Criticized again for liking guns

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BIGDADDYLONGSTROKE

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Tired of being one of the few gun guys in the family, I just got critized yet again my the inlaws and my wife this time for talking about guns. I was asked a question and a gave a detailed answere, and now critized for talking about them to much. Does this ever happen to any body else and if so how do you deal with it. Do you just ignore them when they ask a question, keep you hobby to yourself and the fine people here at THR. What do you do because honeslty I am getting tired of not being able to talk about my hobby because it involves guns, but its ok to talk about baseball and football and every other sport. I may just be ranting here, so sorry. My inlaws even come from Texas and dont like talkng about guns:what: . Any how anybody else have this problem.
 
I did hear that from the wife a lot - "Can't you talk about anything but guns?" and "No" I would say. :) But I was cured by getting into knives and talking about them for a year. Now it's a mix. :D
 
I dunno why our hobby is viewed differently by others. Like you said it's a hobby. And, yes, I do get the same s*** from other people! :cuss: It's really annoying. To me, firearms in general have challenged my intelligence! (Ok that sounds weird lol but theres a LOT of physics involved with firearms) It's only when you get irresponsible people behind firearms, then the sport is bad. And unfortunately, there will always be irresponsible people wielding dangerous firearms. :barf:
 
Misinformed people usually have the idea that someone who is interested in guns is weird or psycho.

I eat, sleep, and think guns all day long. When i'm not shooting, or hunting I am wishing I was or am about to so I have much experience with "non gun people"

I have family members who are pro-gun laws and who are very liberal and when they ask "what did you do this weekend" and I answer "well I set up a bunch of different objects out in the woods to shoot at with my friends and we shot this water jug and it totally exploded, it was SWEET"- they usually make a face as if I just told them I murdered a hundred kittens.

There is a sense of stigma involved with firearms enthusiasts in the minds of the misinformed. People have preconceptions that are engrained in their heads by society that gun people and guns themselves are 'evil' and therefore they always have this semiconscious fear of it.

It takes time to get used to but you just can't change people's minds.
 
My father,likes to participate in fishing as a sport and is a very keen enthusiast-indeed.My mother puts up with it,by dismissing it as "a normal,but boring sport".My father likes Browning fishing rods and various other makes.

However,I like Browning firearms and I get funny looks by my mother and she thinks that I might be the next Hungerford murderer-despite telling her that I act responsibly with my guns.All this rubbish of:"people don't need guns".:banghead: :banghead: :(

My interest in firearms has caused conflict,with my other half,whom I had to battle with-in order to get a cabinet installed at home.:fire: :cuss:

The sad thing is that in my parents home,guns were and still are not allowed-at all,so I accepted this,but to my horror,In my own home,I have to battle-each time,if I want to buy a new firearm-despite trying to convert my partner,to becoming pro-gun or tolerant of firearms.

Soon I might have to store my weapons in a club,if this continues.:fire: :banghead: :banghead:
 
I only have one in-law that is/was somewhat antigun. I think he has figured out I am not going to change and I could careless about what he thinks. Anyhow, I would invite him to the range and tell them how much fun it is to shoot when the question would come up.
 
I am lucky as hell. My father in-law likes to talk about guns with me :D (he is in late 70's was "over there" late in WWII--did not see action). My wife would likely have me talk about guns than chemistry (although she would prefer neither). I have a guy at work that is even a bigger gun nut than me (although we are the only two). Best of all, I just this past weekend met our new neighbor who moved in to a new house across the street. As he was moving in, I was cleaning the cosmoline off a CMP Springfield 03 at the end of my garage. He walked over and asked,"Is that a Garand stock you're cleaning." No, I said, Springfield, but I got a couple of Garands, you wanna see 'em:D .
Turns out he got out of the armed forces a year or so ago, and is a gun nut like me (although he mostly shoots shotguns because he did not know about the gun range I belong to). Has a nice clean Lugar his dad brough back from WWII and a cherry Arisaka (with chrysanthemum) he picked up an estate sale.
He has yet to move his collection over to the new house.
And finally, just a block from my house, is a nice guy who runs a dog grooming place and sells guns part time (he has an FFL--Dog House Discount Guns!:p ). He is a HUGE gun nut, very knowledgeable, and a great guy to boot.
Biggest problem I have, is getting time to get to the range:banghead:
 
I have a sister who is what you'd consider pretty liberal. She doesn't want to hear about George Bush, or hunting of any sort. Surprisingly, when I brought up CCW not too long ago, she perked up and we had a good conversation about it. Doesn't hurt that she was followed around a large city by a creep in a car one night....

I think "Oh I hate guns" is just the mantra for the new age. It's like breathing for some people. Not a moment's thought, just a natural reflex.

I'm probably one of the top two conservatives in my family, and have gone through several stages when it comes to talking about things I enjoy, like guns and hunting...I don't throw it in anyone's face, but I don't hide them either. I just try to be me. Works every damned time.
 
Accept the fact that not everyone shares your fascination with guns and don't belabor it. Have you never been annoyed by someone going on and on about their hobby and/or special interest? At some point, you'll just come off as being obsessed and a self-absorbed boor.

