Aibu, or rather is my dp being unreasonable to think it's not ok for empty shotgun cartridges to be used for messy play?

[Lirogiro]

Our 4 yr old ds brought home a model today that includes a used shotgun cartridge.
My dp thinks it is not ok for him to be crafting with what is a basically a weapon and is also concerned that it might have unsafe chemical residue on it.
I am not so sure. I can understand his points but also think if our son doesn't know what it is, then basically it's just a good small cylinder that creates interesting craft model possibilities. What are your thoughts?

Spare I just don't believe that children should be playing with ammunition.

I am strongly anti gun. I do have a number of friends who own shotguns and they are all very careful about locking away their ammunition.

I'm sure that in most cases it would be fine but a school friend of mine did hit a cartridge with a hammer and got a nasty shock as a result...

Aren't entirely cartridges little more than a plastic tube with a brass cap on?

I'd be more concerned with the pretend knives and guns that they play army with tbh.

Is he for real? Spot the city boy!

I grew up on a farm, collecting these to use in our pretend guns we made from bits of wood. (We just threw the empty cartridge at our targets ) We also used real guns too

I don't understand the worry over an used cartridge that it might encourage playing with an unused one. Surely having a safe one in front of you is the perfect time to explain that it's OK because it's used ("see you can put things in it!") but if they ever see one that isn't empty they need to not touch and tell a parent so the parent can make it safe for playing with?

They aren't going to avoid playing with an unused cartridge they come across just because they've never stuck a used one to an egg box and pretended it was a robot.

We do things differently in the country - I was in school reception when a new teacher rushed in worried that there were men with guns in the woods behind school, the secretary just raised an eyebrow and told her that it was a Friday in February so obviously they were shooting pigeon.

We have a collection of cartridges in varying stages of decay that the kids have picked up over the years. They often go missing (the cartridges, not the kids). Got to admit that I haven't thought about chucking them in the craft box, but I think it's a fab new home for them. Thankyou.

Your DP needs to get a grip.

another one passing a grip to your DH

"basically a weapon"

Think your husband needs to relax and realise a plastic cylinder with a little metal at the end is perfectly safe.

I think it is in poor taste.

No problem at all. Beats the endless supplies of toilet roll holders and boxes with food remnants still inside.

It is an inanimate object, HIBU.

Lots of out-cooling on this thread.
I wouldn't like it. (Credentials alert) I do not live in a city.

I would be shocked but probably laugh. We are city people living rurally, but we have been here five years.

Some people are so against guns they don't let their kids play with toy guns (totally their choice not judging) so I can imagine if your dp generally feels like that this would bother him also.

I don't think either of you Abu

I would be fine with it. We grew up playing with them, even now we regularly find them on walks. Shotguns have a legitimate and necessary role in the country and there are LOTS of them... Perhaps not the best place for your anti weapon husband to move to!

Oh here we go with the "out cooling" shit. No, people just arent as bothered about it as you are.

We used to play with old bomb shells when we were kids.

Grandpa was in bomb disposal and had some small cases at home. Mum used them as plant pots.

It's not a weapon, it's a bit of rubbish which happens to be very craft-friendly!

I used to use them as feed bins for my toy farm, filled with ready brek and rice crispies

Cartridge glittery shit anyone?

I wouldn't want my DC to think they are OK to pick up in case they ever get the opportunity to pick up a live one.

What do you think would happen if they picked up a live one? Unless they happen to have their grandfather's Purdey tucked in their school bag, what dangerous thing is going to happen?

Oh Anna

While it might make a good storyline in films, hitting a shotgun cartridge with a hammer will do nothing, apart from dent the cartridge.

The only shock your friend would have got is that nothing happened because the PSI required to set off the primer is more than he could muster with a hammer AND would require him to have a very thin nail lined up in the exact right spot. So one of you is making the story up

I'm sure that in most cases it would be fine but a school friend of mine did hit a cartridge with a hammer

That might just possibly be the case with .22LR rimfire rifle ammunition. But not with shotgun cartridges. And .22LR is (a) not as common as shotgun ammunition (although hardly rare) and (b) not terribly useful for crafting anyway, as the empties are small and have crushed bases.

Unless your DH is a pacifist vegetarian then he's being ridiculous.

It might be time for your husband to move back to the city. Or buy a large multi-pack of grips. Its just a plastic tube with a goldy bit on the end....

I don't live in the country but this really wouldn't bother me. It's not a weapon, it's just tat. I'd actually find it quite interesting to look at as I've never come across an empty shot gun shell in my obviously sheltered life

Nothing to do with 'out-cooling' anyone. Just don't see how my dc could possibly come to any harm as a result of doing crafts with empty shells.

It isn't dangerous but I don't like seeing this kind of thing used for something so trivial personally as I think it can make it harder to explain just how dangerous guns actually are.

I would be a bit and use it as a way of teaching my kids about gun safety.