Shopsmith Forums

Just a note to help us all remember our duty as gun owners,,,,,

grouser wrote:Just a note to help us all remember our duty as gun owners,,,,,

Better yet, Teach them to handle them PROPERLY!(Assuming they ARE old enough to do so)!

jpg40504 wrote:Better yet, Teach them to handle them PROPERLY!(Assuming they ARE old enough to do so)!

Jpg
I think you hit the nail on the head, none of know when either one of us or our kids may come into contact with a gun. The knowledge of how to handle it essential. You just can't assume out of sight out mind what we don't know won't hurt us.

First lesson
I was taught at a very early age that my life would be endangered (by my dad) if I ever touched a gun without his permission.

Second lesson
At a fairly early age my Dad taught me gun handling and then let me hold an unloaded gun and corrected every mistake I made. Again under the threat of death ( he would kill me)

Third lesson
My Dad took me with him when he would shoot his gun. Again he taught me proper gun handling, and even let me pull the trigger.

My Dad removed the mystery and curiosity of guns in me and replaced it with knowledge and respect. He tempered my natural fascination with experience and realization of what it could and would do.

I respected guns. I knew what they could do, how to handle them, never to assume they are empty, never point any gun empty or loaded at something I didn't intend to shoot. Make sure I knew where the bullet would go if the gun did discharge.

I taught my kids the same way. In fact my daughter downed a nice 8 point buck on her first hunting trip.

Points well takin. My kids from early on when asked what to do if they found a gun would all say the same thing,
STOP,,,,
DON'T TOUCH
LEAVE THE AREA
TELL AN ADULT,,
But lets not forget,,,,
You can (and shoudl!!!) teach and mentor your kids everything they need to know about guns. And do it on a regular bassis. But the point of my post is this,,,
You can't control what OTHER poeple teach thier kids,,,, and if you allow other peoples kids in your house,,, then your guns need to be locked up and un-accessable to them...no exceptions!!!!.I personnaly have my guns hidden in a wall safe that is undetectabel.I don't even like the idea of a locked gun case being visable to anyone. But that is just me.
I posted this after a day in the field with my 12 yr old daughter. It was her first time with the 410 and we shot untill we ran outta shells. She had a run of 5 in a row!!!! Made me very proud.
I just wanted to bring the subject up and move it to the fore front of everyones mind,,,,practice gun safety,,,talk about it,,,keep it fresh,,,everyday,,,,, I made the same post in other forums I go to and have about 1500 views total,,,,,I think that is a good thing!!!! Spread the word,,,but shoot a tight pattern,,,hehehehehe

With all the "shoot em up" video games out there today kids are getting the wrong impression about firearms and their usage.

Last year I purchased a single shot 22 rimfire rifle for my 9 year old grandson. It is a Winchester 67 boys rifle with a shorter length of pull. In addition to being single shot, the striker has to be cocked separately after the bolt is closed. This is a very safe '30's vintage rifle that has probably trained several generations of youngsters. My grandson only uses the rifle under supervision. I have taught him the four shooting positions and we use a "spinner type" target at about 10 yards to make shooting a little more interesting.

I still have a Mossberg 410 bolt action shotgun that I received as a Christmas present in 1950 just after I turned 12. In a few years my grandson will train on this firearm as well.

Your a great grampa,,,,,,:D
something about taking a kid out and giving them control of a lethal weapon, teching them how to repect and use it seems to give them some respect and pride that nothing else can. I consider it a duty of a gun owner to pass along the knowledge,,,,:)

Totally agree with all comments posted...However, living in Los Angeles (a blue city) I worry when reading threads on gun safety that some will interpret this to mean that guns need to be restricted, kept from children at all costs, triple locked in disassembled condition. Keeping on topic, I leave my power tools plugged in in the garage. My children, and now my grandchildren are warned of the dangers in grandpa's shop. I teach them early to put on an apron, safety glasses, wear shoes, and only use tools when I am there. Even if I were to unplug the SS, the kids know how to plug things in. My gosh, they teach me how to program my phone.
Safety is always important. Don't turn on the tools. Don't turn on the car or touch the brake. Don't look for or touch the weapons.
Great song in South Pacific, " You Have To Be Taught to Hate and Fear." Applies to people and things.
As I tell my cop son..."be safe out there"

To paraphrase a relevant saying: Dangerous objects do NOT harm you, Careless actions with them WILL!

I apologize if I missed this in the comments but there is a great older movie with Charlton Heston called "Chiefs"... I believe. It addresses the issues of gun safety. I need to find it and make a purchase. I rented it years ago and was highly impressed as I was raised with a rifle in my hands from a very young age.
Scouts and the Hunter Safety course were great additions to my firearm safety knowledge also.

Being an advid hunter and fisherman, I love my guns and am grateful for my
2nd ammendment rights.

But, as I've gotten a little older, I now do not fear the intruder and evil people. I now choose not to keep a LOADED gun, unlocked in the house. my loaded gun wouldn't help me a bit if an intruder came in because it is locked in a gun box on the top shelf of my closet. My hunting long arms are locked in a hidden wall safe in my basement. Sometimes I wonder (not to much though) if I'll be in one of those NRA magaizine stories of the guy who "should've" kept his self defense weapon more accesable. But I highly doubt it.

My opinion is, kids of the proper age should be taught about gun safety and never trust a gun in the hands of others.....and keep guns locked up.