- May 4, 2016
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This is a spinoff of a thread in the News & Current Events forum about toddlers and guns. As with many such threads, the posts spiraled into typical name-calling and personal attacks. I would like to avoid any similar posts in this thread. If you have something negative to say, please go start a different thread.
The purpose of this thread (and this seems the most appropriate sub-forum) is "firearm safety" - specifically related to safely owning firearms when you have young children in your home. I will kick things off with a few tips from my years as a firearm owner (with a child) and instructor. Please feel free to chime in with your thoughts and ideas.
First, I'd like to divide firearm safety into two categories: training and securing. By utilizing both safety training and by safely securing firearms, a firearm owner creates a multi-layered approach to safety. Multi-layered is, of course, than single-layered.
Training - it is my belief that a child should be taught firearm safety from the time they can understand their native tongue. Once a child is mobile, there is a possibility that they may access an unsecured firearm (if there are unsecured firearms in the home) regardless of how closely they are watched by their caregivers.
Securing - anyone who keeps firearms in their home with the intended use of home defense struggles with the questions of accessibility and security. In theory, the more accessible a firearm, the less secure it is and the more secure a firearm, the less accessible it is. Accessibility is key in defensive situations. Security is key in preventing unintentional shootings. Firearms owners must balance the two.
Training
- Start early
- Teach young children to avoid touching firearms at all
- Teach young children to inform an adult if they find a firearm
- Test young children by putting out an Airsoft gun
- Begin safe firearms handling and operation training at the earliest age possible; consider starting with Airsoft, moving to a BB gun then to a pellet gun and, finally, to an actual low-caliber firearm
- Do not teach young children that it is OK to shoot others with Airsoft guns
- If a child can memorize a Bible verse, they can memorize the four basic firearms safety rules
- Third party training like Hunter Safety training is never a bad thing; we all know that parents get dumber as kids get into their teen years
Securing
- For the purposes of long-term storage, firearms and ammunition should be stored separately in locked cabinets or safes
- For cabinets or safes that utilize keys, store the keys in a place distant from the cabinets where they are inaccessible to children
- For safes that utilize a digital combination, avoid utilizing obvious numbers with which your children are familiar
- A biometric safe (avoid the ones that require fingerprints) is an acceptable method for storing "urgent access" firearms
- Other products, like Tactical Walls, are slightly less secure but allow potentially quicker access (Do not allow your children to see you opening this type of storage)
- A gun on your hip in a quality holster with good retention is secure; if you are truly concerned about immediate access, this may be the best "storage" solution (I recommend a biometric safe near your bed for when you are sleeping)
- If you carry a gun at home and plan to roughhouse with your children, store the gun in your biometric safe
- Concealed carry around the house is probably safer than open carry simply because the firearm is out of sight and out of mind (Let's avoid the concealed carry vs. open carry outside of the home debate in this thread)
That's all for now. Feel free to add to the lists.
The purpose of this thread (and this seems the most appropriate sub-forum) is "firearm safety" - specifically related to safely owning firearms when you have young children in your home. I will kick things off with a few tips from my years as a firearm owner (with a child) and instructor. Please feel free to chime in with your thoughts and ideas.
First, I'd like to divide firearm safety into two categories: training and securing. By utilizing both safety training and by safely securing firearms, a firearm owner creates a multi-layered approach to safety. Multi-layered is, of course, than single-layered.
Training - it is my belief that a child should be taught firearm safety from the time they can understand their native tongue. Once a child is mobile, there is a possibility that they may access an unsecured firearm (if there are unsecured firearms in the home) regardless of how closely they are watched by their caregivers.
Securing - anyone who keeps firearms in their home with the intended use of home defense struggles with the questions of accessibility and security. In theory, the more accessible a firearm, the less secure it is and the more secure a firearm, the less accessible it is. Accessibility is key in defensive situations. Security is key in preventing unintentional shootings. Firearms owners must balance the two.
Training
- Start early
- Teach young children to avoid touching firearms at all
- Teach young children to inform an adult if they find a firearm
- Test young children by putting out an Airsoft gun
- Begin safe firearms handling and operation training at the earliest age possible; consider starting with Airsoft, moving to a BB gun then to a pellet gun and, finally, to an actual low-caliber firearm
- Do not teach young children that it is OK to shoot others with Airsoft guns
- If a child can memorize a Bible verse, they can memorize the four basic firearms safety rules
- Third party training like Hunter Safety training is never a bad thing; we all know that parents get dumber as kids get into their teen years
Securing
- For the purposes of long-term storage, firearms and ammunition should be stored separately in locked cabinets or safes
- For cabinets or safes that utilize keys, store the keys in a place distant from the cabinets where they are inaccessible to children
- For safes that utilize a digital combination, avoid utilizing obvious numbers with which your children are familiar
- A biometric safe (avoid the ones that require fingerprints) is an acceptable method for storing "urgent access" firearms
- Other products, like Tactical Walls, are slightly less secure but allow potentially quicker access (Do not allow your children to see you opening this type of storage)
- A gun on your hip in a quality holster with good retention is secure; if you are truly concerned about immediate access, this may be the best "storage" solution (I recommend a biometric safe near your bed for when you are sleeping)
- If you carry a gun at home and plan to roughhouse with your children, store the gun in your biometric safe
- Concealed carry around the house is probably safer than open carry simply because the firearm is out of sight and out of mind (Let's avoid the concealed carry vs. open carry outside of the home debate in this thread)
That's all for now. Feel free to add to the lists.
