Should a 6 year old child be given an air rifle?

[sudesh]

Not without 100% adult supervision.

S....

[fantumfan2003]

+1 to what m24 says PLUS

- Ofcourse with 101% adult supervision
- Make them shoot with the gun supported on a bean bag or rest
- Teach them safety rules and make sure they grasp them
- Educate them that the guns are not to be touched/handled/used except when an adult/parent/guardian is around
and himself/herself using them

M.

Yes.

Always keep it under lock and key.

The kid gets it only when you or someone who knows about handling air guns / guns is around.

You or that above-mentioned person always, and I repeat always, train the kid every time with the basics and the do's and don'ts.

Regards

-- Mon Oct 18, 2010 23:04 --

Rajat,

Thanks for the hairsplitting of Give

Ofcourse nobody is foolish enought to "give" a gun to a child. Almost anyone of us will definitely allow kids to shoot airguns (taking into account all safety precautions)

M.

Give:

Definition: To bestow without receiving a return; to confer without compensation; to impart, as a possession; to grant, as authority or permission; to yield up or allow.

NO I am totally against it.

Giving is something different than letting the child fire a couple of shots in your presence. I even do not totally support this. Keep it under lock and key.

-- Mon Oct 18, 2010 23:16 --

hvj1

Todays kids are not kids, they are SUPERKIDS. They are very quick to grasp. So we better hasten on making them grasp all the good there is.

May I dare to say that your father was all too familiar with your antics and hence the 1911 was out of bounds for you.

M.

Dear Friends,
Is it really possible to supervise a 6 yr old kid 100%, in the blink of an eye, (even with all the training), what can you expect if the kid lets fly one and injures somebody ?
I remember, my father had locked up his 1911, in his cupboard, the keys handed over to my Mom,I used to be always on the lookout for just that unattended moment, when the cupboard was open. I got many raps on the head, but that did not deter me to sneak up and get hold of the gun at least on three to four occasions. I was a 'orrible 10 year old brat then, upto all kinds of mischief and mayhem most of my waking hours.

[Vikram]

I voted 'Yes'.As others said, that yes means that a kid gets to know about the air rifle,safe handling and shoot it always under supervision. It does not mean that the kid gets to keep the air rifle with him and use it as he likes.NO.

Dear Friends,
Is it really possible to supervise a 6 yr old kid 100%, in the blink of an eye, (even with all the training), what can you expect if the kid lets fly one and injures somebody ?
I remember, my father had locked up his 1911, in his cupboard, the keys handed over to my Mom,I used to be always on the lookout for just that unattended moment, when the cupboard was open. I got many raps on the head, but that did not deter me to sneak up and get hold of the gun at least on three to four occasions. I was a 'orrible 10 year old brat then, upto all kinds of mischief and mayhem most of my waking hours.

According to this example, adults with 10 year old kids like the one in question ( ) should not keep guns.
Sorry,HVJ, it does not cut much ice.

Best-
Vikram

[md_yaqoob]

no

[hvj1]

According to this example, adults with 10 year old kids like the one in question ( ) should not keep guns.

[mundaire]

I bought an air-rifle for my son when he was around 5 (he's 7 now), and have been teaching him bit by bit ever since. However, the air-rifle stays under lock & key unless I am giving him a lesson/ supervising him/ his friends in the backyard.

+ves
- He's slowly learning how to shoot
- While he loves guns, he knows NEVER to handle them without adult supervision
- He's learning gun safety. He NEVER points a gun at anyone, not even his plastic toys and when any of his friends/ cousins do so, he immediately corrects them. So much so, that's he's even got a 2.5 year old cousin repeating the "You NEVER point a gun (NOT even a toy) at anyone mantra".

End of the day, he's still a kid though and (for example) on occasion he'll get excited (especially at the start of a session) and forget to keep his finger out of the trigger guard till he's taken aim & ready to shoot... so it'll be several years before he gets an airgun unsupervised.

A child comes across a gun lying somewhere. The natural tendency of a child who has never been exposed to guns/ training would be to pick it up, point it and pull the trigger (this as per some research I'd read a while back). On the other hand children who have been previously exposed to guns & training under adult supervision will know from their training to immediately alert an adult and not handle it themselves.

Start teaching them early and never forget your responsibilities as a parent!

Cheers!
Abhijeet

[timmy]

I totally agree with Abhijeet. There is no age formula that can be applied here.

1. The child must be appropriately supervised -- this will vary with age (5 years old is different from 15)

2. The air gun in question should fit -- giving a huge gun to a little kid is counter productive

3. The child should have some interest -- not be forced

All of the safety concerns, etc. assume that the supervising adult knows the proper steps to take and does these things.

