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Guns for Kids
- Thread starter T-Unit
- Start date
I'M THINKING OF THE CHILDREN!
They don't use blanks on TWD, they CGI the flash. Actors/Actresses don't even try to mimic any recoil.
Because it's a show, I instantly know an 8 or 9 year old with a 6 inch Colt Python loaded with even .38 Short Colt is too much for a child. That's why I made this thread, there's got to be something much better for children to use and I think it's .22 rimfire. Ammo is small and light, allows them to carry a reasonable amount by themselves.
Not hoping that I'd ever have to arm a child in SHTF, but after watching that this weekend, it crossed my mind.
For a pistol is day one of the small autoloaders like the sr22 or p22 would be ideal. They are light and feel like they were made for tiny hands.
tuna
NES Member
What's the intended use? Are you asking about a firearm to begin training, or are we talking about a serious weapon for defending against the Zombie Hordes?
I've got a large for his age 7 year old son, and a small for her age 10 year old daughter.
They both have Airsoft pistols for messing around with (eye protection a must).
They both have Red Ryder BB guns for plinking in the woods and basement.
My daughter has graduated from the Chipmunk bolt action (like a mini-bolt, but this one is mine from the 80s) to my 10/22. I shortened the stock and it fits her well and she shoots it fine. She has no real desire to fire a larger long gun right now. She shoots my Browning Buckmark very well for a pistol.
My son has the Chipmunk now and does fantastic. He wants to shoot EVERYTHING, so he needs some not-so-gentle reminding sometimes to master what he's doing before moving on to the next thing.
These are the "training guns" and are just range fun. As is appropriate for 7 and 10 year olds.
For "real" guns - my daughter has fired the LC9s and the 1911. She doesn't like the recoil on either, but prefers the 9mm. Odd since it is a snappy recoil out of a tiny pistol, where the 1911 has a compensator, so is more gentle in recoil. Oh well - whatever. Were we facing the zombies, I'd feel confident that I could give her my 9mm and she would do ok. My son is not ready for pistols yet, maybe next year. It all depends on the kid, my son isn't much smaller than my daughter, but just isn't pistol ready.
I've "tested" the kids a lot. I'll unload a gun, have my wife check that it's unloaded, and then leave it somewhere. The kids will let me know that I left my gun wherever. They'll sometimes ask to see it afterwards, or out of the blue they'll ask to see a gun. I always stop what I'm doing to get them the guns - they know if they want to see a gun they can. Therefore, they have no curiosity, and it is no more exciting for them to see a gun than a hammer.
I've got a large for his age 7 year old son, and a small for her age 10 year old daughter.
They both have Airsoft pistols for messing around with (eye protection a must).
They both have Red Ryder BB guns for plinking in the woods and basement.
My daughter has graduated from the Chipmunk bolt action (like a mini-bolt, but this one is mine from the 80s) to my 10/22. I shortened the stock and it fits her well and she shoots it fine. She has no real desire to fire a larger long gun right now. She shoots my Browning Buckmark very well for a pistol.
My son has the Chipmunk now and does fantastic. He wants to shoot EVERYTHING, so he needs some not-so-gentle reminding sometimes to master what he's doing before moving on to the next thing.
These are the "training guns" and are just range fun. As is appropriate for 7 and 10 year olds.
For "real" guns - my daughter has fired the LC9s and the 1911. She doesn't like the recoil on either, but prefers the 9mm. Odd since it is a snappy recoil out of a tiny pistol, where the 1911 has a compensator, so is more gentle in recoil. Oh well - whatever. Were we facing the zombies, I'd feel confident that I could give her my 9mm and she would do ok. My son is not ready for pistols yet, maybe next year. It all depends on the kid, my son isn't much smaller than my daughter, but just isn't pistol ready.
I've "tested" the kids a lot. I'll unload a gun, have my wife check that it's unloaded, and then leave it somewhere. The kids will let me know that I left my gun wherever. They'll sometimes ask to see it afterwards, or out of the blue they'll ask to see a gun. I always stop what I'm doing to get them the guns - they know if they want to see a gun they can. Therefore, they have no curiosity, and it is no more exciting for them to see a gun than a hammer.
Real guns. This may be surprising to you, but I own a lot of guns because they either have a niche they fit or I enjoy shooting them, but they can always find use by someone in a group during a crisis. Of course, my thoughts always revolved around adults and older teens, but not children and something clicked in my brain where I said, "Holy crap, I don't have any guns a 9 to 11 year old could shoot."
The SR22 is easy for me to learn, but a child it's not something I think they should shoot. I wouldn't trust them to work through a failure to fire or a jam, so I lean to revolvers instead for defense.
Varmint
NES Member
That’s great, I plan to do the same thing, maybe with a very realistic BB Glock 17 I got in Japan. Better they learn to encounter guns at home than at a friend’s house.
tuna
NES Member
I hit the basics of gun safety constantly, and have since the kids were born. My daughter, at 4, proved she was listening to me and understood:
I had a war against the chipmunks in the yard. I'm not a fan of traps, as I like to shoot them myself, so I always had my Crossman pellet gun with me in the yard (the one that looks like a Python - really good gun for up to and including squirrel - never used it for anything bigger). We were heading out of the garage to do something, and I put the pellet gun in the wheelbarrow, and went around to get the rest of my crap. My daughter came into the garage, saw the gun, and ran over to me. (She's four at this time, so read her part with a combination of know-it-all, exasperation at my dumb question, constant chatter and overall cuteness).
Her: Dad, there's a gun in your wheelbarrow
Me: I know, did you touch it?
Her: NO
Me: Why not?
Her: Because it's loaded
Me: How do you know it's loaded if you didn't touch it? (Trying to see how she was thinking)
Her: Because you said not to touch guns that are loaded and I should act like all guns like they're loaded unless I check them myself to see if they're unloaded but I didn't touch it to see if it was unloaded because I think it's loaded so it must be loaded and I can't touch loaded guns - Daddy, can you help me check to see if it's unloaded so I can touch the gun? (This was one breath)
Me: ..........
Her: Please
Me: Yes, and guess what?
Her: What?
Me: You're my new hunting buddy - go tell Mom you passed the test.
Her: YAAAY
Kid's love to learn, and let you know they learned.
I like this one:
View: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/424393964869477058/
Most of these are older guns. What I meant to ask was are there any CURRENT (available new) guns like this?
