Anti-gun family.

[sharkhunter2018]

I've been lucky enough to have a pro-gun family.

My Dad owns several as well as one of his brothers (my uncle). That whole side of the family is pro as far as I know. My Moms side isn't much different, except no one really owns. With the exception of two shotguns that my grandfather bought during the 80s. Back when they were living in Laurel, Md, there were the riots in Baltimore (early 80s?). Being so close to Baltimore, my grandfather felt the need for some form of home defense. I now have one of those shotguns, while the other was given to my Dad. My mom isn't crazy about guns and doesn't like them, however she believes in the Right and has no problem with me as long as they are locked up...fair enough if you ask me. All in all, pretty pro-gun.

One of my cousins would be an exception though. I found out she is an Anti. I tired to reason with her, but she would have none of it. Upon telling her that I hunt on occasion, she assumes I own a gun. For some reason she didn't have a problem with that, yet she believes in stricter gun control. I have yet to get into a heated debate with her, and it is something I am tryin to avoid.

With a anti mixed in and perhaps a few others I don't know about, I think I can live with it.

 

[Omaney]

My mother and sister are ravingly anti-gun. I really twist them off on just about every occasion we speak. Luckily they're still in California, so the conversations are minimal.

 

[joshk-k]

I was raised in a Quaker family (a religious upbringing that I still am thoroughly glad of, don't get me wrong). My grandparents are big-time donors to the ACLU. They are all anti-gun. I was allowed some toy guns. My best friend in elementary school had BB guns, which were a treat to get to play with. His dad, who was an assistant DA, had guns, and I got to shoot his pistol once in the 4th grade when we went camping.

I didn't shoot a gun again until I was 19. In high school, I began to become politically conscious. I read things like Edward Abbey's "The Right to Arms," which made a lot of sense to me. I am an anarchist, and understand that guns must be a critical component of any revolutionary's life. If/when you're engaged in serious activity to bring about change, then the government/corporations/racists/etc. will want you dead.

I have successfully gotten my little brother, who's 19, to have a sensible attitude toward guns. He's not as into the subject as I am, but he's interested. I bought him a .22 for his 19th birthday last spring, and when he came to visit this summer, we went shooting. He's in college in Mass., though, so I have to hold his gun for him. My girlfriend, and her family, are similar in politics to mine. She's ambivalent, but not anti about guns in our life and in our relationship.

My parents and grandparents do not, as far as I know, know that I own guns.

Josh

 

[PhilA]

My Dad taught me how to shoot, how to clean a gun, built me a shooting range out back and would come home with surprise boxes of .22 ammo for the rifle he bought me when I turned 10. Gave me a shotgun for my 12th birthday, and took me shooting all the time. My mom never shot much back then, but now owns a handgun and comes to my range with me. Her uncle was a gunsmith, so she was exposed to them from an early age as well.

I come from good stock.

 

[RONSTAR]

Well Im glad Im not the only one who lived like this.

she looked like she had walked in on me eating a baby.

Thats funny once when my father was visiting me at my house in oregon my shirt rised up exposing my Kimber CDP and he gave me the eating babies look. He then told me how irresponsible I was for carrying a firearm and statistics say I would get shot with my own firearm. When I was really young he used to have his army issue 1911 in his drawer and collection of different rifles in the wine cellar but they vanished and he has never had any desire to be around them again.
By the way the first firearm I fired in my life was a S&W .500 mag so I did get off to a good start. That was back when I turned 18 right before I enlisted.

 

[texfed]

Can't be of much help here...my old man bought me a real neet plastic Thompson for my 9th B'day......a few years later a Winchester 30.30. Still got the rifle over half a century later!

 

[OOOXOOO]

My mother was/is anti-gun, however my father owns many and taught me to shoot. It is funny really they don't agree on many things and they fight like cats and dogs. They have been married for 40 years and it's a wonder they haven't killed each other yet.

 

[Loosedhorse]

Grew up in a gun-neutral family (nothing against guns, but no gun ownership), but the state was VERY gun unfriendly--if you had a gun, you were a cop or a bad-guy, that type of mentality. I apparently was interested in guns from a young age, as I-don't-remember-that family pictures of me (age 4?) with toy guns documents. Got a chance to experience airgun target shooting as a kid, but didn't stick with it long.

