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My son has become interested in fire arms since moving to PA. I have no problem with this. He is not interested in hunting, but he does enjoy target practice and the thrill of handling guns.
Honestly, we have no background with this. I do want to ensure that he practices safe gun handling and since he has no back ground with this, I wonder if he should take a safety class o if they are available.
I am a little concerned because this is new territory for me, I am not sure of the laws in PA and what he is permitted to use as an eighteen year old.
Any advice would be welcomed and I'm not challenging this interest, I am only hoping to ensure that what he does is safe.
AGAIN I reinforce the issue that this is not a game, thrill or otherwise. Proper instruction is absolutely needed for proper and safe handling of a firearm for his safety and that of everyone at the range as well.
I grew up with guns from the time I was very young. I carried a single shot .22 on my school bus from the time I was 12 – I shot on my HS rifle team. That was many, many years ago. My gun was locked in a case – but I had the key. Times change and we must be aware of all the new laws.
I would recommend any novice starting out with a single shot, bolt action, .22. The reason that I prefer this for a novice is that it is very easy to carry the gun safely. You can easily see if there is a round in the chamber or if the breach is open. Of course; many do not want to start with single shot rifles.
If your son wants excitement with shooting; perhaps you should look into: Dyberry Sporting Clays Honesdale, PA, 18431 - YP.com He would probably start off with skeet shooting and eventually advance to the sporting clays. Most skeet, trap, and sporting clay ranges have people that would be more than happy to work with a new shooter.
Anyway; good luck. At least you are thinking safety which is a very good idea.
The friends that he has grew up with guns. They tell me that he does not need a permit to use a gun at a range. only to purchase a gun. (????)
Let me say I am not against this interest. BUT I have a healthy respect for an item that could kill someone.
So I don't need to be preached to about pro-anti gun. I'm neutral.
What worries me is when they go out to one of the kid's grandfathers farm and shoot things off a fence. One of the guns is an M-16 which belongs to his friend who just got home from basic training (Army reserves)
All of them are good kids and I trust them.
All all of those fire arms mixed with all that testosterone and youth make me a little worried.
Also is it legal in PA to shoot guns on a farm? The grandfather doesn't care and the boys tell me one shoots at a time and they only shoot in one direction.
The legality also concerns me. As one might expect, my son thinks that I am making a" big deal out of nothing".
OH and the M-16 is not a machine gun. It's been modified in some way.
He finds it thrilling to use the gun, and I guess it would be exciting.
The friends that he has grew up with guns. They tell me that he does not need a permit to use a gun at a range. only to purchase a gun. (????)
Let me say I am not against this interest. BUT I have a healthy respect for an item that could kill someone.
So I don't need to be preached to about pro-anti gun. I'm neutral.
What worries me is when they go out to one of the kid's grandfathers farm and shoot things off a fence. One of the guns is an M-16 which belongs to his friend who just got home from basic training (Army reserves)
All of them are good kids and I trust them.
All all of those fire arms mixed with all that testosterone and youth make me a little worried.
Also is it legal in PA to shoot guns on a farm? The grandfather doesn't care and the boys tell me one shoots at a time and they only shoot in one direction.
The legality also concerns me. As one might expect, my son thinks that I am making a" big deal out of nothing".
OH and the M-16 is not a machine gun. It's been modified in some way.
He finds it thrilling to use the gun, and I guess it would be exciting.
Where to start.........Not one bit of this sounds safe to me.
Just because a kid grew up with guns doesn't mean that he is safe shooter or that he has even had PROPER training. I see them all the time at the range and they are a danger to EVERYONE around them.
Basic Training means nothing, especially when surrounded by kids in an unsupervised situation, possibly showing off for friends.
I find it alarming that kids who supposedly grew up with guns don't anything about the laws and that is scary, very scary. There is NO PERMIT REQUIRED TO PURCHASE A GUN IN PA, that is the first red flag.
Also he either has to have a hunting license(current) or a state range permit to use a state shooting range, second red flag.
The M16(It's an AR-15) is nothing, but a semi-auto .223 rifle. It has NOT been modified and if they say it has been modified then I would be extremely concerned about the safety of the gun.
It is legal to own a machine gun in PA and the US, but proper permits, evaluations and what not have to be done in order to do it through the B.A.T.F and they are extremely expensive.
Shooting in one direction means NOTHING if there is no safe backdrop to stop the bullets beyond the fence, they travel at high rates of speed and can ricochet of an object and come right back at you.
My son has been shooting since he was 7yrs old with pistols, rifles and shotguns, he has been trained by a retired Army Range Officer, local Police Chief as well as by myself. His proficiency is outstanding as well as his maturity at the range for a 13yr. old boy.
With that being said I WOULD NOT ALLOW my son to enter into the situation stated above with any loaded firearms at all, EVER. There are too many RED FLAGS based on what you have told us for me to feel safe with it.
Again this is not Pro or Anti gun talk...These are SERIOUS weapons that are designed TO KILL, PERIOD.
I'm not telling you how to be a parent, but this is screaming for someone to get hurt, seriously hurt.
