Did your parents own a gun?

I think the majority of gun owning people, had gun owning parents and it helped get them into it, but maybe my assumption is wrong.

It’s important.
I’m trying to figure it out, to get other people into the sport.

If your parent(s) didn’t have a gun what got you into it?


Another thing I’m doing is asking around on non-gun forums, what guns and gun terms are the least and most threatening. (the less threatening something is the more likely it is to be accepted)

I forgot one of the poll options: #6 One didn’t own a gun but wasn’t anti, other was anti.

If that one's youdon’t vote, just make a post.

my parents did not own guns.

dad was neutral on the gun issue, mom was mildly pro-gun.

what got me into guns was curiosity... nothing more, nothing less. i lucked into a good gun shop and everything was set in motion from there. had i gone to one of the many gunshops i see so often now, i probably would've been pro-gun w/ no guns.

My parents didn't own guns. I bought my first guns because I was in ROTC and I wanted to become a good shot for military purposes. I anticipated that the then Cold War would someday go hot and the Soviets would come roaring across the Fulda Gap. I didn't end up getting commissioned, but kept shooting anyway.

There was never a gun in my home growing up or in any of my other immediate families(uncles, grandparents, cousins). The first time I was able to purchase a BB gun was when i was 14. At a young age i would go to a friends house and beg him to shoot his.

In high school i was introduced to hunting. The first real gun i ever fired was a .270 then a 12 guage. For my 17th or 18th birthday my father purchased a 12 gauge and a 7mm mag for my brother and I. Shortly after i got a .300 win. and he got his own 12 gauge. Yea we fought about who got what ha ha.

Around that time my father borrowed an old winchester .22 and would watch us plink at squirrels. Within 4 years we had our father in the woods with us as well and he was able to take a 6 point with his 30-06. Hes still got that borrowed .22 and a 12 gauge now to.

His parents were skeptical at first and frown upon it(they live in PA where my father was raised, I grew up in SC). Now half of my family on either side enjoy hunting.

so far between my brother and I we have 2 .22 rifles. 1 .22 silouette pistol, a .300, a 7mm mag, 2 12 guages. I also own a fullsize 9mm and a ccw 9mm. Hes on the market for his first ccw. Not bad for two 21 yr olds

However i brought home my first CCW this weekend and my mother was not to pleased on why I "need" a gun on me at all times. Some people just don't understand.

It’s a good thing that never happened or there’d be a few billion less people and a nice green glow everywhere. lol

Fair enough question. It makes one wonder how much of our liking guns comes from the fact that we grew up around them and are comfortable, or if we were brainwashed from birth. :)

My parents did technically own a gun, but hadn't fired it (an old Rem. Rolling Block .22) in years & years. When my brother & I left home, Dad wanted a gun to shoot the varmints we had previously been keeping under control, so I found him a 12ga single shot. (it was cheap.....like him!:D)

Recently, Mom wanted a defense gun, and I found her a model 10. I just need to get her to shoot it more. The increasing number of drug stops on the nearby interstate, as well as increasing crime in general were major factors.

Both were pretty well apathetic towards guns until my brother & I showed them the utility of having them around.

I'm not sure, but I think my brother got the addiction from my uncle; likely when he shot his SPAS-12. I have no idea where my uncle got it from though. I don't think there were any guns at all on that side of the family historically.

My stepdad had shotguns and revolvers all around the house and one in his Craftsman tool chest!

A gun? A gun? Like only one? You're joking, right?

Both were for the most part anti, guns were ok for police, military, etc.. etc.. but not the common folk. (well at least till later in life, believe they changed due to my uncle's persistence, as you shall read)

They about blew a gasket when my uncle gave me my first rifle almost 38 years ago. A Sportking (remember those?) that I still have and shall forever have.. :) Needless to say, he was my most favorite uncle who took me out plinking whenever he had a weekend free. (Amazingly my mom relented and let me go. heh)

May they all rest in peace. (They're probably still arguing about it in the great beyond.) ;)

As a matter of fact my Mom shot my Dad with a colt .25 :what:

He richly deserved it. I often wished she would have been a better shot.

Don't critique me to harshly for this one. :o the 60's and 70's were a different era. Battered women didn't have the resources they have today.

Hopefully, those memories have made me a better father and a better man in general.....:cool:

My parents owned guns but I don't think I was supposed to know that. I don't think they ever fired the guns.

Pistols, rifles, bows, knives, swords, battleaxes, maces, and morningstars. We are a clan of warriors.

I don't think my dad had any real objection to guns, but my mom wouldn't even let me have toy guns. She thought it would make me turn into a criminal. Of course I played with toy guns at my friends' homes and later bought a friend's BB gun, which I kept at his house. When I was a teen, my best friend's dad took us out in the California desert to shoot .22s. Got my first real gun, a Remington Nylon 66, after I joined the Air Force.

My mom was anti gun but my dad was pro. My great grandpa got me into it after trying to disparage me with both barrels of a 10g and my back to a tree.
Ggrandma raised wholy cain! I had a bruise the size of a football.
Next trip up I asked to go shootin again and he actually was forced to hand me the .22 lr and Ggrandma gave me half a box of shells. Nothin better!

Neither owned guns when I was a kid. Both had guns in their homes when THEY were growing up. Neither were anti. Ownership just wasn't a priority for them.

My dad always had shotguns and a .30-06 (which I have now), my brothers all had guns, my grandfather had a shotgun and a cool Winchester .22 Automatic that we didn't know about until he was gone, my grandma even had a couple .410's. I can remember as a wee kid Grandma showing me her old Iver Johnson .410 single, and telling me she could also shoot .45 Colts out of it. Like I knew WTH a .45 Colt was at 5 y.o.

My mom wasn't a gunny, but she was the game cleaner/cooker!

Dad's side of the family has been hunters and fishermen since they stepped off the boat, often from necessity and sometimes because the old man would have spent his money on the drink, and he darn well better bring back something, because they often also married women that could help in the shop or farmwork. Tough Irish descent, right there. ;)

I can't remember a year before I moved south that didn't have a few dinners of pheasant or squirrel or deer.

Mom's side had a few outdoorsmen, but were more neutral. Her side's extent was "Huh, you got a gun. Be careful with that," whereas dad's side made a habit of teaching the boys to shoot young and handing down a gun once they could trust the boy to bring home a bag of pheasants instead of fingers.

Dad didn't give me a gun until my 23rd birthday (a Ruger Mk3 22/45, mmm.) but did teach me to shoot (a .22LR Luger) young, and never thumped me again after he did.