Lived in a number of gun-unfriendly locales since then. Got re-interested in guns at age 27--mostly home defense, but a little trap and a little rifle.

Turning point was moving to Mass, where I discovered you needed a CARRY permit just to OWN a handgun--that got me started on carrying, which got me started on a lot more training. As people discovered I had guns, they asked for a range session. So I became an NRA- and Mass State Police-certified instructor (Handgun, Home Firearms Safety, PPITH).

Been doing competitions on and off (not a lot of spare time with young kids to raise), and finally have gotten into hunting.

My parents and sibs takes it well, altough I suspect that my two sisters are more accepting of gun-control than I am; but both have been to the range with me, so there is open-mindedness there somewhere!

My younger son takes a REAL interest in guns as well. We'll see when he's ready for some training (just turned 5--it's not yet!). As for the other kids--not sure if they have a great interest.

The in-laws are interesting: some are from Canada, and very pro-government.

 

[JohnBT]

My mother would only allow a gun in the living room if it was under the Christmas tree.

John

 

[theotherwaldo]

Dad was against anyone else having guns, Mother is against loud noises and scary things.

I'm glad that Mother is in California where she belongs.

 

[jad0110]

My Mom wants there to be guns in the house, for protection and use against varmints, but any time I mention saving up for another gun or when I go out target practicing more than once a week, she says "why? You don't need another gun!" (I have a rifle, shotgun, and two revolvers right now) or "You're going out again?! You spend way to much time with those guns."

My wife is the exact same way. I only get out once every 4 weeks or so nowadays, and even that is waaaaay too much in her book. I got my butt chewed big time last time I went out. And it doesn't matter that I don't have any other hobbies that eat my time/money, nor do I "hang with the guys" every week for football, golf, whatever. And I am always careful to make sure she has at least as much time to do what she wants as I get :banghead: . Nah, if it was needlepoint she'd be fine with it; she just hates guns, that's all.

As for my family, they were pro gun but never owned any until a little over a year ago. They look back now and wonder why, especially when we lived in rural Alabama where the cops probably wouldn't arrive for 30 minutes or more.

He then told me how irresponsible I was for carrying a firearm and statistics say I would get shot with my own firearm.

Yep, I've heard that one too from people, including my wife. It hasn't occured to them that statistics and Hollywood are two totally different things. Gun grabs by perps don't happen nearly as often as it does in film.

 

[Calibre44]

Worse! … I’ve grown up under an anti-gun Government!!

My family however weren’t. Dad bought me my first air-pistol when I was 8 yrs old and my first air rifle when I was 10 years old and built a shooting range in the antic for me to practice.

My wife isn’t anti but she is scared of guns (despite my best efforts) but doesn’t have a problem with me owning guns or shooting regularly. My daughter (12) has no fear around guns as I’ve taught her gun safey and the 4 rules - she has shot both my 10.22 and Henry .22 under-lever and enjoyed it.

 

[RONSTAR]

Worse! … I’ve grown up under an anti-gun Government!!

Now that is just horrible. I guess my case isn't so bad.

 

[spuscg]

my mom hates my owning a gun and told me to get it out of the house as soon as possible, but im good at making excuses but soon its going into a locker, not under my bed i am moving out after "A" school in a year though and my apartment will be a pro gun zone

 

[sniper5]

My family? Taught me how to shoot at 6. Bought me all the ammo I could shoot.

Wife's? HUGE ANTIS. Dad: college professor. Ultra liberal. They LIVE on one of the most liberal campuses in America. Mom: East coast whiner. Scared of everything loud, scary or that goes bump in the night. Would disarm police and military if she got the chance.

My wife started out anti but now is tolerant and "gets it" with how stupid some of the laws and attitudes are. Also understands that they are just machines no different than car or chainsaw, etc. Done some range time with me and the boys and doesn't really enjoy shooting but has no problem with my collector status and the fact that I started taking both boys with me when they were old enough to walk. Oldest loves shooting and hunting, fishing, etc. Youngest boy doesn't really care for shooting sports at all, just not his thing. Me at the kitchen table working on a rifle or cleaning one of my pistols in the living room next to her doesn't raise an eyebrow.

