Best First Gun Purchase Justifications

[DickWanner]

At first my mother was turned off by the fact, now she's much more accepting. Today I was looking at the H&K site and was joking like:

"Mom can I get a class III license"
Her: "Whats that for?"
"So I can buy an MP7 machine gun that shoots armor piercing bullets at 950 rounds per minute"
Her: "Why do you need that"
"I dunno, to shoot bunny rabbits"
Her: "Wouldn't be much left, wouldn't a rifle work better..."


She sometimes asks me if I'm packing when I leave the house too. I think it's natural for a parent to want to protect their child reguardless of age. Show them you are mature and responsible and the rest will fall into place.

 

[PaulD]

This is a tough road to hoe, especially if your parents are
full blown antis. If they won't accept you having guns
"unloaded and locked up in a safe" then it's going to
be a tough sell. A lot of the other suggestions in this
thread are good; especially if they're more misinformed
than they are "guh buh wuh! oh noes! its a gun!" There is a
considerable difference between people who are misinformed
and those who are pants-wetting hoplophobes.

Parents are a special case scenario, especially when you
live with them- essentially they "own" you while you live under
their roof. I didn't even want to get into that battle so I
just waited until I moved out of their house before further
cultivating my interest in firearms.

-Mike

Yeah, that's my thinking. It's their house and they have the right to allow or disallow a gun in it regardless of whether their desire is justified.

I do think taking dad shooting and putting the 22 in a safe with no ammo are the best routes towards convincing the parents.

 

[Executive]

NEVER use the word "gun". Call it a firearm, a target pistol, a licensed weapon, but do not say "gun". People freak when they hear gun. I'd go with what was mentioned above and say you want to get into competition, (you should actually get into competition) and say you are buying a target pistol. What heppens from there is up to you.

 

[icyclefar]

Take the warm and loving approach ..........

assure her that you would never do it without her permission, at the same time remind her that it is her happiness that matters to you most, and don't forget to mention that YOU will be the one choosing her elderly care facility when the time comes.

 

[drgrant]

Actually, at least some of the pants-wetting hoplophobes are that way because they don't know any better. I have a friend who was pretty afraid of guns when I first started getting interested in shooting. After I started talking to him about safety (both the mechanical features and training), a lot of his fears went away. At this point he's curious to handle my guns and see how they work. He hasn't agreed to a range trip yet, but I made it clear that the offer is always open, but I won't pressure him on it.

Of course, I have another friend who's a total moonbat who probably won't visit my home even if the guns are all locked up. If she doesn't calm down about that, I dunno if the friendship will continue, but I'm not going to lose sleep over it.

Perhaps I should have clarified- When I mean "pants wetting
hoplophobes" I mean the people that are so afraid of them
that they don't even want to talk about them, etc. I've had
at least one acquaintance and an old friend basically abandon
whatever semblance of a relationship they had with me once
they discovered I was a gun owner. It sounds like friend #2
in your case is one of these.

I've found that there is a considerable delta between these
people and those who may not like guns but are at least partially
capable of rational thought. At least in that case a middle
ground is capable of being reached, if not something
better.

-Mike

 

[dwarven1]

Ninsho, do you have a friend you could store it with for a while, until you can get your folks to relent? Reason I ask is that it's much easier to get them to go with you to shoot if you HAVE the gun first.

You may not win this - it took me 24 YEARS to get my mother to go shooting with me, and she only did so because I was taking my 15 year old niece shooting - I think that Mom was a bit challenged by the thought that her granddaughter would shoot when she wouldn't.

Good luck!

As far as my Dad is concerned anything less than that is improperly stored and there is absolutely no reason any civilian needs to carry a loaded gun.

There speaks a man who's never been mugged or robbed.

Eventually it may peak their interest and if they ask about it, explain to them the 4 basic rules of firearm safety and then show'em what you got.

Pique. It may pique their interest.

This is a tough road to hoe

Row. A tough row to hoe.

 

[Ninsho]

Ninsho, do you have a friend you could store it with for a while, until you can get your folks to relent? Reason I ask is that it's much easier to get them to go with you to shoot if you HAVE the gun first.

Not really, I kind of came into the joy of firearms in my own right. Most of my friends also live on campus or have homes far from mine so thats not really a solution even if they were licensed.

The handful of times I've been shooting it has been at AFS using rentals so I could always try inviting my father and pay for a learn to shoot package as a sort of belated or early birthday present depending on how you look at it. My backup plan to survive the rest of the year without a firearms would be to just get a membership there and rent weekly, but the idea of not learning how to clean the firearm while improving my shooting skills and all the lost savings is what disappoints me the most.

