Ever let someone borrow a firearm?

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Only to my family. I've let my brother borrow one before, and my Mossberg is currently on loan to my Mom. Other than my Dad, no one else may have one of my guns out of my sight.
 
My experience in loaning things to people is if they want to borrow it it's because not only do they lack the wherewithal to acquire one of their own; they also want to get one for free. It's like pulling teeth to get it back for certain. And with a gun, if they did something criminal or negligent with it I could get held partially liable for it. I make the exception if we are at the range and they want to shoot it, but I see that as sharing more than lending.
 
I always loan to friends, and I never ask questions (I don't want the subpeona, thanks) nobody has ever asked for me to be there with the gun, so I'm ok with loaning them.

Everyone should have the right to defend themselves, not having $500 or having to wait 5 days shouldn't preclude that. That's just my 2 cents.

A few months ago I developed a whole "I will never lie to anyone about anything" thing, so I started charging my friends a buck when they borrowed guns. If the police stop by I can tell them "ya, I sold him my Mossberg 500 a few hours ago." When they come back I buy the gun back for $1.
 
tubeshooter: If they can show proof of a police report and/or a restraining order good.

The next thing they need to do is show proof of poverty or immediate need.

Before you transfer a gun to them write out a lien/contract on the pistol and get it signed and notarized. Then transfer the gun to them via an FFL, they pay the FFL fee. You can put a "90/120/180/etc day return or commit" provision on the lien/contract that means they need to either return the pistol or contact you so you can redo the lien/contract with more time or they pay you the sale price.

They won't have to pay anything but the FFL fee and all they need to do is bring the gun back to you and you're even. If they skip with it then you treat it as a bad debt and take them to small claims court.
 
One of my best friends will be shooting my Buckmark tomorrow during his CPL class.

I can't think of a better reason to lend one out.

He'll shoot every gun I have plus any I can borrow before he decides what to purchase.
 
NO

Some of my friends cannot even look at one of my guns without dropping the magazine on the ground:fire: No guns borrowed from this guy.
 
No and hell no

Personally, I would say absolutely not. Its not worth the risk in my opinion, your "friend" could have several of his "friends" over for a get together, start clowning around and very bad things happen if a gun is introduced. My guns will never leave my direct supervision. I'm not giving out one of my guns when I have no way of knowing how its going to be used or stored, not worth the risk. If someone wants to go shooting with me, then thats great. I'd be delighted to take a noob shooting and introduce him to the sport. Bottom line, I don't trust anyone with my guns, not even close friends. Guns are nothing to mess around with.
 
Just wanted to post a follow-up to the situation I asked about a few days earlier.

I didn't end up loaning. After seeing my hesitant nature, he was kinda like "That's OK, I'm not going to worry about it".


I won't lie, part of me feels like I let a good friend down. And I don't like that. But a bigger part of me thinks about how he never really took the time to tell me what was going on, for one thing. And how he's not really schooled on responsible gun possesion (including storage) and doesn't seem interested. And how there are no guarantees in all this, even though my friend "doesn't think he'll have to use it". And how my name would end up on all that.


I did what I felt I could do, including following up with him much better than he did with me, so I won't beat myself up too much. Just wanted to finish the saga off properly since I dug the grave on the thread asking for advice. Thanks for the responses, everyone.
 
I never have had anyone ask to borrow a gun. After thinking about it though I can conclude as of today I would only lend one to my younger brother and possibly his youngest son. Older brother no way, he does not take care of his own things.

The only real life comparison I can make is I have been asked many times to lend out my pick up truck. Seems when you own one people assume you lend them out or that you are in the moving business. Now depending on who is doing the asking I will offer them the use of the truck if I am available that day to drive it for them. As I have stated in other posts I have worked with a lot of college kids over the years. I get asked all the time to let someone use it. Basically I suggest that U-Haul rents a decent size box truck for about $30 a day and I will be happy to help lift and tote. Usually that ends the discussion. Sometimes I just flat say no and leave it at that.

I guess the truck scenario will turn out to be good practice the first time someone other than my younger brother asks to borrow a gun.
 
Under direct supervision by myself, or by a trainer in my club, then yes. All of my pistols have been lent to help newbies learn how to shoot.

I will not however lend a firearm to someone else to take away and use.
 
I don't consider handing someone a pistol at the range and watching them shoot "borrowing." I'm happy to let new people or polite comers shoot what I have. But I would never let anyone borrow something I wasn't 100% willing to lose.
 
Four exceptions to the NO answer:
1&2. My parents, who wouldn't ask unless there was a need (hasn't been one yet). I owe them too much to ever say no.
3. The friend who taught me to shoot. No questions asked. He lent me hunting rifles when I had none, he lent me vehicles when mine were broken, and he has shared knowledge in areas where I had none. If I knew there was a need, I would offer before he asked.
4. Oleg Volk. Many of my arms have been used in a picture, or used to teach a newbie. If he asks, he gets, no hesitation. Its for the cause.

Anybody else? No. I will be more than glad to take the time to go to the shop, gunshow or range with them and help in any way I can. If I felt it were the right thing to do, I would probably even help with a little cash.
 
I've let my brother borrow one before
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My brother is the last person I'd loan a firearm to. He never returns anything, tools, photo albums, you name it. Needless to say we no longer speak to each other much any more. Any friend who wants to shoot any of my firearms is more than welcome to, but I have to be there. Some are worth in the thousands, and there is a lot more responsibility (and possibly liability) in loaning a firearm than, say, a big cooking pot or some such thing.
 
Family and two of my close friends who I trust. and vice versa if I am ever in need.
 
I loaned my brother a CZ SP-01 for his CHL qualifying. Pretty sure I knew where to track him down if I needed it back.
 
I won't say never to a long gun being borrowed for a hunting trip or what have you. But a pistol, i seriously doubt it, unless it's direct family, I know their backgrounds. Most likely, I would be there or the gun would stay with me.
 
No, never loan my guns to anyone. Now, if I'm at the range and another shooter wants to step into my lane and try a few rounds in my gun with me right behind him and the range officer is right there to supervise as well, okay. Sometimes the range doesn't have a particular gun for rent that a person is interested in buying.
 
Back when I was in high school (1982) I let a cousin use a 20 gauge bolt action shotgun that was my father's. It was iether a Monkey Wards or Sears don't remember. Never saw the shotgun again. About 12 years later while I'm in the Navy my brother goes to my parents house and gets my 22 Mossberg Plinkster that I had since the 6th grade to use for home protection after he was almost shot as his doorstep because of a drug person hanging out with him and his wife. His place was later broke into and the gun stolen. Of course it was never recovered.
 
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