My son's stainless steel New model Bearcat arrived today

[Moki]

My son's stainless steel New model Bearcat arrived today when he first saw it he yelled out "this is the best day ever" and ran off to put his cowboy hat/boots/jeans/belt/shirt/sheriffs badge etc...

He came running back all dressed up with his plastic cap gun holster on I handed him the revolver he slipped it into his holster and ran off to look in the mirror.

He then raced back to me and we started by going over safe gun handling again I then taught him the 1/2 cock to load/unload the revolver and then how to fully cock the revolver I was thinking he would have trouble doing it by himself but he pulls it off fairly easily.

Oh by the way he just turned 4 years old 3 months ago and already knows most of safe firearms handling rules...

8)

 

[oleballcoachnc]

What a stud! Save all of the ammo receipts or chart them and post when he turns 18 how many shots have went through the Bearcat.

 

[Stoots]

That's a great story!

:D

 

[s4s4u]

Way kool!

 

[flatgate]

A story like that warms my heart.

flatgate

 

[Kevin]

Way to go, you sound like a great dad.

 

[Calthrop]

Now you will need one for yourself to shoot with him.

 

[tguil]

A Bearcat at age 14 handled and shot under careful adult supervision would be great, but I can't agree with having a 4-year-old having access to any "real" handgun regardless of the level of supervision. Better to start at 10 or so with a bolt action .22 rifle. Just my two cents.

 

[Moki]

Thanks for the thoughts and in most cases I would agree but we are a little different than most people firearms/hunting/fishing are our lives.

After 30 years of working I took the last 17 months off to stay at home with my son I have taken him everywhere with me we have been on four 9 day and a multitude of 2 - 7 day hunting/fishing/prospecting trips during this time into remote wilderness areas thats right dirty diapers and all...

He has already been shooting with my help of course his T/C Contender carbine with a 16.5" 22LR barrel and shortened butt stock which gives an OAL of 26 3/8" for over a year and I added a 21" 410 barrel a few months ago and yes he shoots this by himself I only load it.

He has also shot my XCR-L in 223 he loves firing off 10 rounds as fast as he can pull the trigger and yes we are holding it together.

He has been on numerous outdoor adventures has over 900 miles sitting in front of me on our Polaris quad started fishing for sockeye salmon with me when he was 2 caught his first rainbow trout all by himself before he was 3...

Here are a few photo's so you know I am not bullsh*tting you...

On his first 9 day trip with me he had to bring his puppy along Nov 18/09

His first Rainbow trout that he caught himself June 20/10

Black bear hunting June 9/10

Playing with my 24 1/16" grizzly March 23/09

This was his first official overnight hunt with me without his mom he was 2 years 6 months hes looking at the grouse I had just shoot Sept 10/09

Aug 09 scouting for black bear he is 2 years 4 1/2 months old in this picture and yes that is his cap gun that he has been practicing grip/dry fire training the guns were a gift from his mom Christmas 08

Scouting for black bear Aug 16/09

Helping me caught a sockeye salmon Aug 09

Grouse hunting with his older brother Aug 29/09

How he sits on the quad when we are hunting

He's been shooting his bow and arrow since he was 3 years 3 months old

His 22LR when I first gave it to him Sept 5/10

He likes to spot deer more than anything Sept 21/10

Yeah he isn't like most kids that grow up without proper guidance...

:roll: :wink:

 

[Calthrop]

Good on ya. God Bless you all.

 

[Moki]

and just for clarification we have not gone to the range yet with the Bearcat preferring to train safety into his head before he touches off his first rounds he has dry fired the gun a lot basically teaching him everything I can before he actually shoots it.

Here is one of the things he has to do when I open the gun safe for him we have it hanging upside down by the trigger guard on a hook attached to the inside of the door.

He picks it up and while keeping safe muzzle direction checks to see if it is unloaded, he pulls the hammer to 1/2 cock opens the loading gate and counts as he slowly turns the cylinder I try to get him to stop @ 6 but he keeps going to 12 - 14 to make double sure it is empty.

Sunday morning we went into the gun room to get the gun I didn't even think about getting him to check to see if it was empty he just did it because that is how he has been trained.

8)

 

[tguil]

Thanks for the thoughts and in most cases I would agree but we are a little different than most people firearms/hunting/fishing are our lives...

I may not agree with the firearms use, but I most certainly commend you for the amount of time you spend with your son.

 

[Major T]

I'm with tguil on this. Both counts. I commend the father for spending time with his son, but for goodness sakes, he is a child. He may have seen dead animals, but the consequences of injury and death are going over his head at this age.