Dad owned the guns, Mom didn't care for them. We had lots of guns...

My father owned guns...my mom was anti. Her father was a licensed dealer in our state and owned more guns than anyone I've ever met. I remember him trying to give my brother and I a couple .22 rifles when we were kids and my mom shot that down.

My Dad had a WWI S&W Revolver in .45 ACP with the Half-Moon-Clips...Mom was anti-gun.

Dad was very low key about it, was a WWII Vet, and he had really good Gun Habits, good Gun Safety Habits, and, he showed me the right protocols when I was around 7 or 8...showed me many times, in case I was ever playing at some one else's home and an other kid produced a Gun from somewhere...(which never happened, but, good on him for preparing me in case it ever did...)

When I was 10, we'd go out and Target Shoot...old Tin Cans and so on...and, I observed all the Safety protocols well, and, I was a good shot.

I am amazed in looking back, that I was able to handle that S&W so well...I was rather a small, slender,and dreamy child.

Ammo was always 'Brown-Box' WWII Military Surplus Hardball.

My father took me shooting for the first time at the ripe old age of three! Guns in our family have been the family sport for fifty+ years!

My father was an immigrant from Germany. Got his citizenship in July 1940. He turned 18 in 1943, but was already with deferments for the war effort, lens maker (that’s how he put himself through night school and became a Mechanical Engineer in the late 40’s).

When he was called up, he was 4F. Ears shot and no knees, thanks to football. I gladly paid for our right to be in the United States in 1966 when I joined the Marine Corps for 10+ years. It was something I wanted to do. In fact I was afraid the Vietnam war would end before I got there. The foolishness of youth.

But we were not allowed to speak German. As my father always said, “We are Americans, we speak English.” (one of the few things my mother was right about, we should have learned German, but Pop was dead set against it.)

So we had a 22 rifle, 12ga pump, 30-30, and a revolver. I started shooting the 22 rifle at about 6 years old. My father really didn’t know squat about weapons. What he did know is that Americans had guns. He turned me over to a friend of his, a Marine, that started to teach me how to shoot properly at a very tender age, in the mid 50’s.

I started the NRA Jr. Programs IIRC they were run by another friend of my father’s and my father saw that I went and improved. We lived in the south by Cape Canaveral in Florida.

The rest as they say is History. At 61 years old, I am still loving it.

Go figure.

Fred

My parents still don't own a gun. My mom has been to the range with me and wants to own. My dad is anti. He's not going anywhere on that. All the standard anti-gun arguments are his own.

None as far as I know, but my dad was in the Army for awhile.

Grew up in suburban NJ....no guns that I know of, but got 2 sets of toy six-guns for my third birthday as I was already intent on being a cowgirl. (it wasnt politically incorrect in the 60s for kids to have toy guns...and funnily enough, I didnt even grow up violent! [end sarcasm] )

But my folks are total republicans (I'm not) so I doubt they are anti-gun. Never discussed it with them, but they will be visiting this week and I will be introducing them to my new 9mm and we WILL be discussing it, lol. I think they'll be surprised, but fine with it.

As with most things in my lifestyle, I am very different from my entire east coast, republican, Wall St family. I have pursued my own course.

Neither of my parents owned guns. my grandpa did, but never did anything with them. I started going with my buddy and his dad to turkey shoots when I was 12. and then I raised the money, and my mom agreed to buy my first 870 12ga. I've been a gun nut since. even when I started bringing AK's and AR's into the house, they were absolutly fine with it, because I earned their trust by putting myself through hunter safety and displaying firearm safety. My mom is now a shooter, and Loves the AR-15

lots.....

We didn't have guns in the house when I grew up, but neither were anti.
Chieftan- your story reminded me of my greatgrandmother- mother's side, born in Budapest. None of the children(my Mom) were to learn Hungarian to make Grandma learn English. I only heard my Grandma use curse words in Hungarian:cuss:LOL

My dad had 2 guns in the house a 22 rifle and a 20 ga that I now own but I did not get into firearms until I went into the Navy and met an avid hunter and outdoors person. He spiked my interest in firearms I was 19 at the time. So yes we had firearms in the closet but I never really new much about them until I got into firearms in the Navy and then my dad brought them out for me to have and enjoy.

Grew up on a farm and we had shotguns and 22 rifles. Never had a large bore hunting rifle because the largest game was whitetail and you were only allowed to hunt them with a shotgun. Shot pests (birds, rats, etc.), rabbits and squirrels with the 22. When I was about 10 . . . Dad bought me a 22 cal pellet gun which I used untill I could be trusted with the 22. Used to get off the school bus and grab the 22 and go rabbit hunt or the 20 gauge to go pheasant hunting. Dad hunted a lot with his 12 guage and also shot trap and reloaded his own shotshells. He used to stand up kitchen matches on a fence post and light them up with the 22 from 20-30 feet. Dad also had a German made auto handgun that my uncle brought him back from the war, but it was mostly kept in the house. I had to buy my own 22 ammo and therefore shot a lot of 22 shorts. It was a treat when I had enough money to buy some longs or long rifles. Guns were tools or forms of sport. I really feel sorry for all the folks who nowadays are brainwashed into thinking guns are bad. It's the mentality that the individual is not responsible for his own actions . . . so we have to blame something else. Pure BS . . .

My dad owned guns,his dad owned guns,as far back as my family line can be traced(1720)every male member owned guns. Every male child got his own gun when he reached his teen years or shared with a brother until he could buy his own gun. Guns were tools of survival.

I voted "owned", but it's a little more complex than that. My grandmother owned one (a Nagant revolver from WW2), and my parents didn't want anything to do with it. However, their prejudice didn't stop them from obtaining a short-barreled double shotgun for a while when there was a real threat (they told me about it, but I wasn't supposed to know where it was hidden; of course, I found it and the ammo and played with it for a couple of hours one afternoon until I got the hang of it; they never found out until I told them a decade later). We never really spoke of guns at home, except them flipping when they found my modest collection of ammo that I had come up with (apparently the idea of an 11-year old owning a 7.62NATO cartridge and a .22LR was scary), which they disposed of in the woods, or when they found out that my grandmother had told me about her pistol and had shown it to me.

I should also mention that I grew up in a very anti-gun country where ownership of any guns or ammo was forbidden... I hope that gives a complete picture :-)

Oh, I didn't really get into guns until I was already an adult. Prior to that I was as interested in them as any boy. I got into them because I realized, at the same time, that they are an important tool that citizens should have at their disposal for protection, and that target shooting is fun.

