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BB gun Safety & Your Child
Many parents mistakenly believe that BB guns are harmless and, therefore, feel no need to teach their children gun safety before purchasing this type of gun for them. The fact is, BB guns are not harmless and can be dangerous if not used correctly. In the United States, there are approximately 4 deaths each year related to the misuse of BB guns or pellet guns.
BB guns are not toys. It is to your advantage to teach your children gun safety – even if the only guns they will be using are a BB gun or other air gun. Even these types of guns can cause serious injury, property damage and death. Play it safe and teach your children to respect their dangerous potential.
High Velocity BB guns
The high velocity BB guns of more than 350 feet per second significantly increase the risk of injury or death, and it is not recommended that children under 16 years of age operate this type of gun.
If you're unsure which BB guns or air rifles may be of the high velocity type, look on the box for a warning. The warning will include information about the dangers of that particular gun. If the gun is a high velocity rifle or pistol, the warning will include the following information:
·Not a toy
·Adult Supervision Required
·Misuse or careless use may cause injury or death
·May be dangerous up to 350 yards
·Recommended for use by those 16 years of age or older
Some Rules of BB gun Safety
When picking up a BB gun or air rifle, always check to ensure that the gun is not loaded. Never accept someone else’s word for this - check for yourself. Unless a BB gun has a bolt, there is no sure-fire way to know if it is loaded. Therefore, you should always check by pointing the weapon away from any people or animals and squeeze the trigger. Also, be sure not to point it at something that may ricochet.
Do not carry a loaded or cocked BB gun into a public place, car, or your house. Never carry a loaded gun with you while you are climbing trees, fences or jumping. Even with a BB gun - this could cause the gun to go off, causing injury to yourself or someone near you.
Again, it is important to never shoot at a flat surface, hard surface or at the water. This is perhaps the most overlooked gun safety rule. Doing so may cause the BB or pellet to ricochet and hit something that it was not intended to hit. When target shooting, take care to carefully set up the target at a slight angle - never with the surface directly facing you. Always ensure that there is something to stop the projectile behind any target you set up, such as a hill, pile of sand, or bag of wood chips or sawdust.
If you are target practicing with air rifles, air pistols or air guns – you should always be cognizant as to what is around the target. You will want to be sure that there is no possibility of a person or animal walking in front of the target and that there is nothing beyond the target that can be damaged or hurt if hit. Step back and take in a wider view of your surroundings before firing that first round.
It is recommended that you use a shooting range when target practicing, especially during the learning phase of gun safety. Many commercial ranges will allow (and even encourage) those with air guns to practice at their establishments. Another good practice is to invest in and always wear shooting glasses or goggles when firing any type of gun.
To avoid possible injury - always ensure that the barrel of the gun is free from any obstructions. Always keep your gun clean and in good working order. Be sure to always act responsibly and to respect the property of others. Never aim a gun at a person or someone else’s property. This is true for any gun, including an Airsoft gun, which fires safer plastic pellets.
Another point that is often overlooked, especially by kids and beginners, is the reuse of ammunition. You should always use new ammo in your BB gun, even though it's more expensive. Using old pellets or BBs is not only dangerous, it can quickly degrade your gun, reducing accuracy and distance.
Options for Teaching Gun Safety to Your Children
One option for teaching your children gun safety is a local club, such as Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and the 4-H Club. These children’s clubs offer gun safety training by properly trained counselors. These programs are designed to emphasize safety, responsibility, respect, and marksmanship development under the direction of trained range officers using nationally approved instructional methods.
These children’s clubs are definitely a very valuable method of teaching the proper use of BB guns. They will not only learn basic safety, but in addition they are taught respect for the gun and the property of others.
Another program option to look at for properly training your child in gun safety is the NRA. The NRA offers many valuable training programs that teach youths the proper handling and use of all types of guns and rifles. When your child is ready to go beyond BB guns, the NRA Hunter’s Safety Course is mandatory in many states before a child is issued a hunting license.
The NRA offers a valuable program entitled 'Eddie Eagle,' which teaches children between the ages of Kindergarten and 3rd grade what they should do if they find a gun. This program is especially important if you have small children and own guns yourself.
Of course, there is always the option of teaching your child gun safety yourself. If you are knowledgeable about all the rules of gun safety - take the time to teach these rules and the proper handling of a gun to your child. Nothing sinks home quite as well as when it comes from a child's parents. But be sure that you're up on all the safety rules yourself before you attempt to do it at home!
Gun Safety: Starting Out on the Right Foot
Eventually, your child may move up to a "real" gun. The importance of your child learning gun safety and responsibility at an early age with a less-powerful BB gun cannot be stressed enough. Gun safety knowledge can literally mean the difference between a good, safe time and a tragic accident.
Teach your child from the beginning that guns are not toys, and that this includes BB guns. It is important for a youth to understand that even BB guns can do real damage if handled carelessly. Be serious with them! If they acquire the proper respect for a BB gun at a young age, chances are they will treat a more powerful gun with the proper respect when they are older. And when they give you grandchildren one day, your lessons will be passed on to a new generation.
About the Author
John Schwartz is a freelance writer and owner of BB-Pellet-Guns.com. He lives in Texas and enjoys writing on a variety of sporting subject matter, including air guns, rifles, fishing, and hunting.
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