Are you alone?

[ducktapehero]

Raised in rural Missouri. Guns were(and are) common.

 

[Gordon]

I am the third (and not the last) generation of gun collectors and hunters. My Grandfather had the "largest gun collection in the South" at Stonewall Court a restaraunt/museum/hotel outside of Atlanta. Alas it burnt down in the early 50's! Some guns were saved or not displayed at the time and I got a good leg up on my collection . My Dad was not really a collector but was rather a 'shooter' VERY active in NRA shooting in the 50s and 60s. Also a hunter who did all the North American trophy animules and never missed a duck season! I started collecting from about 8 when the first .22 was given me. By 10 I was shooting in the duck blinds or 'sneakboxes'. Deer hunting by my early teens and shooting in Boy Scout .22 matches. I started shooting NRA matches after winning many local BSA matches. Got my first target pistol , a Colt Officer's Model Match when I graduated HS. Bought my first rifle (myself!!) when I was 18- a Finnish Lahti 20MM for about $120 bucks including 20 rounds (which were $1.00 apiece)In ROTC I started shooting my Dad's Officers Model .38 Spl as he had switched to the same in .32S&W(he was ALOT better than me!!) and an accurized 1911. In 65 I joined the Army and shot some in Army matches but spent 2.5 tours in Nam and later in plainclothes in non gun friendly places BUT I PACKED A .38 and a .45. I was 'collecting all the while and had inherited around 50 historic pieces from my granddad. I went back to college in 77 after leaving 3 years as a federally sworn Agent. My collection started growing more modern when I would selll expensive(but useless) museum grade pieces. By late 70's early 80's was buying H&K's , Swenson combat .45's , Brown Presision Ultralight scouts ect. to play the 'Soldier of Fortune ' 3 gun scene and early(fun) IPSC. Well lots of water has gone over the damn in the last quarter century and now I am OBSESSED by the 32-20 and not for SASS use (of which I am bored) but just 'knocking around' Golden Pond!

 

[carp killer]

I seem to be the only person around that actually lives guns. Everyone else has to do kids, wives and jobs. No one wants to go shoot, hunt or take in a gun show. Always an excuse.

 

[ManChicken]

I guess I'm pretty much a loner at the moment; I need a shooting buddy.

I've only recently gotten into guns, which for people that know me would seem to think it strange. When my purchase came up at work, the reaction was fairly consistant, "I didn't think you were the gun type!" and surely some believe I've lost my mind. A couple of others just asked stupid/flippant questions like "are you going to shoot it into the air on New Years?" Irritating.

But besides that, it's been like leading a double life, where my family doesn't know, and I'm not sure how they would even react. Dad used to hunt a long time ago but stopped long before I was ever old enough, so guns were never a topic growing up.

Guns have been a hidden interest on and off over the years, and after telling myself for the longest time that I would try out the hobby when I had the appropriate time, I came to the realization that I never would and I just had to make the time.. so a few months ago I bit the bullet (pardon the pun), took NRA Basic Pistol, and now I have the bug and am hopelessly hooked

Good thread. It's like a confessional in here

 

[Majic]

Good ol Virginia boy here who got trigger time when I was 5. If you didn't have a gun you must be a lost Yankee.

 

[Feanaro]

I am not alone. I live in the Heart of Dixie, my family knows guns. My two brothers(one is technically a half-brother, but I never made a distinction) both shoot, though the oldest is more interested in hunting rifles. My younger brother is a C&R/EBR nut like me. My father likes to shoot, though he isn't as "into" it as I am. My mother shoots sometimes, though she is a smidge recoil sensitive. My grandfather on my dad's side shoots(Despite being 70 he never misses. Hard legacy to live up to ) but not so much anymore. My grand-father(-in-law if you want to be technical) on my mother's side likes to go to the range with us.

 

[c_yeager]

Its amazing how many regular every day type people happen to own guns. Ive been around them in one way or another most of my life but my family would never have been classified as enthusiasts. We just happened to own guns for the same reason that we had jumper cables in the cars, just in case. Once I got into guns as a hobby (as opposed to just a tool) i started to meet a lot of other people who were into the same thing. Its amazing but, you can work alongside someone for years and never realize that you happen to have a hobby like this in common. Firearms are just one of those things that people don't talk about much to folks that they don't know.

 

[Morgan]

I've got several friends who are into guns, Dad has a few, brother likes and shoots 'em.

I'm probably a bit more serious about guns, but I carry for a living. Having a good amount of disposable income and a need to compete (former racer, now IPSC newbie, as I'm just now getting weekends off) helps.

ManChicken, fire me a PM - let's go to the range!