I also have some reservations with an M-16 as a starter weapon. I don't like fully automatic or semi-automatic weapons as starter weapons. Especially in the farm setting you are describing. I am aware that many young men and women have had their first experience in the military with weapons like the M-16. But; they were closely monitored and they had a 'safe' range. The problem with these weapons is that they automatically chamber the next round. If the shooter does not shoot every round and forgets to place the safety on the weapon; they could have only about two and a half pounds of trigger pull separating them from a disaster.
To train novice shooters I always preferred the bold action or breach opening shotguns. It is just my personal preference – I can quickly see trouble.
The fence, without a backstop, also bothers me. Even the .22 can go a mile. There are not too many farms in our area that own miles of property. I don't know the maximum lethal range of the .223 – but; I would much rather see it shot at a range with an approved backstop.
Your original idea of a safety course or qualified instructor is a great idea. Follow up with calls to your local shooting centers. Keep us posted and let us know if they are helpful.
Ditto what everyone else said. Hubby and I have a good friend who is an NRA certified instructor. I know he offers many classes on gun safety. We are near Milford, if you are interested PM me and I'll get you his information. I'm sure he'd gladly answer any questions you may have and any classes.
Where to start.........Not one bit of this sounds safe to me.
Just because a kid grew up with guns doesn't mean that he is safe shooter or that he has even had PROPER training. I see them all the time at the range and they are a danger to EVERYONE around them.
Basic Training means nothing, especially when surrounded by kids in an unsupervised situation, possibly showing off for friends.
I find it alarming that kids who supposedly grew up with guns don't anything about the laws and that is scary, very scary. There is NO PERMIT REQUIRED TO PURCHASE A GUN IN PA, that is the first red flag.
Also he either has to have a hunting license(current) or a state range permit to use a state shooting range, second red flag.
The M16(It's an AR-15) is nothing, but a semi-auto .223 rifle. It has NOT been modified and if they say it has been modified then I would be extremely concerned about the safety of the gun.
It is legal to own a machine gun in PA and the US, but proper permits, evaluations and what not have to be done in order to do it through the B.A.T.F and they are extremely expensive.
Shooting in one direction means NOTHING if there is no safe backdrop to stop the bullets beyond the fence, they travel at high rates of speed and can ricochet of an object and come right back at you.
My son has been shooting since he was 7yrs old with pistols, rifles and shotguns, he has been trained by a retired Army Range Officer, local Police Chief as well as by myself. His proficiency is outstanding as well as his maturity at the range for a 13yr. old boy.
With that being said I WOULD NOT ALLOW my son to enter into the situation stated above with any loaded firearms at all, EVER. There are too many RED FLAGS based on what you have told us for me to feel safe with it.
Again this is not Pro or Anti gun talk...These are SERIOUS weapons that are designed TO KILL, PERIOD.
I'm not telling you how to be a parent, but this is screaming for someone to get hurt, seriously hurt.
you make such sense! wish the parents of the emotionally disturbed kid in my neighborhood felt like you--he is 11 with a .22 that i hope his stupid father locks up(btw--his idiotic psych counselor thinks it's ok for him to have a gun)
you make such sense! wish the parents of the emotionally disturbed kid in my neighborhood felt like you--he is 11 with a .22 that i hope his stupid father locks up(btw--his idiotic psych counselor thinks it's ok for him to have a gun)
I don't want to make you nervous; you already sound nervous. It is just that many people underestimate the killing power of the .22. Standard velocity long rifle Remington .22s will penetrate somewhere around thirteen inches of wet newspaper. They are very capable of penetrating a human heart, brain, jugular vein or other vital human organs. If I recall correctly; .22's at one time killed more people in American than any other weapon.
That said; I grew up with guns. But; there was miles of woods behind my house. It was always a privilege for me to be allowed to own or shoot. If I did not follow the safety rules; I would loose that privilege. The same thing went for shooting on our HS rifle team – my gun was my responsibility to keep safe and I would loose that privilege for not complying.
Today I just feel that we always give our kids an escape. It is not their fault; it is the teacher, the parent, the whatever – no young are quick to accept responsibility. On the other hand, as parents; we are not quick to assign responsibility. But we almost can't assign responsibility because of the fear of legal repercussions.
I don't want to make you nervous; you already sound nervous. It is just that many people underestimate the killing power of the .22. Standard velocity long rifle Remington .22s will penetrate somewhere around thirteen inches of wet newspaper. They are very capable of penetrating a human heart, brain, jugular vein or other vital human organs. If I recall correctly; .22's at one time killed more people in American than any other weapon.
That said; I grew up with guns. But; there was miles of woods behind my house. It was always a privilege for me to be allowed to own or shoot. If I did not follow the safety rules; I would loose that privilege. The same thing went for shooting on our HS rifle team – my gun was my responsibility to keep safe and I would loose that privilege for not complying.
Today I just feel that we always give our kids an escape. It is not their fault; it is the teacher, the parent, the whatever – no young are quick to accept responsibility. On the other hand, as parents; we are not quick to assign responsibility. But we almost can't assign responsibility because of the fear of legal repercussions.
I completely agree with this statement.
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you make such sense! wish the parents of the emotionally disturbed kid in my neighborhood felt like you--he is 11 with a .22 that i hope his stupid father locks up(btw--his idiotic psych counselor thinks it's ok for him to have a gun)
