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Gun Safety in America (Original Post) fightthegoodfightnow Nov 2012 OP
Ah, the morning (Google) dump.nt Eleanors38 Nov 2012 #1
There's always room for improvement in safety glacierbay Nov 2012 #2
Basic gun safety should be taught in public schools slackmaster Nov 2012 #3
at what age, do you think would be a good time to start the class? age 13 --- or possibly age 16? Tuesday Afternoon Nov 2012 #5
I'd recommend that it be done in high school, 16 seems right to me slackmaster Nov 2012 #6
Yes, I think 16 is a good age. After all if One can operate dangerous machinery (cars) at that age Tuesday Afternoon Nov 2012 #8
Why so old? clffrdjk Nov 2012 #10
I say 16 because I have met 13-year-olds who were emotionally too immature to learn slackmaster Nov 2012 #16
Sorry for OFF TOPIC setkin Nov 2012 #24
Google 'blue gun' sarisataka Nov 2012 #25
In Minnesota, we have Jenoch Nov 2012 #22
I think younger than 16 also Berserker Nov 2012 #26
In MN the age is 11 I know because we sent our son n/t azurnoir Nov 2012 #27
15 seems reasonable to me 4th law of robotics Nov 2012 #13
Re:at what age, do you think would be a good time to start the class? Trunk Monkey Nov 2012 #17
Practice Safety....practice. practice. practice - in All things the Master has practiced the Art. Tuesday Afternoon Nov 2012 #4
If you argue for perfection in an imperfect world rrneck Nov 2012 #7
+1 4th law of robotics Nov 2012 #14
As far as I know it's mine. But I could be fulla shit. nt rrneck Nov 2012 #15
As usual, anecdotal evidence is supposed to trump real evidence. Simo 1939_1940 Nov 2012 #9
Humans do not always live up to our expectations, film at 10! (And 10:30, and 11, and petronius Nov 2012 #11
Gun Safety Gone Wrong Berserker Nov 2012 #12
Priceless! tortoise1956 Nov 2012 #18
These kinds of videos make me mad. Atypical Liberal Nov 2012 #19
A certain amount of intellectual dishonesty as well. Remmah2 Nov 2012 #21
Odd....how are my firearms so safe. ileus Nov 2012 #20
The dude at the 7:00min mark needs one of those shoulder things that go up. Glassunion Nov 2012 #23
 

glacierbay

(2,477 posts)
2. There's always room for improvement in safety
Sat Nov 17, 2012, 10:27 AM
Nov 2012

in everything.
Guns in of themselves don't cause injuries, there has to be a causing force for the injury to happen.
I think basic gun safety should be taught in school, not with a real gun, but maybe a prop like what is used in movies.
That, in my estimation, would drastically reduce firearm injuries.

 

slackmaster

(60,567 posts)
6. I'd recommend that it be done in high school, 16 seems right to me
Sat Nov 17, 2012, 11:27 AM
Nov 2012

I have some experience teaching gun safety to people of all ages.

Most children are mature enough to internalize the rules of gun safety by 13. I learned at 10, my brother was six and has done fine. I think teaching that kind of thing in late teens gives the best chance of successful learning.

Tuesday Afternoon

(56,912 posts)
8. Yes, I think 16 is a good age. After all if One can operate dangerous machinery (cars) at that age
Sat Nov 17, 2012, 11:49 AM
Nov 2012

then guns being dangerous machinery should be respected as well.

 

clffrdjk

(905 posts)
10. Why so old?
Sat Nov 17, 2012, 01:31 PM
Nov 2012

When my grandfather was alive he would tell stories of walking into his 8th grade classroom with his shotgun after a morning duck hunt and setting it against the back wall next to 5 or 6 others. Why not have a graduated system with pellet guns for late elementary school, .22 rifles for middle school, and trap shooting and .22 pistols for high school? Run it through phyed as an outdoor activity.

 

slackmaster

(60,567 posts)
16. I say 16 because I have met 13-year-olds who were emotionally too immature to learn
Sun Nov 18, 2012, 11:08 AM
Nov 2012

The basic test for a person of any age is to hand him or her an obviously mock firearm and observe how the person handles it.

People who teach gun safety professionally have blue, green, red, or orange plastic ones like this one. People who have truly learned gun safety will instinctively treat one exactly as they would a real weapon - Muzzle control, trigger discipline, etc.



Most people who are unfamiliar with gun safety immediately put their finger into the trigger guard and aim the fake weapon at something. If you can't teach the person to take it seriously and act as if he or she is handling a real deadly weapon, then you have found a person who probably shouldn't be introduced to the real thing. Maybe the person would behave differently with a live weapon, but it's not worth taking a chance.