 

[csharpdev]

My backup plan to survive the rest of the year without a firearms would be to just get a membership there and rent weekly, but the idea of not learning how to clean the firearm while improving my shooting skills and all the lost savings is what disappoints me the most.

If I lived closer I'd offer to let you clean my firearms after I shoot them.


My guess is if you asked at AFS that they'd let you clean the rentals. I haven't been there in years so I have no idea how friendly the current staff is.

 

[Ninsho]

Everyone I've dealt with at AFS has been great. I'm sure the guns could use the cleaning... maybe I should offer to clean them first before I shoot them, the AR15 I rented a couple of weeks ago was pretty filthy.

 

[packingungal]

I believe that by this time you have some idea on what makes your parents tick...all the ideas given can all work, but you know your parents better than anyone. I really don't think owning a gun has to be different than anything else if you use the right tactic.

You know what they like to hear, so tell them what they want to hear...not rocket science. If you push against them and get into convincing mode...it becomes a power struggle. You can be the smartest one in this decision.

 

[Coyote33]

...If they won't accept you having guns
"unloaded and locked up in a safe" then it's going to
be a tough sell. ...

Parents are a special case scenario, especially when you
live with them- essentially they "own" you while you live under
their roof....

The kicker here is that while he's away, it is THEM "having" the guns...

Another suggestion might be to co-locate your guns/ammo with someone you trust. If you have a trusted friend of yours that is an LTC-A holder, it might be a lot simpler just to store your guns with him/her until you escape.

This is a good idea, but a big IF as far as someone he can trust. Got a friendly uncle? Store them at GOAL?


Wait a minute? Uncle? How about Uncle Sam? Maybe you can join ROTC at college. They might have a storage facility.

 

[Ham Slam]

take your dad to a gun range that has skeet or trap open the the public. Then take him to a gun shop on another day.

if your dad isn't convinced after bringing him to a few places where people respect guns then you may not be able to convince him or your mom. Like anything parents are convinced when they see safe use and knowledge.

I was in your shoes once my parents didn'y know that while I was earning there approval there was a loaded gun in my room. Know my mom has one in her room.

things change just be persitiant

 

[matt]

Because the new apartment your moving into is your own place and you'll do what you damn well like...

 

[PistolPete]

Bring them to the range and let them talk to some of the people there. They will quickly learn that shooters are the nicest people around. Just make sure their aren't any military wanna-bees there that think they are John Rambos son. If you go to a local shooting match and talk to people there they may help quite a bit.

also, tell them the gun will always be locked up and that you took the safety course an are 150% confident you will always respect it and be careful. Also, tell them it's no more dangerous than a power tool.

 

[Jedhed]

You should tell them that the great State of Massachusetts has seen fit to issue you a LTC and who are they to question that kind of judgement...

Or say, "Oh, C'mon! In Florida they let six year olds keep loaded pistols under their pillows! No Fair!"

 

[csharpdev]

Bring them to the range and let them talk to some of the people there. They will quickly learn that shooters are the nicest people around. Just make sure their aren't any military wanna-bees there that think they are John Rambos son. If you go to a local shooting match and talk to people there they may help quite a bit.

also, tell them the gun will always be locked up and that you took the safety course an are 150% confident you will always respect it and be careful. Also, tell them it's no more dangerous than a power tool.

He goes to AFS, I don't think I'd recommend taking his parents there. Unless things have changed there are plenty of peeps from da hood popin a few caps gansta style. On the plus side most of them can't hit the black part of a shadow target from 6 ft.

 

[Ninsho]

He goes to AFS, I don't think I'd recommend taking his parents there. Unless things have changed there are plenty of peeps from da hood popin a few caps gansta style. On the plus side most of them can't hit the black part of a shadow target from 6 ft.

I've only seen that once in the handful of times I've gone and that was on the way out, I'm not sure if its the times I go or if everyone just exaggerates the situation.


The thing that really hasn't been answered yet though is how to quell the fear of a break in fueled by someone looking for the firearm. I don't think it would happen, or at least has a pretty low probability of occurrence.

You should tell them that the great State of Massachusetts has seen fit to issue you a LTC and who are they to question that kind of judgement...

If all else fails I'll try that, when I applied they didn't even really give me the option of anything other then LTC-A ALP, they must want me armed! And all the helpful suggestions here indicate the civilians want me armed too! (Or at least the civilians worth a damn )

 

[csharpdev]

I've only seen that once in the handful of times I've gone and that was on the way out, I'm not sure if its the times I go or if everyone just exaggerates the situation.