My grandchildren had seen their father and I shoot, birds, coyotes, snakes and the like and had buried a deceased kitty and likely had seen a calf that did not make it. When grandson died in an accident at three, his four old sister wanted to know why brother was sleeping in that red box? She was a daughter of the farm and ranch life. She and her Mother were uninjured in the same accident. She is a sharp kid, now in the gifted and talented programs and is just beginning to understand what she has already known for the last three years. There is a wide gulf between knowledge and understanding. I beg you to be very careful. I pray that you never shed the tears that have begun to fall as I write. My sincere best wishes, Jack

 

[Lookat2011]

Great pictures! Reminds me on my son, except for the level of outdoor / gunhandling / hunting stuff... we got much less space (both environmentally and legally) here in Germany,...
:-)

Keep on doing that, it looks pretty responsible to me... of course, the 'alive vs. dead-subject' especially in combination with handling weapons needs extra careful guidance and mental awareness and appropriate discussions...

but can we judge that from a post in a forum in the internet and some photos? I don't think so. I only "feel" that the atmosphere in these images is ok...

best
Ingo

 

[Quarterbore]

Yea, I can't agree with a handgun or really any real gun for a kid that young. I put the age where I allow my kids to start shooting BB guns at about 7. When they turn 10 I move them up to 22s at the range and if they are trust worthy in a year I will allow them to shoot a handgun and bigger guns.

Sorry, I am all for buying guns for your kids and grandkids but they need to be old enough to have teh responsibility to go with them before they are allowed to handle them. Each of my kids has an AR-15 too, none of them has ever handled them though (consecutive serial numbered guns), my oldest daughter is old enough (she is 13) but she is not interested in shooting or hunting so I don't pust my gun hobby on her. She is a good and smart girl, I allow her to make her own choices on matters like that. I do have her shoot with us some though so she knows how to work the guns and most importantly knows gun safety.

JMHOs but always glad to see a new shooter joining the fold even if I think this one is a bit on the young side.

 

[Bucks Owin]

My son's stainless steel New model Bearcat arrived today when he first saw it he yelled out "this is the best day ever" and ran off to put his cowboy hat/boots/jeans/belt/shirt/sheriffs badge etc...

He came running back all dressed up with his plastic cap gun holster on I handed him the revolver he slipped it into his holster and ran off to look in the mirror.

He then raced back to me and we started by going over safe gun handling again I then taught him the 1/2 cock to load/unload the revolver and then how to fully cock the revolver I was thinking he would have trouble doing it by himself but he pulls it off fairly easily.

Oh by the way he just turned 4 years old 3 months ago and already knows most of safe firearms handling rules...

8)

Kudos dad! The photos made me smile and reminisce!

Been there, done that and it's a high water mark of fatherhood isn't it? :wink:

(Also, having lived in BC, I know the hassle of buying/owning/shooting a handgun there and I sympathize.. :roll: )

 

[Moki]

my oldest daughter is old enough (she is 13) but she is not interested in shooting or hunting so I don't push my gun hobby on her

Doesn't surprise me that she doesn't have an interest if you never spent the time with her to help her form an interest...

My oldest son is 26 and he still has an interest...

 

[steve b]

You looking to adopt ? I'm only 53 and a 1/2 yrs old. Congrats. steve b

 

[Bucks Owin]

My kids tagged along with me to my own little "range" from the time they could toddle. I got them their own rimfires at age eight in the tradition of my dad FWIW...
(But keep it under your hat, that ain't "PC"... :roll:)

 

[americal]

Just plain 8) Words are not necessary :D

 

[cimarron8889]

Awesome story. Awesome pictures.

 

[Moki]

Here is another story on how firearms rules are already ingrained into my guys head...

A few weeks ago I was sitting at my desk with my stainless steel 454 Casull LSI Puma M92 rifle the front barrel band screw head had snapped off leaving the threaded end stuck in the band. I was on my computer looking up the warranty company that does the warranty work on the Puma rifles for LSI, I had the rifle laying across my lap the muzzle was pointed directly to my left towards our laundry room the door way into the kitchen and the rest of the house is slightly to my left but behind me.

My guy came walking into my office from the kitchen he wasn't even remotely beside me yet when he started telling me off that the muzzle was pointed in his direction he was so upset that he was raising his voice yelling at me to stop pointing my rifle towards him.

Yes I am very proud of my guy...

CC

 

[Major T]

Ever go to a T-Ball game. The kids have been taught, begged, coached, and just flat out told what to do when a kid hits the ball. Then one hits the ball and every kid on the field runs to the ball, and that includes the one that hit it a goodly percentage of the time.

My cousin kept a stud horse in a pen way too close to his house, against the advice of all his friends, including me. The kids have been taught better was cousins reply. When the # 1 son was about 5 1/2, his mom missed him one afternoon. She found him in the stud's pen unconscious, bloody and thought him to be dead. So did the stud, because he had stopped stomping son. He lived after some serious hospital time with a good bit of reconstructive surgery, but carries the scars to this day.

I can tell you lots more stories, but I do not want to become obnoxious. They just don't get the big picture until they begin to understand life experiences, and develop their frames of reference. I have about 50 years experience raising kids, working with, little league, camp fire, 4-H horse clubs, church kid and youth groups and can tell you with all honesty how bright some of them are/were and also a lot of the dumb things they did.

