Stop posting stuff from 'The Onion'! Oh...wait...holy shiat.

Less Texans.

How...would that be wrong?

This isn't all that crazy. I see families, including young kids, at the range all the time. Teaching a kid to shoot is not a bad thing. Remove the mystery because it's generally the biggest allure.

Looks like it's going to be a nice facility. I'll have to check it out next time I'm out that way.

CPT Ethanolic: This isn't all that crazy. I see families, including young kids, at the range all the time. Teaching a kid to shoot is not a bad thing. Remove the mystery because it's generally the biggest allure.

Agreed, but in a birthday party setting, you're dealing with a dozen kids, whacked out of their gourds on frosting and sugary drinks, etc.

Imagine the chaos of an average Saturday at Chuck-e-cheese, with loaded weapons!

If the kids I know are any indication, they'll just stuff the ear plugs up their noses and honk them at each other until it's time for cake, and maybe draw penises on the target sheets.

I shot a gun when I was 10 or so. I lived. Judging by my performance shooting at targets, I couldn't have hit myself if I tried.

On the other hand, a few years ago gun show organizers in Massachusetts let a child shoot a machine gun and he did kill himself. State law prohibits minors from firing machine guns. The police chief responsible for organizing the event didn't know that law.

markie_farkie: Agreed, but in a birthday party setting, you're dealing with a dozen kids, whacked out of their gourds on frosting and sugary drinks, etc.

Boy Scout troops do this sort of thing all the time.

EVERYBODY farkING PANIC!

Or not. Calm the fark down. It'll be okay.

Hmm.

If done right, I see no problem with this.

omg dont teach kids gun safety!

I'm with the "demystify guns" camp. I think this could be a great thing, as long as the kids are well-supervised. Maybe cake time could come after range time, if that's a big concern.

But yeah, get the kids shooting guns they can handle (.22s, perhaps) and get them used to the concept of firearms. This is the United States; guns aren't going away.

Recreational Shooting is safer than little league Baseball, It is the illegal use of the tool that is the problem

Beats a Chuck E. Cheese birthday.

CPT Ethanolic: This isn't all that crazy. I see families, including young kids, at the range all the time. Teaching a kid to shoot is not a bad thing. Remove the mystery because it's generally the biggest allure.

This. My uncle took me out to shoot a few guns when I was about 8 or so. I didn't turn out to be a gun nut (though I have fired many, I own few and rarely shoot them), but I'm also neither afraid of guns nor am I forgetful of how dangerous they are. If this place does things right and teaches them the SAFE way the handle a firearm and the respect that you must have for the danger of them, I think it can only be positive. That's a pretty big if, of course.

markie_farkie: CPT Ethanolic: This isn't all that crazy. I see families, including young kids, at the range all the time. Teaching a kid to shoot is not a bad thing. Remove the mystery because it's generally the biggest allure.

Agreed, but in a birthday party setting, you're dealing with a dozen kids, whacked out of their gourds on frosting and sugary drinks, etc.

Imagine the chaos of an average Saturday at Chuck-e-cheese, with loaded weapons!

Bonus if they serve alcohol to the parents.

TwistedIvory: But yeah, get the kids shooting guns they can handle (.22s, perhaps) and get them used to the concept of firearms. This is the United States; guns aren't going away.

C'mon. You know it'd be funny to see an eight year old try to fire a twelve gauge.

Aarontology: C'mon. You know it'd be funny to see an eight year old try to fire a twelve gauge.

(link)

My younger son was five when I introduced him to shooting. It was with a bolt action 22LR and he did very well. While I lock my firearms in a safe, I am not worried about them being curious enough to do something wrong. They also put on their seatbelt in a vehicle without hesitation - because they never knew any different. My nine year old is ready for his first, maybe for Christmas this year, a Henry levergun in 22LR.

Interesting. I'm waiting to hear the final word from Darwin about this.

OregonVet: maybe for Christmas this year, a Henry levergun in 22LR

Nice! He'll love it!

Dancin_In_Anson: OregonVet: maybe for Christmas this year, a Henry levergun in 22LR

Nice! He'll love it!

I grew up with a single shot bolt action; that was fun, but reloading after each shot is a PITA (I think my dad may still have it, but I haven't seen that thing in thirty years). I have a nice semi-auto for plinking, but I feel a novice should have to consciously chamber a round for each shot. Plus, that thing is cool! I have a 44 magnum levergun and just love that thing. Obviously that's a little too much for him for now. Not to mention the cost of operating that thing LOL.