 

[Kramer Krazy]

I never really gave this much thought before. I'll tell you what my Thanksgiving was like, though......I drove to my parent's house (two hours away) for the Thanksgiving festivities as my grandfather was in town from Indiana. After we were done eating and taking pictures, talking guns, and showing each other various handguns, we headed for the range. It was my wife, father, mother, grandfather, and I shooting it up in two lanes at the local indoor range. My dad let my wife shoot his S&W 5906, as we were looking for a handgun that she'd like to own. I let my mom and dad shoot my Ruger MKII with 5.5" bull barrel.

I grew up around guns with my first Daisey "Champion 99" rifle being given to me around the age of 7 or 8. My father was into pheasant hunting when we lived in Indiana, but he wasn't really all that big into handguns (mainly 22 plinkers and a shotgun for hunting). I fell in love with handguns and assault weapons, and when I got old enough, I started collecting them.

My mother wasn't a shooter, but in the past couple of years, she's taken some "outdoor women" weekend courses at Clemson University where she's gotten to ride ATVs, shoot rifles and handguns, fish, shoot with bow and arrows, hike, horseback ride, and other outdoors stuff. It was here that she actually found out she liked shooting.

My wife's father taught her how to shoot with a 243 and got a 410 shotgun as a present when she was younger, but really didn't have much experience with handguns. I took her with me to the range when she was eight months pregnant and we didn't think she should be on the back of a motorcycle until the kid showed up. She really liked the range, and handguns, and we have since picked up a little Ruger 10/22 and a S&W 5903, since she liked my father's S&W. She might have another gun or several in her future, too. I see "his" and "hers" gun safes, soon.

As for my grandfather....he just describes himself as a "dumb ole hillbilly" from Kentucky. I used to go groundhog hunting with him back when I was just a little thing. He always carried a 38, and was an avid gun owner. His brother once had over 300 firearms, and I have an uncle that once had over 500.

We don't really discuss guns or do family oriented firearms activities, like that of Thanksgiving, but we all seem to like our ownership rights......looks like I'm rambling......for the most part, I do my own thing with the firearms, but I'm supported by my family. I had a "time" with my folks when I showed them my first AR-15, but once they realized it was a semi-auto LEGAL firearm, they've settled down. I need to let them shoot it sometime. It's a fun gun.

 

[Henry Bowman]

Guns were/are common in my family, but no other who are part of the "gun culture." All of you here on THR are my gun friends/family. Those I know in person I met through THR.

 

[LadySmith]

I have done it all alone.

Same here. I got bitten by the "gun bug" a few years ago when RKBA became a way of life. In an anti-gun environment it's almost like coming out of the closet. You learn quickly who your friends are (and aren't). Like Rebel I hit the books, magazines & net, got frustrated by all the bickering, name calling & conflicting info, and eventually wound up here. THR is like an oasis.

 

[jojo]

I'd have to say that I've done it, for the most part, alone. Most all of my friends growing up were into guns, so I had ready access even though my mom was very anti gun. Since mom made the rules dad went along with it and there were no guns for me until I left home.
All but one of my friends now are full fledged sheeple, they have guns, but dont shoot them (might arose suspicion) and wont buy more (why when the guberment will come to get them soon). The other is a very enthusiastic (sp?) learner and has aquired 4 in the last 2 years. We shoot as much as we can, and hunt too with our sons (ages 14,16, 17). My daughter is quite the shot too, she likes to show off shooting pop cans to make them jump then hitting them again in the air

jojo

 

[Jake]

Born and raised with guns. I honestly can't remember a time when there were not firearms around when I was growing up. And my kids are the same way.

 

[MAURICE]

I am fairly fortunate in that most of my friends are also range buddies. There are 6 or 8 of us who go shooting together. To those of us that do own guns, the ones who do not own guns (or at least enjoy shooting other peoples guns) are just plain wierd.

 

[cgv69]

Kind of.

In the sense that I do not have any gun or shooting buddys, then yes I am alone. Most of my friends and family just think I'm a gun nut.

I do have one brother who is also into guns but he lives far enough away that I hardly see him.

The few people that I do know locally who are also into guns are also in the same boat as me, too busy with other aspects of life (work, family, etc.) to really devote much time and money towards firearms (or any other hobby for that matter).

 

[spacemanspiff]

out of my family, i am the only one who shoots as a hobby. a few others are hunters, but you'll never find them at the range. my brother recognizes the need to have a gun nearby to protect his home and family, but he wont get a CCW, and i've only been able to drag him to the range once.

couple of cousins that maybe take a .22 out if they have a case of beer and plink.

very few of my relatives could be called an 'anti'. occasionally my mother will come up with some liberal comment about 'no one needs such and such', but then i remind her that 'no one needed a rack of rifles where she grew up, not for defense against 2 legged threats anyways'.

got at least one shooting buddy, been trying to drag another one out but he's always got something else to do, like go to church or some stuff like that.

