Hahaha…I still have my bb gun that I got when I was eight. Has a army green strap on it. Was positive I was .part Indian…guess you could have called me " walks through marsh"…lol
But really…I remember how proud I was whenI saw it Christmas morning…still makes me smile to think about it.
Btw…I never broke a window with it.
miss’n fish’n
212 SEAHUNT CC
Sea Squirt 16
Just for the record, I did spend a lot of time in the principal’s office and got a lot of beatings as a kid…
fishnet stocking lamp… lol that movie is great
“mr keys”
quote:
Originally posted by skinneejJust for the record, I did spend a lot of time in the principal’s office and got a lot of beatings as a kid…
When you got those beating did you pray your Mom and Dad didn’t find out so you wouldn’t get more?
Plenty myself. Seemed most of my friends would opt out for an essay or writing lines, I always wanted to get it over with quick.
< Evil is simply the absence of God >
I remember my Red Ryder. Some of my other RR owning friends and myself got into deep trouble with parents one afternoon when we had killed upwards of 75 birds and had them arranged by species on the driveway of a friend’s house ! It was total bird decimation in Riverland Terrace that day. Saw a whole pile of Red Ryders ,both regular and pink, at Tractor Supply the other day.
The movie - a Christmas tradition, and was also watched quite a bit late night in college. “I triple dog dare you!” Hey guys come back, don’t leave me!
The gun - I can’t think of a gift that meant more to me then when my dad gave me his .30-.06 when I was about 15. Still have it and it is still dead on. Never had my own before that. However, I had access to plenty through friends, including BB guns at a young age. Some pretty irresponsible moments (myself and others) around that, including when my “trusted” older brothers convinced me to hold (glass) bottles with arm fully extended away from body for them to shoot at (still have a scar from that).
The fear - I lost my closest cousin at the age of 13 (I was 12). He was playing baseball with friends when another kid from the neighborhood showed up with his dad’s service (police) revolver. It discharged while he was showing it off and hit my cousin point-blank and killed him. I know, you’re only talking about a bb gun. But, as you progress…
The point - Everyone will have an opinion about when is appropriate. Reality is that there is no exact answer and is up to you and when your son has proven himself “mindful” enough to be armed (literally) with such responsibility. It’s a great opportunity to teach responsibility but also one that comes with great risk to your son and others, even if not intentionally. You seem to have great respect for both the responsibility and the risk and will do it right. It’s not just about you teaching, it’s also about him learning and accepting the responsibility. Keep in mind that he will have friends that are not as responsible and the peer pressure to go along. “Oh, life is like that. Sometimes, at the height of our revelries, when our joy is at it’s zenith, when all is most right with the world, the most unthinkable disasters decend upon us.” - Ralphie (Peter Billingsley)
And, to end my rant on a lighter note…"Now, I had heard that word at least ten times a day from my old man. He worked in profanity the
…It was Schwartz!!!
…Politicians aren’t the “Oldest Profession”, but the results are still the same!!!
I’ve been reading ya’lls responses to this topic. Thanks for posting fond memories,lessons and the occasional ass-whoopin you got. My son is the greatest thing that ever happened to me. I treasure him and it is a bittersweet emotion watching him grow up, learn,develop and change. I have a spot on his wall I measure his height every now and again and it amazes me how big my baby boy is getting. I have endeavored to teach him right from wrong,ethical behavior,common sense, and probably a few foul words by accident. He knows the moons phases and can tell you when its high tide. He loves to help out, put out corn, carries binoculars in his backpack,and will eat more pancakes than anyone you’ve ever met. When he was born, I bought a Winchester model 67 22.rifle for him. I picked that one because you have to go through numerous steps to fire it. It’s a single shot,bolt action rifle. You have to 1,open the bolt. 2,put a shell in. 3,close the bolt.4, pull the plunger back.5, aim and fire…So anyways, I thought that when he was 10 or 11 he might be old enough and mindful enough to earn this weapon/tool. I’ve tried to teach him that a gun, any gun can kill a person. Never point a gun at anyone. Treat any gun as if it were loaded. We havent gotten into hunting ethics yet, but it will happen soon. So whether I decide on Airsoft or Red Rider, I’ve seriously taken everyones opinions into account. Thanks to each and everyone of yall. Happy Thanksgiving and may the good Lord bless you!
17’ High Tide CC
60 Yamaha
BTW… the kids is full of it when confronted with a camera
17’ High Tide CC
60 Yamaha
killswitch, have you considered a single shot 410 or 20 gauge? As crazy as it might sound, it might be a better option. Its easy to forget that a BB gun is a firearm. No so easy to forget that a shotgun is a firearm and you will both respect it more.
quote:
Originally posted by skinneejkillswitch, have you considered a single shot 410 or 20 gauge? As crazy as it might sound, it might be a better option. Its easy to forget that a BB gun is a firearm. No so easy to forget that a shotgun is a firearm and you will both respect it more.
I Agree with this.
My first gun was a pump bb gun and I was a hellion with it. May be a direct result of just being a stupid child, but a BB gun just felt too much like a toy when I was young. I ended up shooting my best friend’s two front teeth out from like 50 yards away on accident. My mom whipped my @$$ WITH the BB gun…
I kinda like ye ol daisy. That way you can use it indoors and work out plinking cans in a box with a bunch of old rags in the back. And it’s easy to cock. Just gotta watch out and hope he’ll do the right thing and not take out the sunday china-ware.
Growing up with brothers I never had my own BB gun we just passed them down ,so about 15 years ago a friend gave me one for Christmas.It is a pump camo it has a place of honor in my house.Sometimes its the lil things that brings smiles and memories.
Just in case any one might be interested Charleston Stage is doing the Christmas Story this year,aT THE Dockstreet Theater. The shows start on Friday.
For most of the reasons listed above, a BB gun should never be a childs first gun. BB guns have always been viewed as toys and will always be so. A childs first gun should be a 22. They quickly learn the devastating effects of a projectile, and as a parent, you are less likely to allow them to treat a 22 as a toy. With a BB gun, nobody really pays attention to back drop and even as adults we are quick overlook the BB gun as a potentially lethal weapon. With the BB gun, we adults have a tendency to back off and let the kids have fun and that starts a series of bad habits that we have to teach around at a later date.
My son was shooting a 22 at 6 yrs, .410 at 8, and a .243 at 10. He received his pellet gun at 14. Because of his experience with the larger firepower, he was an extremely cautious youth with the pellet gun and his by now then gun habits had shown through.
I think BB guns are as safe, or as irresponsible, as the person gifting them. If you give it, be responsible for it, and for how, when, where, and with what supervision or crowd the kid uses it, and everything should be fine. The warning label generally reads, “this is not a toy”, and that’s what I was always taught and will continue to teach. With all that in place, my BB gun was a great learning tool. Without it, BB guns are definitely dangerous. They can even be dangerous with it, but then, so can just about everything else. I had a lip sliced open when a friend threw a tupperware bowl at me when we were horsing around. My friends used to have “BB-gun wars”, but I thought they were nuts for it and just sat back and waiting until one came back screaming. Just home trainin’, I guess. 
Gotcha Covered,
Lee Strickland
Strickland Marine Insurance Agency, Inc.
https://stricklandmarine.net
843-795-1000 / 800-446-1862
I have never owned a BB gun. My dad thought they taught irresponsibility with guns. My first gun was a lever action marlin .22. I think I was 9 or 10.
OK, so here’s what I’m getting from all of this…BB guns, like many other things, are nature’s way of controlling the human race. Those that are responsible will prosper from the experience. Those that tend to often yell, “Hey y’all, watch this!” will be naturally culled. The end.