Subby, know how I know you've never been to a gun range?

The only time guns are loaded at the range is when you are ready to shoot them. Gun ranges frown on customers having their guns loaded when they come into or out of the range. Also, teaching kids how to handle and shoot guns is not a bad thing. It's when a kid who finds a gun and has never handled a gun before is when bad things happen. If nothing else, teach them Eddy Eagle: "If you find a gun, STOP! Don't touch it. Leave the area. Tell an adult."

Also, this is as good time as any to review the rules of gun handling:

1: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED
2. Point the muzzle in a safe direction
3. Know your target and what is beyond your target
4. Finger off the trigger until ready to fire

Gotta love my home State

What could possibly go wrong?

They could lose their fear of guns and gain a healthy respect for and knowledge of them instead?

Target practice on a kid that isn't amp'd up on sugar isn't much fun. Plus, when they're all jacked up they move like panther and, they can take at least 4 or 5 bullets in one sitting before they finally go down.

MBK

Less Texans.

How...would that be wrong?


Grammatically.

OregonVet: I grew up with a single shot bolt action; that was fun, but reloading after each shot is a PITA (I think my dad may still have it, but I haven't seen that thing in thirty years).

I have the Glenfield .22 bolt action single shot that my Dad bought me. The bolt needs to be replaced as I have run thousands of rounds through it. But like you said a single shot teaches discipline. The first rifle I bought on my own was a Winchester 94 chambered .30-30. Still have it too and it still shoots as well as the day I bought it 32 years ago. (I don't shoot as well as I did 32 years ago though)

Honest Bender: What could possibly go wrong?

They could lose their fear of guns and gain a healthy respect for and knowledge of them instead?

What's wrong with having a BD party at a Chuck E. Cheese, like I did when I was a kid?

Whar's next, having a kids' party at a bar?

FTA: Eagle Gun Range will host birthday parties for kids.
"One of the reasons we're doing this is when I had my boys, I didn't have a place to take them and educate them about how to handle a gun safely," said Prince. "I really want families to be able tot take their kids here and teach their young shooters how to shoot safely."

They will offer two rooms for birthday parties.

"The age limit is 8 years old. You have to be tall enough to get above the shooting table," Prince explained. "They're not gonna be left unattended. Parents are gonna be one on one or if there's not enough parents we'll have range safety officers here to show them how to do it safely."

"We're gonna do a lot of education here at this range," he said.

I don't see how anyone can have a problem with that.

This can be a good thing. It will make attentive parenting an evolutionary trait.

Nothing wrong with this. Subby must be a Chicago Democrat.

markie_farkie: CPT Ethanolic: This isn't all that crazy. I see families, including young kids, at the range all the time. Teaching a kid to shoot is not a bad thing. Remove the mystery because it's generally the biggest allure.

Agreed, but in a birthday party setting, you're dealing with a dozen kids, whacked out of their gourds on frosting and sugary drinks, etc.

Imagine the chaos of an average Saturday at Chuck-e-cheese, with loaded weapons!

But at Chuckie's, it's always the drunken adults who start shooting each other!

Trance750: Honest Bender: What could possibly go wrong?

They could lose their fear of guns and gain a healthy respect for and knowledge of them instead?

What's wrong with having a BD party at a Chuck E. Cheese, like I did when I was a kid?

Whar's next, having a kids' party at a bar?

I can see how you might have been confused when I said that a birthday party at Chuch E. Cheese was a bad thing. Oh wait, I didn't say that. WTF are you talking about?

Aarontology: C'mon. You know it'd be funny to see an eight year old try to fire a twelve gauge.

Used to shoot clay pigeons with a 12-gauge when I was 8 or 9. With an adult watching me and operating the launcher, obviously, I think the disc thrower was probably more dangerous to me than the gun at that age. You learn to deal with kick and so on.

Generally, I don't see any issues with a kid-friendly firing range, though a birthday party seems like a weird context to practice shooting to me. Maybe it's because I did start caring for and operating firearms young, that doesn't seem particularly exciting to what I recall of eight-year-old me. It's not really something that involves interacting with your friends, which seems like the point of a birthday party. Paintball or football or something seems like it'd suit all the running around and such better.

The bad news is the inflatable castle will need a shiatload of patches everytime a bouncing kid accidentally discarges his gun.