One time when I was there a hoodlum looking fellow in the lane to my right after each and every shot would point the handgun to his left (where I was) rack the slide and then resume pointing down range. All while failing to keep his bugger hook off the bang switch.

Personally I have no desire to stand to the left of such a shooter.

What's the protocol on dealing with someone who looks like a gang member pointing a loaded gun at you? He wouldn't listen to the RO who came over and corrected him many many times. I just picked up my stuff and left.

 

[dwarven1]

One time when I was there a hoodlum looking fellow in the lane to my right after each and every shot would point the handgun to his left (where I was) rack the slide and then resume pointing down range. All while failing to keep his bugger hook off the bang switch.

Personally I have no desire to stand to the left of such a shooter.

What's the protocol on dealing with someone who looks like a gang member pointing a loaded gun at you? He wouldn't listen to the RO who came over and corrected him many many times. I just picked up my stuff and left.

Uh... he's got a gun pointed at you, with his finger on the trigger. I'd say leaving was a good idea. Although I'd say that a real good case could be made for self-defense... (just kidding. I think.)

 

[Ninsho]

One time when I was there a hoodlum looking fellow in the lane to my right after each and every shot would point the handgun to his left (where I was) rack the slide and then resume pointing down range. All while failing to keep his bugger hook off the bang switch.

Personally I have no desire to stand to the left of such a shooter.

What's the protocol on dealing with someone who looks like a gang member pointing a loaded gun at you? He wouldn't listen to the RO who came over and corrected him many many times. I just picked up my stuff and left.

Thats definitely not acceptable. I have heard other similar stories but have been fortunate to not have to deal with that. Last time I went the only ones directly to my right were a pair of college aged girls being instructed for their first time.

Its a long shot but I wonder if those examples would help or hinder me in the argument to be able to get a firearm... "Mom I need to buy a pistol so I can go to a private club instead of the public commercial range... that way I won't get shot on the firing line by a hoodlum." of course then she would probably argue that as a result all firearms and gun owners are dangerous.

 

[Ninsho]

Uh... he's got a gun pointed at you, with his finger on the trigger. I'd say leaving was a good idea. Although I'd say that a real good case could be made for self-defense... (just kidding. I think.)

Or a good opportunity to practice shooting with your left... and racking the slide with the gun pointed to the right...

In all seriousness leaving was a good idea at that point, or depending on how busy they were maybe asking for a lane to his right.

 

[b79holmes]

Buy a safe. Put it in your room.

Buy a gun. Put it in the safe.

Ken

And make your first purchase a target gun and take you dad shooting.
What worked for my wife until she became more comfortable with it was to not have any ammo in the house. Then once you do always keep the ammo in the safe too.

Now she wants to try trap shooting.

Bill

 

[Riverside]

The Second Ammendment Sisters would love to help you introduce Mom to firearms. They meet the 3rd Saturday of each month at the Braintree Rifle and Pistol Club. They also meet the 4th Friday of each month at the Boston Gun and Rifle Association on Faulkner Street in Dorchester. Many, many women are "frightened" of hand guns until they for example, (attend a SAS meeting,) learn and apply safety rules and finally get a chance to get their hands on the gun for some basic target shooting. Why don't you take Mom out for some special time together? Bring her to a SAS gathering.
Best Regards.

 

[Ninsho]

Went to the range this morning and casually asked my father on the way out the door if he wanted to go, unfortunately he declined . I guess I'll just keep mentioning it every time I go. On the other hand I thankfully still haven't seen any gang bangers though the place was pretty busy this morning, I actually had to wait before getting on the firing line.

Riverside, I may give your suggestion a try down the road, I think it might be a lot easier to get my father to go shooting than getting my mom to go.

 

[packingungal]

Riverside, I may give your suggestion a try down the road, I think it might be a lot easier to get my father to go shooting than getting my mom to go.

You know your parents better than anyone...

 

[Ninsho]

Hope my parents won't consider my NES stripped lower a firearm. It can't shoot on its own so I'm not going to bother telling them about this until I go to pick it up .

 

[peterpressure]

Hope my parents won't consider my NES stripped lower a firearm. It can't shoot on its own so I'm not going to bother telling them about this until I go to pick it up .

I think that if your parents see that your reading, studying & building an AR, they will feel much better...

Heck, get Dad to help out!! Is he good with tools!!

 

[Ninsho]

I think that if your parents see that your reading, studying & building an AR, they will feel much better...

Heck, get Dad to help out!! Is he good with tools!!

No way in hell is my Dad touching the thing. We couldn't even disassemble the artificial Christmas tree this year, I don't want my ar lower out with the trash .