My parents were born in 1918 when guns were considered a intrical part off daily life. Thus I was brought up around the gun culture post WW2 around the 1960's in a rural small town. I brought my kids up the same way however they have no interest in my firearms what so ever as we are I now larger metro area..

Yes.........

My dad was an NRA instructor and loved hunting, one year i remember him giving my mother a 22 mag rifle for their anniversary.(I believe they divorced the next year) maybe flowers would have been a better choice.:banghead:
Anyway, yes we had guns lots of guns.

Nope, my marlin 60 that I got for Christmas was the first rifle into the house. Dad was in the Army reserves. My kids are in the opposite extreme, everyone of them has a deer rifle, shotgun, and revolvers. I draw the line at tupperware guns!!

My dad may have had an old single shot shotgun around somewhere. If he did he never shot it. Later, after I'd started hunting, he got a single shot "long tom" 12 for turkey shoots at the local firehouse. After that he got a Sears 12 ga pump gun for the same purpose. Did pretty well with them.

My mothers side of the family were hunters. She got me my first gun for Christmas about 1966-67 or so. She also ordered my second one about a year later.

I'd say my folks had never heard of "anti" or "pro." Guns just were. My mother didn't seem to have any use for a handgun, but it wasn't that she was anti, she just really couldn't think of a reason to have one. It wasn't until after she died that we found a little 22 cal blank pistol in her "stuff." Where it came from or why, we have no idea.

A funny story that came up during my Dad's funeral. The two of them built the house we grew up in, just after the war (WWII). They moved in before it was finished, and Dad just stuck the door in the frame, and drove a nail in to hold it in place. The front yard was full of building materials.

She said Dad told her, "Now Margaret, if I yell for you to get the gun, don't you yell back...We don't have one." :D

My Father taught my sister and I how about gun safety as early as I can remember. We learned proper safety and technique starting out on a pellet gun, then a 22 rifle, ending with a 22 revolver and 32 mauser pistol.

Throughout the years I "suggested" that my dad expand his collection. :) My love and respect for guns started early and it's something I look forward to passing on to my daughter.

Dad bought several handguns and a reloading press in the late 70's & early 80's, probably anticipating a ban. I wish he still had them to pass on to me (I'm the only shooter out of the six children).

Ruger Mk II (?) .22LR
Browning Hi-Power 9mm
Ruger Blackhawk (?) .357Mag
TC Contender

I didn't know until my teenage years, but my father owned several guns. We lived in an apartment and he kept it with a neighbor. It turned out that my father loved shooting; even when he was a young man he would often go to the range with his friends. When we reached our teenage years and became interested in the shooting sports, we got him to buy a handgun and we went to the range as a family. It was the only sport that we enjoyed as a family (that includes my mother and sister).

yup. My wife's parents did not. However she's wanting to get her first gun because she loves shooting.

Parent(s) owned a gun.

Nope. They owned several.

Both sides of my family are long lines of gun owners. Mom's dad operated a number of pawn shops in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. He "retired" into a single milsurp supply store. Pretty cool to a little boy like me. My dad got ALL KINDS of absolute treasures from Grandpa, for cheap, through those pawn shops.

Dad, and his family tree were hunters well before they migrated over the pond. I grew up hunting and shooting long guns and handguns.

My wife's family, also were gun owners throughout her childhood, however, she was not brought up in the activity like I was. She is quite experienced now though.

How about, "Yes, they owned guns, although it wasn't legal"?

Only one, and here it is, my inheritance.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b13/armoredman/outdated.jpg

Nope. never a gun in the house, never discussed. But I saw the light myself at 25 (thanks liberal MSM for the kick in the pants to defy you) and for some reason I always had a predisposed interest of sorts and thought as a late teen I should someday get a concealed permit when old enough.

My dad owned a top-break nickel-plated revolver, but never fired it & didn't have ammo for it. He also had a 12 guage side-by side, used only for dispatching snakes & predators.

My brother was 9 years older than I, and had a Winchester .22 single shot and a .410 of unknown make. I inherited them when he went into the Navy, and shot both from age 7 on.

Incidentally, my father didn't care for BB guns! I saved lunch money and bought two or three "Red Ryder", etc. and hid them as well as I could. He always found them, never discussed it with me, and I never saw them again.
:mad:

Owned several guns...

Dad's side of the family were farmers/ranchers, rifles and shotguns were a way of life with them. Grand dad said he didn't need anything larger than a .22 and often proved it taking all kinds of game with just the .22
Dad had an old K98 in 8mm that he bought from the NRA for like 18.00 and a Winchester 62A that he bought when he graduated high school.

Mom's side was from the city.. her father kept an old military rifle at his business, but nothing in his house.

I was the first to own a handgun on either side of the family in almost 100 years though..

Strange since my ancestors made rifles during the revolution and fought at the battle at Kings Mountain with the Over the Mountain Men in 1780..

My parents always had guns, my grandfather was the most pro gun person you would ever meet, he even took care of the weapons in the field during his service in WWII. But even on a larger scale, my last name is Browning and John Moses Browning is my ancestor. I think all down the line my family has had an inherent fascination and appreciation for firearms in general. My 84 year old grandma still keeps a little revolver in her nightstand.

Mom and dad have been gun owners since I can remember. When I was a kid, dad used to deal in English double rifles and old Colt SA. His personal gun has always been a 1911 and for fun, double action revolvers and various rifles. Mom likes guns and has a Glock, but her favorite has always been her 38 that she has had since probably before I was born.

I grew up around guns and have been shooting them since I was big enough to hold one steady.

My dads family owned a gun until their village was invaded in the early 40's. Most of the families in the village didn't have a gun, that made it pretty easy for the invading Russian army to take over.

my dad qwned sevel guns, mom was pretty neutral. dad used to hunt a lot. tapered off as he got older, then there was a spurt when my youngest brother started hunting. in any case, all of us ended up with guns as adults, and i will do my part integrating firearms into my kids lives. actually, i already have.

