Age Appropriate Firearm Safety - How to Teach Kids Gun Fundamentals

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Fundamentals of firearm safety. How young is too young? Let's talk about it.

Let's get into it. As a parent, what is an appropriate age to introduce your child to the fundamentals of firearm safety? For me and my wife, the answer is around three or four years old. That time where kids are really starting to grasp the concept that actions have consequences.

With my kids, I've really tried to normalize firearms as much as possible. I've made it a point to show them all the guns that I own, they've watched me clean and maintain my firearms, and I've always encouraged them to ask a lot of questions. So when my son, who was four at the time, asked when he could shoot his first gun, I'm glad I had an answer.

I knelt down, looked him in the eye, and said, "Son that's a big responsibility. It's not something that you take lightly. If you want to shoot a gun, you need to first prove to me that you can do it safely. Are you willing to do that?"

He eagerly accepted the challenge and for the past year, we've been working on the four fundamental rules of firearm safety.

1. A gun is always loaded.

2. Never point a firearm at anything you are NOT willing to destroy.

3. Know your target.

4. Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot.

Today, we put those rules to practice when he opened this - a brand new, Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun. A Christmas wish.

Watch the video at the 2:30 mark to see my son's first shot with his new BB Gun.

Now as a father, this is a memory I will always cherish. And I'm curious, do you remember the first gun that you shot and who helped you? If you do, leave a comment below. I'd love to hear it.

For me, it was my dad and it was his old Marlin 22. I was probably seven or eight at the time and I'll never forget the crack of that first shot. It's just one of those memories that just sticks with you and I hope my son, when he's my age, has that same type of nostalgia about it.

We also got my son a Red Ryder Starter Kit which has a shooting gallery and gallery targets that we used for his first shooting experience.