[vitapimp]

for all you gun owners who are married, how does your wife feel about you owning a gun or just having one (or many) in the house?

when i met my wife I had my CHL. I carried everywhere. we've been together for 11 years now and my CHL has not been renewed, but I still own my gun (glock 23). i keep it locked and in the closet. with all the recent shootings going on at malls, schools, etc. i have decided to renew my license and start carrying again. well, my wife is not happy with that decision. she is not saying I can't or that she doesn't want me to. she is just saying she doesn't like the idea nor does she like it that even own a gun. her biggest beef is that we have 4 kids in the house. the gun has a trigger combination lock so there is no way they could hurt themselves unless i leave it out unlocked which will never happen.

if you have encountered the same problem how did you handle it? what did you tell your wife to get her to feel comfortable with having a gun in the house?

[Indy]

Originally Posted by pruneda13

so there is no way they could hurt themselves unless i leave it out unlocked which will never happen.

1st, lots of people have been killed by the impossible, so watch what you say there.

2nd, when we met my wife was a significantly better shot with a pistol than I was and I think she's bought me more firearms than I have. Nothing says love on valentines day like a .44 mag.

We were both brought up around guns. She was a cops kid and my folks hunted. We were both taught from the get go how dangerous firearms could be in the hands of the retarded, so we respected them. At home I could look whenever I wanted, as long as dad was there.

Having said that, having been around hunters and shooters my entire life I've come to the conclusion that a majority of folks with no long term formal training are still fairly careless, even tho they're doing just what they were taught. (that is they were taught wrong).

So here's my suggestion. Buy a second pistol, something in .22L so its easy to control and is a small bang. Make it a family thing. Take hunters safety and pistol courses from good instructors as a family. Show her that range time is fun and a potentially useful thing to do. Teach the kids to shoot, to be safe and responsible. Get them interested, let them compete etc.

If the whole family can shoot well, you'll be so much better off when the zombie apocolypse comes.

[Chris_]

Originally Posted by pruneda13

her biggest beef is that we have 4 kids in the house. the gun has a trigger combination lock so there is no way they could hurt themselves unless i leave it out unlocked which will never happen.

You ever buy your kids something, they play with it a whole lot for the first 10 minutes, then after that, they could care less? Same principle. My kids know more about guns, how to operate them, and safety than most adults do. I've got 10 key locks in my gun cabinet. One of these days I might see how those things work. I keep my guns in cabinets, safes, and I have a couple of pistols around the house. My kids know where they are, but they don't care. They're not interested. If they are, they ask, and I promptly show them. They know that's all they gotta do is ask. They know how to check them, they know where to point them, and they know how to shoot them. They also know the kind of destruction they can cause. My kids are not afraid of guns, nor are they curious about what they can do. When there was a Christmas present in the house, I always hunted for it, because it was a little taboo to have it. When I finally got it, it wasn't that much fun anymore to play with it. Don't keep guns such a secret and you got nothing to worry about.

My wife isn't a shooter. My kids know more about them than she does. My wife could go the rest of her life without ever seeing another gun, but she is happy that my kids are very familiar with them, because they have no interest in them, other than when we go to the gun range.

Let this one screw with your wife's head. My oldest at 4 years old with her very own .22 rifle. We don't start with bb guns in my house (Ralphie eat your heart out).

[ge2]

My wife grew up in a house with no guns, and was pretty opposed to the thought of them. I grew up in a home that had a single, unlocked, rifle in the closet. I knew I wasn't allowed to touch it (never did a single time either), and if I ever wanted to see it, I had to ask my dad to get it out.

I am fanatical about clean guns, and gun safety. When I went into the relationship with my wife, I told her that I will happily always keep guns locked and out of sight. She doesn't feel the need to know about my collection, but I have a rule....... she must go shoot with me once a year. Even if she only empties one clip. She doesn't enjoy shooting at all, and I respect that, but if there are guns in the house, then she has to know how they function.
Guns in our home are a compromise for both of us on some level. She'd like them to not be there at all, and I'd like to have quicker access to them.

