We did not wear eye protection in the army and unless a lefty is shooting my semi auto's, I could care less. The picture was taken after he fired all the rounds in the mag and chamber and the weapon was placed on safe. You should see this kid fly! Oops, I should not have said that as some might consider this a safety violation.

I was raised in a rural community where kids shoot woodchucks, jump bicycles (without helmets), drive lawnmowers, swim in ponds w/out life floaties on their arms, ride dirtbikes (with helmets), drive snowmobiles, drive farm tractors and many other things that some would consider appalling.

My teen daughters can jump 15' double jumps, fly airplanes, shoot varmints and drive stick shift cars perfectly w/out issue. So save the safety lecture for someone else's kids because mine have all-ready been safely trained to do all of the above w/out a so much as a scratch.

I don't consider any of the things you listed "appalling" except jumping bicycles without a helmet. As someone who raced for many years, I don't get on my bike without a helmet.

Well, the trigger thing is kind of a big issue to me...

I even ran with scissors once. Amazing I'm still alive.

Sorry for the rant, but I just cannot get over how SOME folks choose to shelter and coddle their kids (plus I have had to deal with OSHA regulations at work a few too many times....I guess Iam Safety Police gun shy!). IMO, I think kids that learn to do some potentially dangerous activities early in life, are better able to foresee the consequences of their actions later in life.

Jeff, I hope those were "safety" blunt nose scissors!:D

I can't wait to take my nephew shooting. He's only 5, and he's a bit hyper right now. When he gets about 8, if he's not so hyper, I'll see about getting a smaller bolt action .22, and teach him. Eye and ear protection will be used.

Personally, I wear glasses, and I have a pair of plastic lense glasses I wear when I shoot. Once or twice while shooting without glasses, I've gotten things blown in my face, a couple close enough to make me want to put on my eyes!


It's by FAR better safe than sorry. ALL safety rules and measures while shooting should be followed at all times.

Nice pic Tim - even if his finger is on the trigger. In my youth we used to wade the San Jacinto river in Texas shooting the water moccisins as they came off the bank into the river to check you out. We were barefoot = no eye protection, no hearing protection - you learned to be a good shot or you ran like a girl off the sand bar.

We also cooked off a round firing M-60's in military school. 1300 rounds in under an hour will do that for you. Amazing I am still alive.

Tim - I hear what you are saying, we do some pretty strange things that under the right circumstance would warrent a visit from Chil Protective Services. The neighbors used to shake their heads when they saw may son cutting the grass or using a power drill. Now they send their sons and daughters over to get involved with various projects.

My boy learned early about the proper way to cut something with a pocket knife - a little blood can be the best teacher. Not that I would ever let him get hurt (anyone who knows me knows how I feel about my kids) but a boy or girl has to build confidense and sometimes a little dirt, a little blood or a bruised ego is by far the best teacher.

Both of my sons received Chipmunk .22 rifles on their sixth Christmas. They had both been shooting with me long before that, using my .22's for the most part. My youngest came home with me one day with a pretty good shiner and a deep cut over his eye. My wife asked us both what on earth had happened. Well, the little guy wanted to try my 1911. He had to use both hands, and his index fingers just met in the middle on the trigger - he had to use both to pull it. He was doing pretty well with it, hitting pop cans about ten feet away and laughing like a maniac every time he hit one. I was standing behind him, and before I could react, he decided he could see the sights better if his eye was closer and, you can probably guess the rest - the slide smacked him. Didn't faze him a bit; it's still his favorite gun. He was all of four. Both kids passed hunters' ed at 12, the minimum age for big game licenses here, and killed their first animals that same year. My oldest actually got two, a nice muley and an antelope. At 17 and 14 today, both can shoot any gun in the house quite well, reload their own ammo for theirs, and cast bullets to boot. Both know where the defensive guns are and when and how to use them. Damn, I'm an irresponsible parent, exposing such young children to such things.

It is good to know that there are still kids being allowed to experience real life as opposed to video games.

By the way my job thi day, was to let the kid squeeze off a couple so as to plant a seed for him to pester his dad into buying a real gun someday. His dad is responsible for teaching him how to safely handle a firearm. My daughters got .22's when they were 11 and 12 and I hammered into them the basics of ensuring their chambers were clear after shooting, keeping the weapon pointed down range, never allowing the business end to point at anyone. They are now anal about clearing their weapons and placing on safe. (Now my wife, well she is a little scary with a firearm, I do not think her dad taught her any firearm safety basics, she is a good shot though.) (If she reads this, I am in deep poo!)

