My 11 year old had a ND

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - My 11 year old had a ND

Posted: 12/28/2012 10:36:41 AM EDT

Most importantly, it was with an airsoft.

He has been shooting for a couple years now. I've taught him the 4 basics since he was about 5. His trigger control has always been great. The ND happened as he was walking near his aunt and it just missed hitting her. His uncle decided(I agreed) that he should be made well aware of how severely bad this could have gone. Without getting into detail, the boy was scared shitless and crying like a school girl.

How would you have handled it? Parents of young kids specifically.

Posted: 12/28/2012 10:38:04 AM EDT

[#1]

Sounds like his uncle did the right thing.

Posted: 12/28/2012 10:39:53 AM EDT

[#2]

Agreed

Posted: 12/28/2012 10:43:28 AM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
Most importantly, it was with an airsoft.

He has been shooting for a couple years now. I've taught him the 4 basics since he was about 5. His trigger control has always been great. The ND happened as he was walking near his aunt and it just missed hitting her. His uncle decided(I agreed) that he should be made well aware of how severely bad this could have gone. Without getting into detail, the boy was scared shitless and crying like a school girl.

How would you have handled it? Parents of young kids specifically.

Sounds like you handled it well. Hopefully this will be one of those "holy shit how could I have been so stupid?" moments he'll remember forever, and will make him slow down and think twice in the future.

Posted: 12/28/2012 10:43:33 AM EDT

[#4]

Agree

Posted: 12/28/2012 10:44:26 AM EDT

[#5]

Can't call back a word or a bullet. Release both carefully.

Posted: 12/28/2012 10:44:43 AM EDT

[#6]

3 boys, 6-10 years old. Fresh supply of air soft this Christmas.
The best impressions are lasting impressions...

Edit to add: "this shit aint a video game" has come out of my mouth more times than I can remember... until the day...

Posted: 12/28/2012 10:44:43 AM EDT

[#7]

Show him pictures of gunshot wounds/fatalities.

Posted: 12/28/2012 10:48:46 AM EDT

[#8]

If one of my nephews even broke muzzle discipline near my wife or kids, I would have a new airsoft gun, and dear nephew would have none. Of course, I would be open to a sit-down face-to-face apology/gun-rules lesson, which would earn the return of the airsoft gun.

I don't think I would have yelled and screamed and scared them over it, but I imaging the immediate and swift loss would leave a lasting impression.

Posted: 12/28/2012 10:49:46 AM EDT

[#9]

Sounds like you did well. Maybe show him some gunshot wounds so he understands how bad they are and can compare them to scraped knees and such like kids get as they grow up.

Posted: 12/28/2012 10:50:21 AM EDT

[#10]

Do airsoft guns feel "toyish" in the hand?

Maybe it being an airsoft gun didn't garner the same respect from him that a real gun would.

I wasn't as careful with my cap guns as I was with real guns when I was that age. Still never have had an ND (knocks on head).

Not critizing your response. You were there and it's your kid.

Posted: 12/28/2012 10:53:56 AM EDT

[#11]

There is a noticeable difference from an airsoft versus the real thing. Bottom line is that it still requires a certain amount of force for the trigger to work.

Posted: 12/28/2012 10:55:07 AM EDT

[#12]

pics of Aunt?

Posted: 12/28/2012 10:55:14 AM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
Do airsoft guns feel "toyish" in the hand?

I had cap guns growing up that felt less like toys than a Glock.

Posted: 12/28/2012 10:56:45 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
There is a noticeable difference from an airsoft versus the real thing. Bottom line is that it still requires a certain amount of force for the trigger to work.

Its not even the 'force' as it is teaching and instilling habits...

Posted: 12/28/2012 10:57:07 AM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
Do airsoft guns feel "toyish" in the hand?

Maybe it being an airsoft gun didn't garner the same respect from him that a real gun would.

I wasn't as careful with my cap guns as I was with real guns when I was that age. Still never have had an ND (knocks on head).

Not critizing your response. You were there and it's your kid.

Some do, some dont. My sons Thomson & M14 has the weight of the real item. He leaves the M14 at home because of the weight.

Posted: 12/28/2012 10:57:12 AM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
pics of Aunt?

Dammit Man

Posted: 12/28/2012 11:00:27 AM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Do airsoft guns feel "toyish" in the hand?

I had cap guns growing up that felt less like toys than a Glock.

We had a thread a while back talking about the Edison Giocattolli cap guns of the 80s.

I had this one

Also an M-16. You loaded them with strips of plastic caps and they'd eject the spent cap just like a real gun.

The only thing bad about them is the caps are so corrosive you'd only get a day or two of fun before the thing was corroded out.

Posted: 12/28/2012 11:03:04 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
Most importantly, it was with an airsoft.

He has been shooting for a couple years now. I've taught him the 4 basics since he was about 5. His trigger control has always been great. The ND happened as he was walking near his aunt and it just missed hitting her. His uncle decided(I agreed) that he should be made well aware of how severely bad this could have gone. Without getting into detail, the boy was scared shitless and crying like a school girl.

How would you have handled it? Parents of young kids specifically.

with all that plus Make him hold that airsoft rifle straight out with his finger straight and off the trigger until you get tired.

Posted: 12/28/2012 11:09:10 AM EDT

[#19]

Do you treat the airsoft like a real gun, or is it treated like a toy?

Most people treat them like toys. It's "like" a video game. It's not "real".

ETA:
Before anyone has puppies, my question/point is, did you treat the airsoft gun, from day one, as a teaching tool or as a toy?

Posted: 12/28/2012 11:11:11 AM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
Do you treat the airsoft like a real gun, or is it treated like a toy?

Most people treat them like toys. It's "like" a video game. It's not "real".

Yup
I teached my son to treat any gun as if it was loaded and real unlike the clowns at the airsoft field.

Posted: 12/28/2012 11:15:09 AM EDT

[#21]

At what point is it OK to point a toy/airsoft gun at people? I suppose there would need to be consent to play the "war game" or something.

I did that shit after school everyday for YEARS.

Posted: 12/28/2012 11:17:38 AM EDT

[#22]

When I am around, they are treated as if real. When he is running around the neighborhood with his buddies is probably different. The second it happened, he knew what was coming.

I like the idea of making him hold up assuming the correct position, til his arms fall off.

Pic of the aunt, I honestly don't have. How about his mother? Don't mind the ugly mug driving.

Posted: 12/28/2012 11:19:49 AM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
At what point is it OK to point a toy/airsoft gun at people? I suppose there would need to be consent to play the "war game" or something.

I did that shit after school everyday for YEARS.

I played an indoor area, so that was pretty easy. The area for shooting was through a certain doorway. If you weren't on the other side of the doorway, the rules applied and you better have an empty chamber.

Posted: 12/28/2012 11:26:22 AM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:
When I am around, they are treated as if real. When he is running around the neighborhood with his buddies is probably different. The second it happened, he knew what was coming.

I like the idea of making him hold up assuming the correct position, til his arms fall off.

Pic of the aunt, I honestly don't have. How about his mother? Don't mind the ugly mug driving.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/lexat20/100_7172.jpg

i'm getting old. she looks no where near old enough to have an 11 year old kid.

nice though!

Posted: 12/28/2012 11:28:14 AM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:

Quoted:
At what point is it OK to point a toy/airsoft gun at people? I suppose there would need to be consent to play the "war game" or something.

I did that shit after school everyday for YEARS.

I played an indoor area, so that was pretty easy. The area for shooting was through a certain doorway. If you weren't on the other side of the doorway, the rules applied and you better have an empty chamber.

We would do squad on squad size attacks all down the neighborhood and into the green belts. We all had toy guns and some of us had plain old BB guns.

I think instilling the 4 rules is great.
I think punishing him for the ND and flagging someone not actively in the game is the right thing to do.
I would hate to see mock-combat by kids punished. We NEED our kids doing that. It's healthy.

Hopefully that all makes sense.

Posted: 12/28/2012 11:30:15 AM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:

Pic of the aunt, I honestly don't have. How about his mother? Don't mind the ugly mug driving.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/lexat20/100_7172.jpg

?

Are you all old enough to have an 11yr old?

My 12yo got airsoft for his bday a few months ago. He went to show it off to his buddy who was already big into airsoft. He came home a few minutes later, and I asked why.
He said his buddy didn't follow the rules.

Posted: 12/28/2012 11:36:49 AM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:
. Without getting into detail, the boy was scared shitless and crying like a school .

Get into detail please, I'm curious.

I have a 4 year old who happened to receive a .22lr Crickett for his 4th birthday despite his moms angst. He has been so responsible with it and is more so than most adults I know. I feel he knows the difference between that and the toys he just received for Christmas, however I still try to instill the same safety principles with his toys. I find it a tough line to walk with the two as there may be no real point in having the toys if the same rules apply. With that I find I've bent the rules a bit with the toys and I'm still in the process on how I'll ultimately handle this.

