Shooters

[badval]

Cedris - I agree & for the average family that probably makes 100% sense.  

When youngsters are raised around firearms & you take a proactive approach to educating them, I don't see much harm in a hot weapon in the nightstand or on my person.  It's something we talk about weekly & just like he knows not to put his hand on a stove eye or jam a paperclip into an electrical outlet, he knows not to touch any of the guns in the house.  Everything else does stay secured in a metal locker that he couldn't get into.  The occasional time any other kids are in the house, everything gets locked down.  The holsters for the night stand weapons have good retention & a small child couldn't draw from any of them.  

BTW - when we're at the range, we follow those rules.  Everything stays unloaded, up & downrange, fingers off triggers, targets & backdrops inspected, eyes & ears, always treat it like its loaded, etc.  I hope that I don't give the impression I'm cavalier about weapons safety - I'm not.  But to me, an unloaded gun is more unsafe than a loaded one for defensive purposes.

I engage the whole family in firearms training.  We shoot together as a family.  There's a big difference compared to the guy who buys a gun to have "just in case", hides it in the closet, & tells the kids "this is Daddy's gun.  Never ever touch it."

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Checked out your pics from Africa.  Beautiful.  Bet that was a great trip!

[cedris]

badval,

We agree.  Nothing is more dangerous than someone who buys a gun without the practical and mental training required to handle it properly.  That person with a carry gun and no training is more of a danger to himself than an attacker.

Drew,
The NRA has alot to say about personal protection.  They believe a person should be very well trained and psychologically prepared if he/she plans to carry.  Take a look at the training/courses section of their website.

Also of note, the NRA is the basic firearms training resource for almost all shooting done in the USA (and probably elsewhere).  Police, military and civilians all use their methods and training materials to one degree or another.

And finally, they also have a great gun safety program for small children called "Eddie Eagle."  The only message from the NRA for little kids in this program is if you see a gun:

• STOP!

Don't Touch.
Leave the Area.
Tell an Adult.
[/list]

Chris

[dkersten]

I am a firm believer in taking the proactive approach with children and guns.  A child that not only respects the guns, but also respects the parents enough to know that playing with the guns when the parents arent around would earn disappointment as much as punishment from the parents, is the child I feel comfortable to have in the house with firearms.  

I grew up with firearms in the house, and almost all the friends I had also had firearms in the house.  Keep in mind that 30 years ago, few people used gun safes, and a gun cabinet with little tiny lock on it was the most you would see in anyones house.  Usually the key was on top of the cabinet, and every single friend I had knew where the key was.  

However, I had those friends that did not respect guns as much as I was taught, and there was more than one instance where if I was not so conscious of the ramifications of playing with a loaded gun, someone could have been hurt or killed.  I had one friend, when I was 7 years old, who got a .22 for his birthday, and would shoot holes in the vents in his trailer house when his folks werent around.  Kinda scary lookin back at it..

My biggest fear is not my kids getting a hold of one of my loaded guns, but rather them having an influential friend over when I am not around and allowing them to get a hold of one of my loaded guns.  This is why I keep the loaded guns in the little safe next to my bed.  The kids do NOT know the code.  

I have friends with children that keep a loaded gun maybe tucked up under a nightstand, or in their closet, or somewhere they dont think the kids will ever look.  Thing is, when I was 12-15 years old, I would regularly go through my parents rooms when they werent there, and I knew exactly what they had and where they had it.  If you dont think your kids will ever violate your privacy when left alone you are sadly mistaken.  If it is loaded, lock it up.  

Yes, the most important thing you can teach a kid is to treat all guns as if loaded.  Sending the kids through a hunter safety course, even if they arent going to hunt is a good idea too.  Not only will they learn basic gun safety skills, but also some survival skills and such.  Around here hunter safety is a readily available class, and my 13 year old son will be attending in the next couple weeks.

I could sit here all day and tell stories of friends that shot out the brakes on a car after hunting, or stories of people every season that blow the head off a fellow hunter.  Bottom line is, accidents happen, and it isnt just you or your kids you have to worry about.. you have to worry about what goes on at their friends houses, and at your house while you are away.

That being said, if you keep a bunch of loaded weapons in your gun safe, more power to you.. I understand fully.

By the way, the two guys I referred to in my first post, there is a good story about them.  I was in the audio business for about 10 years, and these guys were employees for some of the same companies I worked for.  They both had nice home theater and music stereo systems (there is a difference).  Their names are Jason and Del.  Jason bought a new Sig one day, and brought it to Del's house.  Del is checking it out, not paying attention when Jason says it has a round chambered.  Del sights in on his $2500 M&K subwoofer, and squeezes the trigger.  The hollow point (.40 or .45 cant remember) entered the cabinet on the side, deflected off the basket of the woofer, tearing it apart in the process, and exited through the amplifier.  It was a $2500 mistake, and in my opinion quite funny, although it could have been very deadly.  These guys are gun fanatics, and have probably shot more rounds in a year than I will my whole life.  But the second they let their guard down, an accident happened.

It is all too easy to get so comfortable with guns that you forget about safety.  Its just like working with a table saw.. the moment you relax and stop respecting the saw is the moment you will lose a finger or worse.  

[Brewman]

Same rules of being careful apply to a lot of other objects- Careless, distracted, and or intoxicated motorists turn motor vehicles into lethal weapons all the time.  
  Swimming pools and hot tubs can even injure or kill in the presence of the careless or moronic.
 Be careful, be safe, and be aware.

 On a side note
 Our new wash machine hasn't arrived yet, so I went to the coin laundry with Mrs. B. tonite.  It's in the back of our local mall, in a pretty dark unlit parking lot.
 If I was thinking I'd have had my carry gun with me.