Your family's attitude towards guns?

Came from a pretty quietly anti-family. As in my parents were definitely not into guns, but weren't going to push that on other people. Even though I wasn't allowed to have a BB gun as a kid, I was still allowed to take hunters' safety so I could go hunting with a friends family.

Nowadays my siblings and I are across the spectrum, brother and his wife quietly anti, one sister who does not seem to have views one way or the other, other sister and her husband see the practicality of guns for their recreational habits(camping and hiking in AK), and me.

I appreciate guns as mechanical devices, recreational tools and see their practical use for self defense whether it be 2 or 4 legged. If I ever move back to a place where hunting is more accessible, I'd sure like a deep freezer full of game meat. Dangit now Im hungry! :D
 
My mother was an army brat with a father who collected guns and worked on small arms development at Frankfort Arsenal thru WW2. My father came from a family of avid hunters and outdoors men. I lived with guns all my life all around the house in plain sight and had gun safety drilled into my head as far back as as I can remember. When I was around 10 I found out one of my friends lived in a house with out a gun in it because his mother was scared of them and I thought that was really strange. My wife was raised in a gun free house. Not because of anything anti gun just lack of interest. She is fully into the gun culture and has several of her own. Our kids were raised like I was, we will see what happen with their kids.
 
I don't even remember when I started shooting. Had a BB gun as a kid, my Dad had a couple guns before I came along. We never hunted more then rabbits on family land. I do wish my Dad was a hunter so he could teach me. I would love to start hunting but it seems so dang expensive. My gun knowledge now far surpasses my Father's however I am not sure I could outshoot him.

My wife was not very happy about having guns in the house. Luckily I was able to show her the light and now has a couple of her own.

Much of my continuing gun knowledge comes from you fine folks.
 
My wife doesn't like guns and doesn't like them in the house. But as with most people that dont like guns when you ask them why they dont like guns they dont have a answer or the answer will be i just dont like guns.
 
My family was indifferent, no hunters or shooters, few veterans, no LEOs.
First fired a real gun at Boy Scout Camp, my mother never asked me about my acquisitions or shooting activities.
 
Well, my mother, father, sister and one of my brothers could careless about guns and probably think I'm a little nuts. My younger brother (15) has caught the bug and loves to shoot, we go to the range together about every other weekend. However, I have plenty of uncles and their children who are gun enthusiast. Also, a large portion of my wifes fathers family hunts and owns firearms.
 
I'm the only person in my family that has any interest in guns. Others in my family know of my passion for them and are ok with it.
 
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Most of my family is pro gun. The most anti gun part of my family moved to a farm a few years ago and ended up buying a gun for pest control. But they might not admit it if asked. Also they keep the gun and ammunition in two places that are so far apart and inaccessible that by the time they get it all together it is usually to late to use it for pest control, except for one half dead rabid skunk that did not manage to move on before it was shot. They no longer have any laying hens because the pests had more than enough time to kill them and move on.:rolleyes:
 
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I've only got one family member left, Dad...in Texas. Despite being apart for decades and not knowing him, Dad and I share many similar interests, firearms being one. Kinda spooky really.

He desperately wants to get a handgun, despite what his wife thinks. I told him (and her) that I would get him an electronic gun safe when he finally gets around to getting one.
 
My family does not like guns. It was very hard to come up with an excuse for my first gun. I bought an over under and basically showed them that it is a safe tube. Pushed my luck with 2nd. It was a 1917 m96 swede, it was cheap and it was for collector/display. Pushed my luck with 3rd. It was a p7m8, I didn't bother to tell them at all. Now they are indifferent and just don't ask anymore. But all my friends are avid shooters
 
My mother is a liberal who doesn't like guns - well, that's what she says officially. But, my mom comes across older and antique guns ever now and then, and she will either let me know about them, or buy it and give it to me as a birthday present. I have to thank her for giving me one of the nicest powder horns I've ever laid hands on. And, a nice original Remington 1858.

I stupidly let a nice 1898 Colt SAA .45 slip through my hands that she brought to me - could have had it for $800.:(
 
My mother was open to guns. She owned one years ago and was excited when I started shooting about 15 yrs ago. My current GF was a gun hater before she met me. We dated for about a year and the subject never came up. One day we were cleaning up at my place and she opened the drawer to see my 92F and a spare mag in my night stand. Clearly she flipped out but had zero reasoning for why she hated guns. After she calmed down I brought up the subject and talked about it. One day I was watching a sporting show and she started asking questions. I went in and got the 92 and cleared it. We went over the basic safety and handling and I handed it to her. She didn't put it down for an hour. A few weeks later she wanted to go shooting. After the first mag she was hooked and now carries a LCP when she's home or we're out of state.

The rest of my family accepts guns. Her family is against them but her mom is thankful that her daughter is protected.
 
I'm the only gun nut in the family,,,

My Pop grew up on a subsistence farm in the depression,,,
The family had one single-shot .22 rifle,,,
And one single-shot 12 gauge.

He said they never had more than a dozen shells for any of the guns,,,
Shooting was not a recreational or hunting thing for them,,,
They trapped animals but killed them with a knife.

Mom always owned a snub-nose pistol,,,
Her holster was her more-than-ample brassiere,,,
She shot and killed an intruder in our home when I was about 8 years old.

She had a Frontier Scout .22 revolver that my Dad gave her in the early 60's,,,
She let me and my younger brothers shoot it if we behaved ourselves,,,
But again guns were a tool and not for recreational uses,,,
A carrot for good behavior more than anything.

