Is a BB Gun a good idea to buy for a 10 year olds birthday?

[staffrodore]

It comes with this warning.................

ATTENTION!
Soft airguns have been reclassified to airguns by the police.
Therefore persons must be 18 years of age & over to purchase or have a current firearms licence if under 18.
persons under 18, adult supervision is recommended when shooting.
We must stress that you can be charged with a firearms offence if you should present or use your soft airgun in a public place

 

[Leslie]

I don't know what that law means...but in general think it depends on the 10 year old, what he/she'd use it for, and whether the parents would lock it in the closet after the party.

 

[HeXp£Øi±]

Well it cost my folks $2000 to get the bb out of my hand when i was 12 so you tell me if it's a good idea.

 

[Leslie]

it woulda been free here

 

[Mare]

My oldest is 10, and he wanted to buy one with his money last week....NOT!!!!
I could see me rushing him, his brother, myself, etc. to the hospital at the time he asked.
So, my opinion "NO"!!!!!!!!!

(but there are some parents that would if thats what the child grew up around all his life)

 

[tonksy]

if it is not legal untill age 18, i say no. why open that can of worms?

 

[Gato_Solo]

...What she said.

 

[SouthernN'Proud]

Legality aside, it depends on the 10 year old. I've known 8 year olds I'd trust with a shotgun, and 40 year olds I don't trust with a rubber band.

 

[Gato_Solo]

Legality aside, it depends on the 10 year old. I've known 8 year olds I'd trust with a shotgun, and 40 year olds I don't trust with a rubber band.

I'll give you that, SNP, but, with you being involved in law enforcement, I just decided to err on the side of caution...

 

[chcr]

My oldest is 10, and he wanted to buy one with his money last week....NOT!!!!
I could see me rushing him, his brother, myself, etc. to the hospital at the time he asked.
So, my opinion "NO"!!!!!!!!!

(but there are some parents that would if thats what the child grew up around all his life)

But Mo-o-om, I only shot him a little bit.

 

[MrBishop]

It depends on where you keep the gun and allow him to use it. A nice summer cabin might be a good place. That way...there are less house-cats in the way

Seriously though, if it's illegal to use one in public spaces..or even brandish one... the only place that the kid could use it would be either in your house, in your back yard or in a shooting range. I don't recommend the first 2 choices..and the third...well that's up to the parent, eh?

 

[ClaireBear]

Laws are to protect others and ourselves... often from ourselves and this is so much more true of children...

Like Bish says the kid wouldn't be able to use the gun anywhere practicle... so whats the point?

 

[Winky]

Yeah at ten my Kid had access to multiple semi-auto pistols and two assault rifles he never had a BB gun. Of course he was three when he fired his fire gun. (.22 pistol)
If parents can’t\won’t teach their kids about firearms then they should try to keep them away from all firearms including BB guns as they are firearms too. Course I’m the guy that gave him a butcher knife at age three and let him nick himself to learn about that.
You parents better keep your kids away from sharp knives too. And that time he picked up the wrong end of a HOT soldering iron lol Come to think of it you better take your kids and hide them under the bed and not let them experience anything, I’ve seen what happens to kids like that when they get out on their own Heh

 

[Nixy]

My brother was younger than 10 when he had a bb gun. Granted, it was one my dad had when he was little so it wasn't as powerful as all the fancy ones now a days...Anyway, it was kept at our trailer and we could only play with it when one of my parents was around and we could only shoot at targets my dad had made for us and nailed to trees. This of course was all after we got a nice long lesson in how you always stand BEHIND the person who is shooting and if anyone is walking nearby do NOT shoot etc.

 

[PT]

No, you'll shoot your eye out.


I love A Christmas Story, just watched it last night...

 

[Professur]

Hell yes. With a trigger lock that the parents keep the key to. I think every child should be allowed to learn to handle something dangerous at about that age. It teaches them to respect it. And, more importantly, they can learn to not have accidents with it.

 

[Winky]

yep yep
and it was free when we went out to the base hospital to get a BB out of the tip of my index finger when I was a kid. Now the day that I was engaging a sniper in a fortified position during a BB gun war and that lil' bastard shot right down my sights (you know like in private Ryan?) and the BB hit the first joint of my thumb you know like when you aim a gun and put your cheek right down so that knuckle is less than an inch from your aiming eye? "He nearly put my eye out lol"

 

[Gonz]

have a current firearms licence if under 18.

What kind in insane asylum do you inhabit? By 10, I owned a 410 & went hunting. Had 2 or 3 airrifles...the first one sucked (Daisy). The rest killed small critters.

Since the law says NO, then no. Change the ridiculous law & then hell yes.

 

[ClaireBear]

Hell yes. With a trigger lock that the parents keep the key to. I think every child should be allowed to learn to handle something dangerous at about that age. It teaches them to respect it. And, more importantly, they can learn to not have accidents with it.

Yes thats true at ten children are quite capable of taking on the idea of respect and taking care with a dangerous item...

But personally I'd rather it wasn't a gun... infact I can't quite think of a time when I was presented with anything "dangerous" at all... and I wouldn't say I was an over cautious person... possibly the exact opposite in certain situations.

 

[Winky]

CB my condolences regarding your upbringing.
There are dangers in the world and as parents our job is to teach our offspring to 'deal'.
While me Kid can outshoot me now.
He wasn't allowed to ride a bike.
The road in front of our house is straight and wide although it is a residential area people fly down it at over 70 kph. He only recently learned to ride one.