Oh yeah, Christmas present last year from my wife was an Ishapore. How is that for a transition for an anti?

 

[#shooter]

We always had guns around, but they were shotguns. My dad was a semi-fudd, guns were primarily for hunting and SD was secondary. We grew up in NJ so we never used rifles or pistols. It wasn't until I was older that I used rifles and pistols.

 

[nwilliams]

My mother has always been fairly anti-gun. My dad isn't so much anti-gun but he doesn't like them much and doesn't feel guns should be used for personal protection, he's one of those "rely on the police" people. My parents allowed me to have .22 rifles starting when I turned ten years old and I was even allowed to keep them in my bedroom with ammo. Handguns were out of the question as were EBR's. It wasn't until I moved out of my parents house and got my own apartment that I was able to start handguns and EBR's.

 

[BiggBaddWolf]

My family has always had guns in the family. My grandpa always had plenty of guns, mostly shotguns and rifles, and he was a hunter, used them to put food on the table. He had a few pistols from time to time, but never very often. I got interested in handguns when my brother went into law enforcement, and he and I would take them out quite often and practice. He had a Ruger 9mm at the time, and I bought a .357 Magnum Taurus. I sold the Taurus some time ago, but recently bought a .357 Astra, and I also have an old Winchester Model 1897 16 gauge, and a Remington 1148 410 gauge shotgun given to me by my grandpa, but not too sure how safe they are to shoot anymore...

 

[dakotasdad]

One of my earliest memories of my Great Grandfather was when he gave me his .22 revolver to carry into the woods just in case I came across a snake. I think I was 5 years old.

My Dad and I have a semi-annual gun safe cleaning. We break out all of his surplus rifles, pistols, and modern rifle representations and wipe em down and run patches down the bores. Dad and I are two peas in a pod.

My Mom grew up on a farm using firearms to put food on the table so she's not particularly anti, she just doesn't see the need for concealed carry. She has been asking me about how to go about getting her permit as of late. So that's a good thing.

My wife, one of the first things I asked her when we started dating was whether or not firearms made her nervous. She then asked me why? Do you have one? I replied a couple. Nope, they don't bother me.
No problems there.

I'm pretty blessed.

 

[Splodge Of Doom]

Same as Calibre.44 on the government thing...

When I was a little 'un, my mother was dead set against my having toy guns... And then I got my first construction toy... XD

No firearms yet, but I'm working on that...

 

[Squeaky Duck]

My mom is VERY anti-gun (and VERY pro Obama, go figure). She chewed me out when she heard I got an FFL license " Why do you need that? Guns are bad."

My dad on the other hand is an army vet and pro-gun. He passed on to me all of his guns and likes to talk shop.

 

[NG VI]

Mother is against loud noises and scary things.

Sounds like mine

 

[RPCVYemen]

I was raised in a Quaker family (a religious upbringing that I still am thoroughly glad of, don't get me wrong).

Matt Damon, in an interview for Bourne Supremacy talked about being raised in a Quaker family. He took his mom to see the movie, and said, "Mom - see what happens when you don't let kids play with guns?"

Mike

 

[FourNineFoxtrot]

Parents were mostly anti, wouldn't permit a gun in the house. However, they let me have a BB gun, a paintball gun, several species of bows, and all the knives I could scrounge up.

They didn't like it, but they knew where I was headed. When I was three years old, my parents gave me a set of plastic toy golf clubs (instead of a toy gun). The first thing I did was flip one of the plastic clubs around, put the club head against my shoulder, sight down the shaft, and said "Bang bang". It was apparent that I was no pacifist, no matter how they were going to raise me, so they mostly let me be after a while.

My whole family is still anti (with one or two neutrals), but they leave me alone, and I don't pester them with gun talk. Works out for all of us, so far.

I could say that I wish my parents had let me start becoming familiar with guns earlier in life. Mostly, though, I'm just glad they let me do what I did, let me go my own way and make my own decisions. Not having a gun while living under their roof was pretty much the only major restriction they placed on me.

 

[jhansman]

My wife detests guns, and will not discuss the subject (largely, I suspect, because she knows I will shoot her arguments full of holes, figuratively speaking). My daughter will not buy toy guns for her sons, but much to my delight, they make guns out of everything they play with. I hope one day to take them both shooting.