I grew up in Chicago and have 5 older brothers ---- I was the first in my family to own a LEGAL firearm when we moved to the suburbs at age 8:eek:

On my Dads side -- nobody owned firearms that I know of. But on my Moms side , both her brothers owned shotguns and hunted waterfowl --- so my Mom was the one who signed for my .22 rifle and SG when I was eight:D

My mom was on a rifle team in her younger years but became an anti when I was born and has come around in the last few years with society on a down spiraling way. My dad is a Vietnam War vet and an anti even if he doesn't think he is. Sure he has a Remington 70 and an Ithica pump action 12 Ga. (supposedly bought them before 68 when you could order them through the mail while he was in Vietnam, heard of it happening don't know if it is legit.), but he doesn't shoot them, doesn't have ammo for them, and I don't think they've been cleaned since I was born, and he won't let me see them and they are up in the attic boxed up right near the christmas tree stand. He still goes on occassionally about "Two wrongs don't make a right...In a perfect world there's no reason to own guns...It's wrong to kill bad people for being bad.." I love the man I truly do but he and I just disagree plain and simple.

Luckily my old Southern Jew grandpa(my mom's dad) owned a few pistols(my Uncle got them when he passed). A S&W .38 special K-master I'm told, had a real long barrel, I shot it when I was kid but I much preferred shooting .44 Special Wadcutter out of my grandpa's Ruber Blackhawk .44 magnum(thought I was Dirty Harry shooting those weasel fart loads one handed), and a Colt Detective .38. At age 12 he started taking me shooting for every report card that had B's or better, and best believe I got B's and better, even had a point reward for getting all A's and I pulled a few all A's. Getting to pickup the Ruger wsa the Cat's meow to me, all the looks people gave me seeing me pickup the gun one handed, cock the hammer back, and firing it at a target only fifteen feet away. How great I thought I was, now looking back I realize how poor a shot I was.

Mom and Dad are very anti-gun, thinking that only police need them.

Dad also believes that if you need to defend your home, a .45 is some form of lawbreaker, you "only need a .22."

Mom thinks that gun owners get some kind of thrill from killing other people.

These are the ancient, doddering people I have to care for.

my mother had her own 30-30 (took several deer with it too) her own 20 ga and her own .22LR pump and a .25acp Beretta.
my dad was a dedicated deer and small game hunter. had quite a few long guns and 3 pistols.

My dad owned rifles and shotguns, no handguns in the house. Even discouraged me from purchasing one,said I would shoot someone. Never taught me how to defend myself with a weapon either. Now that I have handguns,so does my mom. Go figure.

my dad was in the Army, but he never cared for guns. My parents weren't exactly anti, but they weren't fans of them. They trsut me, though, so that is good. I just got into them one day, and that has how it has been since. No father-son shooting, no family tradition, etc. I just liked guns.

Both my parents owned guns when I was younger growing up and still own. We grew up shooting BB guns and were taught gun safety. As we grew older so did our progression into guns mostly for hunting. Being involved in Boy Scouts and acheiving shotgun/rife merrit bagdes furthered our gun safety (I am not sure if the Scouts still offer this or not, it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't. Probably offer a merrit badge in gaming or how to be PC)

No, they owned many of them.

Parents owned guns (my dad had a "save" with one in the early 1970's, no shots fired). Grandparents owned guns. Great-grandparents owned guns.

When my great-grandfather and great-grandmother were married in 1900, one of the wedding presents was a matched set of his-'n-hers top-break CCW revolvers, a .32 and a .22.

Mom was a single parent. No experience with guns. But she gave me a .22 bolt for my 16th because I wanted to shoot with a friend.

My parents didn't own any guns although they weren't anti. Mom actually didn't like guns at all but still realized their necessity. I shot a gun with a friend when I was 15 or 16 and I was hooked. Dad bought a shotgun for me when I was 17. 12 years later I helped them purchase their own pistol for home defense.

I can only assume from my parents' behavior that they were gun-neutral:

--I never heard my parents make anti- or pro-gun statements.
--My father was in the Navy during WWII; I assume he had some experience with firearms. If he did, I never heard about it. I did hear lots of KP stories, though.
--As far as I know, there were no guns in my house growing up. I certainly never saw one. I suspect it was disinterest rather than disapproval.
--My father was an avid fisherman, but I never knew him to go hunting. He was always happy to trade bass and trout for venison, so I assume he wasn't against hunting. Again, I suspect disinterest and not disapproval.
--We kids were allowed to have toy guns and play cowboys & indians, and war, and other games that are frowned upon these days.
--We kids were not allowed to have bb guns, bows & arrows, slingshots or anything else that fired a projectile - after all, you could put someone's eye out! Here I suspect my mother's all-around overprotectiveness, not any dislike of the items themselves.

I was moderately anti and gunphobic for years. I wanted to ban them from my house because "that's what good mothers do." I wanted to be a good mother.

I don't know if banning guns during my son's formative years CAUSED his gun enthusiasm, but it certainly didn't diminish it :) He got me interested in guns a while back.

My Dad has what the Washington Post would label an 'arsenal.' His hobby is collecting the civilian versions of military rifles. Once he was asked by a Chicago transplant if he ever worried that one of the 'children' might get into his guns and use them. His answer- 'I hope they do, we're short of venison at the moment.'

Selena

Yes, a s#!t load as a matter fo fact....and still do.....

Dad has guns, Mom is not a fan but let me buy my first gun when I hit 21 even though she complained about how much I spent.

My dad owned a couple of .32 caliber Colt revolver's, when I was born in
1947. Mom being an anti, he quickly sold them off for fear that I might
get a hold of one of 'em and injure myself [or other's]~! :( :uhoh:

No guns in my house. My parents weren't anti though. My neighbor who was an older kid let me shoot his .22 and 12 gauge . That was all it took. This was all in the 60s. The rest is history.

My parents had no position on guns, but at my first request for a gun they were happy to purchase for me. I had brother in laws who hunted. They got me started.

One was mildly anti and one was mildly pro. They are now both moderately pro and argue to this day about which one of them was anti.

Mother took the CCW class, but does not have the permit or carry. They have a Ruger SP101 loaded with .38s for home defense. That's about it.

Dad was in WWII, Korea and a hunter. Mom could shoot too but could care less, just got a few rabbits for the pot. I am sure it influenced me...I cannot imagine not shooting or hunting.

my pop owned 1 browning .22 that had never been fired but wasnt in great shape dude to being moved around for 30 years from different countries (air force) i was told to jsut shoot the dang thing when i got into guns i dont like it if i use regualr federal or winchester ammo its a jam'o'matic so i got a 10/22 instead

then we had 3 antiques 2 single shot muzzle loading percussion and ball pistols and a harpers ferry musket that says 1814 on it. it was converted to percussion cap we think during the civil war

my dad had a rule that carried over from my grandfather "no gun till your 16" till then i shot the shot out .22lr's at boyscout camp and the 20gauge shotguns for my shotgunning merit badge then the day after my 16th birthday my dad let me pick out a gun we left with a remington spartan spr220 double barrel 12gauge that will actually be 3 years ago thursday

in 3 short years my collection has grown from none to ummmm hang on 11 ish not sure im on the other side of the state for school and only took 3 with me and when i get some more cash there will be a galil on the way

We had about a dozen growing up and they were loaded and out in the open. I am not advocating this, that's just how it was back then. My brother and I didn't mess with them. We knew better. I do keep them out of reach of my six year old though. Some things do change for the better.

