ever surprised to learn that a friend/family member shared your interest in firearms?

[Sven]

I was home for a week in the summer, and happened to mention my newfound and growing interest in firearms. While my mom immediately began Mom-ing with "I don't like you playing with guns" speech, my step-father simply ran upstairs and quickly brought down a GI-issue Colt .45 - later dated to 1917.

My step-dad had this piece in the safe for years, and I never knew!

While I poured over this piece of history, and he ran upstairs again, this time fetching out break action shotguns, a very old shotgun _his_ dad used to hunt with ... all told 4 amazing old rifles.

I had no idea!

Guess my step-dad was totally 'stealth' with us nosy boys growing up - can't blame him, only wish I had known earlier so we could have shot tin cans at the cabin!

I'm definitely bringing my Valtro .45 home this summer so we can shoot it side-by-side with it's great-granddaddy, 85 years older.



Have you ever been surprised to learn that someone close to you (friend/family) shared your interest in firearms? Share your stories!

 

[Diesle]

I hope to be, but dont expect to be...

Diesle

 

[echo3mike]

My very anti (but supportive) wife is from the mid west, and the family owns a decent sized feed farm. On Father's Day a couple of years back, I took my now father in law and my father out to bust some caps at a local range. So, FIL goes bakck and tells the cousins (who live on and manage the farm) that I'm into guns.

At our wedding, the cousin comes up to me, shoves a (fairly large) bullet in my face and says "heard you like shooting...what's this round?" Looks like a .40 cal something, and I say as much. I guess he's impressed, cuz it's a .416 Rigby.

We go out in Nov, and FIL takes me out to the farm to see the collection. You know that scene in Die Hard when the vault doors open, the lights get bright and the background music turns into Beethoven's 8th? That's the reaction...two FULL safes of AR's, shotguns, Ruger Mini's, FALs, Enfields, couple of 700s', beaucoup handguns, Mausers, reloading equipment and as I live and breathe at least 100k rounds of various calibers. Plus the land to shoot it on.

Yeah, a bit surprised

S.

 

[jbutenhoff]

Heck!

My own dad! I knew that when I was a baby he got rid of his handguns and most rifles. Never thought about it until I got the but 23 years later. Come to find out that he worked for a gunsmith where he did accurizing work along with custom stocks. Now I have the most beautiful Remington 511 bolt action .22 that ever was! Full custom stock and does groups under .5" at 50 yards!

Jamie

 

[10-Ring]

Not yet

 

[Coronach]

My license plate is a firearms reference (standard abbreviation of a firearm name)...obvious to anyone who is a shooter but inscruitable to anyone who is not. One of my casual friends, a PhD in psychology and not someone I would peg as a shooter, looked at it with a twinkle in his eye and said "So? Do you own one?"

I grinned and said yes.

"Heh. Kewl."

Mike

 

[hansolo]

All rise.....

My brother is a retired Superior Court Judge(!). In Jan. of 2001 I told him I had recently gotten into shooting handguns. He replied, "I've got a couple of Smith & Wesson wheelguns. You know what a wheelgun is?" "Uh, Yeah," I said. He continued, "Try 'em both and I'll make you a good deal on whichever one you like best." We met at a local outdoor range. He had a Model 60 and a M/P .38 Special...almost like-new finish and performance. I liked the stainless J-frame, too, but wanted more of a target/plinker/HD. I bought the .38 Special. "Too bad I didn't know you liked handguns", he later said, "I bought a stainless Colt .45 in the 70s, but sold it a couple years ago.":banghead:

 

[funbob]

Recently found out 2 of my coworkers are into shooting. One of whom has an impressive full auto collection. Guess who's gonna get to go out to the desert and shoot them?

 

[Bostonterrier97]

After my Dad found out that I had a gun collection and showed it to him, he showed me his Colt Python (the thing is just drop dead gorgeous, along with a LOT of shotguns..where he squirred those things away..I'll never know..)

Surprised me.