How do you handle your "home front" and weapons?

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12 years 2 months ago #15385 by Sharkey
How do you handle your "home front" and weapons? was created by Sharkey
Having a wife and 2 sons (7 and 9) I'm very interested in knowing how other fathers work with and train their families with the weapons they own.

I work with all of them on everything and never deny the boys a chance to handle and learn about the kinds of weapons that are out there AND the ones we have at home and teach them safety, responsibility and what the weapons uses are as well as what they can do - both intentionally AND accidentally speaking. (I think it helps that I know several people who were injured in gun accidents as children and can talk to the boys about them).

I could go on for hours about the kinds of things we work on but if you guys have read my posts, you gotta know I'm no "war monger" or fanatic and like to think I'm raising a couple of pretty well adjusted sons but with things in our house that are only for US to know about and hopefully, no one else to ever have to meet.

How do you guys teach and work with your kids when it comes to the weapons you own?

I think this could be a very good discussion for all of us since some are new dads and some, well, NOT so new with kids probably full grown by now.

Thanks in advance for your input guys.

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12 years 2 months ago #15389 by jtallen83
Replied by jtallen83 on topic How do you handle your "home front" and weapons?
Start them young! Your right on track there Sharkey :twothumbs:
As always with firearms, make it safe but most important with kids, make it fun :dance:
This can be challenging with some kids and easy with others. My oldest Granddaughter has absorbed the saftey procedures and made them second nature where my oldest Grandson just doesn't seem to get the seriousness. Sometimes he ends up not so happy with his grandpa because he has a lower round count than the others, I'm big on time outs for saftey violations like finger on the trigger to soon. I hate to be the bad guy with him but I always let him know I'm willing to help him with his safety issues so he can shoot more the next time.
They are also opposites when it comes to handling recoil. The Grandson will fire things like my 1917 30-06, 45 ACP, and a 20 ga once, tell me that is enough and walk away rubbing his shoulder. My granddaughter fires the same weapons and just grins while she asks to do it again. :)
All in all the number one rule for me is make it fun for them, you just have to tie safety to the fun time so that might mean doing things a little different from kid to kid.

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12 years 2 months ago #15390 by VTIT
Replied by VTIT on topic How do you handle your "home front" and weapons?
I have 2 kids, a daughter 19 and a son 22. They both grew up with guns and from day one I taught them about safety. That being said they (the guns not the kids) have also always been locked up and the ammo locked in a separate safe. When they were old enough to shoot I took them both to the range and taught them range safety and gun control. I still locked them in the safes. They weren't allowed to take them out without me present and didn't know the combinations. I always let them look at them and encouraged them to check out other guns from gun owners I know and know they wouldn't mind. They always checked with the owner even if we were there and they were unlocked.

Since they were old enough to know better, I taught them to respect other people's property and especially their guns. I would like to take credit for it but my wife is way better at raising kids than I am. The fact that she was also raised around guns helped a lot.

Now they both have their own guns. My son locks his in a safe in his apartment and my daughter stores hers at home since she is still in college. They both have been through a bunch of NRA training and shoot almost as much as the old man.

I think the big thing is respect, respect for other people, their property, and guns in general. Getting your wife involved is huge too. Having a different point of view and perspective is a big help.

:twocents:

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12 years 2 months ago #15391 by Siscowet
Replied by Siscowet on topic How do you handle your "home front" and weapons?
JT. is your 1917 30-06 an old American Enfield? That was my first deer rifle at 12. Yeah, start them young. My 18 year old now is a really good shot, and all my friends remark on his safe handling of firearms. My wife dislikes them, but respects that my son and I share an interest and enjoyment in target shooting and hunting. It is a bond we have.

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12 years 2 months ago - 12 years 2 months ago #15393 by Charlie
Replied by Charlie on topic How do you handle your "home front" and weapons?
If you've got kids in the house I think that Job One is get a safe. It doesn't have to be fancy or expensive, a $100.00 Stack-on from Academy or Walmart will work. All it has to do is keep kids and opportunists out.

I started training my kids when they were 6 and 7 (they're 20 months apart). We were using my grandpa's Remington 510X .22 single rifle, and the 7 year old could hold it up but the 6 year old was struggling. So I bought a CZ 452 Scout. The 452 Scout is a "chipmunk" type rifle; short (32"), light, and very high quality. It comes with a single round adapter, but 5 and 10rd mags are available. They were both hitting cans at 15 yds the first outing.

