Are you alone?

[Rebel Gunman HK]

Ive been wondering how many of you are alone when it comes to people you know & guns. I was always interested in guns as a kid and had absolutly no exposure to them. I bought my first gun when I turned 21, a Ruger 9mm. It started as a hobby but soon led to a lifestyle where I obtained a CHL and over the years have bought about a dozen weapons. I carry whenever possible and have learned so much over the years, but I have done it all alone. I don't really have many friends, mostly hang around my family and my In-laws, the only person that has any intrest in guns is my younger brother in law (19yr old) who has been my best friend and has taken to guns. Even has a good practical collection going. But if it weren't for me he'd be the same as the rest.

Other than him however I don't know anyone who takes it serious like I do and Im sure all of you do as well. The internet and magazines are where all of my knowlege has come from, everything else has been self taught.

Now I have got a good sized family in the area and for the most part they are all sheeple. Not against guns or the use of them, just kinda indifferent. Most of them all own one but it is the kind that gets buried in the closet and never gets used. They just don't understand why a person would have more than one gun or even carry one around all the time!

Ive talked to them about it but they just don't seem to care. And I really wish they would, they just have no intrest. Its taking years to get my wife to the point where she has her own gun for (home) defense. But she always thinks Ill be there to protect her, which I cant. Obviously.

I guess the point Im getting at is I have enough guns to lend to all my family members that dont have any but a weapon isn't much good in someones hands that dosen't know how to use it. Most of them seem content that Im around and Ill be able to protect them or they can dig out their closet and find their unloaded gun to protect them.

Just interested, are any of you in this situation?

 

[LiquidTension]

I have a true Southern family, so there's lots of guns but they're mainly for hunting. As far as friends, I have one good friend that is into guns and one that likes to go to the range with me, but the rest just shoot ours Of course, I'm sure they feel no need to buy anything when they can go with me any time and shoot from my collection

 

[gbelleh]

My best friend is really the only other person I know who is into guns like I am. We met in 4th grade and have been best friends ever since. We both shared an interest in drawing pictures of guns, etc in school. Both of our parents were anti though, so it was a little bit difficult to pursue our interest in firearms. But when we turned 21 we started buying lots of guns!

 

[TheFederalistWeasel]

Georgia boy here, was given a single shot 410 for my 10 birthday.

 

[aerod1]

There are several people in my family who own and shoot guns. I also have friends from work and church whom I spend time with at the range and also at gunshows.
Heck, I live inTexas. We do guns here!

Jim

 

[realmswalker]

Out of all my friends I seem to be the only one who is really into guns.
I am always trying to get my friends to go shooting buts it's always a maybe another time.

The only person I really know well is a really great guy who owns a pet store near and me and has been shooting for 30 years and has always been there to help me with purchases. but as for friends my age, im the NUT!. and I love it.

 

[George S.]

The thing that suprises me are finding out that friends either own guns, enjoy shooting and/or hunting and I had no idea that they were firearms owners or at least friendly toward guns.

I usually don't make a point of talking about guns and shooting but when I hear them make a comment about some gun they own or how they liked somebody elses gun, then I may start a discussion about guns or shooting. A co-worker that I originally thought was an anti turned out to have a CCW (as does his wife) and he has a number of military rifles.

 

[ZeroX]

Yep, pretty much. Of course, I still don't have a gun.

 

[Black Majik]

I'm alone in the shooting hobby in my life. My dad was interested in trap shooting last year, bought a Beretta O/U 20 ga., shot it twice with me then never went again. I cant seem to drag him out to shoot anymore. My younger sisters (11 & 15) have each gone with me once to shoot .22's at the indoor range. They did well and were excellent at following the 4 rules. Though after that trip they haven't really asked me to take them anymore.

My dad despises pistol shooting. He finds it to be quite boring.

My mom, ha, yeah rite. Guns.

My friends, I have a few that are interested, but none of them has bought a gun except me. One of my close friend was given a pristine Model 29 for his 18th birthday. He shot it 3 years later for the first time with me. Our other friend has a few .22's that his grandpa gave him. His brother in law is a gun nut, and that's who I really go to to talk when I'm visiting them in the boonies.

I have a another friend who got me into shooting (as well as pushing me into getting my motocycle license) but she seemed to dropped out of both of those hobbies. She's the one I usually go with to do my trap shooting. Her dad had a few guns, 2 which she showed me was a pristine older Colt Python. The deepest bluing I've ever seen! Another was a very well maintained Browning hi-power. She wont get a gun either, but she does suggest we go shooting every once in a while. Though I've come to find trap shooting is her thing. She just doesn't wanna buy a shotgun.

Some of my friends express interest. I guess thats a start. But none of my friends sees the shooting sport as a hobby or lifestyle. I guess their interest is a start.

 

[jefnvk]

I know lots of people that own guns, just most own them strictly for hunting.

That doesn't keep them from shooting mine at the range, though

 

[El Tejon]

Native Hoosier here. I thought gun cabinets were part of every family room growing up.

 

[Bridger]

Yep, grew up in NYC, upstate on weekends. That's where I go shooting, and where I got introduced to guns through my friend and his dad, who hunt.

But even so, when I got my first gun, showed it to that same childhood friend, and the 100 rounds of .30-30 for the single shot rifle I had. He said something like "geez, preparing for WWIII?". Man if he could only see how much I have now!

But otherwise, my friends from high school and all know me as a gun guy now, before it was paintball. In fact, probably going to be taking one of them shooting on Friday out of the city.

Pretty much I'm the one introducing others to guns now, and my knowledge has eclipsed those who got me into them to start with. I think I'm becoming recognized and making some friends at the range I shoot at though, heh.