I see no reason why all 6 year olds should be excluded from shooting air guns. Nor do I think that every 6 year old should shoot an air gun. Like so many things in life, common sense is often a better guide that formulas and rules, but when common sense isn't applied, that's when we get more formulas and rules.

[dev]

Remembering what we were up to with airguns, I feel six may be too early, unless one can get an air rifle that fits well. I would throw in my hat with the only under supervision lot.

[marksman]

I am deviating a wee bit but narrating a true and funny incident that had all the possibilities of turning disastrous which happened with me in gud ole days. My 16 yrs old nephew accompanied me for a shooting trip. While returning, I foolishly asked him to check out if my 30-06 which he was holding, was loaded. I was actually trying to show off to the fallow hunters expecting familiar ku kluck sound of the Mauser bolt. "NO" came the prompt answer almost overlapping my question which left me wondering how he could have checked this out so quickly. On inquiring I was simply told "I pressed the trigger and it didn't fire" Pregnant silence..........Fortunately (for me), I had emptied the gun myself before handing it over to him for safe keeping. Well this nephew of mine wasn't exactly trained under me and had never ever fired a shot. He would accompany me once in a while for the shoot , maybe to boast around that he went hunting often with me. How ever at his age I thought he should have certainly acquired enough sense on gun safety and assumed some of it may have rubbed on to him purely by observing us handle guns. I WAS TERRIBLY WRONG.
Well, now at the age of 44 yrs, I am sure he is as foolish where guns are concerned but mercifully did not develope any interest in fire arms.
Marksman

[hvj1]

[quote="fantumfan2003

May I dare to say that your father was all too familiar with your antics and hence the 1911 was out of bounds for you.
[/quote]

You hit the nail on the head.

[abhrankash]

Yes.

Always keep it under lock and key.

The kid gets it only when you or someone who knows about handling air guns / guns is around.

You or that above-mentioned person always, and I repeat always, train the kid every time with the basics and the do's and don'ts.

Regards

In this case as per the blog of Mr.M24 i do agree with him

[m24]

For all those who say no, take a look here. Picture no. 4 from left, if that doesn't warm your heart....

Source: Say Uncle to Sharp as a marble

Regards

[Rajat]

Rajat,

Thanks for the hairsplitting of Give

Ofcourse nobody is foolish enought to "give" a gun to a child. Almost anyone of us will definitely allow kids to shoot airguns (taking into account all safety precautions)

Thanks for acknowledging and assessing my comment fantumfan. You have got it right, it is my nature to assess and give precise and hairsplitting replies and opinions.

The question was: Should a 6 year old child be given an air rifle?

No conditions and ifs and buts were expressed or implied.

You ask a simple question, you get a simple and specific answer.

I will leave the judgement, implications, conditions and consequences up to you: "Ofcourse nobody is foolish enought to "give" a gun to a child. Almost anyone of us will definitely allow kids to shoot airguns (taking into account all safety precautions)"

[full_circle]

Keeping the child away from guns - airgun in this case - will only serve to heighten curiosity, leading to the child looking for "unattended moments" If the kid is strong enough to control the gun, indulge the child's curiosity, and take advantage of it to teach gun safety. Lock away the pellets if you so want. And at all times, supervise.
Right age? Whenever the kid is ready...
I voted yes.

[captrakshitsharma]

I have mixed views on this. I was given an air pistol at a very tender age followed by an air rifle . I am not sure if i was 6 but surely before i turned ten ,i think i was in the fourth grade.I was taught that it is not a toy and was also taught that it could seriously injure and harm someone.

I behaved well but on occasions and provocations (long story so not getting into it) i did shoot and injure people .After which my airguns were confiscated . Like hvj1 I also used to look for my dads steel wardrobe and locker keys to get my hands on his C96 broomhandle when nobody was home especially after watching a war movie or a western movie.

I think it is a little difficult to monitor kids but but i will give it a FIRM YES to encourage shooting and marksmanship however UNDER SUPERVISION. They should also be Taught not to injure birds and small animals and not shoot them unless u were gonna put it on table.
A good approach is to monitor and have them shoot in your presence and not let them have the gun unsupervised. This can go for about 10 -15 odd times. If you see the child is capable and has a mental make up of a smart disciplined child go ahead and let him shoot unsupervised again in a safe place and tenets of safety further reinforced with a lil rationing on ammo. What one has to take into account and be careful is to understand the temperament and behavior of the child in question.If he is a boisterous brat and one of those hyper naughty kids then a Big No.
At the end of the day the judgement is in your hands and you should be prepared for consequences.Let the kid have fun but keep a watchful eye. Maybe for at least two year the shooting should be supervised and after the novelty of the gun as a new toy is worn off and again the child seems well behaved and sensible he may be allowed a lil more unsupervised adventure with the gun.... Which means a few dead crows and pigeons...lol Cuz boys will be boys