What age can a child shoot a firearm?

Question

Legally?

Answer 1

There is no limit, it's up to the parents to decide when the childs old enough!

Answer 2

There is NO LEGAL LIMIT by State Law in any State in the United States for a minimum childs age requirement, for use or concerning the use of firearms. This is a matter legally left up to the parents or legal guardians of minor children to decide for themselves. I recently read a nationwide Poll that determined the average age for a child using a firearm under adult supervision to be between 6-8 years of age, on average here in the United States. The same Poll noted that 96.3% of children had their first "encounter" with a BB "gun" or Pellet "gun" first ...on an average of 1.5 years before being allowed to handle/fire a conventional firearm, again with legal consent and adult supervision. I'm sure there are exceptions to this, I know of a few myself.......Remember teach "SAFETY" first, and have Hearing protection no matter what age your children are.....

Answer 3

in most cases it depends on when the parents want to start teaching their children about firearms. Some states or counties may differ. To legally shoot though they must be under supervision of a adult who can legally own and buy firearms.

Answer 4

I started both my kids with .22s at age 5. Moved up to .410 shotguns at 11, 30-30s at 13 and 12 ga at 16. In Wa state there is no age limit on shooting. If you do decide to let your kid start shooting take them to a NRA safety course and ALWAYS wear hearing protection. Hearing loss from firearms are permanent and cumulative.

Answer 5

There is NO set or standard age when it is legal for a child to shhot a gun. This is a common sense matter. I would not recommend anyone teach a child to shoot even a .22 until they are at least about 10 years old.

Answer 6

Holy D you are reported for a racial slur. There is no place here for that.

With close adult supervision, whenever the parents feel the child can understand the very important safety measures.

I shot my first real firearm, a .22, when I was 6. I had my own .22 by 10 and would hunt squirrel with my cousins.

Before I got my own gun, I had to be able to recite and explain the three primary rules of gun safety, often to the amusement of my parents friends and coworkers.

1. ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction. Know what you are shooting and what is beyond it.

2. ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.

3. ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.

Answer 7

Hi, I started my kids shooting at the age of 7 with BB guns. At 10 they moved up to 22's. At 12 .410 or 20 gauge shotguns. At 14 12 gauge shotguns, 22 pistols and 30-30 rifles. At 16 45 caliber handguns and high powered rifles. At 18 AR-15, AK 47, HK 91 rifles and tactical shotguns.

They all can handle a weapon safely, one is an NRA instructor and teaches SWAT and other special teams.

I would recommend a National Rifle Association shooting course(s) as they will develop the right safety skills from the start and enjoy shooting their entire lives.

Good luck!

Answer 8

I've never heard of an age limit. I've lived in SC, AZ, MI, and IL....never heard of such a thing. I'm sure some states do like NY.

I think it is up to the parent. You have to determine if your child posseses the level of responsibility and maturity required to learn to use a firearm. My personal feelings are that the child has to have a good grasp on mortality first of all. They also have to be welllll behaved to listen to instructions and rules. They need to be mature and responsible enough to know they are not allowed to handle a firearm without the presence of their parents.

That said, my father bought me and my two brothers a BB gun to start with. I was probably 9 or so, Darl was 7 and Ed was 4 or 5. Dad would actually set up a big box full of paper bags in his bedroom and we would target practice across my parents bed. What a HOOT!!! We had so much fun. My mom would roll her eyes but we loved it.

When he thought we had a handle on that and could determine that we knew better than to try to handle the BB gun when he wasn't around...he graduated us to a 22. That was probably a year or two later. He took us to a outdoor range and we practiced quite a few times before he started running us down the road to a wooded area nearby to hunt squirrels. Relatively safe hunting experience since we just sat and waited for the squirrels to show up. (And we always ate what we shot.)

Dad had many rules we had to learn before he would let us graduate up.

Examples are
never aim a weapon at anyone..loaded or unloaded...real or not

always walk with your weapon aimed at the ground...preferably open...unable to fire with the safety on

never travel with a loaded weapon nor store one at home loaded

always clean your weapon after every use

always know where your hunting partners are and never fire at anything you can't see clearly

Those were just a few off the top of my head.

Eventually we were practicing with the big guns too. I've fired a 22, 12 gauge, 16 gauge, muzzle loader, 9mm, 357, and so on.

He even let us help him reload.

It was a great past time with my dad. My brothers and I have many wonderful memories hunting and target practicing with my dad.

(I was robbed about a year ago and I was complimented by one of the officers that came on the scene...because of my ability to handle myself with a weapon calmly and safely.....No I didn't shoot anyone..the burgler ran out the back when he heard me coming in the house)

Good luck.....

I think it is an important thing to teach your kids. They need to be familiar with firearms and know proper gun safety. I think many accidents are caused by ignorance and fear.

I think if you did a survey you would find that kids that are taught how to use firearms and taught proper gun safety are 100% less likely to use a gun unlawfully, in a dangerous way, or in a manner that would hurt someone.

Kids that are raised around guns respect them.

Answer 9

.as soon as you feel they understand the safety need it. my daughter was shooting around 4 and had her first firearm at 6, (a single shoot, 22 cal, cricket, twin of the chipmunk) she is now 18 and very safe and respectful around guns. if you are the parent and supervising them there is no age to young. the must have adult supervision

Answer 10

as soon as the adult responsible for them decides they are able to start shooting
I started my two boys out at 4 and 5 years of age

Answer 11

There is no age. As long as you know how dangerous guns are and that they arent toys, you could shoot one at age 2.