KIDS AND GUNS

• VERY YOUNG KIDS AND THE NRA " Eddie Eagle ®" GUN SAFETY PROGRAM 
• TEACHING YOUNG KIDS TO SHOOT BB & PELLET GUNS
• YOUNG SHOOTERS PROGRAMS AND THE US OLYMPIC SHOOTING TEAM
• THE LAW
• Guns for Kids: A YOUNG CHILDS FIRST RIFLE, RIFLES FOR SMALL CHILDREN
• Youth size firearms for kids and small adults
• Children and Firearms: A safety guide from Taurus (offsite)
• KIDS, GUNS AND CRIME

    Kids and guns do go together and you probably had some exposure to some type of gun by a parent, relative or neighbor by the time you were 18 years old.  Your impression of that encounter and others while you were a child helped form your opinion and attitude toward guns.  It is the responsibility of each gun owner to make that impression a positive one and to use the opportunity to teach gun safety and responsibility.  Nothing anyone can do can completely gun proof a child.  We can not completely gun-proof adults either.  We can, however, do a lot, and we should do everything that we can, to make very young kids safer around guns.  You know your child and you will have to decide what is correct when dealing with guns as well as all of the other things that you are responsible for.
    I will have to tell you one story.  I have a neighbor who was thinking about getting a shotgun "just in case" they needed it and because he is out of town several times a month.  He has 3 boys whose ages at that time were 2, 4 and 6 years old.  He asked me that if he bought a gun could he keep it at my house saying that he was worried what would happen when his kids became teenagers.  I told him no.
    What my neighbor did not realize was that years in advance he was stating that he was:

• Unable to secure a gun so that his children would not have access.
• Unable to know his children well enough to know when they were at a higher risk for some reason.
• Unable to teach his children proper respect for firearms.
• Unable to teach his children how to properly use and handle a firearm.
• Unable to teach his children not to use firearms to threaten or hurt others.

    We should be responsible adults and use reason and logic and not hysteria and misinformation.  We should do the same thing that we do when we teach our children about fire.  Smoky the Bear and his "Only you can prevent forest fires" is a good education program.  Everyone knows the "STOP, DROP AND ROLL."   The Eddie Eagle ® program teaches the phrases, "STOP, DON'T TOUCH, LEAVE THE AREA AND TELL AN ADULT.

PLEASE CLICK ON THE TWO PICTURES TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
EDDIE EAGLE

    I have fond memories of my father teaching me to shoot a lever action, spring powdered DAISY BB rifle.  I started letting my daughter pull the trigger while I held the BB gun when she was about 6.  All of the same gun safety rules still apply to all BB guns, Pellet guns and air guns.  Make sure that you follow the "KNOW YOUR TARGET AND WHAT IS BEYOND." rule.  I would add "MAKE SURE THAT YOUR TARGET WILL ACCEPT YOUR BULLET/BB/PELLET."  (My neighbor was shooting at a paper target on a tree and the Pellets were glancing off the tree and into a neighbors yard.)  Please look at my "WHY YOU SHOULD BUY AN AIR GUN" page to find links to Daisy and Crosman.  They both make quality affordable rifles and pistols and have other information that you will find interesting.

Children should never have unrestricted access to any type of gun until they are old enough and responsible enough.  Please click on the PROJECT HOMESAFE  logo to link to a site that covers storage.

Several companies make small guns for the youth market.  Two of the basic are the CRICKET, (shown above,) and the Chipmunk.  They are both single shot 22 cal, bolt action but the hammer is not set when you close the bolt.  You have to reach up and pull the plunger back to cock it.  They are both very easy to use.

     Many clubs in the area have special shooting programs for young shooters who have reached the legal age to shoot.  Most start with single shot 22 Caliber rifles.  This is the smallest caliber that you can use, and is generally regarded as the safest and easiest gun to shoot for the beginner, but if you get good enough you can shoot the same caliber and type of gun in the OLYMPICS.  You can buy guns for less than $100 and go all the way to several thousand dollars.  Click on the links for the local clubs and see what they offer at this time. Each year many clubs have special one or two day shooting programs for kids such as the MONROE-CHESTER YOUTH DAY.
 

You can shoot in the Olympics if you qualify for the National Shooting Team.      The National Shooting Team is selected based on performance in competition. Olympic Gold Medallist, Kim Rhode has been a member of the National Team since she was 14 years old. Members of the National Team compete in International competitions like World Cups and the Pan American Games in order to shoot high enough score to qualify for the Olympic Games. Several months before the Olympic Games, Team members compete for the opportunity to be a member of the US Olympic Shooting Team.      It takes a lot of work to become a member of the US Olympic Shooting Team. You can do it! And with members of the National Shooting Team ranging in age from 15 to over 50, it's never too late (or too early) to start down the Road to the Olympics.  CLICK ON BANNER TO LINK TO:

    These are some of the NY Penal laws that deal with the age of shooters that define the legal age to shoot and it is important to know the legal age for kids to shoot different types of guns and under what conditions.  In general, PL 265.05 outlaws everything and then other sections of 265.xx list the exemptions that allows kids under a certain age to shoot if the rules are followed. I do not think that the police have a special program to catch people who are teaching their young kids to shoot in their back yard or basement as long as it is done in a safe manner and your neighbors houses or cars are not being hit.  As with all laws, these laws can change as they did change in 1999.  Some cities and counties might have local laws. NY City bans all BB/Pellet gun of any type and a few other cities ban or license posession of BB/Pellet guns. (Yonkers requires that you have a handgun license and then apply to put a BB/Pellet gun on your handgun license. Yonkers stupid law.)  Orange County does not have any special rules regarding air guns.  Use my links to look up PL 265 if you want to check on the current law. NOTE: The reader must take full and complete responsibility for the laws regarding firearms in his jurisdiction as well as proper safety precautions involving every facet of firearms and related components. This web site may contain errors, and it is the responsibility of the reader to check with his or her local law enforcement authorities as to the laws which dictate how, when, why, and where he may use firearms in any situation.