How to convince the wife?

[Officers'Wife]

Ragr,

Simply look in her eyes and tell her shooting is one of your joys and you want to share that enjoyment with her. If she doesn't melt, check her pulse.

Selena

 

[gdbrown56]

those pants come in a man's size???

You just put on the pants (men wear the pants in the family) and tell her that you want a gun for home protection and that is that......

BTW, I have been happily married for 30 years with that mentality.

 

[CoRoMo]

Forceful Persuasion

Just start buying, keep buying, stand strong, keep buying more, hold fast, keep buying and buying... and eventually she'll give up.

 

[dom1104]

I think most of these people are joking with ya as to how to handle it, "the wife" jokes come easy.

Truth is, its your job to protect her and your home. You gotta be able to do that somehow. And a gun is a pretty good way.

But somehow you gotta both gotta come to agreement or else there will be trouble and it wont be worth it in the end.

 

[Buckhannon]

Take her to the range with you.... Rent her a small cal. handgun and let her shoot at a target that is not human form....(round, bullseye,etc.).....Talk her through each step of firng the weapon and convince her that it is not all western shoot out....... Tell her that her safety is the first and only reason you want to be prepaired for any unforseen emergency......Like Otis said --- Try a Little Tenderness

 

[MikkOwl]

Make clever analogies to other objects. Cars are more dangerous than guns casually. You're often just one twist of the wrist when driving, away from taking out yourself, everyone in your vehicle and everyone in someone elses vehicle in the opposite lane. Somehow this doesn't freak her out. Kitchen knives are deadly and sharp, and demand respect. But it's not a big deal. Why should pistols be any different?

 

[angus6]

I found it's easiest just to buy the wife new guns , right now I'm trying to figure out if she needs a 1911 gov in 38 super or if to build her a cco in 38 super , her last birthday present was roses and ammo for her U22

 

[goon]

My one ex-girlfriend had never even held a gun before she dated me. A couple years later, she brings her Walther along when we go shooting (we're still friends).
Have you straight up brought the idea up to your wife?
To my point of view, there isn't any point tapdancing around the whole thing. Just tell her what you want to do and find out where her head is. Then worry about the next step.

 

[KarenTOC]

Back around the time of the dinasaurs, when I got married, I hated guns. I told my husband that under no circumstances would I allow a gun in the house. We got married... and a year he joined the police dept.

Ok, so he HAS to have a gun in the house, and I have to deal with it because it's his job. So he explains to me where it will be, and how it will be safely stored, and all I have to do is not open the container. Eventually I got used to knowing there was a gun "in there" and it didn't bother me. It was safely stored so I felt comfortable simply ignoring it for 30+ years.

Maybe you can tell your wife where it is, how you'll store it safely, and all she has to do is not open the safe.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

In Her Own Time

I don't know if it will matter, but . . .

Australia had a hunting and shooting tradition for generations.

Their heritage was the original English right-to-arms, and it worked for them for years. The ownership and use of guns was an accepted part of the culture

Their government, using a false pretext, did what governments do when the opportunity presents itself: it disarmed the population en masse.

Historically the Australian tradition is one of toughness and pioneering spirit.

She has an opportunity to reclaim part of her heritage that is effectively denied to those she's left "back home."​

Now, it's common enough for people to be frightened of things that make loud noises and are "dangerous" -- especially when they've been told all their lives that "these are dangerous" and schooled in the belief that "nobody should have them."

In my experience, you won't be able to rush her into accepting or liking firearms. Her acceptance of firearms will come in her own time, not yours.

Also in my experience, you will have better luck starting with small calibers and with guns that are easy and fun to shoot.

My wife was reluctant. She didn't mind that I got a .22 rifle for target practice. She didn't mind that I taught the kids (teenagers) how to shoot. She didn't want one of her own, and had no interest in shooting.

That changed when a mob marched past our front door.

I bought her a 9mm pistol of her own (at her request), but I had her begin practicing with a (Ruger MkII) .22 pistol first. She got halfway through the second or third magazine on the Ruger, stopped, looked at me, and said, "I want one EXACTLY like this one." It was easy for her to shoot, there was nearly no recoil, she was able to hit what she aimed at. It was, in a word, FUN.

I will offer a second to the Cornered Cat link (www.corneredcat.com). Kathy Jackson is a member here (pax) and a moderator at The Firing Line (www.thefiringline.com) and, best of all, she's in your general area: she lives in Washington.

She can speak to pretty much all of your concerns. Oh, she's also a firearms instructor, which is useful in and of itself.

I wish you success in this endeavor.

 

[daorhgih]

Experience will do it for you.

My wife of 49 yrs and I live in one of those little Hoosier bergs that are delineated by four roads, one mile apart each. Literally only 4 ways in or out, one gas station, two bars, one 4-way stop light. Wifey and her sister would walk in the cool of the day, 4 miles around the town. Then they noticed a car following them, and told the local marshal, who heightened their fears by saying it was not the first or second time he'd heard about that car. Wife had me buy a Lady Smith .38Spl for her, and she bought her own brassiere-rig for carry. 'Nuff said.

 

[ShooterMcGavin]

I am not about to get married, but I date different girls from time to time. I run into the problem of "girl who hates guns" regularly, but not all the time. It is so refreshing when I meet a girl who finds out about my guns and responds with "so what?"

The current girl I'm dating is not accepting of guns; she does know I have several. When I talk about getting a new gun, or even a small new pocket knife, her response clearly depicts irritation. I open carry regularly, and she does not like it - she has asked me to stop. I need to get her to the range and give her more time with the understanding that my greatest goal is safety for her, myself, and those around us. I still need more time with her. This is my plan, and I'd be happy to hear thoughts from others...

She knows that I carry for defense of her, myself, and those I love. I need to make it very clear to her that I only carry a gun because it is THE BEST form of self defense. Also, "the best" form of self defense requires having training, proper mindset, quick access, and the best accessories available (ammo, holster, etc.). "The best" access in some circumstances might mean open carrying. Like most men, I am the typical protector. I do not date women who are large, muscled, and have a warrior mentality. It should be made clear to the women I date that, regarding defense, I am better mentally prepared (AT LEAST because I am a man and most attackers are men), I am more physically prepared (since I will be stronger than the women I date), and I willingly take on the role of protecting them. Therefore, I need to request that they allow me the tools/accessories/methods that I think are best suited to my goal of protecting them.

If an attack never happens (and we all hope that is the case), she might always think that you are kinda silly and weird for carrying a gun. However, I am hoping that she also thinks that I am sweet and truly caring, and just doing my best to be the type of guy that I am. She might just understand that, while she may be able to change things about you, she will never be able to take away your built-in need to protect her.

Someone always tries to twist my words, so I'm putting this in here. I am NOT saying that woman cannot protect themselves and I would NEVER say that. I will say that when a person (whether a woman or not) does not want guns around and I do, it is likely that I have the better chance to defend myself and them.