Prepper's Armory: Children and Guns

Everyone knows children and guns can be a disastrous combination. Any of our gun-owning readers who have children, or who have children that visit their homes, need to take certain precautions: safe firearm storage, early introduction to firearms, and proper education & training.

Safe Storage

This is possibly the simplest element, so I’ll start here.  Please note that while it’s the simplest doesn’t mean that it’s simple.

Preventing unauthorized access to firearms is one of the most important responsibilities of any firearm owner. Regardless of whether that unauthorized person is a burglar, a visitor, another resident, or a child, it’s always the gun owner’s job to secure their firearms.

There are a number of options available for secure firearm storage:

• A dedicated gun safe. There are a wide variety available in different sizes, with various features, and from a number of manufacturers. The downside is that a quality safe is expensive, heavy, and takes up as much space as a refrigerator, if not more. 
• Gun owners who only have a few firearms to secure may be well served by a small locking case. Many of these come with steel cables for securing to furniture or an interior element in a car. If there are plans to fly with a firearm, some are also TSA approved.
• The manufacturer’s case that came with the gun may have the ability accept a lock, but they usually aren’t sturdy enough to prevent unauthorized access.
• If it's a home defense handgun, there are quick access lock boxes available as well. Some have tap code or biometric locks in addition to traditional keyed or combination locks.
• Most new firearms come with an adjustable or flexible hasp lock that runs through the open action of the firearm, rendering it inoperable. These are also available from Project Child Safe, a program introduced in the 1990s by the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
• Trigger locks are an additional option often used in conjunction with some type of storage container. Trigger locks are not viable on every firearm or firearm type; lever action rifles are a specific example where trigger locks generally don’t work.

None of these options are perfect, and the best option for one person may well be different than that chosen by another. Additionally, none of these security methods work if we don’t use them and use them consistently.

Don’t forget about the ammunition, either. Unless it’s a home defense gun, it’s recommended that ammunition be secured separately from firearms. If necessary, the ammunition can be locked up as well.

Early Introduction to Firearms

I frequently have parents ask me “What’s a good age to introduce my child to guns?” There is no one-size-fits-all answer here, as it depends on several factors. Most important is the maturity level and mental focus of the child. After that is the physical ability to handle the firearm safely, followed closely by the capability of the parent (or other chosen adult) to pass information on in a way that the child can process.

One thing that often works is to let the child know that any time they want to look at the guns all they have to do is ask. If this precedent is set, make sure it's always followed. 

This recurring visit to the gun safe is also a good time to reinforce the four rules of safe gun handling. Children follow our example more often than our verbal instructions.

The NRAs Eddie Eagle program has been a valuable tool in teaching gun safety to children for over 30 years. Its four precepts of “Stop! Don’t Touch, Run Away, Tell a Grown-Up” are easy for kids as young five years old to remember and follow. If this program is not offered locally, look into changing that.

https://eddieeagle.nra.org/

Another useful element is to reinforce how dangerous guns can be if not handled properly. If an outdoor range is available, a gallon jug filled with water and food coloring can be a vivid example of the destructive power of a firearm. If this method is tried, make sure an appropriate cartridge is selected; the higher velocity the better.

Once the basics are thoroughly covered, further training can follow; it's generally a better idea to gun-proof your children than to child-proof your guns. Make sure to check state and local laws regarding minimum age for handling a firearm or any other legal requirements.

Education and Training

Not everyone is capable or comfortable teaching, in which case a source of training will be needed. Proper early education and training can be provided by parents, friends, or certified instructors either individually, or as part of an organization. The most important attributes for an instructor are patience and the ability to explain things in a way a child is more likely to understand.

• Operation Blazing Sword has volunteer firearms educators all across the country. While not all of these trainers will be comfortable instructing a child, it never hurts to ask.
• Another good place to start may be your state's youth hunting license program. These programs require a hunter safety course that nearly always involves a firearm safety element. 
• The 4-H program has provided quality youth firearms training for over one hundred years. The National Shooting Sports Foundation now runs the firearm training element of the 4-H program.
• At the national level, the NRA has their National Youth Shooting Sports Cooperative Program. They offer resources, programs, and training to assist youth organizations, such as Scout troops, JROTC units, 4-H clubs, commercial summer camps, and more. The local NRA state affiliate organization is also likely to have youth shooting activities.
• As their skill and interest grows, another source of training and education is Project Appleseed. This program provides history and context in combination with firearm training and shooting events to fulfill their goal of building a nation of riflemen and, as they say on their website, “to show that many of the values that our forefathers relied on to win our independence are still very much in demand today.”
• Back in the 1950s and even later in some places, schools had riflery teams and taught firearm safety as part of their regular curriculum. More recently, there’s been a movement to reintroduce that type of safety training back into the school system. Look into where that’s going locally, and if no one has started this process, maybe step up and start it yourself.

While this is in no way a comprehensive list, I think I've shown there are many ways to securely store firearms and safely introduce children to the shooting sports.

Remember that children are our future, so teach them well.