survey on age for first firearm

[snal]

Got my first gun at 11...20 ga. H&R. Both brothers got the same at age 11. My brothers probably haven't shot 2 boxes of shells in their's...but I couldn't mow enough lawns to keep my 20 ga fed.
Ten years later I bought my first Ruger, GP 100 .357 and I've bought and traded Rugers ever since. I love 870's, AR15's, Marlin lever actions, any Rugers, but I prefer the Glocks for semi-auto.
Desperately seeking stainless Service-Six and Security-Sixes NIB.

 

[dooleysm]

Got my first .22 when I was probably 12 or 13. I had been shooting with dad before that. That got me big into hunting and I got a Remington 870 20 ga. the following year for Christmas. Still have it and use it extensively for rabbit hunting. It's got a cracked stock and is beat up, but will still kill bunnies all day.

My first child, a boy, was born 7 weeks ago. A few of my buddies got together and bought him a little Rossi kid's gun with interchangable .22 and .410 barrels.

 

[hudr]

dooleysm,
I have already bought my 6 year old one of the Rossi .22/.410 convertibles. But it is still in the box in the attic. My wife throws a fit when I talk about "giving" it to him. I have tried to explain that any time he spends w/ it will be closely supervised, but to no avail. I think it has to do w/ verbiage. She sees "giving" it to him as letting him sleep w/ it, I guess. Anyway, I see the future of shooting sports and firearm ownership in this country starting w/ the education of this generation. He is already great around guns. He doesn't even pay attention to them when I have them out. He knows the first thing you do is check to see if the gun is "hot". I don't know what the wife's problem is w/ him having a rifle of his "own" in the cabinet. She didn't grow up around guns, but she isn't scared of them either. She even met one guy at the door w/ my Colt .357 when our boy was about 3 weeks old.

 

[Silver_Knight]

Well I 'll tell you why your wife is throwing a fit....She is smart. My FIL bought both of my sons a 22 on their 5th birthday. While he was out shooting at targets the other day I was watching. I saw one of my sons turn a circle with a hot gun. He was being watched closely by the FIL but when it comes down to it 5, 6, 7, and 8 are all to young IMHO to have a gun.

After having that 22 being pointed at everybody by accident I am taking the guns away until they are probably 10. Just not worth it. Kids play with toys and guns are not toys.

 

[deerefan]

It is based on the maturity level of the child. I was raised around guns and was taught early on what is right and wrong. My first gun was a BB gun at age six then received a .30 Carbine, M1, at age 10. By 12, I was disassembling my guns, cleaning them and putting them back together. Take the time to show kids the ins and outs of gun safety and you will not go wrong.

 

[wushaw]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Well I 'll tell you why your wife is throwing a fit....She is smart. My FIL bought both of my sons a 22 on their 5th birthday. While he was out shooting at targets the other day I was watching. I saw one of my sons turn a circle with a hot gun. <font color="red"> So will an 18 YO in basic training with a loaded M16 with a DI instructing him on the finer points of his boot /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif</font> He was being watched closely by the FIL but when it comes down to it 5, 6, 7, and 8 are all to young IMHO to have a gun.

After having that 22 being pointed at everybody by accident I am taking the guns away until they are probably 10. Just not worth it. Kids play with toys and guns are not toys. )</font>

<font color="red"> Gun saftey takes a little time, it cannot be learned overnight. </font>

 

[TOL1488]

7 th birthday.

bolt action .22 had to dry fire and cycle the bolt consistently with 100 pennies balanced on the barrel before I was allowed to fire a round. It took me about six months, my father drilled in those habits before he let me use it. Now I know the balancing act was just a way to buy time while he taught me the rest and made sure I remembered it.

 

[3RRL]

I had to go through that same drill except using only one penny. That was hard enough...I can't imagine how still you'd have to be to balance 100! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[TOL1488]

I think 10 was the hardest he had me work my way up by 10s I kinda remember thinking I'd never get past ten. It was more luck than skill when I would pass to the next set but I was convinced I was earning my right to shoot.

Anyway it really had little to do with that drill it was more about the other things involved in handling a firearm safely and proficiently. The drill was his way of making me pay attention to one thing so I could learn the other stuff I needed to.

He always tried to sneak lessons through so they seemed like my idea almost. Anyway we laugh about it now and I give my kids the same kind of grief. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif