Good Day Fellow Hedgehogs,
I was an accident baby, Dad and Mom were in their '40s when I was born. Dad liked to hunt but when I got to be around 5 years old he stopped. He had shotgun, 30-06, .22 rifles. I never shot any of these firearms, but Dad let me handle them when I was in my early teens. Damn heavy.
I grew up as a child in the '60s. Born 1957. My Dad and I would watch war movies and war tv. shows together. For Christmas and birthdays I would get firearm toys. Johnny 7 O.M.A. (One Man Army) Monkey gun, James Bond attache case which held a knife and would shoot a bullet at a unsuspecting spy, and many other things of this nature. As I got into my teens I got a couple of BB rifles.



When I got married and raised my 2 kids I did not have any firearms, BB guns in my ownership. Nor did we have toys that were firearm related. Not by conscience choice, just didn't have any. My kids were into sports, soccer, and they were on traveling teams which with team practice and home practice, playing with their friends and games we did not have time to do much more than that. Both kids went into the military in 1999 and in basic training my Son received the Basic Training Ribbon, Honor Grad Ribbon and Marksmanship Ribbon (highest score in his flight). He was asked if he would be interested in going to Special Forces, he declined stating he had no interest in killing anyone. He was also asked "What if someone was trying to kill you" he answered "I do not want to be put in that situation." Jason and Sofie served 10 years and now as private citizens they both have firearms. Out of our family I was the first to buy a firearm for the sole idea of self defense in the home. As Jason became a private home-owner he realized how vulnerable he and his family were and bought some firearms. Sofie followed suit.
I understand how parents can influence their children when being raised. I grew up around gun toys and played with neighborhood kids with these toys, but as a young family man I did not pursue having a firearm, until 3 years ago. My Son and Daughter never saw a firearm in our home or even see a toy that looked like a firearm but as they have young families of their own they have firearms in their homes. Their world as young adults is far different than my world was as a young adult.
When my kids were in the service we all bought ps3 game stations and played 'Modern Warfare" on-line together. Much fun. I played with my grandsons also. Sofie in Arizona, Jason in Colorado. Sofie is back in Rockton and her son loves firearms, loves the military channel etc. I bought him a BB gun and he is an accurate shooter. He also has many nerf toy guns and a few airsoft handguns and rifles. With his father he has shot 9mm pistols and different rifles. Elias will grow up with the idea that firearms are a right and normal thing to have. Did I help perpetuate this idea? Yes. I believe the younger you train someone with proper handling of an unloaded and loaded firearm the more responsible this person will be. This is not the only child in the U.S. to go through this procedure.
Banning firearms will be next to impossible with adults like me teaching our children (my case my grandchildren) the owning, caring and responsibility of safe handling of all firearms (even toy guns) is a right that should be taken seriously.
As a note I have never killed an animal, went on a couple of hunting trips with a neighbor and his Dad when I was a young teen. They were hunting rabbits. I personally do not want to kill an animal for sport nor for food. I probably should learn how to dress one and how to prepare it for consumption just in case if I ever have to in the future. I have a few friends and co-workers who hunt which they have the meat processed and in turn I have eaten.
I've bored you long enough.
Have a Happy New Year.
BuddyLars

True story. I was the assistant pay-master for our unit and one day one of the soldiers was having his 'bad day.'

He reported to the paymaster and was told that due to his borrowing money while on leave, he was a NPD (No Pay Due).

Well, he went ballistic and since we carried weapons at all times then in our advisory group in Vietnam he started waving his rile around and getting to the point where the rifle was pointing towards my Lieutenant.

I told the young soldier who was quite tall, "Look Williams, either shoulder that rifle or let me know which knee-cap you want blown apart because I've got my 45 out, pointed at your knees and think about being a cripple the rest of your life."

He calmed down immediately.

Sarge69

Hi Bruce, I agree with everything you have written. At Bullet Stop Gun Shop in a town close to mine they offer a training session with multiple handguns of different calibers. Two people for the price of one. They supply the firearms and ammunition. My wife and daughter will take this class even though my daughter has her handgun already. I think my wife will be more comfortable with another female than with me. I am so undecided on 12.ga shotgun or the hi-point .45 carbine rifle. I am attracted to the .45 as it takes the same ammo as my handgun thus less variety of ammo needed, but as you stated about racking your shotgun, that sound is distinctive and anyone just hearing it would think twice. I've convinced myself, shotgun. I'll get the carbine later.
Thanks for your post.
Lars

The only problem with a shotgun is that in close quarters such as a hallway, you may get into a problem trying to swing it onto target. No such problem with a pistol or revolver. For a lady I agree a lighter caliber is best -- such as a 38 or a 9 mm or even a 40 caliber. I have a 44 Mag and a 357 mag, but both may well be more than needed and they will punch thru a whole series of walls -- dangerous range possibilities. But 38 in a 357 will give a man a good soloid weapon in hand with ammo that is not so dangerous 500 feet on the other side of the wall.

Lars, I like your familiarizing of your family early on. My father did the same, and took me duck hunting from 6 years old with my mother's 410 with as shortened stock. I learned very early how to work a duck call and to always keep a (non defense) gun unloaded, but to treaty all guns as loaded. Hunting and shooting are great sports we have to really keep in the minds of our grand standing lefty politicians in order to keep them and the UN from confiscating all civilian arms, killing the Second Amendment, and making subjects of us all. Educating our children is part of the constant program necessary to prevent loss of our ability to protect our families and ourselves.
Example, the anti-gun media and the leftist politicos won't take the target off of our grade,high school, and college and University children simply be stopping that "no guns allowed" nonsense. Have you ever
heard of a whacko killer going to a police station, gun store, shooting range, hunt club, or military barracks to find their victims ? Of course not -- they go to an advertised "gun free" school. When will our professors and hand-wringing politicos wake up and REMOVE the target from the backs of our school kids !!!

Some posting in this thread will be in for a real shock if they ever need their gun for self defense.

While the argument that a little 380 will make a hole is true your goal when facing an armed assailant is not to just hit him you must incapacitate him to the point that he can not even pull the trigger.

If you shoot a guy with a small caliber he will blow your head off with a 44 then drive himself to the emergency room for medical attention.

The goal is not to cause him to seek medical help you must drop him in his tracks.
Where I live it is cold in the winter if an intruder has on a heavy leather jacket a shotgun with a bird load may not penetrate that is why I keep a short barrel shot gun with the shoulder stock replaced with a pistol grip and loaded with 12 Gage 00 buck.

Several years ago I was living in a house with a in-closed back porch it was hot that night and we left a window open in the kitchen near the door out to the porch.

My wife woke me and said someone was trying to get in the house.
I got out of bed with my shot gun peeked around the door frame and saw a man at the door.

I racked that pump and yelled freeze he ran like hell he knew what that sound was.

Nothing will instill fear like the sound of a shot gun being pumped.

This is just one of those cases where the gun stopped an intruder without firing a shot.

I have one,and for the price,I'm impressed.Now it ain't much to look at,but I didn't buy it to have it featured in "Wings and Dings". 8-)