Since my parents are ex hippies, they were virulently anti-weapon/anti-military when i was younger, but as i got older they became more gun friendly, to the point that my dad now carries a .38special.

Grandpa and Grandma had a big hand in raising me. Grandpa had a 16 gauge single shot. Great grandpa lived with us when he got older and had an old 12 gauge double barrel with two external hammers. My dad had a German p38 that he sold and when I was older he had a 38 revolver that he used to collect for a loan shark. Did I mention my dad is Italian? LOL.

I also remember going into neighbors homes and in their living rooms they had wooden and glass cabinets with their prized guns on display.

I dont recall Mom ever having one, but she wasn't an anti.

My father owned/owns several, but never was around, so he doesn't count.

I grew up in (very) rural north Louisiana, with my mom and grandparents. Firearms were, and are, a part of life in Lincoln Parish. Until I was a teenager, I didn't even know there was such a thing as an anti-gunner. You'd may as well talk about being anti-walking! By the age of six, I had my own .22 and .410 singleshot, and was hunting alongside my grandfather, uncles, and cousins. By about ten, I was hunting alone, for deer and everything else.
Guns were for hunting and protection. I didn't live in an incorporated town, so there were no police. The Sheriff could conceivably come, but it would be hours. You protected yourself. As a teenager, my mom successfully used her .38 (which she still keeps on the nightstand) to fend off intruders from our land. In the eighteen years I lived there, I never once laid eyes on a game warden, but no one poached---or even hunted on Sundays!
Now, as an adult, I live in a decent sized city in east Tennessee. It's amazing the different attitudes here. I'm trying to instill in my daughter some of the same attitudes about self reliance and conservation that were taught to me.

for at least four generations, probably longer. Shotguns and rifles, of course, with a few handguns thrown in.

My parents never owned any guns, but weren't anti-gun either. We just never were into hunting or guns and just never owned any.

Years ago my brother-in-law had an older 9mm and a group of us went out to some private property and shot some bottles and targets and such. Not long after that I bought a LNIB Ruger P89, which was my first gun and only gun up until this year. I never used it much and a guy I work with inquired about it and I sold it to him. But then I went right out and bought a new P95.

I guess I have to thank Obama and the current environment because after having grown up with no guns and then only owning that one P89 for a dozen years, I now own 5 guns, all of which I bought this year. It also helps that a buddy of mine has several acres and I've been able to shoot there and there's also a new local range that is very reasonable.

eh, my dad is moderately anti. he supports ownership of rifles and shotguns for hunting, but " there's no need for semi-automatic handguns and 'assault rifles'". we have some interesting discussions.

Yes,my late parents owned several restaurants in Florida beginning in 1946 in Fort Pierce.
Dad carried a Smith Model 10 and Mom had a Colt Detective Special under the counter at all times.
They both knew how to use those guns!
Mom died at 94 in 1996 and left the Colt to my much older brother who has it still ,as he fishes the bays and bayous of Corpus Cristi!

My dad owned guns but didn't really shoot them, so I'd go with didn't own guns. He definitly wouldn't be classified as a shooter. All he owned was a Kahr .40 for defense, which I did the main shooting of, and a 100 years old shotgun that's been passed down. I don't know where I got the shooting thing from though.

And my mom, she was somewhat a fence sitter leaning to the anti-ish. But dad was the word of the house, so I was able to shoot.

Dad owned numerous rifles .. 22's and such .. not sure of type .. also owned a Walther PPK .. first handgun I ever shot . now the collection has grown considerably .. Firearms for Fathers Day .. how can you go wrong ?

I voted "didn't own a gun, but weren't really anti", as they owned a gun that was stuffed away in a closet, never shot or taken out. My dad bought it 30-something years ago just to have it, since he wasn't allowed to have a gun in the house he grew up in - a result of my grandfather coming back from WWII.

That being said, I took my dad out to the shooting range (he'd only been once before) and he had a good time. My stepdad and my mom also took my mom shooting, and she also had fun. My stepdad gave my mom a Ruger MkII since she liked it. So now both my parents are gun owners - albeit rimfire gun owners.

My dad owned a couple of rifles and a small pistol. Mom and dad would let me shoot when we down to grandpa's farm and I remember "squirrel hunting" with grandpa and starling and crow hunting with dad. I knew what a gun was and had respect for them from an early age. I never remember fearing a gun, I know several people that are scared of them, my Gf wouldn't even follow me into the sporting goods section of walmart at first... now she has her own.

My folks were 1st gen Americans,Dad was very progun,Mom indifferent.Learned to shoot at 5 or6, Uncle gave me his AC41 P38 souvenir when I was 10.

The 50's and 60's were a different time, we would take our bikes and with .22's across the handlebars, make a day of hunting woodchucks.($.50 bounty from farmers, enough for a box of shells)

Times have changed.

My folks were 1st gen Americans,Dad was very progun,Mom indifferent.Learned to shoot at 5 or6, Uncle gave me his AC41 P38 souvenir when I was 10.

The 50's and 60's were a different time, we would take our bikes and with .22's across the handlebars, make a day of hunting woodchucks.($.50 bounty from farmers, enough for a box of shells)

Times have changed.

Dad sold guns and ammo in the same building where Mom ran the local Post Office. Try THAT today.

I can remember no one in my family that did not own guns. I was born and raised in Biloxi Ms and hunting in the 40's & 50's was a necessity not a sporting thing. All my kids, 3 girls and 1 boy, all own handguns & long guns today and the boy and oldest girl have a CCP.

I can remember no one in my family that did not own guns. I was born and raised in Biloxi Ms and hunting in the 40's & 50's was a necessity not a sporting thing. All my kids, 3 girls and 1 boy, all own handguns & long guns today and the boy and oldest girl have a CCP.

My wifes great, great uncle was born in Spain but came to Biloxi as child in the 1860's.
He became prosperous in the cannery business.When he died in Rome on a pleasure trip in 1902,the family ,on his wills instructions, managed to bring him back to his beloved Biloxi by boat, a difficult feat in the early 20th Century!
He is buried right at the edge of the cemetery off U.S.90 under a big oak tree.I visited twice.
A wonderful city with wonderful people.You can be proud,chuck.