 

[FunGunner]

My father in law is a shooter from way back, use to hunt elk on horseback. Said it save him a heap of running. Other than him, some of the fellas I meet at Frank's IDPA matches in NC.

 

[Denver]

I thought I was the lone ranger for a while, here in gun-unfriendly Illinois.

I have been pleasantly surprised, though, at the number of people around me that own and shoot and are enthusiastic patriots.

I have taken just about everyone I know who is even slightly curious to the range on my ticket at first. I've yet to have anybody tell me they hate it after actually trying the activity. Some have stated preferences of pistol or rifle or shotgun over the others, after trying all of the varieties in my humble arsenal. Quite a few have actually gone on to start collections of their own!

Just keep your ears open for opportunities to share your skillset of choice. It's wonderful what gentle logic and some thoughtful instruction can do to sway even the occassional anti! Keep trying. Be gentle and persistent.

I guess I am fortunate.

 

[Thumper]

Nope.

Grew up in a gunny family in a gunny area.

My buddies are all shooters and if I meet a gal that's not gunny, I get her that way as soon as I can:

 

[Ky Larry]

My best friend (also my cousin) and I have had a lifelong interest in guns. My brother likes to shoot but with a 4 y.o. daughter, a full time job, and a farm , he doesn't have much time. My neice CCW's a Glock 33 in .357 SIG and likes to shoot. Several of my co-workers are into shooting sports and hunting. No, I'm not really alone. Seems everytime I go to the range I meet somebody. If only I could get my wife to shoot more often.

 

[sm]

I was born with MY gun waiting on me next to my crib for me to be born . It was normal for every home to have loaded gun behind the kitchen door...

Now some years later, I chose to "change playmates, playgrounds and playthings". Many folks had once hung around that were Pro Gun either died, or moved away. Others - for some reason- decided to dislike firearms and RKBA.

I rode off into the sunset with my prinicples, convictions, and beliefs.

At the moment I am pretty much alone in reagard to folks and places to shoot. I don't care, I don't care I was asked to NOT return to a place I used as a "shooting house" , the lady that showed up was given the same message. She lives out of town...

That is okay. I do what I do when I want to , with like minded folks. Someday things will change, as impatient as I can be...matter of priniciple.

I am that hard headed. I won't - don't trade liberties, my safety, or anything else just to have a "crowd" to hang with.

 

[Smoke]

GrandDads on both sides were avid bird hunters and maternal one would hunt anything that had a season (and some that didn't)

Dad was a bird hunter but more a social thing with him. Guns were always in the house and I grew up with a .22 in my hands. As I got bigger so did the guns.

High school years, it wasn't uncommon to load a half dozen people in the back of a truck to go rabbit hunting all night. Coon pelts subsidized my spending money.

Dove season fanatical feeding frenzy to many I know, Quail is a religion.

Brother is a more avid hunter than myself, I just like to shoot. BRother in law is more defense oriented, he got me into my first training.

Everybody around here hunts, shoots or both. Never been alone except in my ideas. Not many RKBA or defense minded folks in this neck of the woods.

Smoke

 

[rick newland]

I'm lucky. The only person I really consider a friend owns more than 200 guns. If I had kept all the guns I have bought in the last thirty years I could be ahead of him. But I'am at the age now that all I need is a couple of good, high quality, reliable guns.

 

[teflonlop]

Some of my friends enjoy shooting(all kinds of guns), but I think most of them think I'm nuts to carry a concealed handgun.

 

[Mulliga]

Only one in my family. Lots of my friends enjoy the occasional trip to the range (with me), but they don't own their own guns or shoot on their own.

Most of the people in the club are gunnies, though.

 

[Arc-Lite]

There were many guns waiting for my arrival as well, I was born in a family of hunters and warriors and learned the responsibility of what a weapon meant from day one, had my first gun around five, and had them ever since. Here in the west, you might find a "shooting range" but usually I do it off my front porch, from 10 feet, to 1000+ yards. Have many many friends that shoot, for sport, defense and profession. think I would have to turn over lots of rocks, to find someone who does not burn some powder, on a regular basis.

 

[Hardtarget]

Even though my Dad started me with hunting when I was ten years old, he never was "into" guns very much. However, my intrest just seemed to grow every year. I'm now 54 and my wife thinks I'm truely over the top.
My sisters third husband was living in "total immersion" . If he gut cut, he bled Hoppie's #9. We got along great...shot together, reloaded, he instructed my sons well in the art of shooting, taught me the real way to shoot. Then they divorced . Hated to see that. From that time, the only shooting/gun companions have been my sons. Thats good but its not the same as a friend. We hunt together but not much range time. They are not really "gunnies". The one co-worker that had much intrest didn't last long and we couldn't seem to keep the connection...so thats gone.
I've come to the realization that there is not much likelyhood of developing that friendship/hobby bond at this point so I'll just get along with the casual aquaintance of the various members at the gun club. I see them when I go shoot...but thats all. Too bad.

 

[Remington788]

In my family, you needed a .22 for squirrels and rabbits, a 12 guage for deer and quail, and .243 for groundhogs and coyotes. That was it, nothing else needed. I did not think that way and now have over 30 assorted rifles, shotguns and handguns. So as far as family is concerned, yeah I am for the most part alone when it comes to guns as a form of entertainment.

I do have one good friend that likes to shoot anytime possible. For his bachelor party, instead of going out to the bars, we had a barbecue and gun shoot. We got an old van and turned it into swiss cheese. One of the best times I've ever had.

 

[ZeroX]

Native Hoosier here. I thought gun cabinets were part of every family room growing up.

Native Hoosier here. If only.