Req 1c — A Friend Asks to See the Gun

This is one of the most practically important scenarios in the entire badge. Peer pressure around guns happens in real life. Having a clear, confident answer before the moment arrives is the difference between a safe outcome and a serious accident.

The Correct Response: Say No and Get an Adult

You should not retrieve or show a firearm to a friend on your own, even if you know exactly where it is and believe it is safely stored. The right steps are:

1. Say no clearly and without embarrassment. Something like, “I’m not allowed to handle it without an adult present” is simple and true.
2. Do not go get the gun yourself. Even walking to where it is stored keeps the situation moving in the wrong direction.
3. Redirect or suggest involving a parent or guardian. If your friend genuinely wants to learn about firearms, that is a great conversation to have with an adult in the room who can handle it safely.

Why This Matters

Most accidental shootings involving young people happen when one person retrieves an unsupervised firearm to show another. Curiosity is natural. That curiosity becomes dangerous the moment an unsupervised person handles a loaded firearm.

Following the four rules from Req 1b (treating every firearm as loaded, never pointing at anything you don’t intend to shoot) is very hard to guarantee when you and a peer are handling a gun informally without supervision.

What If the Friend Pressures You?

Peer pressure is real. Practice this scenario in your head now. Your answer does not need to be long—“I’m not doing that” combined with a clear change of subject is perfectly fine. If a friend threatens or mocks you for following safe practices, that is a sign about the friend, not about you.

For Your Counselor

Describe the scenario in your own words and walk through your reasoning. Your counselor wants to hear that you have thought this through and are genuinely prepared—not just that you memorized a script.