I myself was around 8 or 9 years old (Pawpaw can confirm the actual age) the first time I shot my grandfather's (now mine
) Rohm .38 revolver. And I'd been sitting at Pop's feet while he cleaned his guns long before that (just watching, never touching - to my recollection, that is).My philosophy is to start them on safety as soon as they are old enough to walk. Simple stuff at first: "Don't Touch!" And gradually increasing in complexity when the child is ready for it (as opposed to a particular age). To my way of thinking, age isn't the deciding factor; Maturity is. I know 30, 40, and 50 year olds (and some who are still older) who aren't mature enough to have anything more dangerous than silly putty!