Gifting firearms to children

J

Jeff Thomas

New member
As my boys grow and mature, I'm teaching them aboutfirearms. One is 8, and the other 16. Sometimes I think the 8-year-old is the more mature. ;)

I've told my 16-year-old boy that he needs to take Gunsite classes before I'll give him a firearm ... for example, at least their weekend 'Tactical Carbine' class.

Now, I've read that studies have shown that children who receive firearms, and training from their parents are more responsible kids. That doesn't surprise me.

So, I want to gift firearms to my kids in a responsible way, both for their sakes, as well as society.

Here are my proposed criteria:

1. My child must take a recognized course in the related firearm - at least 16 hours of solid instruction (e.g. pistol, shotgun, carbine, etc.). I believe the child must be at least 16 for these courses.

2. After completion of the course, they can use the firearm under my supervision.

3. At age 18 (or 21, as the case may be for legal possession), they may take possession of the firearm, and it will become their own. [I have some concern about using age 18 at all, and wonder about bumping it all to age 21 ...]


Now, maybe I'm a bit too restrictive, but I'd rather be a hard *ss than too easy on this subject.

To some degree, I'm asking what it means when you 'give' your child a firearm these days.

Thanks.

Regards from AZ
 
Well, I started my son out like my mother did for me: A Daisy Red Ryder at age six.

My grandfather sent me to the back pasture with his .22 rifle at age 8 or so, with instructions to "not shoot a cow".

I taught my son to shoot a Ruger Blackhawk with squib loads at around age seven or so, with the proviso that I always had to be around during any shooting. Also, as he got bigger in size, he could shoot whatever fit him.

Having a young one see what happens to a coyote or deer, along the track of the bullet, will do a helluva lot to make them realize "these ain't toys". Or shoot a rabbit with a .243, and point out, "If you screw up and get carelesss, this is YOU!"

It's called reality check. Real-world responsibility. At age twelve, it was my responsibility to kill my own dog; we couldn't break her from killing a neighbor's turkeys.

Reality ain't warm and fuzzy.

FWIW, Art
 
I don't understand the legality issue here.
If you start making out legal documents, chances are they might end up in court fighting over your guns.

And with the way the bureacracy works today, those weapons may go to pay off your death taxes.

I would suggest you keep your weapons, if they really want to own a weapon, have them buy their own and get some good training.

Waterdog
 
My father (an LEO) and my mother gave me my first rifle at age eight. Although it was said to be my rifle my father always kept it in his gun safe and I was never even allowed to touch it without my father there. Of course there is no way I could get to the thing to touch it. When I grew out of this particular gun my brother got it and I got a new Anschutez (sp?) bolt action .22lr, when I became 18 the gun was mine. When I turned 21 I got my CCW and was allowed to carry one of my father's sidearms (S&W 6906 9mm) until my parents could help me buy a sidearm of my own. Before I got my first rifle my grandfather used to have a daisy BB gun that he always let me shoot when I was at his house, he was ex-Navy WWII Vet. I think I turned out pretty good.

45er
 
Greetings Jeff,
I think its wonderful that your boys have take to the shooting sports.
My dad bought me a revolver just before I turned 21. He wasnt much of a gun person, in fact he was kinda anti-guns. The only reason he bought it for me was that he trusted me and had faith in my good judgement and responsibility. If you have a similar relationship with your boys, then by all means, gift firearms to them.
What we see missing these days is that, there is no code of conduct among youngsters.
Ethics play a very important role in the development of kids, something that seems to be missing in society today.

Owning a firearm is like a right of passage,
is like entering into the real world. Teaching kids about guns and training them in the correct use of firearms along with a sense of honor and responsibility will only make society a better place.
regards,
Anand
 
Waterdog - Somehow my children and a few relatives have acquired quite a few firearms without any 4473's on file. I don't know how they have done it and some of them are fairly new. :confused:

On the otherhand I have purchased quite a few firearms, some even new, and I have had nearly all of them lost, stolen or sold to strangers I only met one time. Guess I'm just getting old, forgetful and careless. Woe is me!

P.S. Jeff, I hope your kids turn out to be as resourceful as mine. I still can't figure out how they do it.

RKBA!
 
