I don't disagree that some kid could view a gun as a toy, but that's any gun and where responsible gun ownership comes into play. Keep your firearms secure if there is a child involved, and educate your children at a young age on firearm safety to squelch the curiosity. Just my opinion.
@ptmccain Why would that child find the gun not locked up and loaded? With no adult supervision around? And not know to treat all guns as if they were real and loaded? I'm with @colin - the onus is on the responsible adult to educate.
Here's my take - I've got an 11 year old who wants to build her own AR. She's in 4H Shooting Sports, has "her own" .22's, and knows all the rules about gun safety. If she wants a pink gun (and she does want to build a pink camo AR), I'd rather she do that, than have her lose interest in shooting sports. Just my 2ยข.
It all comes down to training and responsibility. As soon as my kids could understand instructions I started teaching them about guns. One trick that I have found that gets the point across is letting them shoot at a milk jug full of water,or a can of paint, or a nice hot can of pop. When that target explodes it's a good example of the power they are dealing with, and raises their respect level for the firearm quite a bit.
What I'm about to say isn't in the least politically correct & I really don't care. Let me start with my kids are 29, 27 & 23 now. They were raised around unlocked, loaded, out in the open firearms. Only once did we have a problem and that was with the oldest who picked up a loaded revolver that we kept on our headboard. We were with her at the time promptly took it away and proceeded to explain to her that it wasn't a toy & told her if she touched it again she would be spanked. She was set on the ground and we pretended to not be watching. She climbed back on the bed and reached for the gun at which time we swatted her hand. She tried us a couple of more times until she got a full spanking. She nor did the other 2 ever touched a firearm without us after that. She was about 2 years old at the time. BTW she shoots very well today. I agree it's about training and letting them see a watermelon or water jug blow up doesn't hurt either. Especially when you tell them that's what happens to a person's head if you shoot them. I personally don't want to shoot an ugly gun and even though I don't want a pink gun I can appreciate the artistry of some firearms.
A lot of adult females have pink guns... Doesn't make them less safe! I personally don't like pink guns, that's me, but if the little girls want pink guns, they should have pink guns. Especially if they keep them interested. Who cares what anyone else thinks, it's not their gun. So you can deal with it. & pink doesn't make it shoot any differently. If our little girl wanted a pink gun, I wouldn't love the idea but I would get it for her. When she's older... no, depending, I don't think there's a need for it, like if she's 16 & wanted to bedazzle it... no way lol. Pink grips or something, ok. But it would be her gun, not mine.
sorry we have a 2 year old so I kept writing little girls. as long as it's not all sparkly when they're older or too crazy. but either way, if its what they want, it's theirs, so who cares what anyone thinks.
Yep. It won't be as effective if it's pink. If the girls like it and shoot more...cool!
Pink = shooting more? Paint the world pink I say. I'd shoot @packingpretty's XD in a heartbeat.
I don't disagree that some kid could view a gun as a toy, but that's any gun and where responsible gun ownership comes into play. Keep your firearms secure if there is a child involved, and educate your children at a young age on firearm safety to squelch the curiosity. Just my opinion.
@ptmccain Why would that child find the gun not locked up and loaded? With no adult supervision around? And not know to treat all guns as if they were real and loaded? I'm with @colin - the onus is on the responsible adult to educate.
Here's my take - I've got an 11 year old who wants to build her own AR. She's in 4H Shooting Sports, has "her own" .22's, and knows all the rules about gun safety. If she wants a pink gun (and she does want to build a pink camo AR), I'd rather she do that, than have her lose interest in shooting sports. Just my 2ยข.
It all comes down to training and responsibility. As soon as my kids could understand instructions I started teaching them about guns. One trick that I have found that gets the point across is letting them shoot at a milk jug full of water,or a can of paint, or a nice hot can of pop. When that target explodes it's a good example of the power they are dealing with, and raises their respect level for the firearm quite a bit.
What I'm about to say isn't in the least politically correct & I really don't care. Let me start with my kids are 29, 27 & 23 now. They were raised around unlocked, loaded, out in the open firearms. Only once did we have a problem and that was with the oldest who picked up a loaded revolver that we kept on our headboard. We were with her at the time promptly took it away and proceeded to explain to her that it wasn't a toy & told her if she touched it again she would be spanked. She was set on the ground and we pretended to not be watching. She climbed back on the bed and reached for the gun at which time we swatted her hand. She tried us a couple of more times until she got a full spanking. She nor did the other 2 ever touched a firearm without us after that. She was about 2 years old at the time. BTW she shoots very well today. I agree it's about training and letting them see a watermelon or water jug blow up doesn't hurt either. Especially when you tell them that's what happens to a person's head if you shoot them. I personally don't want to shoot an ugly gun and even though I don't want a pink gun I can appreciate the artistry of some firearms.
A lot of adult females have pink guns... Doesn't make them less safe! I personally don't like pink guns, that's me, but if the little girls want pink guns, they should have pink guns. Especially if they keep them interested. Who cares what anyone else thinks, it's not their gun. So you can deal with it. & pink doesn't make it shoot any differently. If our little girl wanted a pink gun, I wouldn't love the idea but I would get it for her. When she's older... no, depending, I don't think there's a need for it, like if she's 16 & wanted to bedazzle it... no way lol. Pink grips or something, ok. But it would be her gun, not mine.
sorry we have a 2 year old so I kept writing little girls. as long as it's not all sparkly when they're older or too crazy. but either way, if its what they want, it's theirs, so who cares what anyone thinks.
"Cutsey firearms will increase the likelihood children will think it is a toy and hurt someone"
Petitio ad principii. The statement isn't self evident and needs data to support it.