When I was a young lad I asked dad to teach me to hunt,,,
He said, "Why eat some nasty rabbit or squirrel when we have beef and pork in the fridge?"

He wasn't being mean or ignoring me,,,
He couldn't understand hunting as a sport or for food,,,
His mom could and would cook anything they trapped and skinned,,,
I think eating game reminded him of a very hard life he didn't want to remember.

I bought my first .22 rifle at a farm auction when I was 11 years old,,,
Then as I saved my pennies I bought milsurp rifles from Alden's mail order catalog,,,
About that time though we moved in the city limits and getting to go shoot was a very rare event.

Neither of my brothers had more than a passing interest in guns,,,
I recently asked my remaining brother if he wanted to be in my will for some guns,,,
He said he would never shoot them and it would be better if I sold them or willed them to someone else.

I dunno where I got my liking for things that go bang,,,
Maybe from the TV shows if the 50's I grew up on.

Aarond
 
Mife wife bought me a new Colt 1911 for my birthday this year which tells you a little bit about her frame of mind. When asked by my side of the extended family what she was doing and if they could participate, the response was "What? Does he want to kill somebody?"

My mom often wonders out laod "How did I raise such a redneck?"
Might explain part of the reason I live in TN instead of New England...
 
My family is "A - OK" with guns, whether they are used for hunting, target shooting, defense, or investment.

However.... it may be such that my choice of firearms is questionable to some of my family members. My guns must be especially scary or evil or something.

me - "Want to see my new pistol / rifle?"
relative - "Sure"
me - "Here it is"
relative - "Oh my god - is that thing legal?"

:D
 
My granpap got me and my brother our 1st guns at the same time. I was 6 & my brother was 4. We each had single shot .22 rifles. In the summer, we would spend most of the day out in the woods by ourselves just plinking and "hunting". I can honestly say we never once even came close to aiming a gun at anyone or being stupid with them. We loved & respected our grandpap so much that his word was gold with us. We would never let him down so we were real careful.

I had two more brothers and they could care less about guns. Each has different interests. My grandmother, mom, my wife and all 4 kids like having guns around, although they don't shoot much.

I still get guns & Ammo and Shooting Times and look forward each month to the new issues. My brother still does as well. But the gun bug never really bit anyone else in our family besides grandpap, me and my next younger brother. My son does own a pistol, a revolver and a shotgun, but it's mainly for home defense, personal carry, etc. He doesn't really read about guns or watch the guns shows on TV.
 
Family is all hunters and jarheads lol. Guns are embraced, bragged about and shown off quite often. At Christmas there is always one or two times a night where the guys and the women (who hunt) are pulled to the basement or hunting room for someone to show off a new gun.

My fiance's family is all hunters as well and I've known her grandfather and most of her cousins and uncles from trap shooting league. Her grandfather is also an NRA instructor.

So my family is is pretty good standing when it comes to guns.
 
Colvin asked:

Who taught you what you know, too?
Click to expand...


Colvin,

For me, It started with my grandfather - Most Sunday afternoons he would take the family for a drive out in the country. He'd pack a 22LR in the trunk and some where along the way he'd stop and we'd plink.

On my first job - Met a friend and we started shooting skeet. Turns out he and his father had a falling-out when he was in HS and he refused to shoot anymore with his dad. When his dad found out he and I were in the state shoot he was so happy his son was back shooting he arranged for us some great dove hunts. When I finally met his dad - Dad was a collector to the point that he had $,$$$,$$$ of NIB shotguns and he taught both of us a lot about collecting.

Had to relocate to a new job. Bought my son a 22LR. He was very good very young and caught the eye for a joint civilian/military shooting coach and he invited him to shoot at a competition. When the juniors were finished I was watching the adults and commented (without thinking) I could do that good. So was entered, got real lucky and won 3rd!!! Coach put me on the team, too. My son and I learned a lot from him on equipment, technique and concentration.

Latter, I made the mistake of buying an old Czech Mauser from a pawn shop junk barrel. Spent the next 2 yrs "fixing it". In the process I met a retired Mauser GS. Turned out that if asked him for help, didn't ask the price and stayed to help him & listen to his stories I GOT CHEAP GUNSMITHING (also learned a lot in the process). Ever since, I've had an on going milsurp project as my hobbie. Had to learn what was collectable and what wasn't and why. Did all my stock work, bedding and most of the metal and trigger work with no fear - If I broke it he'd fix it for me and I'd learn what I did wrong!

So to answer your question - I've learned from many people I've met!
 
Family is not gun-oriented. Father had one gun, a Colt 1903 that was passed down to him by his father and is now mine. Sister had one rifle, a Glenfield 60, given her by her first husband and is also now mine. Brother would like one, but wife doesn't like that idea. I'm the only crazy gun nut in my entire family. Ex-brother in law nurtured my love of guns when I was a kid, as he was a Marine and gun lover-lucky me. My uncles were all hunters and had many guns, but again, I was just a kid, not to be taken seriously for the most part. Haven't seen my brother in law in quite some time-he'd probably be shocked somebody turned out more gun-crazy than him.:D Nobody in family is anti, they just don't care for guns enough to own them. Wife is non-chalant about them. Don't really love them but doesn't begrudge them to me. In fact has bought me many of my finest for gifts.

Got one nephew that has quite a few. When I move he'll be a scant 5 miles from me and we will be talking guns.:D
 
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