 

[d-mac]

I have converted

2 people in my condo community and they have some very nice HK USP compacts'

 

[jlwatts3]

I am lucky in that my gun buddy is my pops. The first gun I shot was his AR-15. I was five. I've got a couple of friends that come with me to the range everyone once in awhile but I prefer to go it alone. Also, my girlfriend's dad is ex-FBI and I shoot with him when I visit down south.

 

[Model520Fan]

Used to be alone. Nobody in my family was into guns, although my older sister was pro-gun without ever actually playing with them at all. I had to pretty much teach myself everything, which wasn't hard with the old double-wide Gil Hebard catalogue and a bunch of .22 ammo. Also got ammo for free from my Uncle (Sam) from time to time, and learned to create official opportunties to practice.

Now I'm living in a place where there is more going on with guns than I have time to keep up with. And most of my friends are gun nuts.

BTW, take a look at what state I live in now! I belong to two clubs, and there are four or five, at least, within the distance that I used to drive to the closest one in FL.

 

[Nightfall]

Yep. Don't know a single person who isn't either anti-gun or completely indifferent.

 

[Alaskanmonte]

I grew up in Alaska for the most part, so most of my family has some hunting interests. My father was really into guns and reloading but his interest has declined in the past few years (I think from lack of funds, he re-married). I don't know any one else with the same passion for guns that I have. I like to go shooting every weekend, but most of the time its just me and my guns out in the cold. Its what I enjoy and I'll be out there no matter what the temp. is.

 

[Jrob24]

Only a couple of my relatives own guns. Although I've taken most of my friends shooting, none of them have bought one(MA's gun laws may be a factor ).

 

[Smythe77]

In a way I guess you could say I am alone. Here I am 74+ yrs of age & no relatives left. In fact my will & insurance is made out to a fellow h/gun shooter & his wife/family.

Twice a week & that is every week of the range I am at our basically indoor, but we also have an outdoor range to shoot h/guns so we chin wag about politics, f/arms, reloading, & such.

My neighbors do not know I have f/arms & be a Cdn that is the best way for then these semi-anti-gun people cannot pick up strange ideas about you. Especially myself as I also have three fast moving sportbikes & roll out of my garage & take off with or am working on, at times.

I had all three out late last summer to wash down & get some wax to them & the one neighbor knew I had a motorcycle only said "Don't tell me you have three m/cs?" so you can see what I mean.

 

[Gunz]

I have been fascinated with firearms and weapons of all sorts since I could remember. I hoard and secreted away all these things the way a teenager hides a collection of nekkid women magazines (of course, I did that too ). I had a friend in high school who really got me into the guns, because he had a car, and we would go to gun shops after school and dreamed of the guns we would buy when we were old enough. As the years went on, and paying for a living, school, etc., took its budget, I always made room for a gun purchase. There are people who spend their disposable incomes on clothing, fancy automobiles, homes, etc. Then there are gun nuts who live in modest abodes and surroundings, but have a variety of every possible invention of weaponry that is affordable at the time. I am one of those. I like to keep these treasures to myself, having heard stories of break-ins, etc. However, it is nice to know that enthusiasts like us exist in the world, and we do convene and share our mutual obsessions in the virtual community, at least, if not in the physical spatial community. We are never alone as long as technology allows us to share our interests, passions, and pictures and movies of our experiences and inventions. My name is Gunz, and I am a gun nut.

 

[larryf1952]

I had a lot of exposure to guns when I was a kid. My Dad used to take me birdhunting with my Grandpa, uncles and cousins in central Kansas, and we walked many a field and ravine, flushing out covies of quail and pheasants. I had a great time. Dad had a Marlin 39A .22 (which I now own), and he also taught me how to shoot that rifle. Still, as I grew older, I didn't think much about guns...I was into hot rods, motorcycles, and fantasizing about cheerleaders by that time.

After I got married, my interest in guns as a hobby started to rekindle...I swear, that was just coincidence, really!...and I bought my first handgun. My wife was very cool about it, and I've taken her shooting on many occasions. She's never hassled me about anything gun related. But, she still has little interest in it, one way or the other. She'd rather undergo bamboo shoots under the fingernails than go to a gunshow with me.

I had a good buddy that I introduced to pistol shooting with a Colt Series '70 9mm. He developed a rabid interest in guns, even more voracious than my own. We shot together a lot, but he turned into a certified jerk a few years ago, for reasons unrelated, and I've pretty much cut my contact with him. A couple of guys that I work with fish and hunt a lot, but they don't shoot for recreation, and we don't have that chemistry to be good "shooting" buds...just worktime conversationalists. No one in my family is an anti-gunner, but no one is a practicing shooter, either. It's a bit lonely sometimes, but I'm used to it.