Ever let someone borrow a firearm?

[waterhouse]

I'd let most of my good friends and all of my relatives (I've got over 30 first cousins, so it's a big crowd) borrow a gun without batting an eye.

After Katrina I had a couple friends drive up from Houston to borrow 870s, as the whole city seemed to be sold out. You could argue (correctly) that they should have had their own shotguns prior to this, but they didn't, and I had spares, and that's what friends are for.

I've had friends and relatives come into town for hunts who had gun troubles (one O/U could not be closed, and one guy left 16 gauge ammo at home and was leaving too early for the stores to open), and I'm not going to let a hunt get ruined if I can loan out a gun and fix the problem.

I've loaned out 20 gauges to friends so their kids could shoot, since the dads only owned 12s.

Guns have always been returned clean, often way cleaner than they left the safe. Guess that's the sort of company I keep.

I say that:

a) if I were ever in a bind of any sort, my friends would help me out, and if it means loaning out my guns, car, money, spare bedroom, etc. I will do the same for them.

b) other than a few with sentimental value, most of my guns are valued at well under $1000, and the friendships are worth way more than that.

 

[Rickstir]

Back in 1994 my wife died, suddenly. I was sort of lost for a year or so. I did not want to go deer hunting and let a good friend borrow my Marlin 336 .35 Cal lever action. He used it for two years, shot some nice deer with it. Well it is 12 years later, I am remarried and live on 80 acres. That good friend comes up every few weeks to hunt fish and work around the place. He got to use a good gun when I didn't want to. That is the only time. But my buddy can have almost anything I have. He is a first rate friend.

 

[Springfield_1911SS]

to family only, but if im there ill let someone else try shooting them

 

[crankshop1000]

So.... back when I was a LEO another officer loaned a local bum a .22 out of the property room to hunt rabbits. turns out that the bum used the .22 to kill his girlfriend's husband (with her encouragement). the gun was returned to the property room and the "loan" was never mentioned in court. both the shooter and his girl got life.Moral-don't loan guns.

 

[Hokkmike]

I have an extra deer rifle that I loan out to trusted friends.

 

[American_Pit_Bull]

I will loan some of my hunting rifles to good friends; some have too much sentimental value to loan to any one.

I will only loan my handguns to one person... He is the only buddy that I have that is as big a gun nut as myself... He is a LEO and he lets me use his reloading equipment any time that I want.

 

[Browns Fan]

Quote:
"I've loaned out 1 gun in my life and will never again. My own brother wanted to borrow my .22-250 Rem 788 to shoot some crows. I lent him the rifle, hard gun case, and 100 rounds of handloads (the gun would shoot 3/4" groups consistently, day in day out). After a couple of months I was visiting over at his place and asked how the crow shooting was going. He said he'd shot once and that I could take the rifle back.

We went down to his basement (ooooo nnooooo!). I knew it. The hard case looked like he had dragged it behind his truck, and when we opened the case, the rifle was covered muzzle to bolt with rust. You couldv'e heard a pin drop. I told him he could just keep the rifle, (less the scope). "

My dad, back in the 60's, let my uncle (not his brother) borrow his Marlin 30-30 to go deer hunting. He never returned it.

One day, we had dinner over his house (I dont remember how long after the loan), and I asked him about the gun. He said he still had it somewhere, and after some lookin' around, we found it. It was hidden up in the rafters of his garage and it was rusted real bad. I dont remember if he ever offered to pay for it or not, I just remember how nice the gun used to be.

 

[BothellBob]

When my youger daughter moved out of the house she "borrowed" the 22 bolt action rifle that she learned to shoot on. That was 15 years ago. She was too ornery to get married right away. The grandbaby is barely a year old. I get to visit the rifle whenever we visit the granddaughter. It will be several years before I can go shooting with her. Oh well, it was going to go to her anyway. I'll just have to get another for the next arrival.
-Gramps

 

[MrPeter]

I'll let you borrow my gun if you're a VERY good friend of mine, like one of my roommates, and if you own a gun too.
The reason for the second requirement is that it means you know firearm safety, and that when I get it back, I expect it to be carefully cleaned. I hate cleaning my guns sometimes. :-/

 

[imatt]

HECK no.