K
 
In other words, if someone asks a question that involves your interest in guns, answer it as best you can and in a positive manner. If they want to continue the discussion, fine, if not, let it drop and move on to something of a mutual interest. How would you feel about being trapped in a conversation with cousin Bubba who goes on and on about his beer can collection?

K
 
Critized again for liking guns
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Welcome to the club. I try not to bring it up, but if asked I'll go on at length. Of course, sometimes you just can't resist making a comment..."umm, you can't fire when the slide is locked back."
 
This should pretty much put a stop to having to deal with your in-laws' stupidity, one way or the other:

"I can either talk about guns, or I can talk about what an ignorant, a$$-backwards bunch of inbred f***-ups y'all are. Which would you prefer?"

This is sort of my "general purpose" response to anyone trying to give me grief over firearms. ( It works best if you say it with your best "poker face". No emotion, no grinning, just plain dead serious. )
And so far, it's worked every time. ;)


J.C.
 
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Misinformed people usually have the idea that someone who is interested in guns is weird or psycho.
--------------------------

I have seen antis use this as a defense.

They say something factually incorrect about guns to advocate gun control.
We tell them they are wrong as to fact, and explain why they're wrong in an obviously well-informed way.
They retreat to their secondary position, that anyone who is so well-informed obviously has a perverted fascination with guns.
 
My response is "I'll stop talking about guns when you stop talking about knitting." My wife and most of our friends are into knitting.
 
It’s a mixed bag for me. I have family that is ok with guns for hunting, i.e. shotguns, but rifles are no-no’s. When I get my rifles out I get the,
“Can you take deer with that here?”
“No.”
“Then why do you have one.”
“I don’t have one, I have four.”
“Oh….”

When I got my CCW I had a similar conversation. My wife is cool about it, but she told family members I got it so I could transport firearms to the range. That lasted a few months until they visited and saw my IWB holster on my desk. LOL They looked at it funny, realized what it was and walked away.

My best experience is that my wife’s grandfather is a WW2 vet (who was seriously injured) and her family was real sensitive about discussing anything war related around him. No TV, movies, news, current events etc. Out of respect I went along with it. One day I mentioned the state war memorial museum and her grandfather wanted to go. Of course the family was nervous and a little peeved I brought it up.

When we went with him to the museum, it was the best museum experience I ever had. Once we got to the WW2 displays her grandpa did fine and actually was very informative. He would see the items in a display and actually give commentary about his experience with them. The most solemn commentary was when he pointed to a MP40 and said he and a buddy were surprised by a German that fired at them and missed at point blank range. He and his buddy did not miss. He commented about out all the weapons he used and being under fire of the German weapons. Then he talked about how he took shrapnel from a German grenade, which is what almost killed him. He was passed up during triage as a “goner” and yet made it. To this day his wife can not watch MASH. I watched my wife’s family for reactions to what he said and it was obvious they haven’t heard these stories before. It was truly incredible to get a first hand account. I have the utmost respect for that man.

Afterwards we when back to the house and my wife suggested I show her grandfather my arsenal. And he agreed. We spent the rest of the evening discussing various firearms. Of all things he liked the in-line muzzleloader the best and wanted to try it. Unfortunately, they were leaving the next day. Maybe next time.
 
Think about when you hear about guns in the news. Always negative. Somebody shot up a school, or their office, or sniped people on the freeway. Maybe someone killed their entire family before getting in a standoff with police. This is what runs on the news.

What doesn't make the news is a rape prevented by a citizen with a concealed pistol. Or a pit bull killed with a truck gun before it was able to rip a 5 year old to shreds. Or any of these stories.

I have no illusions as to where irrational fear of guns comes from. None at all. This is what we're working against when we try to change people's opinion.
 
Talking about firearms and shooting are a no no in my family gatherings, unless I want to be rediculed as a gun nut and lectured about guns and crime by the so called experts.
 
Be eclectic

To be consumed by guns is not good. You should be able to talk about other things and converse on the topic others want to talk about.

Then you are not a gun nut, just a person who enjoys them and good conversation about other topics.

To stay away from your mother for 13 years over an inability to converse is really sad. If other reasons I can see the point, but not over your enjoyment of a topic. Takes two to make a conversation. Communication is the key.

HQ:)
 
Just my opinion. Hospitality dictates that I not initiate discussions that guests in my home would find disquieting unless that discussion is the reason for the visit--such as a meeting of an organization or an intervention in the case of an alcoholic. If the guest brings it up, especially, if he is insulting, intolerant or stupid about it then I don't hold back very much.

:banghead: I'm going to have to remember the fifth commandment more since most of the arguments are with my parents.
 
Take up full contact fighting, and then when they ask, "why in the world would you do that?" Tell them you needed something else to talk about besides guns. :neener:
 
I've recently taken up fencing and have discovered that people that can't stand guns don't really seem to have an issue with conversations about stabbing people with swords.

I'd recommend that you figure out what interests you about guns, and expand you interest sideways into something less controversial, so you have something to talk about.

There are tons of departure points, guns and hunting is an extremely broad topic.

History
law
Physics
engineering
manufacturing
conservation
ecology ( <- tends to be popular with the ladies )

Go expand your horizons!
 
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