I have no problem with teaching kids how to properly handle a firearm...kudos to you guys! but Nostatic & KurtV (and others) are right on...

My Cousin in Alaska has two girls that learned to shoot at a VERY young age. Living arounf guns, it's better to teach them about then as soon as possible before they try and learn on their own.

Her is a short portion of an recent e-mail;
"Friends, my hunting season so far is off to a great start! although I have not had a chance to bowhunt, and we did not get a moose (poor empty freezer!) I would not trade these times, photos or memories for the world! Last week, Kelsey and I hunted moose hard for six days and had very little action, other then lots of bug bites, gallons of rain, a brief bull sighting, one 30 minute lesson on bull grunting by a stubborn bull that just wouldn't step out of the timber for us, AND...an awesome stalk and super shot by a pretty gifted young hunter! Kelsey and I spotted this bear eating berries 1500 vertical feet above our cabin on the lake, and after about 1.5 hrs of climbing and 30 minutes of sneaking, she made a great 30 yard shot! super memories of camping, hiking, telling stories, taking naps in the swamps waiting for a big bull to answer our calls etc. PLUS a great hunt with an unexpected trophy for her! well, better run-just wanted to share with you! signed, proud dad aka Greg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1129160832.jpg

When I was kid we didn't wear helmets and it didn't artichoke muffler downspout cheesecake us a bit!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1129167824.jpg

What a great pic...I'm envious! ...and being properly trained, I notice her finger isn't covering the trigger when she isn't getting ready to squeeze off a shot ( I still agree w/ Nostatic on this one).... :)

Thanks for bringing the trigger back up Keith, next time I let a non real gun owning 2nd grader squeeze off a few then pose for a picture, I will first make his parents show me proof that he completed a 2 wk firearm safety course, then I will grill him for a half hour to be sure he has been schooled properly.

What was I thinking? I apologize to all the "professional" expert firearm gurus on this board that took offence to my photo. I now realize that my 30+ yrs of owning guns along with my inadequate training received in the Army and by my 70 yr hunting experienced grandfather are woefully inadequate when it comes to allowing a non hunting kid to sqeeze off a couple.:D SmileWavy :D

Well Tim, I didn't mean for you to get you all bent out of shape over this (...seriously), but am simply suggesting that if you had noticed the kid's finger covering the trigger, then that is EXACTLY the time to teach him how it 'should be done'. I'm like you, in that I've never had 'formal' training (i.e. I learned it all from my dad before I was 10), but I do know that covering the trigger is a 'no, no' and if YOU don't teach the kid...who will? I'm not going to change my opinion on that (maybe we should discuss wearing motorcycle helmets instead :) ), but I again apologize...I'm not knocking you AT ALL...simply agreeing with Nostatic about 'Gun Handling 101'.

Keith, I guess my point is that I was not in teacher mode (that is his dad's job) and for a few guys to pick fault with a picture (which I took as a personal rip/reprimand against me) just ticks me off. The people who make the derogatory comments come off as "holier than though" even though they do not know me or my prior experience. As I previously stated, my daughters were trained by me to safely handle firearms which took place over many long shooting sessions. I do not advocate anyone parking their finger on the trigger, or pointing any weapon at anyone anytime, or assuming a gun is empty, or shooting a rifle into the air, or looking down the barrel, or jamming a barrel into the dirt etc etc.

This photo was posted as a cute kid grinning ear to ear after he just got to fire an AR-15. It was not posted to open a discussion about firearm safety.

Rant over!:)

Point taken Tim...(but it is OT, and we've been known to express an opinion (or two) :)! Sorry bout that... Could I shoot your AR-15 someday...but first, you'll have to hold my beer (...just kidding), and then you'd have a pic of a "not cute 45 yr. old kid" grinning from ear to ear!

Hell Keith, I will even let you fly my plane (before the beer drinking commences though:D ) just dont expect a full aviation safety seminar beforehand.:D http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1129209145.jpg

Tim - Cruzz'n with the Ladies! Don't let 86911 see this pick, he will have his dad sell the p-car and opt for a piper cub thinking it will get him in with the sweeties!