At what age do you introduce your child to firearms?

[IndySKS]

My girl is 3mo old so it will be a while lol, but those with children..... What age did they start?

 

[Joe Williams]

My boy got his first gun, a .22 Cricket, a couple months before his 5th birthday.

 

[WhitleyStu]

I was given an Ithaca M-49 Lever Action 22 youth rifle for my 5th birthday. Thay was 50 years ago. Still have it, too. I guess each kid is different, but if you teach respect for firearms at an early age it has a lasting effect.

 

[INGunGuy]

As early as possible...

INGunGuy

 

[jd4320t]

I introduced my daughter to them at a young age, I'm thinking like four years old. I didn't want her to be afraid of them or to be too interested if she ever happened on one. She understands that they are not toys and are not to be played with.

 

[firstrock]

My son is 4 and I started training him this year on an Ithaca M-49 that was my father's first gun. Never too early to teach SAFETY!!!!

 

[zoglog]

i got several air rifles/pistols before i was five...the first time i went shooting was when i was 8. I have just had this talk with my girl and we have vastly different ideas. It will be interesting to see what this thread thinks

 

[shooter521]

Introduce them? Really early.

~ 18 months

~3 years... his own AR!

We already like to look at guns, talk about them, and review basic safety.

Live fire will wait until next summer, though; he'll be 4-1/2 by then.

 

[CountryBoy19]

To be honest, I was never really "properly" introduced. We always knew dad had them (in the closets and other places) but we knew to never touch them, EVER. One night when he came home from work, I guess he just decided it was time, so he grabbed all 3 of us and took us out back with his dads old Remington .22 bolt-gun and set up a little target. At the time my older brother was 7 or 8, I was 5 or 6, and my little brother was 2 or 3. We all got to shoot it a little bit that night. Then it was several years later that we shot again. I got into 4-H shooting sports, starting with rifle and moving up to shotgun. Then really became a gun-nut in college, then turned my dad and brothers into gun-nuts.

I turned out fine with my "brief" introduction into guns at the age of 5 or 6, but I likely wouldn't have advanced my passion on that one intro. I would say 5 or 6 is just fine for the first shooting trip, but introduce them much earlier so that they know and understand guns and gun safety.

 

[Jay]

I just stripped an old pellet gun and left it laying around the house. Soon enough questions arose, and were answered. As more questions arose, the answers got a bit more detailed. I think the most important thing is to remove the "mystery" or the "forbidden item" aspect. Once my kids realized that they could look at, talk about, and handle firearms within the safety guidelines, there was no fear on my part, that they might "investigate" on their own.

To answer the original post..... my boys were introduced about age 4, and fired their first shots a year or so later.

 

[IndySKS]

Great feedback! Figured 3 yrs would be a good age. Lol that AR is almost as tall as him!

 

[XFCTR]

I introduced my daughter when she was 3 yrs old. She mostly played with the odds and ends she found laying about. Hardest thing was to make sure she kept her ear plugs in. I got something better now for her ears but haven't had the opportunity to get her back out for a while. She still asks me about it though and she is just 5 yrs old now. Memory like a steel trap. Just like dear old dad. NOT!!!

 

[AndersonIN]

My granddaughter and I picked out her first 9mm pistol at 3 months. (Grandma will carry it until granddaughter is 18 then pass it on to her).


All of the other children/grandchildren have been trained from birth. Age of actual training/shooting varied on their maturity and abilities!

We don't have too many in the family that don't have their LTCH (I can only think of my wife's mother she's 82)!

 

[kludge]

I start giving them the Eddie Eagle speech as soon as they show ANY interest in guns.

They are allowed to shoot, if they want to, as soon as they can follow instructions. The amount of help they get depends on the kid. My 3 year old has shot the 22LR with Colibris while I hold the gun. My 9 year old shoots a single shot .22LR without any help, and a .22 pistol with some help. Last weekend he shot a .45 Colt once. I help him hold up the gun. 7 or 8 years old is about average in my house for first time shooting.

A couple weeks ago I taught a NRA First Steps course to a mother and her 9 year old son. She also allowed him to shoot a .22 pistol, and he did VERY well.

 

[tharlow514]

Yea, my son is 2 1/2 and is already very interested in my firearms. I think you stress safety as early as possible and gradually progress to holding, shooting, etc. I will probably wait until 5 or 6 for shooting depending on maturity level. I can't wait for that day to come though!

 

[Mr. Habib]

My youngest started asking questions, wanting to touch or hold guns when the safe was open, ect when she was four. She got her Cricket that Christmas.

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[Lock n Load]

My 16 y/o son started shoting a bow and a pellet rifle at about 3-4 y/o. He then progressed to a .410 and .22lr rifle at about 5. He started hunting w/ 20ga at age 10. He has had his own AR, Glock and Sig 9mms, 12 ga shotguns and a Garand and M1A and takes care of them himself, under my watchful eye (read drill seargent)

My daughter is 6 y/o and she is starting w/ a bow, .22lr rifle and loves to help reload.

I guess alot depends on the child, parents and the household enviroment.... but its never to early for them to be involved and shown firearm safety. Of course the best way to learn is for them to witness us being safe!!!

 

[paulgl26]

at 4 with a 22 rifle and at 6 he got a Walther p22 for his birthday

 

[knobcreeknut]

I started my son as soon as he was able to comprehend what I was telling him to do. (about 18 MO) When I would get in the safe, he would always want to look at things. I explained not to touch unless I was present, and not to touch the trigger at first. safe direction was not an issue because he was not holding them on his own. We practiced opening the bolt and checking the chamber next. along the way i would sometimes intentionally leave out an unloaded gun to see what his reaction was. He always came and got me, and even chewed me out for it once when he was about 2 1/2. He "helped" build his AR about the same age, as well as learning how to fill the drum for my thompson. took him to the range to watch live fire probably before he was 2. I wanted to make sure he shot for the first time
while he was still 2 like I did, so we went to the range the day before his 3rd birthday. put the suppressor on the 10/22 and let him run out a mag of subsonics. No one else but me and him, no cameras or other distractions, just daddy and him. I held the gun, he just pulled the trigger. one round, a big smile then 9 rounds as fast as he could. We work on safety every time guns are present, and he is very aware of it, even wants to keep his toy guns in my safe.

 

[pbook1952]

Its never to early. I was target shooting at the range at the Y when I was 7. Fifty years ago. Of course things were much different then. I started with my son when he was about 2. Got his own first gun at 6, a nice Fox 410 double. He still has it and will someday be passed to my grandson. Who by the way is 2 and we are already training him on the safety of a firearm. So in my opinion its never to early to teach safety and respect of a firearm. When it comes to actually allowing them to use one on their own you will know.