Well, friends I need some advice. I just got ccw and purchased an xds to carry. The issue is that I live in the downstairs apt of a guy (the landlord) who routinely welcomes recovering alcoholics fresh out of long term treatment to rent one of the rooms upstairs with him...this is a good thing as it gives people fresh out of treatment a supportive and sober place to live. I mentioned to my landlord that I got my ccw and purchased a carry gun he just laughed as he always does when he finds out that I bought another gun but the guy who just moved in a few months ago in the room that gets rented our hit the roof when he heard about it. The guy even went as far to call his probation officer which seems like the dumbest thing he could've done, the po told him the guns need to be stored exactly the way I store them but it would be an officer's discretion as wether he would get in any trouble and for the record I had no idea he was on paper. Long story short he said the guns which I keep in a safe bolted to the floor and wall in my closet make him nervous. I volunteered to find another place to store the which pisses me off but I've been there before and know what he's going through although I think he did overreact just a tad. What should I do with my carry gun? It makes no sense to me to store a carry gun an hr away and the thought of keeping it in my car makes me nervous for a number of different reasons. Keeping it in my secure safe seems like it would be a safer option for everyone but I don't know at this point. Need some advice: keep gun in glove box, continue to store just my carry gun and ammo in safe, or forget about carrying at all whatsoever due to my storage issue?
Advice needed!
- Thread starter ryno31
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so long as you are doing everything legally and safely....why change it just because someone else has a problem with it?
he is the one that screwed up his life, and you were living there before he was....so why go out of your way to deal with his problem.
he is the one that screwed up his life, and you were living there before he was....so why go out of your way to deal with his problem.
HankR
Member
This
I guess my issue is that I want to support him as he is trying to stay sober because I too had to sober up and have remained that way for years. I don't want to put him in a position where he feels like he has to move because I honestly don't think he has anywhere else to go that would be as healthy as where he's at now. At the same time I was here first and I store my stuff the way it supposed to be but I definetly wouldn't want to see him go to prison on account of my hobby. The chances of that happening are pretty slim but still possible nonetheless. I'm between a rock and a hard spot on this one for sure. My apt is in the basement and it has a separate entrance, we never cross paths into each others living areas, and the guns are stored appropriately for the circumstances so I don't see how anyone could get in trouble but we all know how courageous D.A.'s can be especially when it comes to guns and that's my worry.
I say screw the guy and carry on. Alcoholism has nothing to do with the issue at hand and it seems to me like this guy should be focusing on keeping himself well instead of worrying about what another law-abiding citizen is doing. If it comes up again, tell him to mind his own business and if he has a problem with it he can find a new place to live. I'm a nice guy, but I would not tolerate this. Sorry.
Would have been better to keep your mouth shut about your guns or for that matter any other valuable property you may have. Telling neighbors and anyone who has no need to know and not proven reliable and discrete is a good way to have your place broken into and guns stolen, despite the gun safe. There are things people need to know and a lot of things they don't. Nobody would be upset if they where to remain blissfully ignorant.
I discuss firearms with other gun people and am guarded about what I have. Consider the situation a learning experience.
I discuss firearms with other gun people and am guarded about what I have. Consider the situation a learning experience.
BurntPizza
Member
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- 11
I have to agree with everyone else. If you are staying within the law I wouldn't worry about it.
MedWheeler
Member
It's him that's putting him in that position, not you. One cannot be offended or scared of something without choosing to be.
You've apparently worked hard yourself to earn the right to carry on with your life. Now do so.
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I assume this building (house?) is effectively a two-unit apartment complex. You live in one unit and the landlord lives in the other. The spare room he rents out is in his unit, not yours. Your apartment is your home and this guy has no right to enter without your permission. I can see two ways he could get into trouble because of your guns. One would be for you to invite him in while your guns were out in plain sight. The other would be for him to trespass and you left them out. In the latter case, your guns would be only part of his legal problems. Either way, if you keep them locked up in your safe, it's not an issue.
Given the parole officer's response, I suspect this guy gave him the impression that you, he and the landlord are sharing a house. If that were the case, all of you would have access to common areas like living room, kitchen and bathroom. The only area that would be sort of private would be your own bedroom. If that were the case, it would be important for you to keep your guns locked up in your safe unless they were on you.