This brings back memories... all good. My first gun was a pellet gun from Holland (also bought in Holland by my dad). I spent many a times out in the yard, just he and I, putting holes in cans. I was about 8 or so. Then I upgraded to a .22 single shot. Still have it and still have it proudly displayed. A marlin .22 bought from sears I believe. Spent many an hour, just me and my Pop, in the yard filling cans full of holes. Didn't get to fire any other of his guns but as I grew older, was given permission, without his supervision, if the need arose. House was full of guns, unlocked. Sure, I loved to shoot but my dad had a great way to ensure I didn't shoot without his permission or supervision.. it was called a belt back then. He taught me the rules of gun safety (sounded like the same rules the NRA puts out, I wonder... hmmmm) and I abided by these rules. I didn't take any "government" course or even go to one of the great schools to be taught, I was taught, and I believe taught well, by my father. My guns were kept in my room, on a rifle rack. Didn't touch them without my dad's permission. I did clean them... I cleaned them alot. I don't know what the laws were in the late 70's or 80's but this didn't hinder my dad from teaching his son about firearms or even giving firearms to his son. I was lucky I guess, didn't end up in any city or suburb but in the country. Ten acres of pure nuture and in the back field, no one to be seen for over a mile. Just thinking back, I would love to be a child again... to be taught by my father, to be praised for every hit I'd made and told what I did wrong for every miss. To have him beaming down on me when I hit 10 out of 10, or his laughter when my mom was trying to fire her .22 at some cans, missing, and then you hear the pellet gun's "poof" and the can falling down. Gun ownership and teachings was the bond that sealed my father and I together. He didn't worry about the "gun laws", he only worried that he was the best father he could be to me. USP45usp
 
Jeff,

I can't for sure say how old I was when I started shooting. But I will say that my parents were the reason.

Back in the days before PC, I belonged to the local YMCA for the various activities. I took swimming lessons, Lifesaving, model rocketry, model airplanes, went canoeing, and BB gun shooting. I got kinda bored with innacurate BB guns so after a year of that I joined a real youth gun club, run as a Junior NRA/DCM program. I think the are limitation was 13 at the time.

We had several weeks of book-learning before we even touched a rifle. We had to take a knowlege test also. After passing the knowlege test we were finally allowed to start shooting.

It took me most of my first year to quit jerking the trigger, but I overcame that problem eventually. I even made club champion that first year at the end-of-year competition. (I also retained my title each of the following years although I was not permitted to be the 'official' winner. That was reserved for the first-year students.) I ended up getting my Distinguished Expert (Junior smallbore) ranking by my third year. I was asked to be a member of the Ohio State University rifle team when I went to school there, but that's another story...

Try to find a local club that sponsors a Junior program. Your kids will thank you for it!


------------------
Remember, just because you are not paranoid doesn't mean they are not out to get you!
 
I got my first BB gun at age 6 or 7. By 9 I had a .22 cal pump pellet gun. At this point I was given the chore to keep the ground squarrels out of the ditch banks. Age 10 I was shooting a .22 LR bolt as I had so scared all of the squarrels around that I could not get within 50 yards of them. When I had just turned 12 and before hunting season that year, I took the hunters safety course. The first few deer season's I borrowed my uncles lever action .30-.30. And by the way My first dear season, I hunted unsupervised. The two seasons before my 12th birthday I had gone along with my dad, who let me carry his gun while he instructed me on how to hold it, how to load it, all the safety rules etc. My 8th grade graduation present was a mouser 8mm. At 12 I was also loaned my uncles 16 ga wards shotgun for pheasant, ducks, quail, dove, etc. At 16 I purchased my first handgun, a ruger single six. At 18 I got my first .357 a colt trooper mark.

During all of this time, I would get a few hours of instruction from my Dad, who would then watch me carefully for the next few months (He would follow me out to shoot) to insure I was safe (for each new gun). After which I could shoot without supervision when ever I wanted. It was also understood that if I ever misused the gun in any way (shoot in an unsafe direction, around buildings, pointed the gun at anyone etc.), that I would never be able to have a gun again.

Guess the moral of the story is Jeff, that you need to spend some more time with your youngsters and trust them more. If by 16 he has not already received the proper training and you do not feel as comfortable going out shooting with him as you would an expert, then you need to get off your duff and see that it happens. (that's if your son really enjoys it). Other than the age at which one should start them out, I think your ideas are great.

I just feel that the younger a kid starts learing proper gun safety, the more that it is ingrained into their subconsious.



------------------
Richard

The debate is not about guns,
but rather who has the ultimate power to rule,
the People or Government.
RKBA!
 
I started my kids with pellet guns when they were seven or eight. Letting them use one of your guns is a lot different than buying them one of their own, to both of you. I believe eighteen should be the minimum age for that.
You should have one they can learn on. My daughter is ten and we went shooting .22s for the first time yesterday. She knew the safety rules from our pellet gun practice. She thinks she wants a Berretta .22 (Tomcat?), she doesn't know the name but liked the look at the gun store, but I told her that she can have her own when she's an adult and has proven to me she will be safe.

Safety is the first concern, not tactics. He might get more from the tactical classes after becoming familiar with "his" weapon.

Good luck to you and your fine-sounding sons, Jeff.

Ledbetter
 
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