New Shooters

[Pat-inCO]

My grandson and his lady seem determined to have a gun around the
house (Southern AZ, I understand) but she is a new shooter, and he is
not near as smart as he likes to think. Add in a son that is not yet two
years old from a previous lady, and I'm doing my best to provide the
information they need and yet make sure they consider the safety they
will have to take care of for his son.

Thus I put together a web page summarizing what they NEED to know
and think about. I would appreciate your input on what can/should be
added/changed to said page before I hand it to them.
http://www.w0ipl.net/JoeSteph.htm


P.S. Please don't forget that AZ does not require a permit to own, carry,
or carry concealed. :D

 

[SAJohn]

Pat,

In the training section I would add mastering one handed shooting with both the right and left hand.

In the safety section I would include the fact that bullets hitting hard objects do not always ricochet off into distance but instead come straight back at you.

When practicing dry fire, do it by yourself and, if you are going to then reload the firearm, immediately put it away.

Before handing your firearm to anyone, unload (or check that it is unloaded) and hand it to them with the action open.

You web page is outstanding.

John

 

[AJGUNNER]

Really well done. I skimmed through it pretty briefly but the one thing I would like to see is a larger photo of the revolver thumb position and an explanation as to WHY the OK and Not OK positions. Might also include a large photo of hand positions that are OK and NOT Ok, for a bottom feeder. This would include an explanation on where you DO NOT want the web of your hand when the slide come shooting back.

Once you get it finished up and finalized you might ask about getting a link posted as a sticky on here someplace.

 

[Pat-inCO]

Thank you both!

I'm going to keep working on it, but I'll probably get it to the grandson
this week and let them do their reading and then, once they get the
safe, etc. get them to the range.

Thanks!

 

[blume357]

I think the best thing they could do is drive up to Parhrump NV and take the two or four day defensive handgun class at Front Sight.

Obviously a plug for Front Sight.

 

[Pat-inCO]

I think the best thing they could do is drive up to Parhrump NV
and take the two or four day defensive handgun class at Front Sight.

Rrrrrrrrright. They are having problems getting the money together for the
gun and safe, so it should be easy for them to put two shooters through
a four day course, in another state . . . . . . right. :roll:

 

[Kevin]

Pat:
You mention they have a two year old son at home. I don't see anything in your website about keeping kids from playing with the gun, and/or making sure they don't have access to a loaded gun. If they want a gun in the house for self defense, will they be getting a bio-metric safe of some kind?

My daughter is 10, and I've gone over gun safety with her enough to know she wouldn't play with a gun by herself. She does has friends over and some of them I don't trust. However, they don't have access to any guns, as they are in the safe. Ammunition is in another locked cabinet as well.

In a few years, that two year old in Arizona will have friends over which is something to consider.

 

[Pat-inCO]

Pat:
You mention they have a two year old son at home. I don't see anything
in your website about keeping kids from playing with the gun, and/or
making sure they don't have access to a loaded gun. ...

HUH?!

OK, now you have completed the basic "home work",
now it is time to think about several other items
BEFORE you get a gun.

Gun Safe -
You may well think "I don't have to worry about that", and be correct,
UNLESS you have a son, daughter, grand-son, grand-daughter, GREAT
grand son/daughter, that is less than fifteen (twenty five?) years old. The
least expensive start around $20, and are quite effective against two
year olds. By the time they are five, you will need FAR better ones. I
would start with one that is $100 or a bit more, and not have to replace
it in the second year.

WHERE are you going to have the gun while you are home, and the little
one is having fun running around the house? How do you keep the gun
readily available, yet not where it can be accessed by little hands
while you are busy with household chores, or you happen to take a nap?
Tiny people watch a lot of TV and they learn a whole lot of BAD
information. It is up to you to make sure that bad information does not
cause problems for them or you.

Another thing to think about is WHERE you plan on keeping the gun when
you travel. Are you going to leave it home in the safe, or are you going
to bring it with you? I'll bet you are going to have it with you.
Presuming that true, how do you keep it out of little hands, yet easily
available? Keep in mind that little hands are constantly looking for
something to do except when they nap. How do you plan on keeping the gun
out of reach and awareness of those little hands? YOU must pay attention
to the road, while the smaller person is free to look for something to do.

I thought that covered it.
(they need to think,
not have me feed them like they were in a high-chair)