[Eagleks]

I think the kid should have training and taught the safety rules, and to handle it like any "gun"...... it's a good training tool. Then , supervise them until I'm convinced that they will be responsible when I'm not standing there.

Some BB / pellet guns can get 1250 fps. The lowest is about 280 fps.

 

[gatopardo]

Live and let live

I have a relative that is giving their 7 year old a B B gun for Christmas. I am having difficulty with this. Let's face it, how 'responsible' can a 7 year old be?
They have 2 other small children and lots of pets. The B B gun looks like a real 9 mm handgun. (at Walmart)

He is a good kid BUT one mistake could take out an eye very quickly. I feel this B B gun should be used with parental guidance ONLY. They think it it will make him more responsible and are convinced he should have it. It appears to me that they are treating a B B gun as a toy and they should realize that it's not.

As a side note...At 7 years old he is allowed to play very violent video games of shooting and killing. War and killing is fun for him.

Not sure what to do as the parents get defensive when I try to give them guidance. They think I'm a liberal for having this view. (Little do they know I have a loaded gun on my hip sitting next to them.)

Any suggestions?

Don't under estimate the kids parents, obviously they have something in mind already, believe me , they would have more difficulty with you and your CC weapon than you for a bb gun.

All thing being equal, yes that kid could blind someone in a second, but also it's possible that you'll shoot your foot in a moment of haste.

Live and let live, is my suggestion, can't raise someone else's kids, can't raise some kid's parents either.
I think the best you can do is to suggest you can teach the kid to shoot at the same time you teach your daughter, that should give you some control over this situation, be careful how you present the idea. They have to love it for it to work:king: Also get in the bandwagon and buy some safety goggles for everyone involved, and some targets can't get something for nothing. In short: If you don't have a solution, don't even bring the problem into the conversation.

 

[Sig35seven]

Thanks for all the advise.

I think I'm going to try to take an active role in the training. First I'm going to take the father to the range to shoot a real gun and let him see first hand the correct method of safe shooting including the use of googles. Along the way I can try to enlighten him for the need of supervision of the BB gun and that it shouldn't just be given to the child.

However, if my granddaughter is there at ANY time to visit that BB gun WILL be put away or under supervision at all times. It is true that I can't control their kids but I can control mine.

BTW... they are planning to just give him the gun to keep in his room and do with it what he wants. After all it's his gun.

 

[azchevy]

Thanks for all the advise.

I think I'm going to try to take an active role in the training. First I'm going to take the father to the range to shoot a real gun and let him see first hand the correct method of safe shooting including the use of googles. Along the way I can try to enlighten him for the need of supervision of the BB gun and that it shouldn't just be given to the child.

However, if my granddaughter is there at ANY time to visit that BB gun WILL be put away or under supervision at all times. It is true that I can't control their kids but I can control mine.

BTW... they are planning to just give him the gun to keep in his room and do with it what he wants. After all it's his gun.

I found this, print it out, and point it out to the parents that they are breaking the law by doing this...


Here you go, with links to fla statutes:

http://www.floridachildinjurylawyer.com/2010/10/florida_law_on_bb_guns_and_chi.html

Pursuant to Florida Statute sec. 790.22, minors under 16-years old are prohibited from using, for any purpose whatsoever, BB guns, unless the minor using the BB gun is under the supervision and in the presence of an adult who is acting with the consent of the minor's parent.

Also, a minor under 18-years-old may not possess a firearm. However, there are exceptions. See Fla. Stat. sec. 790.22 for a more detailed list of the exceptions. Any parent, guardian, or other adult responsible for the welfare of the minor who knowingly violates this statute commits a third degree felony.

If you would like to read more Florida laws regarding the use of minors and guns or other weapons please see Florida Statutes, Title XLVI - Crimes, Chapter 790 - Weapons and Firearms.