Given the parole officer's response, I suspect this guy gave him the impression that you, he and the landlord are sharing a house. If that were the case, all of you would have access to common areas like living room, kitchen and bathroom. The only area that would be sort of private would be your own bedroom. If that were the case, it would be important for you to keep your guns locked up in your safe unless they were on you.
smalls
Member
Sounds a lot like his problem, and none of yours....
I wouldn't do anything differently than you already do.
I wouldn't do anything differently than you already do.
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Sheepdog1968
Member
My exact position. I had a non firearms related learning experience in my early 20s (car radio) that has taught me to say little to strangers and not too much to friends.
Yes it's one house when you look at it from the outside but they use the front door and I have a seperate entrance that I get to from the garage then go down the stairs through another door which leads to big storage area and then at the end of all that is my apt which is a fully functioning two bedroom apartment so I believe that would be two seperate units as we don't share any living spaces except for the garage through which I pass to get to my place. Also, looking back on it I'm regretting telling my landlord about the purchase but we are pretty close and he sees all the gun accessories that I get in the mail (which is a lot) so he's known about my gun collecting for awhile I just wish he wouldn't have said anything to the guy upstairs...lesson learned for both of us.
bannockburn
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- Apr 24, 2007
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- 26,286
ryno31
For future reference, the less information out there concerning your personal property (i.e. firearms, electronics, etc.), the better. Think about the three people who already know you have guns in your apartment (landlord, new tenant, corrections officer), to all of the other people they may be relating this information to as well. The fewer people who have knowledge of your guns, and in your case possible access to, the better.
For future reference, the less information out there concerning your personal property (i.e. firearms, electronics, etc.), the better. Think about the three people who already know you have guns in your apartment (landlord, new tenant, corrections officer), to all of the other people they may be relating this information to as well. The fewer people who have knowledge of your guns, and in your case possible access to, the better.
Okiegunner
Member
I agree. I would not let them know anything about my personal business and as to what I may or may not have.
However...What in the world does the fact the you own a firearm, have ANYTHING to do with him staying sober???
However...What in the world does the fact the you own a firearm, have ANYTHING to do with him staying sober???
Skylerbone
Member
If he has a probation officer there are more issues at hand than a disease. It does seem your new neighbor is trying awfully hard to stay above water, why else contact the PO about the issue otherwise.
As you are separate renters with a 3rd party and your firearms are not stored in a common access location there is no need for alarm on anyone's part. There may be instances to be mindful of if or when contact is made but those are disgressionary.
Consider extending an invite to lunch and having a polite but frank discussion about things. Seems the only thing he knows right now is that you own something he believes can cause him trouble and undo his hard work to this point. Kindly explain your right to carry and store firearms is no more a threat to his probation than walking past an armed security guard at the bank. Let him understand that you can relate to his issues on a personal level, that he is not susceptible to prosecution and that you can still be good neighbors if not good friends.
Best wishes for a positive outcome and kudos to you for considering others even where there is no obligation.
As you are separate renters with a 3rd party and your firearms are not stored in a common access location there is no need for alarm on anyone's part. There may be instances to be mindful of if or when contact is made but those are disgressionary.
Consider extending an invite to lunch and having a polite but frank discussion about things. Seems the only thing he knows right now is that you own something he believes can cause him trouble and undo his hard work to this point. Kindly explain your right to carry and store firearms is no more a threat to his probation than walking past an armed security guard at the bank. Let him understand that you can relate to his issues on a personal level, that he is not susceptible to prosecution and that you can still be good neighbors if not good friends.
Best wishes for a positive outcome and kudos to you for considering others even where there is no obligation.
I would agree that if you have separate entrances & your apartment is not otherwise connected to the rest of the house this should be a non issue. It does sound like he is overreacting. I know when I first began sobering up everything was a big deal. I was incredibly fearful & obsessed about all kinds of things. I'd just take care of my own business & let him sort out his. I would not discuss the topic with him again unless he brings it up.
45lcshooter
Member
His problem. He needs to put his big boy pants on. If you have the save bolted to the floor and the landlord is ok with it. Have at it!!! Your doing the right thing and there is nothing that guy can do about it, other than gripe to the landlord and im sure the landlord with get aggravated with it and tell him to leave.
