CHILD SHOOTINGS

[riderr]

And what's he shilling for??

Another antigun missionary tries to "educate gun nuts".

[AregularGuy]

I said in the OP that I've read about many recently and am wondering if they're related to light pull triggers-that's about it.

Where did you read of these incidents? In the tea leaves? Can you post links of recent incidents that suggest some increasing frequency?

[The War Wagon]

No, the mechanical attributes are not the factor. It is the absolute and total negligence of adults that is the issue.

TRUE in 1820

TRUE in 1920

TRUE today.

[DB>]

OP, you made a false "connection" (something that happens astonishingly often in the "all guns are bad" crowd) - you (and without a list of incidents, we) have ZERO data indicating the trigger/manual of arms for ANY of the "many" incidents you have claimed as the reason for your concern.

Different firearms can have significantly different mechanical operation - without specific information about each firearm involved in each incident, you're just spitting into the wind and cursing the rain.

It's ALWAYS the responsibility of the gun owner to ensure safe operation, training, and appropriate access. PERIOD. "Accidental" and "negligent" are too often used interchangeably, when often the latter is the absolutely correct term.

While there are some mechanical aspects that may cause an "accidental" discharge, a properly operating weapon goes off only because someone has access and ONLY when that someone pulls the trigger.


When one has children around, one has a RESPONSIBILITY to make the environment safe for clever, curious little ones - cabinet locks, electrical socket covers, dangerous items stored safely, etc... the "adult" is supposed to look out for the safety of the child. When that child is old enough to understand, the adult is again responsible to teach the child how to deal with the everyday dangers of life in such a way that hopefully a child will grow and become a responsible adult.

Somewhere along the line we started complaining that "adulting is HARD", and blaming inanimate objects for the "adulting failures", rather than demanding people grow the heck up and be RESPONSIBLE and use whatever meager sense they were given to make good decisions.

[FAS1]

^^^ Very well said @DB>! While the numbers don't seem to show an increase, the media will always show those accidental shootings. It might seem there are more shootings just because the internet and news media that we are bombarded with.

Additionally, when you look at the numbers that were posted earlier, we are really talking about the 0-4 year olds since they are too young to be taught and to even understand the consequences. Older kids, while still kids, should know better and probably acted reckless and they knew it when they shot their friend for instance.

The very small number of toddler deaths show that as a whole we have done a very good job preventing accidental shootings and deaths for our toddlers. Education of the parent(s) to be responsible with their guns and the many gun storage options available today that were not back when we were little attribute to the low numbers. There will always be a few irresponsible parents.

Total deaths from accidental discharge of firearm in 2017: 486 (accounts for 1.22% of total deaths for firearms)
Age under 1 = 1
Age 1-4 = 31
Age 5-14 = 30
Age 15-24 = 117
Age 25-34 = 93
Age 35-44 = 64
Age 45-54 = 50
Age 55-64 = 47
Age 65-74 = 30
Age 75-84 = 18
Age 85+ = 5

[smle-man]

The problem is that many young kids will grip the gun in such a way that their two thumbs are in the trigger guard, with the gun pointing at themselves. And their two thumbs do have the strength to pull many types of triggers.

It is absolutely tragic - everyone who expects small kids to be around at any time needs a way to lock up the guns. And it is 100% the fault of the people not the firearm or the action of the firearm.

Why are people fighting against this? A gun owner can secure their firearms and still have them ready for action if needed.

[I take shots]

I said in the OP that I've read about many recently and am wondering if they're related to light pull triggers-that's about it.

Absolutely! We need to increase trigger pull weight so toddlers can safely play with our unattended guns. Seems like the most rational response to me.

I'm going to go home right now and file off the teeth on the skilsaw I keep in the kids playroom.

[IVC]

Mechanical attributes absolutely are a factor even with adults.

^^^ Yup, as much as we want to ignore it, the mechanical attributes are indeed a big differentiator.

