TargetTalk

Do you let your Jr shooters take home their club-owned rifles?
If you do, how has that gone?

We have the parents write a check for the replacement amount, and sign an agreement. We hold that check until the we get the gun back at the end of the season. We've never had to cash a check. However 4H rules won't let us do that anymore, so officially we had to stop.

With the school ROTC program it hasn't been an issue for my kids to borrow the rifles.
I think that they view it no differently than signing out a textbook or band instrument.
If something happens to any of that stuff, no diploma until it's paid for...

Yes we do. Parents sign an agreement that if a rifle is damaged in their possession they are responsible for cost of repairs. I had to have one gun sent to get cleaned/tested when it was returned with heavy rust. Cost about $200 to repair.

I also have air rifles they are allowed to take home as long as they show proof they are using it at home.

I have a few scatt's that juniors are allowed to take home and practice with... again, they need to show that they are using it.

No problems, it is signed out to the parents.
I have 2 signed out at this time.

We had one kid in our 4H program that took a FWB P70 Jr home. He didn't show any improvement after several weeks and the gun showed a lot of wear. Turned out the only practice he was doing was going off with his BB gun friends to the woods and hunting after school. I think it was his younger brother that ratted him out.

In that particular case, he didn't ask for the gun. We noticed he needed more practice and the staff suggested he take the gun. Big mistake on our part. Turned out the kid was only in the program becasue his younger brother (who was a good shooter) attended the concurrent 4H BB Team practice.

When we took the gun away, this kid dropped from the team. Clearly there wasn't much interest or commitment. Had we contracted with the shooter and the parents, as suggested in the previous posts, a more responsible attitude would have prevailed. It was clearly a breakdown on both sides.

We only lend out the guns to the parents, who sign a responsibility letter.
I would find out how much it would cost to restore the rifle, and send the bill to the parents.

Do you, that allow the shooters to take the rifles home, worry about liability issues? What if they shoot someone with the club rifle? One of our coaches brought this up.