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My kids got one at around age 10 or so after they passed the MD Hunter Safety course. They were 20 gauge pumps. Were they "given" to them then? No. They were their's to use while they hunted with me and can be/were taken with them when they moved out as young adults.
As they've grown up they have, of course, graduated (if you will) to other firearms. My oldest daughter has an affinity for what was my 12 gauge 870, my oldest son fell in love with my father's 16 gauge Stevens SxS. Youngest daughter likes a .410. Youngest son, still at home at 17, uses my 12 gauge BPS now.
Well, I started at age 11 with my first BB Gun. Had my old man looking over my shoulder (like he tried to do my whole life) anytime I shot it.
He was a stickler for gun safety. Never much of a hunter, but I have to say, he made sure we were safe with our firearms, which is how I would answer your question. There is no specific age, so long as safety and responsibility are taught.
I am sure the deer in Texas appreciated it too, being that most of them got away.
I started hunting at age 12, my brother age 7. (Anything I did, he had to do too)
Again, safety was first, hunting second. Which is why we never, ever had a hunting related accident and never, ever tagged out.
I hunted with a Winchester Model 94 30/30 which we won in a Christmas drawing. I still have that gun. Have not fired it since I was 16. I got a whopping two deer with it, open sight, in 5 seasons of hunting.
I would not give either of my kids, 10 and 13 a gun at this point, because, for one we do not hunt, and two, they are not ready. I think the only reason I got one at a younger age was because in Texas, everybody hunts.
Just some people do better than others.
This coming from the same guy who shot 1 box of shells and got one dove the first time out.
I still have that Remington 20 G too, locked away. The kids cannot have that one either.
What do you think a good & proper age to give a kid their first gun????????
That's funny you say that Gramps. My first time I ever shot anything was when I was 5 years old. It was a Colt Detective Special .38 SPL revolver. It was all my Dad could sneak out of the house in his back pocket without my Mom knowing. We walked back in our woods and he handed it over. I was hooked from then on.... I got my first Marlin Model 60 when I was 8 and a H&R single shot 12 gauge when I was 10. By the time I was 13......I had a Springfield Armory 1911 .45 ACP.
Been all down hill since as ALL HOLY HELL broke loose!
In my middle aged adult life....I own at least four times as many firearms as my Dad does.
He asks me to borrow, shoot, work on.....reload for HIM!
That's funny you say that Gramps. My first time I ever shot anything was when I was 5 years old. It was a Colt Detective Special .38 SPL revolver. It was all my Dad could sneak out of the house in his back pocket without my Mom knowing. We walked back in our woods and he handed it over. I was hooked from then on.... I got my first Marlin Model 60 when I was 8 and a H&R single shot 12 gauge when I was 10. By the time I was 13......I had a Springfield Armory 1911 .45 ACP.
Been all down hill since as ALL HOLY HELL broke loose!
In my middle aged adult life....I own at least four times as many firearms as my Dad does.
He asks me to borrow, shoot, work on.....reload for HIM!
.38 & 5 year old is a different memory that your dad lucked out and didn't go wrong on him. .38 & a 5 year old is very poor judgement which is why he had to sneak out past mom.
Something else my Dad did different was make me learn to fieldstrip and clean his and my guns after we shot them by myself. "If you are gonna shoot 'em...you're gonna clean 'em too boy"!
He would always inspect after to make sure I did it right and didn't take shortcuts or cheat. That weapon was spotless when done..... Not only did it teach me everything about firearms inside and out...it's kinda hard for a kid to shoot himself, have a negligent discharge...if he can take it apart and put it back together. You WAY passed the point of keeping your finger off the trigger until ready to fire and not letting the muzzle cover anything you don't want shot.
Hell, I could fieldstrip it and clean it to a point that would make any DI happy and pass an inspection with flying colors.
When I was 13, I fieldstripped my own 1911 as well. It also taught me about using a rubber mat on the workbench as to not mar the finish and also using a roll of duct tape to support when driving out roll pins and solid pins. The soft roll of duct tape supports what you are working on. It will not mar the finish. The height gives it the room to drive it out with the hole there to catch the pin and keep it contained so it doesn't get away from you.
More Dads should do this IMO.....I see 50 year old dumbasses at guns shows who take something apart and can't get it back together and working again. They also have their finger on the trigger while holding/looking at it.....and NEVER check and clear it before dryfiring.
Yeah, well a 8-13 year old KNEW BETTER you toolbags!
.38 & 5 year old is a different memory that your dad lucked out and didn't go wrong on him. .38 & a 5 year old is very poor judgement which is why he had to sneak out past mom.
I wouldn't call it poor judgement. If it wasn't for that...I would not be what am today. Come to my range sometime......I own your ass in less then 20 minutes.
What do you think a good & proper age to give a kid their first gun????????
I let my kids pull the trigger plenty of times when they were that young (with me holding the gun behind them and preaching kindergarten gun safety the whole time!) but handing a loaded .22 to a 5 year old and letting them run off with it takes a special kind of stupid.
I let my kids pull the trigger plenty of times when they were that young (with me holding the gun behind them and preaching kindergarten gun safety the whole time!) but handing a loaded .22 to a 5 year old and letting them run off with it takes a special kind of stupid.
Well yeah, my Dad stood right behind me when I was five with that Colt Detective Special. He unloaded it first and showed me how to shoot and hold it before I fired it. He helped too...what do they expect. It was a snub nose .38 SPL and I was only 5.
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