Red Ryder BB Gun for 4 year old

[NotUrsula]

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My points 1) 4 is too young 2) Not everyone from Louisiana pack heat or teach there kids to even if you've got a wannabe rambo or crocodile hunter for a brother

Ah, but they don't call it the Sportman's Paradise for nothin', you know!

Seriously, my dad (NOT a native, but who loved hunting the bayous, and often went after gator back before the ban) had 3 girls and a boy. We all learned to shoot in grade school, mostly because he was concerned that if we knew what we were doing we would be less likely to hurt ourselves or someone else by using a gun in an ignorant fashion.)

I remember that when I was about 8 my dad rigged up a sawhorse with a metal loop on the top and half-buried it, so that I could prop a .22 on it and fire it without get knocked over by the recoil. (By the time I came along Dad had banned BB and pellet guns at our house, because my brother once decided that shooting my sister on purpose with one would be a good idea; he figured a pellet gun didn't fire real bullets and wouldn't really hurt her. Fifty years later, she still has a couple of pellets in her leg.)

Most life-long city dwellers in Louisiana are not gun-owners. It's definitely a country pursuit, but it's popular, and hunting tourism is very big business in the state.

I'll never forget the first time I took my DH home to visit family. We were driving west on I-10 from the NO airport and were coming through St. John Parish, in November. He thought that it was SO odd that there seemed to be so many vehicles broken down and abandoned along the highway!

 

[everylastbreath]

A very good friend of mine (& neighbor) son lost an eye from a BB gun. It was about 15 years ago, kids were probably 10-12 years old, one shot a BB gun at him, hitting him in the corner of his eye, he now has a glass eye. I personally would never allow a child, teen, or 4 year old (and I have a 4 year old GS) a BB gun. Can't imagine any good use for having one! My GS can be deadly with a Nerf gun.....been shot my many a foam dart...

 

[abcboys]

my 4 year old loves to take his big brothers bb gun and shoot soda cans in the back yard. My oldest got one when he was maybe 8 and it is kept locked up with DH's guns (he is a big hunter) I wouldn't ming my 4 year old getting one for christmas or something but it would be kept locked up and only used with adult supervision of course....but since oldest DS has one we don't really need another one. No way would my 4 year old just be allowed to keep it in his room or roam off on his own with one but with supervision he has lots of fun with it.

 

[crysplefty]

I think I have talked my husband into holding off on giving him the BB Gun and instead giving him some golf clubs since he's been asking us for some. To clear some things up based on some of the comments I've received. He would not be shooting the gun by himself. He would only shoot it with his Daddy while his Daddy holds the gun too. The gun would be kept locked up, so that he couldn't get to it on his own. He has lots of toy guns and we've taught him from the start not to shoot anyone with his toy guns, only deer. He walks around pretending to shoot deer and knows that if he shoots someone the toy gun will be taken away. I told my husband it is best we wait until our son has a full grasp of gun safety and reality before we buy him a bb gun.

 

[Jennabeth]

I loved reading the responses to this question. I'm from Michigan and it's not at all "strange" for boys and girls to get a bb gun at a "young" age (usually 7-9). We take Hunter Safety at 10 and are allowed to hunt with a gun at that age (handguns at 12). When I saw this question the first thing I thought was what an awful gift for a 4 year old because it would be locked away and he wouldn't be able to "play" with it. What 4 year old is going to want a gift that he can't play with?? OP, glad you talked your husband out of it. Sounds like he'll have more fun with the golf clubs.

 

[tperrette]

The gun says on it "For use by age 10 and up with parental supervision," but if you train him to be safe, use it right, and keep it unloaded and out of reach unless he's using it, I think it'll be okay.

 

[pospisil]

DS9 got a Red Ryder for his 9th birthday. It's kept locked in the gun safe with DH's guns, and he can only use it when he's supervised. DH wanted to get it for him when he was 4 or 5, but I strongly disagreed! I think the dads just get excited about sharing all these cool guy things with their sons. I told him they don't have to do everything at once, they have years to do stuff together.

 

[hsembrick]

Personally I think it all depends on your child/family. Our family owns 500 acres and we use guns on a weekly bases. Whether it is to kill a lame calf, hunting deer, or shooting a snake my kids see and use guns all the time. My 10 year old has a BB gun and 3 real guns and has been deer/quail/dove hunting for 3 years now and is taking a hunters safety course this weekend. My 8 yr old gota BB gun when she was 4 and her first real gun when she was 6 and this year got to go deer hunting and kill her first deer! Our 4 yr old received her BB gun last year for her 4th birhtday and loves it!

Our kids have grown up hunting (we eat what we kill) and have been taught gun safety and care since they were very young. For my family, I say NO 4 is not too little but for your family you have to be the judge.

 

[okeydokey]

A year old thread bumped by a poster with one post?

 

[tinker&belle]

A year old thread bumped by a poster with one post?

This was my thought too...especially with guns in the news...seems kinda fishy.

(For the record I think BB guns are really dangerous especially for children that young, but I don't care for guns or gun play.)

 

[Happiest mommy]

tinker&belle I second that