18 year old carrying

[red_zr24x4]

So, what is the proper age that everyone thinks is good to go for exercising your right to carry without even thinking twice once you hear it? If the thread had been "32 year old carrying", would the replies be different?

My response would be the same, I have 2 sons closing in on 30. Neither should carry a gun. I know some guys closing in on 50 that shouldn't

 

[bwframe]

I got my permit to carry at 18. Back then a letter from your employer explaining need was required.

I wish the training opportunities and associated knowledge were available then. Back then we were basically "flying blind," missing a lot of what is basic common knowledge available today.

Today an 18 year old can be educated in every facet of what is necessary and important to safely defend themselves and others armed.

 

[Trigger Time]

Ask your coworker if he would rather your 18 year old legally buy a rifle and sling it over his back and carry it around... LEGALLY, or if he would rather him get a LTCH, you buy him a handgun, and him carry it concealed without anybody knowing?

I had had a gun cabinet in my room when I was in high school. It was full of my hunting guns (20 ga, .22, and muzzleloader) dad got me, but it never crossed my mind to grab them at any point other than target shooting or hunting. After I turned 18 I rushed to dicks (I know I know, but they were different 13 years ago) and bought a new shotgun, my first gun purchase


Only advice I have, nobody knows your child like you do. He’s old enough to join the military, buy a house, buy a rifle, etc. Dont worry about whether or not someone else believes you should get him a carry gun, do what your gut tells you. They don’t have to deal with the loss if something were to happen and you took their advice and didn’t get him one.

Im glad you clarified which "dicks" you ran to when you turned 18

I was much less mature at 18 than I am now but I still was responsible and carried when I could on my time.
I was also in the military so I "carried" there also.
If you raise your kids around guns properly then they will be more than ready.
I hear people say all the time that they are glad they dont carry a gun because they dont trust themselves. I always ask them how many people they've killed at steak restaurants with the knives they get.

If you lead a bad lifestyle or hang out with bad people then bad crap is going to happen and you involved in it. Act like a responsible person and the MAJORITY of people dont go on killing sprees with firearms just becaise they get ticked off.
If you want to go out at 18 and get ****faced all the time then leave the gun at home. You're making bad choices about your safety on 2 fronts

 

[Hop]

I decided for myself at ~21 or 22 that I needed to carry a pistol. I was doing a LOT of late night motorcycle riding and some of the areas we rode through were pretty sketchy.
My parents are not into guns at all. I'm not sure where or from who I got the idea.

 

[Gabriel]

I decided for myself at ~21 or 22 that I needed to carry a pistol.

Same here. I got my permit pretty much as soon as I was old enough to buy a handgun.

 

[Ziggidy]

We live in a different world today. Not all 18 year olds are bad or immature; but that generation concerns me deeply. Most have been indoctrinated in spite of parental effort.

 

[7.62]

I have had my LTCH since 18 but didn't start carrying until I could purchase my own handgun at 21. Not sure if I was ready at 18, maybe. I matured ALOT in those 3 years, so maybe not. As far as Firearms knowledge and Safe Handling I had that all down for many years prior to being 18 but carrying one daily for self defense purposes takes a different level of maturity, imo. But if you feel good about him carrying it and think he's mature enough I say right on! If my son is ready when he's 18 I'll fully support him to!

 

[MontereyC6]

I got my carry permit and gun at 18(currently 49) and my 16 year old son will to when he's 18.

 

[actaeon277]

An 18 year old carries a gun for the same reason a 54 year old does, a Police Officer is too heavy to carry.

This

 

[churchmouse]

I'm echoing your sentiments again CM, hope you don't mind?
I asked for opinions from trainers on INGO about a year ago concerning the percentage of people carrying daily that had ANY type of CCW training. My feeling was 20% or less ( I try to be optimistic). Every response I received put the number at 5% or less.
It's a huge responsibility so carrying without training and knowledge is playing with fire. Three things you should think about before taking on the responsibility of defending yourself or others.
There is a possibility you will be forced to take a life, are you emotionally prepared for that?
Do you believe you are practiced and accurate enough to avoid collateral damage in a self defense situation?
Do you have some idea of WHEN it is lawful ( in Indiana) to use deadly force?
With your freedom and the lives of others in the balance you're being reckless if you don't arm yourself with knowledge before arming yourself with a pistol for your daily outing.

[FONT=&]NRA Life Member / [/FONT]Basic Pistol instructor[FONT=&] / RSO[/FONT][FONT=&]

[/FONT][FONT=&]"Under pressure, you don't rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training. That's why we train so hard" [/FONT][FONT=&]
[/FONT][FONT=&]Unnamed Navy Seal[/FONT][FONT=&]

[/FONT][FONT=&]“Ego is the reason many men do not shoot competition. They don't want to suck in public” [/FONT][FONT=&]
[/FONT][FONT=&]
[/FONT][FONT=&]Aron Bright[/FONT]

Nope. I do not mind as you elaborate on this so much better than I do.
Thanks.

