Add me to the "Don't by buying folks guns near the second date" column.
How do I say this....
Up to meeting my wife, my dating life from 18 years old to 30 years old was like a "B" rated movie-- no script and bad casting. I can literally say that I can't remember the FIRST name-- let alone the last name-- to the majority of the girls I've dated.
The first several dates are great. You'll all optimistic and generally not using your brains. From my experience, it usually takes more than 2 dates before a girl decides that she wants to kill me. And if I armed her prior to that point, well... its something to be concerned about.
The key to a sucessful relationship is finding someone who will put up with your crap and not bury you in the back yard behind a tree. At this point, you are not sure that she meets that criteria. After all, what happened to her LAST boyfriend?
Now it doesn't necessarily get completely comfortable even after marriage. Jenn and I have been restoring an old house since last Febuary (my god... it's been a year...) There are some projects we've undertaken where it is prudent to hide the firearms before hand.
And she gets real twichy when I put some things on her new furniture....
All joking aside (was I joking?) my basic rule on gifting firearms is that a firearm as a gift comes AFTER an engagement ring. And I don't mean one of those nebulous extended engagements. I mean the ones where she is already riding your butt about getting fitted for a tuxedo.
I just really don't like the idea that someone out there no longer attached to me has a firearm that was purchased in MY name. And as I said before, I don't like the idea of arming my ex's.
But then again, up to Jenn, I picked some "winners."
-- John