Florida Statute: http://www.flsenate.gov/statutes/in...pp_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0790/Sections/0790.22.html

 

[Sig35seven]

I found this, print it out, and point it out to the parents that they are breaking the law by doing this...


Here you go, with links to fla statutes:

http://www.floridachildinjurylawyer.com/2010/10/florida_law_on_bb_guns_and_chi.html


Florida Statute: http://www.flsenate.gov/statutes/in...pp_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0790/Sections/0790.22.html

Thanks azchevy, I appreciate that very much!

 

[azchevy]

If ya can't get them with law and logic, I do not know what to tell you..... good luck!

 

[chivvalry]

That's interesting. In Pennsylvania (though there is no state preemption so municipalities can make their own rules up) it is perfectly legal for a minor to possess and use (unsupervised) a bb gun or air rifle IF they are on private land. There is a clause that the bb or pellet can't be fired so as to leave the boundaries of the property. They can't leave the boundaries of the property with it though unless it is unloaded and in a case or securely wrapped.

 

[boerep]

I got my first .22 at 6. A 7 year old can be very responsible with parental supervision. No child should be left alone with a bb gun. It can teach gun safety, mechanics, and responsibility if it is supervised when the child has it. If it is not supervised that is on the parents. No child should be left alone with a firearm of any type whether it be powder or air propelled. You said your piece, it is up to the parents now, not you. Some people have to learn the hard way.

I too saved soda bottles at .02 Cents each and bought a BB gun in South Fulton Ky. I was 7 or 8 I think. Walked all over town with it, and nothing was ever thought about it. Wow Different times Eh?

 

[chivvalry]

I too saved soda bottles at .02 Cents each and bought a BB gun in South Fulton Ky. I was 7 or 8 I think. Walked all over town with it, and nothing was ever thought about it. Wow Different times Eh?

Yep, these days you can be gunned down in the street for whittling wood or even die in a hail of gunfire while sitting on your front porch playing with a hose... by the good guys. Imagine what would happen if we let kids walk around with slingshots and bb guns? Oh the humanity...

 

[MtflyerHK]

I think it really depends on the kid and the parents. Some 7 year olds can be much more mature when it comes to firearm handling and safety than some 15 year olds. Its all about their attitude and upbringing, and the area they live in. I essentially took possesion of my dads bb gun when I was about 6 and started using it unsupervised at about 7 or 8. This was also in a VERY small town in northeastern Montana and also in a different time. My folks had no problem with me wandering around the yard plinking with the bb gun but my mom did voice her dissatisfaction of the "violence" involved with super mario brothers when you could throw/shoot fireballs at mushrooms and turtles.. Different times indeed.

 

[OldVet]

Pursuant to Florida Statute sec. 790.22, minors under 16-years old are prohibited from using, for any purpose whatsoever, BB guns, unless the minor using the BB gun is under the supervision and in the presence of an adult who is acting with the consent of the minor's parent.



Note that the FL statute says 'using" a BB gun, not possession. So it would be legal for the kid to have it but can't "use" it without adult supervision. A BB gun--by FL legal definition--is not a firearm.

 

[Georgia1911]

I agree with you,throwing in the call of duty games with a first 'gun' dont sound responsible.But it all depends on the parents,and you could have a part in that.Safety is everything.If he knows responsibility,why not? I had bb and pellet guns before that age,i had knives i toted around.I knew the risks.

 

[goldshellback]

I had a couple of BB/pellet guns at age seven. At 10 I was hunting with .22's and Daddy's shotty. I, however, grew up in a very gun-safe/strict enviroment. I was taught safty and HAD to demenstrate such before being trusted. Earning that trust, and even more so, not breaking that earned trust, kept me on the stright and narrow (even to this very day!). Is that a similar enviroment for this child? Are the parents, in your judgement, educating this youngster satisfactorly?
If not, all you can do is back off and keep you and yours away from unsafe and irresponsiable behavior.

JMO and nothing else.