My very best to you and yours, but do not tempt fate. Or, as the old folks used to say, " The Lord looks after those who look after themselves." Jack

 

[stantheman86]

I don't see an issue with letting a 4 year old boy handle an unloaded .22 revolver. Just keep the Bearcat locked up unless you're there to supervise him while he handles it.

If he can't get any live rounds, and Dad is watching him while he "plays" with the .22 revolver, there's no danger. I used to play with an Iver Johnson .22 break top when I was a real young kid, there was no ammo that I could get to so it was as good as a toy gun. Of course that was back in 1985.........not that it was any different, just that stuff like that wasn't as "big a deal" 25 years ago.

 

[tguil]

I for sure don't mean to tell anyone how to raise their children...unless asked. I used to be asked frequently because I spent my life working with children...young ones ages 4-12. I was an elementary school principal (38 years) who had considerable training and experience in early childhood education. Children are not miniature adults. Stated simply they may appear to know more than they really know or understand. They can go through the motions but they still don't get it. Young children and guns simply are not a good mix.

As my daughter was growing she knew that I had guns. She watched me clean them and was also around when I came home from hunts. She showed only a little interest in guns. She knew that guns were for adults. When she was about ten I worked with her shooting a .22 rifle. She never developed an interesting in shooting but that's OK by me.

To the OP...no criticism meant.

 

[Moki]

Finally made it to the range today with my guy...

I've spent the last few weeks teaching him safe handgun handling with his Bearcat he has now done hundreds of aim/dry fire drills = I finally felt that he was ready to give his Bearcat a try with live ammo.

He had an absolute hoot shooting he did far better than I ever dreamt he would, he even gave shooting one handed "like a cowboy" (his words) a try.

I am kicking my absentmindedness I forgot to take a camera with us so you have to imagine a 4 year 4 month old young man handling a handgun better than most 10 year olds wearing a plastic holster, safety glasses, Peltor electronic earmuffs, cowboy shirt/hat/boots...

I was able to do a few quick accuracy tests to get an idea how this little gun shoots @ 15 yards it groups appr 1 1/2" high and 1 1/2" right groups were better than I was expecting averaging 1 1/2" with most ammo used what was a surprise were CCI CB Long's they seemed to print to point of aim but I only shot them at a small 1" X 2" piece of wood on the berm @ 20 yards definitely minute of grouse if we were allowed to carry these little guns in the bush up here in Canada...

For the naysayers he was under my direct supervision 100% of the time he had his hands on his handgun... :wink:

 

[falrifles]

I have been a police officer since 1976. A loaded revolver / semiauto was always accessable in my home. I live in the city of St Louis where I am still a police officer. It is wise to slip a gun in your wasitband while taking your trash to the alley. This was all very exciting to me as a young man, however I look forward to retirement and leaving St Louis now.

Having said this, I educated my children very young about firearms. At the age of four years old I sat them on the couch and unloaded my service revolver, which they were already very curious about, in their hands. I explained all the safety rules and educated them on how the WEAPON worked and what it would do. They were taken to a private range or remote forested area while camping and placed about 10 yards in front of an unopened 12 ounce soft drink can. I had them shoot the can with a single shot .22 high velocity hollow point round. This seemed to have a dramatic affect on their ability to understand what a gun can do. This was also done later with a 410 shotgun on cardboard boxes. Very educational.

A few times I would come home in the morning after working the grave yard shift exhausted. A small voice would boom out from one of my children exclaiming that dad left a LOADED gun on the table in the kitchen. Of course I told them to do this if it should happen.

My kids are all grown now with children of their own. They are not in law enforcement, but have concealed carry permits. They are educating their children as well. But after all this you have to realize that life is in fact unpredictable. Things do happen. There are lapses of attention and behavior as in when I was tired after working late.

I applaud spending time with your children. I was not able to do it as much as I would like to. I am very jealous of anyone that gets to live in a wildreness type area as that is where I would have wanted to live and work. My job situation and marriage put me where I am.

My guns are locked in a safe, however there is always one gun in grandpa's house that is loaded an acccesable unless the grandchildren are around and then it is simply worn by grandpa concealed or placed some where out of reach.

At this point in my life at close to 60 years of age; I have seen allot of death myself. I agree with much of what Major has stated. All he is saying is use due caution with the little ones. Things happen. I know.

 

[Viking Queen]

Those pictures are wonderful, he is a cutie pie. I think you are doing a wonderful job of being an involved parent.

That said, it scares the snot out of me to think of a 4 yo with loaded gun, no matter what the supervision. . . I'm sorry to be critical, it just flat out scares me.

I hope all goes will with you and your family,

Viking Queen

 

[Moki]

Thanks for the positive comments and yes he is a total sweetheart...

When his guns are loaded I am always right there closer than arms reach keeping everyone safe here is a pic of how he shoots his 22LR T/C Contender carbine.

The gun is unloaded in this pic he is showing me his way to stand which is in his words "the right way to shoot"...

 

[Gatorbate]

Little BIG Man !! Way Cool !!