Something similar happend to where i was at before i moved to the mountains. Basement apt, 1st floor apt, 2nd floor apt. The guy in the basement was there before anybody else, next was my Captain in the fire company and his wife on first floor, were there abot a year before i took the 2nd floor apt. My captains wife couldnt sleep through the nights so she would watch tv and make coffee and all hours of the day. Hardwood floors in every room. Captain and his wife both smokers, so they smoke outside by front door for their place, the window for basement bedroom is right there. When i come home from work at midnight, id have a cup of coffee with my Caps wife and we shoot the bull, this would piss basement guy off. Then basement guy started swearing at us and making threats. Next day he came up and was smiling like nothing ever happened. We let the landlord know, then the basement guy started smelling funny thing comming out of the washer or sink. The basement guy was about 55, my Cap is about 61. Me being under 30 i went down and smelled, didnt smell a thing. Every time this guy smelled it, he call the landlord, didnt matter if it was 1am or 6pm. Im glad the flood last September wiped him out in the basement. It was that bad that when he come up stairs and come sit outside the rest of us would say we had stuff to do.
Something similar happend to where i was at before i moved to the mountains. Basement apt, 1st floor apt, 2nd floor apt. The guy in the basement was there before anybody else, next was my Captain in the fire company and his wife on first floor, were there abot a year before i took the 2nd floor apt. My captains wife couldnt sleep through the nights so she would watch tv and make coffee and all hours of the day. Hardwood floors in every room. Captain and his wife both smokers, so they smoke outside by front door for their place, the window for basement bedroom is right there. When i come home from work at midnight, id have a cup of coffee with my Caps wife and we shoot the bull, this would piss basement guy off. Then basement guy started swearing at us and making threats. Next day he came up and was smiling like nothing ever happened. We let the landlord know, then the basement guy started smelling funny thing comming out of the washer or sink. The basement guy was about 55, my Cap is about 61. Me being under 30 i went down and smelled, didnt smell a thing. Every time this guy smelled it, he call the landlord, didnt matter if it was 1am or 6pm. Im glad the flood last September wiped him out in the basement. It was that bad that when he come up stairs and come sit outside the rest of us would say we had stuff to do.
We never advertize the purchase or ownership of property. Cars and other large acquisitions are hard to keep out of sight and therefore out of mind, but the thing is you just never know what type individual might hear the conversation and decide you were a new source to pay for his "habits". Or do other nefarious things.
1. Don't tell anyone about your firearms purchases. - Post pictures here for everyone to see while retaining your privacy.
2. How does you owning a pistol affect his alcoholism?
3. Regardless of whether or not you feel sorry for him, his problems are his responsibility, not yours.
4. Stow your firearms in accordance with State law, more securely if you're concerned about feeding someone's habit with your purchases.
2. How does you owning a pistol affect his alcoholism?
3. Regardless of whether or not you feel sorry for him, his problems are his responsibility, not yours.
4. Stow your firearms in accordance with State law, more securely if you're concerned about feeding someone's habit with your purchases.
Certaindeaf
member
It's not a sin so even your priest doesn't need to know. You didn't do good.
He found out through my landlord who I've taken shooting before so the landlord already obviously knows that I own guns. Believe me I don't go out and tell the world that I've got a bunch guns. My landlord was talking with his wife about going to shoot with me and he the other guy apparently overhead and freaked out....still trying to figure out exactly what happened but at this point it doesn't matter. I'm right with everyone on keeping your gun ownership private theft had always been a big worry of mine especially since my apt windows are literally at ground level in the basement and big enough for a thief to get in and out if with no problem. His alcoholism doesn't have anything to with me owning guns per se but his being on probation/parole does if he's not allowed to live in a house that has firearms or ammo even if no living spaces are shared except for a garage. I got the feeling his po could care less as long as they were locked but the guy is still freaking out which I do understand. I don't think he's gonna be staying very long so I took my other guns to a trusted friends house and bought a car vault which I bolted down in my trunk to store my carry gun. It's very less than ideal for me but when it starts getting really cold that gun is coming inside. Maybe I'm too nice but if I've learned anything on my journey of sobriety is to get out of yourself and put others before yourself....sometimes it sucks but it's not the end of the world for me and if it calms the guys nerves for a little while then good for him. I'm gonna bring it back up in a month or so and see where he stands and the guns will be back in the safe by the end of two months despite his feelings.
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