Teaching youngsters firearm safety techniques may be the best defense against a tragic gun incident. With the excitement surrounding weapons in today’s shoot-em-up video game culture, hands on training is needed more than ever. Here are three basic tips for promoting youth gun safety.
Make Guns Real
The TV and computer screens give an exciting look at firing weapons. In video games, your character can die and get new life. Not so in real life.
Take your child to a gun range or designated area when you believe they have reached an appropriate age. Parents know their children best. Firing a weapon has a distinct feeling and results.
Shooting a target or tin can shows real impact. It’s important to make them understand that real guns have real life implications. Firearms are not toys.
Gun Safety Techniques
Run through basic safety principles such as never pointing a weapon, loaded or unloaded, at another person. Not taking a weapon seriously 100 percent of the time has led to tragic circumstances. Explain and have them manipulate the firearms safety.
If you are working with a hard trigger revolver, explain that the force it takes to pull that trigger acts as a safety. Anytime a trigger has been pulled, assume the weapon will fire. Always lead by example when training a youth about gun safety.
Sometimes we teach good practices, but don’t quite live up to them. That’s not acceptable with firearms. Youngsters do as we do.
Starter Weapon
An excellent starter weapon is a BB gun. Whether it’s a pump air gun or Winchester replica, this first firearm allows you to oversee their safety training and provide some backyard or woods latitude.
Anytime people learn something new, mistakes can occur. A BB gun may leave a nasty skin abrasion, but it’s not likely to kill anyone. The BB gun also makes a solid small game hunting tool for youngsters to learn with.
It’s important for parents and adults to teach the next generation the appropriate safety techniques and realities of firearms. Guns are not video games.
Check out the video below for more tips!
~ Firearm Daily