I wouldn't even take my father's pistol to the range without him.

 

[theken206]

depends, who and what for??

I can think of five people who I would loan one of my firearms too depending on the circumstances{I wouldnt loan someone on of my guns just to go shoot it at the range or something unless I was invited and couldnt for some reason}.......

1. My uncle Larry{aka bimbo}. Avid hunter/shooter/fisher/outdoorsman. Has loaned my his 20 gauge as well as his '03 springfield. Both firearms were returned in better condition thatn they were recived and im welcome to borrow them at just about anytime.

2. My father. Taught me gun saftey, the basics of firearms handling{aka how to shoot} and bought me my first few guns. Hes welcome to take anything except my bolt rifle anytime he wants as long as he cleans them as well as he would his own.

3. My mothers husband/my friend Robert. Trust worthy and the type of man to make good on his word. Owns firearms, have borrowed and hung onto his AR-15 and cleaned it for him{im like the official gun cleaner for my friends and fam it would seem.} multiple times. Hes firearm safe and knows my standard of care from me teaching him how to clean and for that matter opertate some of his own weapons.

4. My close friend David. Have been on a thousand and one shooting trips with him and he is up to my standard of care and saftey. I just presented him his first firearm as well. Gave him the Walther P-22 my father gave me when I was 16. Perfect coming of age gift and something that meant something to us both as well

5. My close friend Marq. Hes the Army. Hes safe and knows how to take care of a firearm. Has owned a few, and agin is safe and knows how to take care of a firearm.

 

[bsf]

If the reason is for plinking or hunting, I will consider loaning some of my long guns. I will not loan out pistols. If the reason is self defense, absolutely not. I am not real sympathetic to people who find themselves in a scary situation and suddenly realize the importance of gun ownership. I am willing to teach people about gun use, purchase, ownership, basic defense theory, etc. Being the owner of a gun used in a crime or shooting does not appeal to me, though.

 

[JohnBT]

Everytime I see this thread I'm reminded that I still need to get my 1100 back from my duck hunting buddy. Oh well, duck season is coming.

John

 

[ShooterMcGavin]

I am pretty surprised at all the responses that say "no" or "never". That means exactly what it says to me.... "There is no circumstance under which I would ever let someone borrow my gun." Maybe you folks have nobody who is really important to you, not to mention anyone that you trust. Father, mother, wife, husband???

I can think of a few people I'd lend guns to, just because they want to try it out. My dad, mom, and brother - and I know I would get it back, or I'd get the replacement value. I can think of several close friends who I would lend a gun to, under certain circumstances. If one of my close friends (or relatives) told me that they had been threatened by someone, or feared for their safety for some reason, I'd give them a gun and all the ammo I had.

To those folks who replied "never", or anything similar, you are telling me the following are true:
You would not lend a gun to a close friend who was recently threatened by an ex-boyfriend.
Even your Mom cannot borrow your gun, in the case that your Dad was going to be out of town for an extended period.
Your license carrying spouse is going to another city for business... "sorry honey, my guns stay with me".

I can only assume one of two things about those who answered "no". Either you have nobody important in your life, OR you are a complete ***hole. Of course, that's just my opinion.

*edit* I thought of another reason you may have answered "no". Conformity, peer pressure, or otherwise giving the false impression that your gun collection is so valuable as to be worth more than your loved ones. Yes, I consider that to be essentially the same reason. In that case, you are just being dishonest, but this is the internet after all.

 

[Tinmancr]

just like anything else

in my opinion at least I would loan to my dad my best friend and that is about it.
as far as theft from a friend some people need to be more picky about friends.
as far as someone getting shot with your gun when it is being wielded by another...
I am glad Alaska has no requirement of registration, at time of purchase or after.
only one could even be linked to me and as I stated before I only loan to those I trust.
for those who trust nobody, are you an island that you never need help?
I mean come on you would not loan a gun to a trusted individual if your life depended on it?

 

[qajaq59]

Twice, and it was a mistake both times. Never again........

 

[shooting time]

I loaned a few out.This post is good because it reminds me to get back a couple of rifles that are out on loan right now to good friends.One guy has had my muzzle loader for the last 4 years.The other since oct last year .other times when i have received them back they were cleaner than when i loaned them out.