Teach
kids to be careful when using bbguns
BBguns
have famously been known to cause harm. In the movie “A Christmas Story ,” the main character, Ralphie, learns a valuable lesson when he
takes his Christmas present ( a
Daisy Red Ryder BBgun )
out shooting and
immediately breaks his glasses when his shot ricochets. He almost did
"shoot his eye out," as he is warned all through the movie by adults
(including Santa Claus). The damage could have been a lot worse, of
course, as bbguns have been known to cause blindness and in some freak
accidents, death. Air pistols and rifles should always be treated as
dangerous weapons, even though the accident rate gets lower every
year.
Most injuries due to bbguns are caused by misuse,
either intentionally or through carelessness. Virtually all the
accidents are among younger shooters. Adult users of air pistols and
rifles suffer virtually no incidents. The
Consumer Products Safety
Commission has even rated the use of these weapons far less dangerous
than something as mundane as riding a bicycle.
The
potential dangers of bbguns
The
Consumer Products Safety Commission rates activities and toys along an
index of injuries per 100,000 consumers. If the product is used by
youth, then the basic index is multiplied by 2.5 to reflect that.
According to these calculations, airguns have a rating of 1.9. Compare
this number to the rating of 2.8 for paper money and coins. The rating
for beds is 8.7!
So
what does that mean for your kids? Certainly, you don't want to stop
giving them an allowance or make them sleep on the floor. But
seriously, teach them to treat bbguns with respect and follow all
safety rules, and don't be afraid to give them some freedom once they
demonstrate proficiency.
Virtually all accidents and injuries caused by bbguns can be prevented
if you follow the proper gun safety rules:
-
Always assume the gun is loaded and act accordingly
-
Never look into the barrel
-
Never point the gun at another person or animal
(unless you're hunting)
-
Never fire a bbgun toward a flat metal or other hard surface
(ricochets can do real harm!)
-
Never use ammo more than once
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