Children. Age question.

[Siobhra]

Last weekend I went and visited my two grandsons. Age 6 and age 3. The six year old knows I have a gun and wanted to see it and hold it. I took out my 22cal sig and then took the gun lock off. I made him sit on the floor next to me and I gave him a talking to about guns and how I did not want to hear of him ever touching a gun with out me giving it to him. (both his mom and dad don't shoot)
Then I let him hold it. After he held it I put the safety back on and put it away. He asked about my 9mm XD and I told him no, not yet. That one was loaded and on my hip.
He told his mother who said she did not care but that it is against the law for anyone under 13 to even touch a gun. A co-worker had told her that and he is into guns. I said that the law does not say anything about age to touch, hold or shoot. That I think the age is only to hunt with an adult.

Does anyone know if there is a legal age to target shoot?

[Xringshooter]

As far as I know, there is NO age limit for target shooting. An adult has to be present with children under 12 IIRC. At 12 they can take the hunter safety course to be able to get a hunting license. I'm not at home right now so I don't have accessto the hunting regs. You can pick up the regs at any store that sells hunting licenses and it covers the hunting aspect. IIRC, there is no law that prohibits a child from shooting a gun as long as all the laws are adhered to, such as being supervised by an adult (and I believe it has to be a parent or guardian up to a certain age).

I am sure that more knowledgeable persons than myself will correct any mistakes that I may have made.

[ar15jules]

My oldest daughter is soon to be five. With any luck, the .22 youth model I bought her will be just her size by next spring. The LOP is just a little too long for her now. I would have taken her out to a private shooting venue this summer had it not been for that. We often go to the range and stay in the parking lot and watch. She can recite all of the basic safety rules and has handled all of my firearms under my supervision. I wanted to let her see that firearms are a large part of my life, and when handled properly are safe. I am ranting now....
Jules

[The_War_Wagon]

That's gotta be a hunting-age requirement. I take my not-quite-seven year old to the gun shop with me sometimes, and I've shown him guns I'm looking at, and he's handled them, without the shopowners having a cow. If it were ILLEGAL, I'm sure I'd of heard about it by now!!!

Bob

[Glocker]

I am not sure if there is a specific law governing the age to shoot at a range, I am sure there are plenty of people out there that will give you the answer you are looking for concerning this.

I do know that in order to shoot at French Creek Outfitters in Pheonixville, the child has to be 12 years old or above, and of course accompanied by an adult. I have taken my 12 year old with me several times to shoot. I do not know if this is just store policy, or law.

[RandomTask]

As far as I know, there is no minimum age for target shooting at a range (and their shouldn't be one anyway) as long as the kid has a responsible adult present. My daughter started shooting the big stuff when she was 9 or just turned 10 (P7, Mini-14, K31).

[Pooch15825]

I believe the age issue has to do with hunting, in PA you have to be 12 years of age to get your license to hunt, after taking a required hunters safety course. You also must be accompanied by an adult (which means the adult must have that child within their sight at all times while hunting and gun handling). Then at 16 the youth may hunt legally by themselves.

As for shooting at targets and ranges, I would think the age would be up too the parent or guardian unless a range has a specific age restriction. I personally feel a range that has a restriction based on age alone is actually doing harm to the cause of firearms ownership, since the younger we start kids shooting and hunting the more pro-gunners we have.

I started my kids shooting when they were old enough to hold a gun up (with help from me sometimes).

Also, there is no age restriction in PA for owning a firearm, just purchasing them. how many of us had a gun as a Christmas gift long before we could legally buy one?

Pooch

[whoshisface]

There are no age requirements for teaching a person to shoot, I guess .0000001 second old... Obviously someone could pull some child endangerment law out but they'd have a hard time winning that fight in court since people have been doing so at nearly all ages from the before the creation of this country

[whoshisface]

......

Also, there is no age restriction in PA for owning a firearm, just purchasing them. how many of us had a gun as a Christmas gift long before we could legally buy one?

....

Unfortunately there is, well sort of.... It's hard to own a firearm if you cannot possess it without an adult present


§ 6110.1. Possession of firearm by minor.
(a) Firearm.--Except as provided in subsection (b), a person under 18 years of age shall not possess or transport a firearm anywhere in this Commonwealth.

(b) Exception.--Subsection (a) shall not apply to a person under 18 years of age:

who is under the supervision of a parent, grandparent, legal guardian or an adult acting with the expressed consent of the minor's custodial parent or legal guardian and the minor is engaged in lawful activity, including safety training, lawful target shooting, engaging in an organized competition involving the use of a firearm or the firearm is unloaded and the minor is transporting it for a lawful purpose; or
who is lawfully hunting or trapping in accordance with 34 Pa.C.S. (relating to game).

(c) Responsibility of adult.--Any person who knowingly and intentionally delivers or provides to the minor a firearm in violation of subsection (a) commits a felony of the third degree.

(d) Forfeiture.--Any firearm in the possession of a person under 18 years of age in violation of this section shall be promptly seized by the arresting law enforcement officer and upon conviction or adjudication of delinquency shall be forfeited or, if stolen, returned to the lawful owner.

[Pooch15825]

Possession and owning are not the same, you can own the firearm at any age, you have to be under the guidance and supervision of an adult or guardian to use it or have it in your possession when out an about. Now at 16 you can carry that firearm while hunting without any adult or guardian supervising you. "or the firearm is unloaded and the minor is transporting it for a lawful purpose; or
who is lawfully hunting or trapping in accordance with 34 Pa.C.S. (relating to game)." (from your post above)