office when I'm tickering with my watch collection and make shift photo studio for my wife's Ebay stuff. Rarely ever keep a gun in there. My other office where I do my CADD work and Jude has her own computer I always keep a weapon in my desk.

When the grand kiddos are here I always put our guns in the bedroom. Recently I asked our two sons if they had any issues with us taking the two grandsons out to the range and to start teaching them some gun safety since they both don't feel the need to have any weapons in their houses for whatever reason. Both and the DIL's had no issues with that as well.

Boys being boys what they are and always playing with brightly coloured toy guns I finally sat them down a cpl of weeks ago and explained to them that their grand mum and I keep guns around the house, although they are always put up when they are around. Explained to them about our bedroom is always opened but its still a private boundry to us.

Showed then the difference between a real gun and a toy gun ( even bought them a cpl of all black 1911's at walley world a cpl of days before), that a toy gun will "almost" always have a bright orange coloured tip. How to pick up a gun with their trigger finger always off the trigger, how to feel and push the safety slide to the up position incase the safety isn't on. That safety is always "up". How to find the ejection button by feel and drop the clip. And most importantly that any gun is still considered loaded without a clip because there might be a bullet in the chamber. With both my 9mm and .45 loaded with snap caps I also illustrated how a snap cap ejects when the slide is pulled back to make sure there are no bullets in the gun and to look inside the chamber when that snap cap ejected. Always make sure its pointed down and away from anyone until you make sure there is nothing in the chamber. Explained that the chances of finding a real gun outside is pretty rare, but it happens and thats what your supposed to do with it and take it to an adult right after that. That the only time and place they are going to find a weapon is by going thru their parents or grand parents drawers which they shouldn't be doing. That they are in our bedroom in our drawers and now you know to take some of that curiousity away, that they will always have a trigger lock when they are here but its still a big no no to be going thru our drawers.

With that I gave them their new plastic ACP's and told them we'll take them to the range next time.

I'd like to get some thoughts from ya'll either way because I'm also learning how to keep a safe enviorment for my grand children.

thanks

crakr · 02-26-2010, 04:47 PM

Well I may be a bad parent but all three of my kids know I have guns. I don't have the triggers locked on them and no gun safe. The mags are stored out of their reach along with any ammo that I may have. We don't allow toy guns in the house and I have shown my children the destructive capabilities of a gun. Weird as it may sound my baby girl likes em more than my boys. All three have handled both of my guns and they know they are not allowed in my room without my wife or myself. I know at some point a gun safe will be in order but until we feel that it is best to curb their curiosity with knowledge until we can afford a good safe.

BTW my kids are 3,5, and 6 daughter being the youngest and we have plans to buy my oldest a cheap lil 243 for hunting next year

thoricuncle · 02-26-2010, 05:18 PM

I have 5 kids and that is an issue with me as well.

Currently, I keep all of my guns in a gun safe. This works great to keep the kids safe, but it also makes the guns useless for home protection.

Last night I was at my LGS and saw a gun safe that would fit one pistol and it locked based on finger prints. It was about $100 and I almost bought it.

Has anyone else used these?

kyle88transam · 02-26-2010, 05:52 PM

It's great to hear about people teaching children about firearm safety. I believe that alone seriously reduces accidents around the home, it also takes alot of the curiosity away from them. Good job guys.

**lklawson** · 02-26-2010, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Last night I was at my LGS and saw a gun safe that would fit one pistol and it locked based on finger prints. It was about $100 and I almost bought it.

Has anyone else used these?

I own a similar one. Works great. Change the default combo.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

crakr · 02-26-2010, 06:44 PM

the only problem with those biometrics based safes is that they are so easy to crack with crushed up pencil lead and a peaice of printer paper

**ajole** · 02-26-2010, 06:52 PM

Oak...sounds good, and the age is about right, IMHO, for the actual shooting to begin, with .22's and such.
My dad had no locks, we always knew where they were, and I snuck 'em out a few times when they were gone....but hey were rifles, and I was CRAZY careful, as I really wanted no part of shooting myself or anyone else... :-[
I keep everything in my house locked up, either in a safe, or with trigger locks. My kid is educated and safe, in my estimation...but he has friends, and we all know, friends can make ANYBODY do dumb things.

You keep doing what you're doing, I think you are right on the money. :angel:

Super_Virgil · 02-26-2010, 11:33 PM

Growing up, my father taught my brother and I about guns. The one leason that always stuck out, is you can tell a real gun from a play gun, by the weight. A real gun is heavy. A real gun has metal in it and not all plastic. We also knew how the check a chamber and how to make my dads 1911 and colt 380 safe. We also knew where they were, and they were not locked up. I think if you take the mystery out of the gun, let them handle the weapons, they are not going to want to do so later. You are making it no big deal that you have guns. The big deal is the handling.

SV

thoricuncle · 02-27-2010, 06:50 AM

I agree with teaching them safe handling and make sure they know what to do. I also try to take the "mystery" out of guns.

Unfortunately, I now have three teenagers and they constantly amaze me in how poor their judgement can be at times. Especially when they are around their friends. At least if everything is locked up, their poor judgement won't involve my guns.

Still scratching my head on whether the biometric safe is a good deal or not.

Thanks!

Oak · 02-27-2010, 02:07 PM

I had ( mercifully ) forgotten how "brain dead" in utilising "good judgement" 2 of my 3 sons exercised when they became to the ages of 13 until the time they married or left home about 8 years ago. I did put a tigger lock in my only shot gun for home defense then. I did wind up getting our house broken into and ransacked by a couple of my middle son's "friends" who were all under the age of 17. We did manage to retrieve most of our possessions only because they got caught bragging to some friends. But life does change after being violated like that.

I'm thinking we have our 2 grandsons as they are for now for another 5-6 years before they get all carried away with teen life stuff and think of us as "old fuddies and uncool". There will definetly never be any "sleep overs" with any of their friends here. I'm sure that my fourth grandson, who is 2yrs now, will be the one repeating these steps with us.

Interest and reinforcing thoughts on here..thanks.

Quote:

Unfortunately, I now have three teenagers and they constantly amaze me in how poor their judgement can be at times. Especially when they are around their friends. At least if everything is locked up, their poor judgement won't involve my guns.

Still scratching my head on whether the biometric safe is a good deal or not.

Thanks!