An honest question about striker-fire and young kids

J

JSMidd

New member
Recently, I made a switch from dedicated revolver guy to a striker-fired .45 ACP for capacity and ease of reload sake. I am intentionally leaving gun brands out of the equation, and am merely talking safety here, so please follow suit. :)

I have four kids, two who are old enough to be gun owners in their own right, highly capable and on the path to being trustworthy at 11 and 13.

I also have two younger kids, 6 and 4.

The other thing to factor in is that I carry all day, every day, in the home and out of it.

HERE'S MY QUESTION...

Do you feel 100% safe with a chambered firearm that can go "boom" at the press of a trigger around young kids? I have never, ever, ever, had my striker-fire firearm come out of its IWB holster, but I got too close for comfort today, and it's got me thinking. To be fair, I think that we carry "just in case", and that line of thinking has me considering a semi-auto with external safeties of some kind for the same "just in case" thinking with my younger kids.

Your thoughts would be appreciated.
 
The goal is to keep kids away from unattended firearms. That's the whole goal. I knew a guy that worked at S&W decades ago. He claimed the factory once did a study where they had kids attempt to pull the triggers on unloaded revolvers. The general notion at the time was the kids didn't have the hand strength to pull the trigger on the revolvers. You know what the kids did? With no prompting, they used two hands and the index fingers from both hands to pull the trigger. Maybe an external safety would stop them, but it's more a question of time. When I was a little kid I took the gear assembly apart on my mom's exercise bike because I was bored. An external safety is a little switch that doesn't take too much intelligence. I can see where you're coming from, but honestly education about firearm safety for the kids and making sure they are locked up when not in your immediate possession is really the only true course of action.
 
Mossad Ayoob once wrote that he learned to rack the slide on his Dad's 1911 by hooking it on a table or chair, when he was still too young and weak to do that conventionally. Same lesson.

In your case, an empty chamber on your carry sounds kid-safer than a safety, accepting the tactical disadvantage .
 
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I have never, ever, ever, had my striker-fire firearm come out of its IWB holster, but I got too close for comfort today, and it's got me thinking.
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I know you were trying to leave specifics out, but what happened exactly?

Did one of the kids try to get into it? Did you almost have to draw it on a bad guy? Did it fall out in the bathroom?

Some context, even if vague, might be nice.

I carry with a round chambered, my weapon is on me at all times as well. I have a two year old. The weapon will not go off without the trigger being pressed, and if holstered properly that won't happen. Kids cannot touch it While I'm carrying it, so that's not a worry for me.

If you carried revolvers prior to this I will assume you carried it with 6/6 rounds in the cylinder and no additional safties. Pretty much the same thing as a semi auto loaded with a chambered round, imo.

Lee
 
A holster with better retention may help prevent slips.


The firearm itself is safe against drops and knocks, so no worries their. If it does manage to slip out, it's unlikely to go unnoticed by yourself.


Even small kids can manage a trigger, a safety isn't hard to figure out either.


Teaching safety and what to do if they see a firearm... Generally leave it be and find an adult... Should be top priority. Having the older children be given a little responsibility over the younger ones, will help them want to do the right thing even when it is themselves that find a firearm... "To protect little bro/sis".

Teach respect and not fear... And know your children and their tendencies to push boundaries. If you have a child you feel will be overly curious, then a bit more diligence and teaching may be necessary.

After you teach them what to do, periodically ask them to repeat what they learned, or otherwise reiterate the leason. Keep what they learned fresh in their mind, every week, two, whatever you feel is often enough.


But always be mindful and do not leave a loaded firearm unattended in the first place.
 
I have never, ever, ever, had my striker-fire firearm come out of its IWB holster, but I got too close for comfort today
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I'm not sure I understand the situation here. Are you saying your gun fell out of its holster?

Also I'm just asking for clarification here, are you thinking there are times when your kids would have access to your gun when you're not around?

Like I said before I think I'm missing what your question is here.

For anybody and everybody I agree with the general sentiments on this site, that you keep your gun on you or you lock it up and then things should be good.
 
lost

Yeah, I'm lost too, re "out of the holster"........did the pistol get snagged and come out fo the holster, dropped, etc? Were you concerned about an AD resultant of a drop?

Regards kids and guns.......I educated bamaboy at a young age, and he was permitted to handle unloaded guns with supervision young as well. But I did not tempt him or invite tradgedy by leaving firearms about unsecured or unattended, loaded or not. Kids are indeed curious. My grandad's 1911, in his dresser drawer, found by me quite by accident, was a constant source of fascination. I handled it every time I could. It was stored unloaded, and I knew better, but......., geez there IT was. He would have whipped me good.
 
In watching the TV News, so many incidents of small kids being shot accidently!

Invariably the handgun belongs to a convicted felon, left with a round chambered, on a bedside table, or under a cushion, or mattress!

All guns are in the safe, in my house, except the one on me. Grandkids visiting, aged 3 and 5, the holstered G19, full magazine, breach empty, one back in pipe when they leave.
 
brit said:
Invariably the handgun belongs to a convicted felon, left with a round chambered, on a bedside table, or under a cushion, or mattress!
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Do you by chance have access to the internet?

Even the most rudimentary search will prove the falsehood of your statement.
 
Most my striker guns also have a manual safety....I also never carry IWB.

Most new shooters out there have been sold a bill of goods with the idea that a safety is too dangerous on a carry gun, and instead meant for 22 competition pistols or whatever glock salesmen claim.

So he/she takes the pistol home, drops it in a purse or some crappy IWB holster and you know the rest of the story...


I like either a manual safety or SA/DA, both my kids have been raised with slab sided semis, SA/DA, and manual safety pistols.
 