It doesn't mean that the responsibility is anywhere else except with the negligent parents, but that's actually a completely different question. The OP asked about the action of the guns and whether it affects the ability for ND. The answer is a very simple "yes."

Taking the magazine out and leaving one in the chamber cannot happen with revolvers. Many triggers cannot be pulled by very young kids, or cannot be pulled easily. It's also true that a very small kid with a revolver is more likely to use a thumb to try to move the trigger, which in turn positions the gun straight back at the kid's face.

Now, none of that implies that the solution is to regulate guns or pull off the stupid "CA reasoning." The only solution is to physically prevent children from reaching operational guns, so it's either locked in a safe, or action locked with the cable.

[sbo80]

CDC stats for 2017 (latest completed year)...
Total deaths from accidental discharge of firearm in 2017: 486 (accounts for 1.22% of total deaths for firearms)
Age under 1 = 1
Age 1-4 = 31
Age 5-14 = 30
Age 15-24 = 117
Age 25-34 = 93
Age 35-44 = 64
Age 45-54 = 50
Age 55-64 = 47
Age 65-74 = 30
Age 75-84 = 18
Age 85+ = 5

And I don't think these statistics are restricted to "self-inflicted" shootings, nor do they indicate the age of the shooter. I'm guessing that infant didn't shoot themselves, and quite likely a fair number of the other children were simply bystanders to someone else's negligence (many of which were probably adults). It's really a pointless discussion with absolutely no information to go on other than "I feel like I see lots of news articles".

[DDM4556]

This is the ONE and ONLY answer.

No child is safe.
Parents are the ones who keep them safe.



The blinds are not at fault just like firearms.
Parents do not take responsibility so they blame the company's products.

Willing to give up your car?
Will save 2 children a week from death.

[SouthCityShooter]

No, the mechanical attributes are not the factor. It is the absolute and total negligence of adults that is the issue.

This. There it is. This is purely negligence on the part of the supposed 'adults'.

[yacko]

Yep, agree completely!!!





Bingo. Came here to post this.

Everyone talking about this has their pools gated off and covered, doesn't have any errant buckets or ponds on their property, etc, right?

Those high capacity 5 gal buckets kill about 30 kids a year. Solution. Ban high capacity buckets. I looked a few years back, and it was about 30 kids/yr- seriously.

[DrjonesUSA]

Those high capacity 5 gal buckets kill about 30 kids a year. Solution. Ban high capacity buckets. I looked a few years back, and it was about 30 kids/yr- seriously.

Bingo.

[Subotai]

Meanwhile, how many kids died on the highway today?

[Zero M]

CHILD SHOOTINGS

OP, you made a false "connection" (something that happens astonishingly often in the "all guns are bad" crowd) - you (and without a list of incidents, we) have ZERO data indicating the trigger/manual of arms for ANY of the "many" incidents you have claimed as the reason for your concern.

Different firearms can have significantly different mechanical operation - without specific information about each firearm involved in each incident, you're just spitting into the wind and cursing the rain.

It's ALWAYS the responsibility of the gun owner to ensure safe operation, training, and appropriate access. PERIOD. "Accidental" and "negligent" are too often used interchangeably, when often the latter is the absolutely correct term.

While there are some mechanical aspects that may cause an "accidental" discharge, a properly operating weapon goes off only because someone has access and ONLY when that someone pulls the trigger.


When one has children around, one has a RESPONSIBILITY to make the environment safe for clever, curious little ones - cabinet locks, electrical socket covers, dangerous items stored safely, etc... the "adult" is supposed to look out for the safety of the child. When that child is old enough to understand, the adult is again responsible to teach the child how to deal with the everyday dangers of life in such a way that hopefully a child will grow and become a responsible adult.

Somewhere along the line we started complaining that "adulting is HARD", and blaming inanimate objects for the "adulting failures", rather than demanding people grow the heck up and be RESPONSIBLE and use whatever meager sense they were given to make good decisions.