My wifes great, great uncle was born in Spain but came to Biloxi as child in the 1860's.
He became prosperous in the cannery business.When he died in Rome on a pleasure trip in 1902,the family ,on his wills instructions, managed to bring him back to his beloved Biloxi by boat, a difficult feat in the early 20th Century!
He is buried right at the edge of the cemetery off U.S.90 under a big oak tree.I visited twice.
A wonderful city with wonderful people.You can be proud,chuck.

My grandfather & grandmother were also buried in that cemetery on the beach. The cemetery was mostly destroyed by hurricane Katrina . My ancestors on my fathers side are from Spain also.

My parents are refugees from the Khmer Rouge reign in Cambodia.
They've seen many people killed with guns and have been emotionally scarred.

They didn't like it when I grew up and found that I liked hunting and shooting. My dad can accept it, but my mom still hates the idea.

I tried to reason with them that having guns is a good thing because it could prevent a crazed group from taking over, but emotional scars are hard to mend.

I'd like to also add that directly after the Khmer Rouge takeover, they had a campaign of collecting guns. They convinced people that they didn't need guns because the government would keep everything safe and would provide food for everyone.
Many people who owned guns never went home after turning the guns in...and those who were found with guns were executed. Gun owners tended to be more affluent, better educated, people who could undermine the Khmer Rouge government.

My parents didn't own a gun. My dad was pretty anti, but he's coming around now. My mom wasn't really an anti, which is probably due to the fact that her dad had guns. She didn't have any herself though as she thought that having guns is basically a male thing.

What got me into guns? You can credit G.I. Joe with that one.

... What got me into guns? You can credit G.I. Joe with that one.

Same here. :D

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y12/HardShell/RWB%20Family/RWB2ndBirthday-small.jpg

And I'm passing along both Joe and a love of firearms to my own son...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y12/HardShell/RWB%20Family/RichiecakeandJoe.jpg

;)


Yes my parents had guns, but not many and Dad (despite retiring as a Major General from the USAR) is not a firearms enthusiast like I am. :(

But he and Mom both still CCW and have for years...

Growing up my dad worked part time for the sheriffs office. I can remember the argument between my anti-gun mom and my dad when he told her he was going into the academy. It eventually settled down, but my mother did not like the idea of a gun being in the house at all. My dad took me out once when I was 13 to shoot, I didn't really think much of it at the time. But I do cherish the memories of sitting at the table cleaning his .357 and the smell of hoppes, that is the one time guns could be out in the house. Later on I would become really interested in firearms, due to a visit to Nevada and a full auto firing range. Life is kinda funny that way.

My dad owned a revolver, then it got stolen. When the cops found it and asked my dad if he wanted it back, he said no. As far as my mom goes, she wouldn't even allow me to own a BB gun, which explains why I went nuts with guns after I moved out.

I only saw it about two times, and I don't believe that my father ever fired it as an adult. It was an old .22LR revolver that belonged to my dads grandfather. It stayed hidden away from us kids, and regretfully, at some point my parents turned it in to the local PD to have it disposed of!!!!:banghead::eek::what::fire::cuss::barf::mad::(

Hence, I will never own my great grandfather's gun.

I have been told that he used to use it on rabbits around the farm in upstate NY.

wish I had that darn thing, even though I have been told that it was basically a no name/ store brand cheapo revolver, it would be nice to have a peice of family firearms history. Rant over.

-JM

My parents were not anti but never got into guns until I did. I took my CCW class with my father and brother. My mom just recently got her CCW. The whole family came late to the party but we came together.

My father had some guns, but I was too young to shoot them. He did get me a BB gun, though.

My mother had a gun because of my father, but I did not know where it was. I also did not want to find it because I knew I might accidentally shoot myself or my sister. I did not know enough about guns at the time.

My parents did not own any guns. My Grandpa had a shotgun on the farm back in Italy.

But since I've gotten into guns, my dad now owns one and if I have my way, my mother will too!

Mother had a model 10, .38 for CCW. Father has a small collection of shotguns and rifles. Thats where my intrest in firearms started.

I forgot one of the poll options: #6 One didn’t own a gun but wasn’t anti, other was anti.

That's me. My father is a doctor who trained in Detroit. He wasn't too keen on guns after training in the ERs down there. I'm headed down the same career, and I can say that he is the rule not the exception, although I've met more than expected numbers of medical types who are pro gun. He cites seeing gun violence in Detroit in the early 80's and the fact that someone shot his dog when he was 12 as his anti gun feelings.

My mom on the other hand is ambivalent, and bought me a ruger 10/22 when I was 16.

I've taken them out shooting and my dad is now more neutral, and my mom wants me to take her out shooting again as soon as I can :)

Parents did not own guns.

-Mom is anti-handgun, anti-civilian carry, and i think anti-black rifles (haven't openly discussed). Ok with long-guns like shotguns. Honestly after some discussion I believe her opinions to be irrational and she knows that we disagree.
-Dad is not anti-gun so much as anti-killing. Doesn't have great interest in owning a gun or shooting because he has an aversion to killing anything. Please note that I said ANYTHING meaning animals and people, fish and most insects are ok to kill though. Personally a heavy respect for life isn't something I'm going to hold against someone.

Sorry I had to hit the other button.

My parents were like this, my mother likes guns and my father was of the mind set guns are just not for me. Neither have ever own any and I can't really call their attitude as pro or anti.

Me on the other hand, I own some, NRA member and 100% pro!!!

My grandfather & grandmother were also buried in that cemetery on the beach. The cemetery was mostly destroyed by hurricane Katrina . My ancestors on my fathers side are from Spain also.

It's sad to hear about the cemetery's destruction.We were there last in 2004 just before the many storms and it was still pristine.
My wife and you may be related,Chuck!:)

My parents still have guns to thi9s day. The first gun I ever shot was my fathers RG 66, 22 revovler.

As a kid I allways wanted to be a gunsmith and I don't think my parents haveing guns caused it.

My father was a Vietnam Vet and a SWAT team member and my mother was an officer in the NYPD.

... The first gun I ever shot was my fathers RG 66, 22 revovler...

I still have my grandfather's little .22 RG -- piece of crap IMO, but I won't part with it for sentimental reasons, of course.

Grew up around them. Learned to respect/use/maintain as kid and in military. Never forced the issue onto my wife/kids, who all know how to safely operate a pistol, revolver & shotgun.