I introduced them to center-fire semi (.30 carbine) and .410 pump when they were 10 and 11, and to 12ga and .308 when they were 16/17. I didn't get around to handgun until they were in their late teens, but by then they were both well grounded in firearms handling and safety.

Here's something I recommend that you don't do: My dad had me shooting 30-06 and 12ga from the time I was about 7 years old. I was, and am, tall and slim, and those things stomped my tail! The result was bad shooting techniques that it took me years to overcome. The schedule I used with the kids kept them in their comfort zone, and seems to have avoided that problem completely.

Long story short, I have tried to train them such that they respect (but do not fear) firearms, practice safe handling instinctively, and are familiar with all types that they are likely to encounter (and some that they aren't!). I warned them particularly about being around chums who might be handling firearms in an unsafe way, and how to deal with it, because no parent should ever have to bury their child.

Charlie
Last edit: 12 years 2 months ago by Charlie.

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12 years 2 months ago - 12 years 2 months ago #15394 by Libertarian623
Replied by Libertarian623 on topic How do you handle your "home front" and weapons?
Well sharky, I started them early at 5 or 6 when they showed interest. The vivid pictures of war on the news help peak there interest at the beginning of the afgan war there where pictures of child soldiers all over the news also somalia. I told my oldest son it sucked to have to fight at any age, but to train from an early age would ensure that he would never be at a disadvantage. At 14 he began to shoot against adults in IDPA, the youngest will begin this year at age 11. They began with airsoft in the back yard, along with firearms I teach them boxing, jujitsu, hunting, land nav, we have a training tower with a air assault emblem in the back yard that they rappel off of, a zip line. the oldest has read Sun tsu. and while the youngest said he doesn't want to read it yet he picks up tactics from his brother and knows ambush tactics , the hammer and anvil and many other formations. They are well adjusted boys who like to play soccer, they just come with a very advanced skill set. The wife thinks it is all for fun and I try to make it seem so. We are your average american family.I think the people that they are constantly exposed to through the shooting sports are great role models, I belong to a club that has alot of retired LEO and vets that are very aware of the effect they are having on my kids and they do a great job.
Last edit: 12 years 2 months ago by Libertarian623.

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12 years 2 months ago #15405 by BUILDING MY SASS
Replied by BUILDING MY SASS on topic How do you handle your "home front" and weapons?
My Oldest step son (30) I just beat over the head with Kimber 1911, I hate to ruin a gun...but 2x4s just don't work...
My Youngest step son (27) listens to me and finds his own way of doing it...I may add the young man is a Great shot...He put 10 rounds all in a 8" shoot n see target with open sights with a Ruger 10/22 @ 100 yards...
As for my wife...I do try to work with her but she just doesn't have the Tactical sense...but she is one mean B-tch if you piss her off or tread were it is not wanted and she can shoot as well...very good I might add...she just doesn't like the automatics...mainly pistols....
BMS

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12 years 2 months ago #15415 by LebbenB
Replied by LebbenB on topic How do you handle your "home front" and weapons?
Both my wife and I grew up in small, rural towns and raised by depression era folks. Growing up, guns were a natural part of the landscape. I was taught at an early age to respect guns, that once the trigger is pressed you can't take it back. We impressed that on our son at an early age.

We started taking him to the range with us when he was around seven or so and taught him the fundamentals on an old FN .22 rifle. As he got older (and bigger) we transitioned him to shotguns and ARs. In his teen years, we started working with him on pistolcraft.

This year at Benning, he ran the table at Practice Qual 1. His DS' said that if he did it two more times, they'd take him off the duty roster for a week. So he went 40/40 two more times (Practice Qual 2 and Record Fire.) All that just for a full night's sleep.

He told me that as he cleared off the firing line his 1SG leaned out of the tower and said, "With that last name, I didn't expect anything less. Your dad was my squad leader at Campbell and I saw him make some amazing shots...Guess it just runs in the family."

He's now at Scholfield Barracks, HI. Initially he was a SAW gunner, but has now been made one of his platoon's DMRs.

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12 years 2 months ago #15425 by Siscowet
Replied by Siscowet on topic How do you handle your "home front" and weapons?
We all are proud of our accomplishments, but when it's your son doing it, it gives you a feeling like no other.
The following user(s) said Thank You: LebbenB

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12 years 2 months ago #15428 by LebbenB
Replied by LebbenB on topic How do you handle your "home front" and weapons?

Siscowet wrote: We all are proud of our accomplishments, but when it's your son doing it, it gives you a feeling like no other.

TRUTH

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