kids and guns

[bueller]

No need for all the details but I saw something today that reinforced how little time it can take for something tragic to happen, even for a responsible gun owner. Please remember to keep your guns secured (or on your person) at ALL times when kids are around or if there is even the slightest chance that kids may come around. Those that have or have had young children know how fast they can get what they want. Imagine a candy bar on the edge of your kitchen counter with a young child at your side as you open the fridge. Reach in, grab a gallon of milk and pour yourself a cup. Now where is that candy bar and where is the kid. It really happens that quick. Before you can even think to react it can be too late. It's not always the bust out druggy who is sleeping for hours while his kids play with his guns that this stuff happens to. It also happens to good people who are safe 99.9% of the time. I hope this post serves as a reminder to all of us, myself included, to NEVER let our guard down for even a split a second.

 

[Bill]

Being used or in the safe.
I don't see a reason to have a gun and no safe or locking cabinet or trigger guards or something.

 

[Diesel5610]

I am a first rate gun nut, but they are a huge responsibility. Never hurts to be reminded of that, especially in regard to children.

 

[yoderjac]

Lock up ammo separately from firearms. One more thing that some folks don't realize. The sooner you can get kids proper training on firearms the better. Otherwise, their concept comes from fantasy like TV and video games. Seeing the impact that improper handling of firearms can have has a huge impact on kids. I would rather have a kid with proper training and respect for a firearm have access to it than trust a lock and my own vigilance to keep it locked between a firearm and a kid without the proper training and respect for firearms.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[bueller]

I agree that safes, locks, education, and more are all part of the equation. But kids are vuenrable before they reach the age where they can be educated also. And for people that carry for a living it's just a fact of life that guns will be around everyday, not just hunting season or when you decide you want to carry today. Even a bathroom break opens up an opportunity for an incident to occur.

 

[H20fwler]

I think I must be a lot more casual with firearms than some here. It is just my wife and I at the house these days.

I am all about gun safety, my kids were exposed to firearms from birth and taught exactly how to use them just like I was.
During hunting season we always have unloaded guns leaning in a corner either drying out or cased ready to go because we hunt all the time, my wife and I and my three grown children also all have our CC and I have loaded pistols within easy reach all over the house now.

I never worried about my kids when they were young I worried about their friends that came over that had never been around guns so we kept everything out of sight and stored away.
When I have grandchildren one day we will have to keep everything put away until they are old enough to know how dangerous they can be and they will be taught how to use, respect and to be comfortable with them.
To me gun safety is about education, being able to comfortably use and to know when to store them whether locked up in a safe, gun cabinet or cased and stored away.