Anyone here into firearms?

Originally Posted by wstar

Just as a counterpoint though, there was an accident in the 80's in the small town where I grew up where a small boy (I want to say ~4-5 years old) got into dad's closet and found his loaded revolver which was hidden in a boot (of all places - the father was a cop and should've known better) and accidentally shot himself in the stomach playing with it. The kid lived, with lots of surgery and a giant scar up his abdomen. I'm all for the argument of educating kids to know and respect firearms, and I think that strategy works well after a certain point in the child's maturity level. However, there's nothing you can show to a 5 year old, or tell them, that will make them not play with a dangerous thing left available. Any kind of locked cabinet (even the cheesy old gun cabinets made of paper-thin wood with a glass front and a skeleton key) would have prevented that.

Originally Posted by tvfreakazoid

That's a good point. That's the big thing is "educating" them would be great first step.