Bondhead88
Expert
One of the first things I did when I brought a handgun into the house was to immediately teach gun safety to my wife and daughter. (She is 19)
It was an interesting afternoon of showing them how to receive a gun from another person. My house rules breach must be open, safety on and clip out.
I went through multiple steps trying to trick them into taking a gun from me that might be loaded. (it never was). My son who had already gone through this chuckled as time and time again they made mistakes and got used to the idea of accepting and handling a gun.
By the end of the first day both had learned the rule that you always treat a gun as if it is loaded and on the second day I took them to the range to do some target practice, work on their stance, how to hold, aim and move with a gun. Once again we went through a step by step practice and re-practice of gun safety and control.
Both my wife and my daughter were a little shy as the gun was a little big for their hands. My daughter had asked me if I could take her out to do some shopping and while we were out we stopped at a gun store.
As we looked at some guns she noticed a "pinkish" .380 after holding it and looking at another .380 that came in a raspberry colour, then a few other guns we left and went home.
I asked her if she liked the guns to which she replied "Yes but the pink ones were too cute."
I thought she meant this in a "I liked it" kind of "too cute"but I was mistaken.
But I was wrong, my daughter goes to college in North West Indiana and is in some very bad neighbourhoods were she works with less privileged kids.
She told me that if she ever got a gun that she wouldn't want one so cute. I asked her why.
She said. "You told me that if you own and carry a gun then you must be prepared to use it and that pulling out a gun without being prepared to pull the trigger is dangerous to yourself and those you may be trying to protect around you."
I told her she was right on both counts and reminded her that we also didn't want to be trigger happy and ever pull out a gun unnecessarily.
She said that I had missed something though. When I asked her what did I miss.
She said. "Can you imagine pulling out a pink little gun in front of some of the areas where I am in? First, they wouldn't believe it is real, second, it wouldn't intimidate anyone, third, I would more than likely need to shoot before they realized the first two points."
I thought this was a quick and keen observation from a young lady who bought her laptop on the basis of the "cuteness" of it. I was also very proud of her for understanding the necessity of taking guns seriously.
I asked her then what type of gun she would want when she is old enough and had taken a course (this is mandatory in my house) for self defense.
She said. "Do you remember that one that held 5 shots and didn't look like it had a "thingy" on the end? (she meant the hammer).
"The Taurus 38" I replied.
"Yea that was the one. The salesman said that fire would come out of the barrel. It felt right in my hand and it would scare me if someone pointed it at me. I would take that one. I just don't think cute is good for a gun like the pink one was"
I think I popped three buttons as my chest swelled with pride My little girl was becoming a woman.
It was an interesting afternoon of showing them how to receive a gun from another person. My house rules breach must be open, safety on and clip out.
I went through multiple steps trying to trick them into taking a gun from me that might be loaded. (it never was). My son who had already gone through this chuckled as time and time again they made mistakes and got used to the idea of accepting and handling a gun.
By the end of the first day both had learned the rule that you always treat a gun as if it is loaded and on the second day I took them to the range to do some target practice, work on their stance, how to hold, aim and move with a gun. Once again we went through a step by step practice and re-practice of gun safety and control.
Both my wife and my daughter were a little shy as the gun was a little big for their hands. My daughter had asked me if I could take her out to do some shopping and while we were out we stopped at a gun store.
As we looked at some guns she noticed a "pinkish" .380 after holding it and looking at another .380 that came in a raspberry colour, then a few other guns we left and went home.
I asked her if she liked the guns to which she replied "Yes but the pink ones were too cute."
I thought she meant this in a "I liked it" kind of "too cute"but I was mistaken.
But I was wrong, my daughter goes to college in North West Indiana and is in some very bad neighbourhoods were she works with less privileged kids.
She told me that if she ever got a gun that she wouldn't want one so cute. I asked her why.
She said. "You told me that if you own and carry a gun then you must be prepared to use it and that pulling out a gun without being prepared to pull the trigger is dangerous to yourself and those you may be trying to protect around you."
I told her she was right on both counts and reminded her that we also didn't want to be trigger happy and ever pull out a gun unnecessarily.
She said that I had missed something though. When I asked her what did I miss.
She said. "Can you imagine pulling out a pink little gun in front of some of the areas where I am in? First, they wouldn't believe it is real, second, it wouldn't intimidate anyone, third, I would more than likely need to shoot before they realized the first two points."
I thought this was a quick and keen observation from a young lady who bought her laptop on the basis of the "cuteness" of it. I was also very proud of her for understanding the necessity of taking guns seriously.
I asked her then what type of gun she would want when she is old enough and had taken a course (this is mandatory in my house) for self defense.
She said. "Do you remember that one that held 5 shots and didn't look like it had a "thingy" on the end? (she meant the hammer).
"The Taurus 38" I replied.
"Yea that was the one. The salesman said that fire would come out of the barrel. It felt right in my hand and it would scare me if someone pointed it at me. I would take that one. I just don't think cute is good for a gun like the pink one was"
I think I popped three buttons as my chest swelled with pride My little girl was becoming a woman.