Need advice: Should I give the gun safe combo to my teenage son?

[MT1]

I had access to guns since I was real young - doesn't mean that I considered touching them until I was granted permission to on my own at 14 or so. Some kids can handle the responsibility, some can't.

[AJAX22]

you know your kid, we don't

its your evaluation of him that matters.

[50BMGBOB]

As many have said, I would worry more about his friends. I have multi-able safes. My 12 year old son does have one combination for emergencies. I trust him, and I know his friends. Still, he doesn't have access to everything and I could revoke his access at any time if he loses my trust.

[swerv512]

Love and trust are two different things....

[Rule .308]

No.

[GraveTPO]

I wouldn't.

[Vinz]

I would be on the cautious side. Just wait till he's of age. He might be fine but his peers may not.


Vinz

[coltn46920]

I would say no. Kids these days have big mouths. If he tells just one friend he thinks he can "trust" then its almost guaranteed alot more people will know you have firearms. Which can bring trouble your way.

[EOD3]

If you have to ask us, I say NO.

The location of my stashed combination is in my "In the event" documents.

[gravedigger]

I was a teenager. I vote NO!

[F-2_Challenger]

Get a second safe for him and only let him have access to the guns he uses at the range. No pistols though.

[97F1504RAD]

Here's my take on it.

I say no.

Regardless if your son is responsible and a great student and all that other good stuff. My two kids are also and have also been raised properly yet there is no way I am giving them the combo to the safe at this point.

Why give him the temptation. And as a young kid you know they get tempted to do stupid things all the time and do not alwasy make the right choice. We all have been there.

[J-cat]

Hell no!

Your son and his friends will be playing with the guns when you're gone. Trust me on this.

Peer pressure is more powerful than any influence you can exert.

[ryno066]

Out teens don’t know how to be responsible because as a nation we have taken every responsibility they had from them. We don’t let them make choices anymore because they might make the wrong ones. So at 18 or when they have to count on themselves they have a very steep learning curve.

[bsim]

It saddens me that this is even a question to ask.

Lots of emphatic no responses, but pretty lame reasons. Basically, we're all saying kids are stupid. This must be a reflection on today's parenting, or California paranoia.

Agreed, no one is alike, but I'm sure I'm not the only one that grew up with pistols / shotguns / rifles stored in soft cases in the hallway closet.

Was I responsible from 5 to 16? Doubt it, but I did know the rules, and followed them. Besides, the cookie jar was open - it wasn't taboo at all to me. Hence no reason for me to think it was anything special, or cool, to show off with.

Sad, sad, sad days we have here.