Ever let someone borrow a firearm?

[tank mechanic]

When i first started shooting, I asked a friend to borrow his .22 autoloading rifle to go out and practice with. With a firm no, he told me that he never lets any one borrow his fire arms because it is too easy for the weapon to not return, mainly through negligence. I was a little shocked because we were really good friends. I respected his opinion and it shaped how I feel about lending out fire arms, which is never. I explain to new shooters the same rules, in that I will not loan out any of my guns. Any one else keep their guns to themselves? Or does anyone lend out their fire arms?

 

[10-Ring]

IF I'm not there, neither are my guns!

 

[Lupinus]

no, plain and simply no.

No one borrows my tools. No one borrows my car. And most importantly no one borrows my guns.

 

[Pumpkinheaver]

I let my best friend use my Guidegun from time to time to deer hunt with, I'm usually with him but not always.

 

[browningguy]

I've got a few I don't loan out, but a couple that I've let friends borrow for hunting trips.

 

[fatelk]

Only if it's to someone I trust very well, and it's a gun that is replaceable if it was damaged or went missing somehow. I did loan my favorite Ithaca 37 to a friend a while back so he could shoot clay targets with some of his friends. He's a trustworthy guy, but a real goofball. I was a bit nervous about getting it back in one piece. He liked it so much he wanted to buy it from me. I'm really not a shotgun shooter, but I sure like that Ithaca and it will go to my son when he is old enough.

 

[Sun195]

My grandfather and great-uncles used to share one or two guns amongst them to go deer hunting. Never a problem.

I don't think I'd do that today....

 

[Monkeybear]

Although I can come up with many reasons to suggest someone purchase a firearm I cannot come up with any to lend one out.

 

[meinbruder]

I did so once and will not do so again. My friend was trustworthy enough but it took four requests to retrieve it. He had no idea where he had hidden it to keep it safe and spent an hour trying to find it on the fourth visit. This was supposed to be a gun to protect himself and family from a stalker. I didn’t get the box of cartridges back I handed him with it, I wonder if he ever found them.
}>

 

[gudel]

I may let you shoot it while I'm there, but when I go home, my HK's go home with me. All guns must be accounted for!

 

[possum]

maybe my dad or my wife but that is it. for my dad i can trust him and i know he will make it right if anything does happen to it, and my wife so she can protect herself but anyone else is out of luck unless i am around to keep a close eye on my babies!

 

[3 gun]

Depends on what, where, who and why. I have a couple that barely leave my safe. More that I'll let someone use while we're at the range and some that I haven't seen in weeks. But yes I'll let friends "borrow" a firearm. It's just "borrow" covers a broad range.

 

[beretta9]

I would let someone I really trusted use one of my 22's, but I would have to be there for any of the others.

 

[General Geoff]

Nobody's ever actually asked me if they could borrow a gun of mine, but I'm sure it'll happen eventually. I already have some guidelines made up. Family and close friends only. And even if you're a close friend, if you don't own a gun of your own, you're not borrowing one of mine. IF you already have your own gun(s) and you'd like to borrow one of mine for whatever reason, that's fine, so long as you return it in the same condition as it was lent. If you don't return it in a timely manner and in the same or better condition than when I lent it, that's the last time I lend you a gun.


edit; by "lend" I assume you mean lend out for use in the owner's absence.

 

[M2 Carbine]

I have few close friends.

If one said I need several guns, the first thing I'd ask is how much ammo do you need?
The second thing I'd ask is do you need any backup?

 

[ArfinGreebly]

It Mostly Depends

I learned, like many of you, that lending out tools is a recipe for . . . having to buy new tools.

Something I learned over a period of years:

If someone does not own tools of his own, yet wants to borrow mine, whatever forces in his life that keep him from owning his own will tend to work against his caring for mine.

If (for whatever reason) he "can't have" tools, and I lend him mine, his "can't have" will be applied to my hardware, and I'll get it back damaged or broken, if at all.​

That said, I've found that I can lend tools to someone who has tools of his own, but whose tools are not handy, and generally there won't be a problem.

A guy who has his own, cares for them well, and has demonstrated good "karma" with the tool du jour, is welcome to use mine.

You may take it as read that this will be someone I know well and in whom I have complete confidence.

Outside of that, ain't be no way dat be happnin' wit mah tools. Y'all getcher own.

 

[iiibdsiil]

If I'll let you borrow my car, I'll let you borrow my gun. Basically, those types of friends are all on the same level, and although I may be a little too trusting at times, I know if anything happens, it WILL get fixed. I've got insurance on the car, and the price of the gun is worth losing a friend over if need be. If they don't bring the gun back, it was probably a cheap price to pay to never see them again. If they don't bring the car back, then I'm hunting them down with the gun. It's my favorite member of the family.

 

[Guy B. Meredith]

No.

 

[NYGunman]

I would let any of my "good" friends borrow any of my guns if they wanted to. The thing is they have more guns than I do. They generally don't need to borrow any. I only own 12 at this point in time. Currently I have 2 in my safe that are not mine and on loan.

 

[mrmeval]

No, it's simpler to give it to them. I've done so in three cases. One to a friend with reason to fear harm. Two others as gifts. One of the gifts went to my Mom.

 

[tnieto2004]

Family i will

 

[Ryder]

I loan rifles to my sons. I grew up with guns being shared among family. Nothing's changed.

 

[Hemicuda]

I have a few friends who have keys to the house, AND keys to the gunvault... they seem to always bring back whatever they borrowed, cleaner and nicer than when it left, and usually with some extra ammo for me...

 

[Prince Yamato]

I'll let people "try" my guns at the range. No way in HELL would I lend them out to anyone but a VERY close family member and only in an emergency.

 

[Dionysusigma]

Immediate family, and only a few close friends. Nobody else.