[carracer]

I agree. Take the mystery out of it. Education is the key. Sign her up for a course of some kind. go out to the range and have fun. My wife has her own firearms, Marlin .30.30 and Charter Arms bulldog .44. Just a couple of days ago she suggested I sign up for a CCW class. I just may do that.

[samger2]

Well my wife had a gun before I even knew her and still does to this day...as a matter of fact I've been wanting to play catchup by getting myself one.

[vitapimp]

my kids know about the pistol. i have even taken my 14 year old shooting so he has respect for it. the younger ones 8, 6 and 6 have no interest. when they do show an interest or ask to go to the range i will gladly take them. i agree with showing them when they ask so they don't have the curiousity.

it is really just my wife being over protective and she tends to fear the worst which can be a good thing at times. being a household with multiple guns is not a plan for the future. except for my dream of owning an MP5, but that probably won't happen for another 10 years.

chris, i'll show her that pic. maybe seeing a gun in pink will spark her interest!

ge2, good advice on making her go at least once a year.

[mecompco]

Ha ha--no problem. She can shoot a 1911 better than I can. She did complain once in a while when I'd leave a bunch of machine guns on the kitchen table too long, and nixed the idea of setting the sled-mounted Maxim MG-08 up in the living room.

[Chris_]

Originally Posted by pruneda13

chris, i'll show her that pic. maybe seeing a gun in pink will spark her interest!

That was my wife's idea to get them those pink rifles for Christmas that year. I about crapped myself and fell back in it when she suggested it. She's not an anti, but she just doesn't care for guns.

[MLJeeper]

I agree, as soon as my kids showed interest, we went to the range put out a few melons and showed them what guns were for. All interest is now gone except for my son which has turned into quite the marksman. I dont teach my kids to be afraid of guns. I teach them why they are not toys and why they should be only pulled and used if you intend to kill something or someone.

Ive always carried and i always will carry. Ive been robbed at gun point and will never show up to a gun fight empty handed again. I have a right to protect myself and a duty to protect my family. Regardless of what most people think, the policemans job is not protect you as much as it is to clean up the mess and take the pictures of the aftermath. Thats not a knock on police. They simply cant be everywhere all the time and sure cant make it to your location before the crisis is over.

Oh yeah, my wife packs heat and is a much better shot than me.
I refuse to teach my kids that guns are evil. They are tools and nothing more and they have a place in this society. The problem at places like that mall where that tragedy happened and the schools where these shootings have occured were that there were not enough guns there. Concealed carriers are an asset to the community. Criminals dont get permits.

[Keith]

My wife grew up with zero guns in the house and never shot one before meeting me. I grew up the absolute opposite. Shooting isn't a passion of hers but she enjoys going to range with me. Me carrying was a little foriegn to her at first but she's perfectly fine with it now. I would say she likes knowing that I carry a tool that can protect us if needed.

[MLJeeper]

Ive only had to pull my gun once and i am so glad i didnt have to shoot the guy. He was going to try and car jack me and changed his mind. But i will protect myself if necessary.

[MissMurder]

My fiance wants one, I am not opposed to it at all. I've grown up in a hunting family, and always knew where the guns were in our house, and honestly the only thing I really took an interest in when I was younger was bow hunting. The only thing that I asked of my fiance is that if and when he does get one, I want the 3 of us, my 8 year old included, to take whatever classes we can and to all be educated about them, and that we have to keep it locked up. Who knows, I may end up liking it and then buying one of my own. But if nothing else, I at least want to know how it works and how to shoot it.

[MLJeeper]

Originally Posted by Outwornangel

My fiance wants one, I am not opposed to it at all. I've grown up in a hunting family, and always knew where the guns were in our house, and honestly the only thing I really took an interest in when I was younger was bow hunting. The only thing that I asked of my fiance is that if and when he does get one, I want the 3 of us, my 8 year old included, to take whatever classes we can and to all be educated about them, and that we have to keep it locked up. Who knows, I may end up liking it and then buying one of my own. But if nothing else, I at least want to know how it works and how to shoot it.

Thats a great idea. Its important for her to be comfortable with it if shes going to use it for self defense

[hollandbriscoe]

my fiance has 2 a .38 special snub nose and a .44 sw special. She is a better pistol shot with her revolvers than i am.