When the kids were real young, no we didn't. Empty chamber time. When they were a little older that changed, first to cocked and locked and then to striker fired when I switched firearms.
 
It sound like you're raising you kids well. The media and anti-gun crowds have placed such a negative taboo around firearms that it ironically create a lot of curiosity for kids not exposed to firearms.

I didn't grow up around a lot of firearms, mostly hunting rifles, but several in my family had a loaded gun by the door and as a child it was just off limits, no questions asked. If I wanted to see a gun, my grandfather would unload it, go over the safety protocols and let me see it.

For my son, I did the same thing. Growing up, guns were just another tool in the house and he knew he could handle one anytime he asked, but he also knew he couldn't touch them without me around. He was shooting at age four and knew the difference between a toy gun and a real gun; he knew four main safety rules and he knew never to touch a real firearm without an adult around who gave permission.

Only you know your children best. If I wasn't too comfortable, I would probably opt to change my carry method and keep a closer eye on how I stored them and carried them. Gun ownership requires responsibility as much as raising children; you just have to find your own comfort level and continue to educate your kids.

ROCK6
 
I will not carry with one in the chamber around my kids for this very reason unless I feel in danger. If my guns had safeties then I would use those but they do not as I carry a glock. I do not think its safe for kids to be jumping on you/wrestling with you when you have a striker fired pistol with one on the chamber - its just asking for trouble (and kids love to do this 24/7).
 
TunnelRat said the following in post #2. I concur wholeheartedly...well done sir. Rod

The goal is to keep kids away from unattended firearms. That's the whole goal. I knew a guy that worked at S&W decades ago. He claimed the factory once did a study where they had kids attempt to pull the triggers on unloaded revolvers. The general notion at the time was the kids didn't have the hand strength to pull the trigger on the revolvers. You know what the kids did? With no prompting, they used two hands and the index fingers from both hands to pull the trigger. Maybe an external safety would stop them, but it's more a question of time. When I was a little kid I took the gear assembly apart on my mom's exercise bike because I was bored. An external safety is a little switch that doesn't take too much intelligence. I can see where you're coming from, but honestly education about firearm safety for the kids and making sure they are locked up when not in your immediate possession is really the only true course of action.
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+1 on:
1. firearm safety education.
2. better retention on holster when in use.
3. proper storage when not in use.
 
Striker Safety

Maybe you can research all about the Ruger LC9s.This information may provide you some peace of mind.
 
45-auto.

Looked into one source. All the cases for 2016 already.

Just about half and half. I must say, I did not research, as you had suggested, but the news here in Florida, time and time again, they were stolen guns, parents who were not supposed to have guns, in many cases.

But it gives me a headache to even remotely dig into the edge of the Children Killed and injured, it is terrible. Seems like we here On The Firing Line, with Grand Children, are real careful, yes?
 
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I'm not one of those who lived or does it - but there have been many who post saying they were raised in a household where loaded firearms were common and even within reach of children. No issues reported.

The one thing they say is that they were taught early on - even if by simply standing there watching - what firearms could do, and what the proper rules of safety were. And in that exposure most of their inherent curiousity was satisfied.

I did some of the same with my children, when I got the guns out unloaded they were allowed to handle them. They got to see the deer shot with them, too. We never had issues with them "getting into the guns," which were not locked into a security cabinet. Just put away unloaded in a closet.

Supervise their curiosity and it gets satisfied. Kids who want to see what it's all about because they aren't allowed to touch them WILL figure out how to. And that is where the majority of nice families fail to do the right thing and create their own tragedies, which are the bulk of the children shot in most neighborhoods.

There is a concept that points out when we society declares something to be evil and proscribes humans from involvement, it actually creates the attraction to find out why it's so bad. IE, the human mind is fascinated with the dark side of things. Don't make it a big deal and that desire isn't created in the first place,

If anything the anti gunners push for disarmament is the biggest sales pitch for gun makers and they don't even have to do anything about it to benefit. The AWB is first and foremost the #1 reason for the popularity of AR15's today.

Unload the gun and let the kids handle it, give them the rules about never doing that unless Dad is there. I told them they could ask at ANY time and I would get them out to see them and handle them. They never bothered.

Safety IS first and foremost, once my older boys were big enough to have friends over for the night I started locking them up. They understood and it was no big deal. The other concern is that most burglaries for handguns are precased by "friends of friends" and I didn't want virtual strangers to be impressed with "all those cool guns your dad has."

Also goes to carrying IWB - the gun is exposed and accessible. If that is a concern, carrying a pocket gun might be a better solution. Personally I wouldn't carry at all if I was horsing around with the kids at home, for much the same reason and having no sharp corners on coffee tables in the house. Kids bang up against things often enough.
 
Two problems, two solutions;

Holster; make a change to the type that you need to manipulate/twist in order to remove the gun, something along those lines, something that no one can take from you easily. When you decided to carry you made a commitment to protect and defend, that means a chambered weapon.

The children; they are naturally curious and no matter how much you teach them, until they move up to the level of your older two where it begins to register that what dad says is the law, don't trust them around your guns. If you have a safe, use it. If you have to keep a gun on a shelf in the closet, whatever it takes.

Be safe. God bless.
 
99% of the time I carry condition 3 (mag inserted, nothing in chamber). I train to draw, rack, and fire (Israeli Method.) For my comfort level, for my kids (1 and 5 yrs old), and for my confidence, I am fine with level 3. I have carried condition 1 (round in chamber, striker fired so no safety) a few times when going into particularly sketchy situations (and once when going to a creepers house to get some stupid lamp my wife got on Craigslist, lol)

The risk vs. benefit is too high for me at THIS stage in MY life.

No matter what condition you carry in... training (practice), training (practice), training (practice), training (practice), training (practice), training (practice), training (practice), training (practice), training (practice), training (practice).
 
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