You all are forgetting that guns are inherently evil in themselves. Or so people say.

I swear, it's always the people who have 0 knowledge of guns that try and control them. That makes as much sense as a person who can't read being in charge of a school.

Honest Bender: What could possibly go wrong?

They could lose their fear of guns and gain a healthy respect for and knowledge of them instead?

I think you're missing the point. People who have had safe, positive experiences handing guns are harder for fear mongers like subby to convince that we need more gun control.

What could possibly go wrong putting your kids in a car and driving them to Chuck E Cheese for a birthday party?

1. Flip the vehicle while taking a turn and everyone dies.
2. Going through an intersection someone does not see the red light, get t-boned, and everyone dies
3. A drunk driver swerves into your lane and everyone dies.
5. Driver is drunk, hits a tree, and everyone does
6. Driver falls asleep, car swerves into oncoming traffic and everyone dies
7. etc.

Cars are dangerous, too.

Gun ranges are probably the safest place to shoot a gun, especially one with range masters. As for allowing kids to shoot, I do not see what the problem with. In a properly supervised environment there is no reason why kids as young as 5 cannot be taught how to shoot. Sure, you probably do not want a 5-year old (or even an 8-year old) shooting a 30-06 or a 50-cal muzzleloader with a 150-grain load, but a .22 rifle is a very safe gun for young children to learn to shoot with. I learned to shoot when I was 5 years old. Sure, my dad was standing directly behind me with his hands hovering over mine so as to prevent the gun from swinging out of line and pointing at someone, but other than that it was me holding the gun (well, resting it on sandbags, but close enough), loading it, and firing it. Also, many range directors, especially those who go through the NRA training program, are trained to teach young children how to shoot.

Hey kids!...



...It's Trayvon Martin!!

I was shooting at 10, had my own gun at 13. Dad and my older brother taught me respect for guns that I've never forgotten, and that I've passed down to my children.

so how young is too young to be exposed to guns?

I'm assuming to thin the derp right

CPT Ethanolic: This isn't all that crazy. I see families, including young kids, at the range all the time. Teaching a kid to shoot is not a bad thing. Remove the mystery because it's generally the biggest allure.

I feel the same principle should be applied to brothels.

Yeah. I don't see a problem with arming a kid who's having a temper tantrum.

"Here Johnny. Here's your Desert Eagle."

"But I want a Model 1911 .45 ACP!"

"Same thing! It's the same thing, Johnny."

"But Billy has a Model 1911 and I want one too!"

"If you take this Desert Eagle, you can frag your sister later. Okay?"

"[sniffle] Okay."

How much to hunt the most dangerous animal?

calbert: so how young is too young to be exposed to guns?

[farm8.staticflickr.com image 500x627]

Hope she remembers to switch the safety off her vagina before she shoots out that kid.

Training kids to handle weapons properly is not scary

What is scary is that we have a lot of wussified gun-grabbers who go in meltdown-mode if any person not wearing some uniform is possessing a gun

Mock26: What could possibly go wrong putting your kids in a car and driving them to Chuck E Cheese for a birthday party?

1. Flip the vehicle while taking a turn and everyone dies.
2. Going through an intersection someone does not see the red light, get t-boned, and everyone dies
3. A drunk driver swerves into your lane and everyone dies.
5. Driver is drunk, hits a tree, and everyone does
6. Driver falls asleep, car swerves into oncoming traffic and everyone dies
7. etc.

Cars are dangerous, too.

Gun ranges are probably the safest place to shoot a gun, especially one with range masters. As for allowing kids to shoot, I do not see what the problem with. In a properly supervised environment there is no reason why kids as young as 5 cannot be taught how to shoot. Sure, you probably do not want a 5-year old (or even an 8-year old) shooting a 30-06 or a 50-cal muzzleloader with a 150-grain load, but a .22 rifle is a very safe gun for young children to learn to shoot with. I learned to shoot when I was 5 years old. Sure, my dad was standing directly behind me with his hands hovering over mine so as to prevent the gun from swinging out of line and pointing at someone, but other than that it was me holding the gun (well, resting it on sandbags, but close enough), loading it, and firing it. Also, many range directors, especially those who go through the NRA training program, are trained to teach young children how to shoot.

4. There is no four because the car just blew up due to faulty wiring and everyone dies!

violentsalvation: Beats a Chuck E. Cheese birthday.

And much less prone to drunken violence.