An emotionally immature adolescent will point the fake weapon at people and persist in pretending to shoot no matter what you say. In other words, behave as you would expect a small child to. (In fairness to adolescents, I have occasionally seen that kind of behavior in "adults.&quot

setkin

(1 post)
24. Sorry for OFF TOPIC
Thu Nov 29, 2012, 10:32 AM
Nov 2012

Hi! Does anybody know where to buy the pistols and machine guns models like this one? I need it for exhibitions. Thank you.

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
22. In Minnesota, we have
Tue Nov 20, 2012, 04:45 PM
Nov 2012

a Minnesota High School Clay Target League. When I was in the 8th grade I had to give a demonstration speech. My demonstration was how to clean a .12 gauge shotgun. Of course I did not bring along any shells for the weapon.

My brother has been teaching gun safety to adolescents for over 25 years. In Minnesota, anyone age 12 and anyone born after 1979, that goes hunting must pass a gun safety class taught by a volunteer instructor for the DNR. I don't remember how much is taught about handguns however. I'll have to ask my brother.

I think gun safety should be taught to children younger than 16. Most kids are quite curious about guns and the younger they learn about them the better.

 

Berserker

(3,419 posts)
26. I think younger than 16 also
Thu Nov 29, 2012, 11:19 AM
Nov 2012

I joined the military when I was 17 with my fathers signature. I started target shooting at 6 under my father's supervision. I was taught gun safety every time we were out shooting I can still hear the point by point rules he would go through. Now many years later when I pick up a gun those rules are burned into my brain.
I think gun safety should be taught at an early age it stays with you throughout your life.

 

Trunk Monkey

(950 posts)
17. Re:at what age, do you think would be a good time to start the class?
Sun Nov 18, 2012, 05:31 PM
Nov 2012

You start them with the basic eddie Eagle lessons about Stop, Don't touch, Leave the area and Tell an adult in kindergarten.

As the kids get older you get more in depth

Simo 1939_1940

(768 posts)
9. As usual, anecdotal evidence is supposed to trump real evidence.
Sat Nov 17, 2012, 01:00 PM
Nov 2012



The number of gun accidents is continuously dropping nationally, along with gun crime in general.

petronius

(26,603 posts)
11. Humans do not always live up to our expectations, film at 10! (And 10:30, and 11, and
Sat Nov 17, 2012, 01:52 PM
Nov 2012

11:30, and noon, and 12:30...).

I assume your point is that, in any area or activity, avoidable accidents are deplorable and safety should be striven for. Gun owners and shooters would agree with that near-unanimously (except for a few of the people in that montage, I suppose)...

tortoise1956

(671 posts)
18. Priceless!
Sun Nov 18, 2012, 08:19 PM
Nov 2012

Reminds me of the detective who shot himself while conducting a class on firearm safety. The difference is, this was tongue in cheek...

 

Atypical Liberal

(5,412 posts)
19. These kinds of videos make me mad.
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 09:23 AM
Nov 2012

I did not watch the entire video, as many of these I have already seen.

The military and paramilitary videos are an entirely different animal.

There are a series of accidents here that show catastrophic firearm failures. These are either due to barrel obstructions or due to faulty ammunition, probably reloads. Barrel obstructions have to be guarded against when carrying firearms in the field - if you drive the barrel into the ground and try to shoot it with a plugged barrel the gun may explode. Reloads bring a whole new level of risk to shooting and while reloading is something that can be done quite safely people need to be aware of the risks of shooting reloaded ammunition.

My biggest problem with these kinds of videos are the "big recoil jokes", usually played on unsuspecting, inexperienced female shooters.

It seems to be some kind of misogynistic joke in some firearm circles to find a tiny, inexperienced female and set her up with the biggest cannon they can find, with no instruction, no verbal preparation for what to expect, no correcting for proper stance, and just letting the poor woman "let her rip" and find out through harsh experience what gun recoil is.

This is wrong. Not only is it wrong because it is horribly unsafe, but it is also wrong because it's a damn fine way to turn someone off of shooting forever.

Why would anyone think it's a good idea to introduce someone to a new hobby through shame, humiliation and injury?

Most of the women in these kinds of "gag" videos have a poor stance. This should be immediately corrected by showing the shooter the proper way to hold the firearm in such a way that their bodies can control the firearm after it goes off. These sway back and bent elbow stances are recipes for disaster. Also, particularly with smaller women, someone should stand behind them to brace them if necessary.

My daughter's first shooting experience (at 5 years old) was nothing like this, I can tell you.

 

Remmah2

(3,291 posts)
21. A certain amount of intellectual dishonesty as well.
Mon Nov 19, 2012, 10:43 AM
Nov 2012

I recognize several of the video clips as not having been filmed in America.

The title of the thread is "Gun Safety in America".

Poor integrity on the part of the anti-2A coalition.

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