is 3 yrs old too young to help dad clean ar?

[Caduceus]

My wife is a pediatrician so I'm probably a bit more biased than others here... But I'd say it's a bit early, only because of lead exposure risks. Wearing gloves, not handling the more lead-exposed parts (uh-hum, bolts, cough cough),well ventilated areas will help. And isn't your kid technically two... ? Be prepared for them to hurt themselves on feed lips or a spring popping or something.

But hey its your kid and wife to answer to, so do what you want.

[vandal5]

I have been wondering the same thing. Not so much about the cleaning aspect of it but just when to introduce firearms in general to my kids (one is 2 and the other is almost 4). I think my 2 year old is still too young to understand, but my almost 4 year old is to the stage where he is asks lots of questions. He often will ask me to sit with him and say "Let's talk about ...." which could range from a tv show or video game to our home alarm system.

I know the topic of firearms is going to come up at some point. My wife would prefer that our kids never see the firearms we own but she also realizes they are going to find out about them at some point. I told her that I would rather that we are the first ones to talk to them, instead one of his friends showing him a pistol that he found in his dad's nightstand....



Perhaps cleaning part of a rifle or pistol would be good start?
For a while now any time I use a tool or knife or whatever I try to express that it is a tool. I tell him that tools a good because they help us doing something easier but if we don't use them the correct way they can also make it easier to hurt ourselves or someone else. Like his toy hammer is not for hitting his sister in the head, it is for helping to put in nails.

[GunBugBit]

You have given me an idea of how to entertain our grandsons when my wife and I watch them when their parents are out on a date.

When they're 8 I'll teach them 1911 trigger jobs.

[eljimbo142]

it is too expensive to be drinking

[eljimbo142]

My wife is a pediatrician so I'm probably a bit more biased than others here... But I'd say it's a bit early, only because of lead exposure risks. Wearing gloves, not handling the more lead-exposed parts (uh-hum, bolts, cough cough),well ventilated areas will help. And isn't your kid technically two... ? Be prepared for them to hurt themselves on feed lips or a spring popping or something.

But hey its your kid and wife to answer to, so do what you want.

i was wondering if there was lead exposure. i mostly shoot 855 and 193. he will be 3 in oct. does anybody out there know the approx chem composition of the gunk we clean out of our rifles. again, i clean and lube w fireclean.
thanks gents

[TAZ]

My some went through the same thing round 4 or 5 ish. Looked at it as a great teachable moment to really begin instilling the 4 rules and common sense ideas for youngsters around fire arms. Don't touch, tell an adult that sort of thing. If they are interested they will pay attention and learn it. To his day he has good muzzle discipline with everything but his Nerf guns. Is aware of muzzles when we are at the range or gun store... Don't waste a good moment to make a difference in his life. Could mean life and death. Once he figured out that cleaning guns was work... not such a cool thing anymore

The whole lead, chemical paranoia is out of control IMO. I grew up with lead paint, played with lead toy soldiers, dunked my hands in kerosene while cleaning car parts and used real MEK to degrease stuff. According to my doc I'm in good health aside from high cholesterol. Use common sense. Don't let your kid drink Hoppe's or Frog Lube. Don't let him stick his hands in his mouth... He's more likely to drown or get hurt at the playground than die for touching the bolt of a rifle once a week.

[Digital_Damage]

Ya... too young... to many toxins and Lead. It is better to side with a caution, your kid has a whole life in front of him it would be terrible to start him off on the wrong foot.

[Koshinn]

it is too expensive to be drinking

That's for sure.

[DaveK]

As long as the kid is past the point of putting stuff in their mouth and washes their hands, when finished, I think it is a great Idea.

Hell, my 7 y/o daughter loves to sit and clean weapons with me. She doesn't do very good getting the small crevices clean, but I don't tell her that. And she loves using the bore snake!

[markm]

i was wondering if there was lead exposure. i mostly shoot 855 and 193. he will be 3 in oct. does anybody out there know the approx chem composition of the gunk we clean out of our rifles. again, i clean and lube w fireclean.
thanks gents

I'd love to know that. I've tried to get away from shooting exposed base bullets in pistol and rifle as much as possible.... Definitely when shooting suppressed.

I'd also be curious how much lead is on the dirty brass. I treat it as though all the fouling is lead, but I doubt it's that bad.