So with that, his grandparents were over for Christmas and I found out that he was breaking all of the "4 rules" one of which involved his Nerf foam dart gun. His Papa told me what went on and I took all of his new toy guns away and sent him to his room explaining what he was doing was not ok and why.

He's been ok since and we continue to work on things as he is young (again 4) but I'm still undecided on how I'm going to let him play with his toy guns at this age. Back in my day I knew the difference and it was ok to play "army" with the toys and there was NEVER an incident with the real thing and I don't ever remember my dad being "on" me as I am with my son.

Posted: 12/28/2012 11:40:20 AM EDT

[#28]

Fuck it takes forever to type on this iPad. The couple of posts above mine help quite a bit, thanks.

Posted: 12/28/2012 11:40:28 AM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:
When I am around, they are treated as if real. When he is running around the neighborhood with his buddies is probably different. The second it happened, he knew what was coming.

I like the idea of making him hold up assuming the correct position, til his arms fall off.

Pic of the aunt, I honestly don't have. How about his mother? Don't mind the ugly mug driving.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/lexat20/100_7172.jpg

Y'all started having kids your freshman year in high school or what?

Posted: 12/28/2012 11:41:06 AM EDT

[#30]

Pic was taken about 4 years ago. Also have a 14 year old. We both have aged pretty well.

Posted: 12/28/2012 11:46:29 AM EDT

[#31]

This is what I bought for my oldest son (5 y/o). I told him once he can learn to handle this gun properly that I would take him to shoot real guns. If he does well at that I will buy him a .22

Posted: 12/28/2012 11:50:15 AM EDT

[#32]

I'm torn about air soft guns. I bought my 6yo a glenfield 22lr bolt gun on local trader, $80.
We've shot it twice. He See's what a 22lr can do and I reinforce the danger.
If he starts using a air soft he may not respect a Real gun?
BTW I always have a hand on the 22 rifle when he shoots.

Posted: 12/28/2012 11:50:41 AM EDT

[#33]

Quoted:
At what point is it OK to point a toy/airsoft gun at people? I suppose there would need to be consent to play the "war game" or something.

I did that shit after school everyday for YEARS.

We didnt have airsoft when I was a kid. we used BB guns, CO2 and pump. We also did that for years, right up until one of us (maybe me... I am not sure) nailed an innocent coming out of her house. The Base Commander filtered an order down that any and all damages would be paid by the dependents sponsor and the dependent would be shipped off the island.

That was the end of that, and one of the worst beatings I evar got from my Pop. After that all projectile toys were treated like 'training' platforms for real guns. We had to have backstops, firing lines, eye pro, adult line masters and so on...

Posted: 12/28/2012 11:51:57 AM EDT

[#34]

Quoted:
When I am around, they are treated as if real. When he is running around the neighborhood with his buddies is probably different. The second it happened, he knew what was coming.

I like the idea of making him hold up assuming the correct position, til his arms fall off.

Pic of the aunt, I honestly don't have. How about his mother? Don't mind the ugly mug driving.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/lexat20/100_7172.jpg

All of a sudden, I feel old.

Posted: 12/28/2012 11:57:43 AM EDT

[#35]

Shit when i was young and got my first airsoft gun, I promptly shot myself with it just to see what would happen. Of course I knew it wasnt real, but I guess thats still pretty

Posted: 12/28/2012 12:20:50 PM EDT

[#36]

didn't we all. I actually shot her in the ass when she was getting out of the shower. Sorry no pics of that one

Posted: 12/28/2012 12:28:52 PM EDT

[#37]

I remember when my nephew shot my little brother in the face with an airsoft pistol, "IT WASNT LOADED"

Posted: 12/28/2012 12:37:32 PM EDT

[#38]

My father was smart enough to know that I could beat myself up a whole lot worse than he could.

"Hey, Pimplebrain? Did you learn something?" was often all it took.

Posted: 12/28/2012 12:38:51 PM EDT

[#39]

Quoted:
Show him pictures of gunshot wounds/fatalities.

I was taken hunting for this reason...to see what a little .22lr can do to a rabbit

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - My 11 year old had a ND

General » General Discussion

Warning

Confirm Action

About AR15.COM

Stay Connected

Newsletter

Contact Us