too young for children to learn everything about guns

Most children at 7 or 8 years of age are old enough to learn safe handling of firearms. It also depends upon the maturity of the child, so the age variable can be from 6 to 10. Telling a child not to touch a gun, is like telling them not to read dad’s Playboy magazines…it instills a curiosity of the forbidden. If yiu teach a child responsible gun safety: How to safely handle a firearm, how to check to ensure that it is unloaded, how to remove the cartridges, and/or magazine, how to clean and maintain it, and proper gun safety, and range safety…that child will be much safer around firearms than the one for whom it is forbidden…and who in ignorant curiosity will probably end up shooting him/her self, or a friend. We often forget today that wars were historically fought by “children” The average age of soldiers in the 17 th and 18th centuries was 12 to 14 years of age. 7 to 10 year old children were “drummer boys” who played a drum and marched ahead of the troops. Being unarmed, they were usually shot to death in the first moments of battle, but quickly replaced with another. Admiral Farragut had his first naval command at age 13. (He was commanding five ships of war, with approximately 1500 sailors. Having grown up on a ranch, I learned gun safety at an early age. I also learned how to safely use a tractor, disker, plough, and harrow. How to operate a hay baling machine, how to shoe horses, etc. Children are better off being taught safety, with guns, power tools, swimming pools, or what have you…then to be left to “discover” for themselves and get hurt or killed.

My sisters and I used to use my dads 22 at our farm. I was 10 when I learnt how to use it but my sisters ages were 8, 6, and 4. Obviously the 2 youngest didnt use it but us older 2 did and we had a great time shooting cans etc. When I think about it today I wouldnt let my kids touch a gun with a 30 foot barge pole lol. They are dangerous and it was lucky I was always with my sisters when the gun was being used as I knew all of the safety things. In saying that accidents happen so wuickly its not funny.

I don’t think it’s wrong for children to learn about guns properly at almost any age… but that does not mean hey should experience using them. Even holding a gun is a responsiblity and is something a lot of people don’t realize. I think that we should educate children any age about guns and tell them that it is something that should not be taken lightly. I shot my first gun when I was 12 and I learned about proper gun control when I was about 8. I think that I understood more when I got older about what it really means to hold a gun. I think because a lot of people don’t educate their children properly on gun control thiings like cloumbine can occur.. but of course that is also a bit off topic. Anyways thats just my opinion