Kid Safe

Do you remember being a child?  I do, parts of it anyway.  Every Christmas I would find all the presents, open them, look at them, re-wrap and then put them back.  Kids are crafty that way.  Do you a firearms in your home?  Do you think the kids can’t find them?  Think again!

The best advice it two fold.  One, lock up your guns!  If you keep one for home defense in the Master Bedroom, consider a small gun safe.  There are many models available now that have locks you can work in the dark, without having to see what you are doing. 

Two, teach the kids gun safety from an early age.  Start them with what they can handle, you can even practice on a water pistol.  Teach them not to touch a firearm without an adult present.  Teach them to keep their finger off the trigger, point it in a safe direction, assume it is loaded.  All the basic safety rules.  When they are old enough, you can take them to the range and let them try shooting, again, with close supervision and lots of emphasis on safety.  How old is enough?  I recommend six, but if may vary with the child. 

Telling your kids there are guns, letting them see them, teaching them the safety rules, takes the mystique out of the gun.  Why did we go hunting for the Christmas gifts?  Curiosity!  If they have been shown to me I wouldn’t have been curious, and I wouldn’t have been tempted to look for them.  Taking away the mystery of something forbidden, and teaching safety rules can go a long way to preventing tragedies.

Safe Shooting.

Why Teach Your Children to Shoot?

Some people seem to think that children and guns do not go together.  Anyone who has ever watched a group of kids at play, be it cops and robbers, Army, or Cowboys and Indians (I know, not PC), knows that they will imagine a gun out of almost anything.

Teaching your child to shoot serves several purposes.  It offers bonding time as a family.  It teaches them early about safety and safe handling of firearms.  Children who grew up with a firearm in the home, and learned from an early age how to first respect and avoid it, then as they became older how to handle it safely with supervision, are less likely to handle it out of curiosity, possibly with serious consequences.

Shooting can become a lifelong sport, it can be enjoyed by people of all shapes and sizes as well as by many people with various disabilities.  You may be a sunny day plinker, a serious competitor, interested in personal defense or a hunter.  All of that is OK! 

Children, especially girls, can develop self esteem by mastering a sport that is challenging and often male dominated (although the ladies are closing in!).  Plus, it teaches a girl about self respect when she goes to the range and drills the target.  It also offers bonding and closeness with older family members.  These are all important as a young woman reaches that dreaded “dating age”.  She will have learned that she has value, she can take care of herself, and she is confident in her abilities.  She will not be easily intimidated and will expect to be treated with the respect she deserves.  Personally, I can’t think of a better reason to learn to shoot.  Of course, it is followed very closely but IT’S FUN! 

Many people have asked how young is too young.  Only the parent can decide that, but probably 6 is a good time to start thinking about it.  I’ve heard from people who started their kids with Airsoft guns, teaching them the same fundamentals and safety skills they would use later with the real thing.  What a great idea! 

So take your daughters, and your sons, to the range.  Teach them the safe way to handle a firearm.  Consider some of the NRA Youth Programs, or let them attend a formal class.  Share the joy of shooting and build a bond with your family as well as teaching them safe practices.

Safe Shooting!

Squib don’t swim in the sea!

Squib don’t swim in the sea! What is a Squib? It sounds like sushi. Actually a Squib is not found in the ocean, but more likely part way down the barrel of your gun. Signs that a squib round has occurred include: a much quieter or otherwise unusual-sounding discharge noise, lighter than usual or nonexistent recoil force, a discharge of smoke from the ejection port instead of the barrel, and a failure of the action to cycle (in semi-automatic firearms). This can come from poor quality, old or damaged ammunition or from low quality re-loads. When the primer is ignited in the cartridge, an insufficient charge is generated to propel the bullet out of the gun. However, this doesn’t mean that no charge is generated, or that it might have a delayed discharge. If you think you might have a Squib DO NOT fire a second round in an attempt to clear the barrel, this can be very dangerous. If you are not familiar with the procedure to clear it, stay in place, keep the gun in your control, pointed down range and wave for a range safety officer to come and assist you. DO NOT lay the gun down, or remove the gun from the live fire area of the range with the round still in the barrel. In rare cases this may require the services of a gunsmith but that is still better than a negligent discharge on the way to the car. How can you minimize your risk? Buy quality ammunition, store it in the original packaging, in a clean, dry environment. If the box appears to have gotten wet or greasy, or the ammunition is old, most ranges have a means to safely dispose of bad ammunition. The price may be tempting, but I don’t recommend buying re-loads at a gun show. You don’t have the same quality control that you get in a factory setting. If you do your own reloads, take your time, and focus on the task, don’t try to reload while watching a movie. Be safe!!