 

[Restroyer]

When my twin sons turned 17 last year I got them both an AR-15 for their birthday. When they turn 18 this fall then they will be getting their LTCH and I will help them chose a handgun for EDC. They are in several youth gun clubs and hunt and have shot both for fun and in competitions since they were little. They are extremely mature for their age and know more about guns than most people (they are history buffs). I have zero worries about them. Most of their friends however I would not want touching a gun. So as said above, if you know the maturity level of your child and have properly trained them along with experience with firearms it should be no problem allowing an 18 year old to LTCH.

 

[Bennettjh]

I was ~21 when I started carrying. Bought a pistol then slowly worked my way up to carrying. I practiced a lot before I carried. INGO helped tremendously as well. I think at 18 I was mature enough to carry just didn't really think about it. I really only knew rifles when I was younger.

 

[hpclayto]

Age is just a number. I applied for my pink slip on my 18th birthday and have carried ever since. There are plenty of people over 18 that have no business carrying firearms yet do so.

 

[Hopper]

When I was 18, I wasn't of a mindset to even consider carrying. I didn't own a firearm or get into shooting until much later. I never had anything against firearms or owning one, but was just into lots of other hobbies and interests in my youth.

My son is a totally different animal. I've drilled the "4 rules" into his head since he was young, and he still recites them to me before every range trip. He got his LTCH when he turned 18. I did help him navigate the process, but he wanted to do it on his own. And he did. He paid for it on his own, got fingerprinted on his own, and continues to show very good level-headed judgement in work, school studies, and play. I've been with him when he purchased two of his own rifles, and filled out the 4473 form on his own. If I'm ever away on business, I completely trust him to do the right thing should defending himself, his Mother or his sister come into play.

To anyone who questions my parenting skills or how/why I could allow this, I hope you never need our help should you fear for your life. But my son is a sheepdog... he'd still fight for you.

 

[actaeon277]

When I was 18, I wasn't of a mindset to even consider carrying. I didn't own a firearm or get into shooting until much later. I never had anything against firearms or owning one, but was just into lots of other hobbies and interests in my youth.

My son is a totally different animal. I've drilled the "4 rules" into his head since he was young, and he still recites them to me before every range trip. He got his LTCH when he turned 18. I did help him navigate the process, but he wanted to do it on his own. And he did. He paid for it on his own, got fingerprinted on his own, and continues to show very good level-headed judgement in work, school studies, and play. I've been with him when he purchased two of his own rifles, and filled out the 4473 form on his own. If I'm ever away on business, I completely trust him to do the right thing should defending himself, his Mother or his sister come into play.

To anyone who questions my parenting skills or how/why I could allow this, I hope you never need our help should you fear for your life. But my son is a sheepdog... he'd still fight for you.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Just a question, how many of ya'll (or rather us) regularly drank before the legal drinking age? ...and dare I say, gotten drunk?
and let's also thrown in the multipliers of drag racing with friends, around the same age?

For the record, I'm guilty on both counts, and is part of the reason why I say I wasn't prepared to carry at young adulthood.

 

[bwframe]

There is a lot of stuff that maturity and life experience would make us much much better at. Personally, I don't think anyone under 30 should be allowed to ride a motorcycle on the street.

That doesn't mean that there aren't young individuals who take their responsibilities very seriously. Similarly, there are plenty of us old dudes who had to learn a much better carry skillset/mindset through training, study, practice and organized shooting events. Even though we somehow lived through years and years of uneducated sloppy gun handling and carry.

 

[edporch]

It depends on the individual 18 year old.

For example, when I was 18, I would've had NO business carrying a handgun.

At age 20, I even took and passed a Certified Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun Instructor course (S351 Leadership Development in Shooting Sports) when I was at IU Bloomington.

But I still didn't buy my first handgun and get a carry permit until I was just shy of 28 years old.

I've known other 18 years olds that carrying a pistol would be just fine.

 

[thunderchicken]

Just a question, how many of ya'll (or rather us) regularly drank before the legal drinking age? ...and dare I say, gotten drunk?
and let's also thrown in the multipliers of drag racing with friends, around the same age?

For the record, I'm guilty on both counts, and is part of the reason why I say I wasn't prepared to carry at young adulthood.

Yep...guilty on all counts. But have only ever been drunk once and I was 19 or 20.

 

[Gaffer]

Just a question, how many of ya'll (or rather us) regularly drank before the legal drinking age? ...and dare I say, gotten drunk?
and let's also thrown in the multipliers of drag racing with friends, around the same age?

For the record, I'm guilty on both counts, and is part of the reason why I say I wasn't prepared to carry at young adulthood.

Well, I did stretch the legal part when I was 18. Lived in Kansas City MO, in the early 70's where the drinking age was 21, but we would drive to Kansas and buy beer (where you could buy beer at 18), and bring it back to MO. Also drank a bit while in Germany when I was 16 and 17, but to be honest, I don't think we knew what the drinking age in Germany at the time was :>)..

Ron