I forgot one of the poll options: #6 One didn’t own a gun but wasn’t anti, other was anti.

This is me. We were not hunters, so just not much talk about guns when I was a kid. Dad liked to fish and drink mom was (still is) a democrat.

Guns are a tool around my place and have been in my family since the Rev. War.

Both parents are anti. Dad more-so than mom.

I got into guns primarily because I thought it was fun (friend took me shooting one time, and I had always wanted to try), but then got really into guns for the individualist/self-reliance aspects of it. I don't like to rely on other people for anything, especially not self-defense.

My mom is now a fence-sitter who sometimes mulls over getting a gun for their house (thanks to our conversations), but my dad is still a very staunch anti.

Heck Dad got plenty...... to arm a squad with !:evil::D

My parents have not a gun. But they didn't forbid it to me:p

My dad keeps a shotgun as the only gun in the house. Was never a collector as I am and saw no need for more. He had a 5 shot 12ga. with 18in and 26 in. Shot clays all day long and would stick the shorter barrel on for home def.

Dad figured were we lived a pistol permit is tough and no real distances for a rifle so a shotgun was it. He does love coming out with me and shooting everything I have. My mom never shoots but says it's cause she's a bad shot, no real interest as opposed to being anti.

My parents didn't own a gun but they did teach me about them and took me out to practice.

Yes my parents were both pro gun and owned many. My dad taught me to shoot when I was about 5 years old. I'm 40 now and we have been shooting together ever since.

They didn't own but were not anit-gun.

I got interested after having a BB gun or two. I read a lot of hunting and trapping books of adventure in the 5th grade on. That probably lead to the interest. I always wanted a 30/30 like the trappers might have had, and the Rifleman had, but ironically I have never owed one. I got a 20 ga Winchester single shot when I was 14 years old to hunt rabbits and upland game. Now I live in the city and handguns are more the appeal.

Parents didn't own a gun, ever. But both supported me when at twelve I joined an NRA sanctioned club for teens in Baltimore. My grandfather hunted on occasion and owned several guns (gave me a winchester .22 which was later stolen.) I never wanted to hunt, but loved spending every minute I could at the range.

Spent the next 30 years in places or with people who were strictly anti-gun. Now, back in South Carolina, I've purchased several guns, shoot as often as I can and enjoy teaching others how to shoot safely and have a great time.

Happy shooting!:D

My Dad had the Savage .22 of his youth. My Mom did not like guns. Once me and my older brother were able to smuggle that .22 out to a relative's farm, the passion of shooting/hunting really grew.
My Dad sorta turned a blind eye on that and a couple other things when we were teenagers. As long as we were responsible, it was OK with him.

Mine split up when I was three, and there were no guns in the house (mother retained custody of children; dad was out of picture) until mother's third husband when I was sixteen. He brought in two rifles, which were kept out of view until one, a .22 Winchester, was given to me two years later. That opened the door for me to persuade my mom, who was widowed by him that same year, to allow (though with some apprehensiveness) me to bring more in over time. That was made easier when his son asked for the Winchester, which I guess had once been his, and my mom let me replace it with another rifle.
Incidentally, my mom had actually allowed a BB rifle in the home when she gave my 13 year-old brother one for Christmas. I was fifteen at the time. Just a few weeks later, he had it seized by police while riding through a crowded parking lot on a bicycle with it slung over his shoulder. Thar act of irresponsibility prompted her to tell the cops to keep it.
As I later re-established a relationship with my natural father, I learned of his firearms interest and past in LE, so I answered this survey assuming he had at least one gun while he and my mom were still married.

My Parents did not own guns.

Also have have no problem with them.

We had guns and flashlights in every room.

#6 One didn’t own a gun but wasn’t anti, other was anti.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dad never owned any firearms while I was growing up, but I think that he had when he was younger.

Mom didn't even like me playing with toy guns :banghead:

None as far as I know, but my dad was in the Army for awhile.

Grew up in suburban NJ....no guns that I know of, but got 2 sets of toy six-guns for my third birthday as I was already intent on being a cowgirl. (it wasnt politically incorrect in the 60s for kids to have toy guns...and funnily enough, I didnt even grow up violent! [end sarcasm] )

But my folks are total republicans (I'm not) so I doubt they are anti-gun. Never discussed it with them, but they will be visiting this week and I will be introducing them to my new 9mm and we WILL be discussing it, lol. I think they'll be surprised, but fine with it.

As with most things in my lifestyle, I am very different from my entire east coast, republican, Wall St family. I have pursued my own course.

So here's my update: I told my folks there was now a gun in the house and my mother never missed a beat and said, "That's great, I'm surprised you hadnt gotten one already." My dad's into it, but not familiar with semi-autos and only fired an M1 in the Army.

He also told me a cool story about getting to watch them use spiders to spin silk for gun/bomb sights.

Bought my first gun out of curiosity (just turned 21 in 08)in october 08, told my mom and dad a month later due to fear of thier reaction. My dad began telling me stories of his previous guns he had once owned. I had never known that my dad had ever owned a gun(s) untill that moment. He seemed to miss firearms, I could see it in his eyes so that following week I got him a mossberg 500a for Hd/possibly hunting, and I plan on getting him a nice 357 magnum and my mom SPECIFICALY requested a snub nose .38.

God I love my parents.

Dad had an old Remington single shot .22.

Dad owned shotguns for hunting. No rifles. No pistols. He was a fuddie (born and raised in Europe and then lived in NJ). Basically cared more about hunting than the gun. But I am bringing him around. I bought him Western soundtracks cd (which he loves) and I have a SSS cowboy pistol he really likes to shoot. I play the cd on the way to the range. I even have cowboy bandit targets. :evil:

There are pictures of me shooting a BB gun with my Dad when I was 4, 20 guage at 7, my own .22 at 9, and the list goes on. Dad figured I better be a good rifleman based on his Vietnam experience. I never heard Mom (a nurse) disagree.

I can recall walking through downtown (pop 1200) with an 11-48 Remington going squirrel hunting as an 11 year old and shooting clays from our front yard (over the Ohio river). It is very sad how much things have changed.

Dad and I got our CCW permits the first year the state offered them. Mom got hers a few years later.

The closest thing to Anti I can find is my grandfather's inability to see why anyone should own an AR or AK. :banghead:

We never had a gun in the family, but my father often talked about someday getting a .22 rifle. Somehow, some day never arrived. He did get me a Daisy pump BB gun and taught me how to shoot with it.

