America is funny that way. As an adult I have not weapons beyond a steak knife. But as a child everyone handed me lethal weapons for me to use an learn about while having a few of my own.
I really think it was to make me understand that such things were not toys. It worked. As an adult I could have any number of weapons. But I feel safe in knowing I COULD have them and choose not too as it is not a part of my life style. I still like the outdoors and completely respect people who take having weapons seriously(albeit not crazy people lol).
Having at least 1 bow for a young person is always cool. More stuff = more options. Small crossbows would be use-able by kids already imo. Cannot however remember if we have a crossbow pistol as one referenced?
Recoil; Perhaps not gimping the weapon as much the character using the weapon. Large weapons not easy to use for a child could have the skills scaled with slower gain. This way it wouldnât effect anything else except for the child or NPC child. So instead of gaining normal rate for the adult. Gain at 35-50% slower.
This is tricky because at 8-9, the frame of a small child can still use a rifle with a relative low recoil. So I would make the limiter in skill gain and maybe dex in regard to handling such weapons.
As for reference of such. I found a lot even in controlled conditions by going to Youtube and typing in âkids at firing rangeâ. Pretty sure that sums up any other search for easy reference. I didnât want to bog down the thread with more than 1-2 examples and I found many. try also 12g kid or other cross wording. =D
Almost forgot. Danger is moot in the apocalypse. Even if it is dangerous. Consider this. You do not have to use a weapon. But that wonât matter to those who do. Kids can get hurt by NOT using a weapon in the apocalypse.
I learned to shoot guns at a very young age, and was taught gun safety before I could even hold a gun. I shot my first deer at 9 years old with a .410 youth shotgun. If you are taught correctly and responsibly, there is nothing wrong with it IMO. Gun safety is pretty much ingrained in me since I learn at such a young age. I didnât train to kill humans, nor was I left unsupervised with a gun until I was much older. The guns were always locked up when not in use for hunting⌠never left out unattended.
I bet if more kids were taught gun safety then less accidents would happen.
Disclaimer: I am not saying we give kids gun, or let them have access to them without adult supervision, but rather teach them gun safety while under supervision⌠might be an unpopular opinion, but whatever.
@NuG That isnât a bet, that is the subject of legitimate psychology research that has already been done.
They explained to kids what you should do if you found a gun (donât play with it, tell a responsible adult), then sent them out to play on a playground where they had hidden a gun. Kids who had not been exposed to guns pretty well always played with it before finding an adult to tell about it. The kids who didnât play with it first were almost exclusively those who had had experience learning to handle, shoot, and respect firearms.
The curiosity factor beat specific instructions on what to do every time, so only the kids whose curiosity had already been dealt with followed through on the instructions theyâd been given.
With that said, what most kids with that sort of background will know is basic firearms safety and use. A very few who have practiced regularly with an adult (and as I understand it, the rule for teaching kids is one adult assigned particularly to each child involved) might have enough practice to be decent shots. Typically, I would expect to see that level of training only in kids with parents who hunt fanatically or kids who grow up in a rural agricultural household.
Basic target practice is a very long way from combat firearms training.
But I canât help imagining some 11 year old farm kid becoming a master zombie sniper, picking them off from a distance with a telescopic scope, reloading ammunition by hand with scavenged equipment and a water damaged old book in a treehouse.