You see it. You gotta have it. It's no longer a want, it's a necessity. We try to explain the logic to our significant others just like a child explaining the logic of having an XBox 360 AND a PS3. Sometimes it works and we get that "look and a sigh" that we think is complete surrender, but really says "You're a doofus, but your MY doofus.". We gratefully accept our Doofusdom and proceed directly to our favorite firearms merchant and plunk down our currency in exchange for the "last firearm I'll ever buy. I promise!" firearm.
Why do we always need another gun? What is it that compels some of us to throw logic and practicality out the window when it comes to buying our favorite sporting good? Is there some magic dust that the manufacturers sprinkle over their products that causes us to become addicts? I mean, it's not like buying a pair of shoes.
I think that guys have always like things that go "BOOM". For instance, most guys like to bowl, and there are few things more satisfying that seeing those pins collapse with that resounding crash that only a strike can produce. We also like mechanical things, and a firearm is a compact feat of mechanical engineering. Combine the two, and a gun becomes an irresistible thing of beauty to own and behold. I'm not saying that some women aren't into the same things, but the overwhelming majority of Mechanical Boom Producer Lovers are guys.
Then there is the Buddy Factory. What's the Buddy Factor? Well, if you have a buddy that you shoot guns with, chances are that you don't both own the exact same models. He'll have some that you don't own and vice-versa. You know where I'm going with this. He lets you shoot his latest purchase. You like it. You don't have one. Now, you HAVE to have one. I mean, you can't go borrowing your buddy's gun every time you want to shoot it. There's etiquette to consider here. Even Martha Stewart would agree with me, so my wife should be fine with this. On top of that, you can't get the exact same gun because that would be just uncool. No, you have to get the next model up from your buddy's gun. It's a never ending cycle.
Let's be honest. We really don't NEED another gun. We WANT another gun, or guns. All you really need is a good shotgun, a home defense handgun, a concealed carry gun, a bolt action hunting rifle, a lever action rifle, a backup shotgun, a second home defense handgun for your wife, a .22 pistol for practice, a .22 rifle for practice, an AR platform rifle because they're cool, an AK variant rifle to complement the AR platform rifle, a double action (DA) revolver, a single action (SA) revolver, a DA/SA pistol, a SA pistol, a classic WWII rifle from each participating country's army, each in varying calibers. So see, we really don't need that many guns. Do we? Now I need to go and complete my collection.
You rush through the isles of the store looking for that perfect Christmas gift to get for the kids. You go to the toy store, the kid's clothing store, the pet store, the sporting goods store, the gun store... wait a minute, the GUN store?
Yes, the gun store. Now, this is where you have to be careful. What I mean by "careful" is that you're child probably isn't ready for that AK variant rifle that you've been eying. That would be like buying a bowling ball for your wife that happens to fit your meaty paws instead of her dainty hands. Remember, a child is going to be much smaller than you, and buying a .44 magnum for that sweet little 10 year old girl of yours probably isn't going to go over too well.
Purchasing a firearm for a child is a very serious thing. It takes careful consideration of several different issues. The first thing to consider is the maturity level of your child. My daughter has always been older than she actually is. I don't mean that she's acted older, but she's always thought like an older child. As a consequence, we've had a tendency to treat her like she's older than she actually is. My son, on the other hand, well... let's just say he's about where he should be. You have to be sure that your child is going to do what you say, when you say it when it comes to operating the firearm. Otherwise, you're creating a whole lot of trouble for yourself, not to mention a potentially dangerous situation.
Second, you need to consider the reason for buying the firearm for them in the first place. I wanted my children to understand, respect, and know how to operate a firearm safely. Daddy has guns in the house, and they need to know what a gun is really meant for, and what it can do if used improperly. I don't want an accident ever to happen because my kids didn't know what to do when in the presence of a loaded firearm. Children are curious, and I want to be able to show them everything they ever wanted to know about guns in a safe and controlled environment.
Third, you need to consider what type of firearm to get them. Remember, it has to suit them and not you. People who give a large caliber handgun to a small child just to see them fire it is just plain stupid. It endangers not only the child, but also those around him. It must fit them in both caliber and size. If it's too much for them to handle, then it'll be neither fun for you nor them, and you might turn them off to shooting sports entirely. That's definitely something we don't want.
There are a good number of youth firearms available on the market. Most all of them are rifles. I think this is a great place to start because rifles require two hands to operate, and the added weight will help tame any recoil there is. In fact, you can start with something like a classic Daisy Red Rider like I did. The operation remains relatively the same, and the sight picture is identical to an actual firearm. Plus, the rules of gun safety still apply because as Santa so astutely pointed out, "You'll shoot your eye out, kid."
After my daughter demonstrated her ability to be responsible with a BB rifle, I decided it was time for her to graduate up to something a little more powerful. I knew I wanted to start with a .22 rifle. After much research and consideration, I went with the Crickett rifle by Keystone Sporting Arms. It's a single shot, manual cocking, bolt action rifle that shoots well. It was $99 plus tax at my local Wally World (they're about $109 plus tax now), and it's been a great little rifle. I got the black synthetic with blued barrel, but they come in an assortment of colors and finish options. This has worked out well for both of my children in showing them how to safely operate a firearm. Due to the nature of it being single shot, it slows the whole process down to give you an opportunity to go over things like shot placement, trigger control, sight picture, and of course, safety. Their rifle stays in the safe until we are ready to use it, and they don't know the combination to the safe.
Your children depend on you to keep them safe, and this is just one way that you can do that. You'll also be spending quality time with your children to not only teach them the proper handling of a firearm, but also about lessons in life.