I only grew up with my dad and grandmother. Dad didn't really speak much of the issue, but my grandma was extremely anti. The only people that taught me the basic fundamentals and the love of guns were my other elder role models.

my grandfather (Swiss) owned his issued K31, and my other grandpa (Italian) owned a side by side shotgun for hunting.. neither of my parents owned a gun...

Now, I think I own more guns myself than all my ancesters did for 300 years ;) - And I did this in only 6 years :)

My grandfather & grandmother were also buried in that cemetery on the beach. The cemetery was mostly destroyed by hurricane Katrina . My ancestors on my fathers side are from Spain also.
I live in the area, if y'all want I would be more than willing to go over there one weekend and check out the current conditions of your ancestors last resting place and take some pics to send you so you know the current condition of the area. It would be a welcome diversion to a otherwise mundane weekend. If you want me to, just IM me some info so that I know who to look for.

As for the topic at hand, my parents were indifferent about guns. Never had any in the house growing up. My WWII vet grandfather used to have me do drills w/ a single shot .22 bolt gun when I visited growing up, I loved every minute of it. I first shot them in the bsa, liked it, liked guns, but waited until I was out of the house (kinda, lol) to start my collection. Been going ever since.

My father was an avid gun collector/reloader (tried to go pro)/amateur gunsmith (did a pretty fine job at it). He got me into shooting a .22 rifle when I was 9 or 10 years old. He was also big on hunting, and went out to hunt deer or bear whenever possible, sometimes taking me along for the trip. Those were some good times....snow covered ground, the crunch of our boots in the snow, the salty taste of some good jerky sitting in the side of my mouth and a canteen full of hot coffee....looking for the clues that will lead us to the opportunity. I love hunting, it's almost like a time warp compared to the city life i live now.

My mother....she grew up hating guns. To her, they were a tool of destruction, sometimes necessary, but she refused to have anything to do with them. She also got pissed off when my dad gave me that .22 rifle.

Funny part....with age, my father is less of a shooter, my mother wants to give it a try, and I'm still the moderate between the two. To me a firearm is a tool, and a fun one at that so long as it's handled responsibly and safely.

Now I'm going to break your collective hearts.

We had a lot of guns. I grew up with them.

I inherited my grandfather's absolutely perfect

16 gauge side by side Parker, then went off to college.

Little did I know. The family finances hit the rocks.

So my mother sold off the whole lot.

No blame to her, she did right.

But there is still an empty space in my hand, and in my life,

For that Parker.

isher

We had guns.

Nothing fancy or crazy.

My dad had a single shot 12 guage shotgun. He use that for all of his hunting.
Mostly deer and small game. I don't know what ever happened to it.

My parents never owned a gun and wanted none in the house. But I remember going to see the first Pres. George Bush when he was at the Radisson in Lansing, MI (I was in grade school) and my father got into an argument about how gun rights pertain to the individual with some anti. I also got yelled at when I brought home an air rifle on my 18th birthday. (I won that battle and kept it). When I got married I ended up working for an armored truck company and they paid for my CCW, so I figured I should put it to good use and I am now fully addicted. And my father is still scared to hold any of the guns.

my dad and dads side of the family at least up till My grandfather are all very pro gun, my moms side seems somewhat in favor of it but not really out spoken on the subject. My dad had several while I was growing up but oddly enough I don't believe that is why I am pro gun. I have never heard any of the arguments in favor from any of them and really I think I just got my self into it.
I wasn't terribly interested in it as a kid, probably due to my dads over zealous(at least it seemed to me at the time) hunting trips. Call me lazy but as a ten year old I didn't like fast paced hiking 10-15 miles with a heavy scoped rifle on my shoulder and a nap sack. Don't know what changed in me, but I really love it/them now.

I didn't buy my first gun until I was 25 and living on my own. My mother is somewhat of an anti but now realizes that I'm serious and safety-conscious about owning firearms so she doesn't get on my case. My father isn't very vocal about the whole issue. His father hunted all the time but my dad never went. Though he is a big history buff like me and thinks the C&R stuff I have is pretty nifty.

My parents were anti as a child, but as I grew and became more interested in firearms they began to relax. I was 17 when I told them I wanted to get into silhouette shooting (.22LR) and they were cool with it. I think a lot of it had to do with me just growing up and not acting like a child anymore. After that it was all good and my mom has even been talking about purchasing a j frame. I bought her a red ryder BB gun as a joke for her birthday. Joke is on me though, she shoots that thing a lot.

Dad had a short-barrel Remington 870 and at least one pistol. Step-Father was a hunter who introduced me to shooting and hunting. He gave me several of his rifles over the years. I do my hunting at Kroger, but it is nice to know that I can find my own meat if neccessary.

My first recollection of firearms were at the age of about two. Inside every relatives door there was a shotgun that I now know was loaded.:scrutiny: All lived in the country. Growing up I was told do not touch the gun, when you are old enough we will teach you how to use it. When I was six I was gathering food with a .22.:cool: Yes both parents all four grandparents and all other relatives old enough to be responsible had access to firearms. Some 35 if the count is correct with zero problems to this day with anyone left alive. The best training was from my mothers father. He would always say "here's a bullet get the .22 and get a rabbit,don't let it suffer either. Good shot good stalking skills.:cool: Mom was a better shot than dad and could she ever spot that deer no one else saw.For some reason my little sister never ended up with a firearm until she was 34, she always used one of ours. I fixed that last Christmas,:evil: I got her a NEF .410/45LC and called her up that morning around 8AM and asked how she liked her "girlie gun".:neener: Said one of my brothers got her ammo (planned) and she'd already shot it twice.:D Miss the good ole days.:(

Yes; in fact, both parents owned guns. I was raised in an environment where guns were an everyday occurence and never a big deal. It's too bad that every household in the USA couldn't be like that, but it was a long time ago and things have changed -- not necessarily for the better.

One of my earliest memories is of my dad cleaning his guns. My mom didn't have any of her own, but she grew up in a pro-gun family. When my brother and I were teens, we each received our own 12-gauge Charles Daly (the older Outdoor Sports-distributed ones, not the current breed) autoloader one Christmas and a Remington 552 Speedmaster another Christmas. That Charles Daly is a machine on dove, and I prefer that old Speedmaster over my wife's 10/22.

Mom has her own gun now, a .38 Taurus hammerless revolver for CCW that she's never had any problems with. Her brother has an FFL, and their dad (my grandpa) just gave me his Dillon 550B press and a bunch of reloading stuff, because I'm the only other avid reloader in the family.