I'm giving up my guns

[jamz]

I got into this hobby after a lifetime of fooling around with shooting with my dad. He gave me a very nice Ruger 77/22 for my birthday a few months ago, and that was the first gun I actually owned, rather than borrowed.

I managed to get a pretty decent annual bonus this year (First bonus ever, in fact) and I decided that I could obtain some of the guns I really lusted after. So, with the bonus, I bought a Walther P-22 for practice and plinking, a SW1911 as a carry gun and because I love 1911s and , and Mosin Nagant M44 just for the sheer fun of it and bang for the buck factor. The pistols made me very happy.

However, I did not tell my wife about the bonus. We sort of have a "dont ask/don't tell" policy regarding my hobbies and their costs- I have had a string if expensive hobbies, and this one is no different. (Cheaper than my last hobby of time trialing my car, however). She doesn't ask, I don't tell her how much stuff costs, and as long as we can afford food, clothing, shelter and heat in the winter, we are all set.

My wife is pretty scared of guns, and listens non stop to NPR, so she has a pretty anti-gun attitude. She wants the 77/22 out of the house, for instance. She would be absolutely shocked to know I had a pistol at all, let alone in my car and sometimes on my person.

Anyway, I'm not smart enough to keep a secret like this for very long. As much as I enjoy shooting, I enjoy being open and honest with my wife more. Money is also kind of tight right now, so we could really use the money elsewhere. So I am going to sell the 3 guns she doesn't know about, until the time comes when I can buy them "openly" and without hiding anything. I hope to be able to sell them to my Dad, whom I can buy them back from eventually. If not, I'll try to find someone else who might want to buy them and maybe sell them back to me later on.

I have become quite attached to these things, and I will miss the fun and concentration that they provide for me. I'll keep the Ruger rifle, and it will have to tide me over until times are better financially and "attitudinally".

Wish me luck. I'm in a kind of mourning for these things right now.

-James

 

[jsalcedo]

Maybe a last ditch effort to convince the wife. If that fails maybe agree to off site storage for a while.

Trigger locks? A safe?

Hope it works out for you

I would hate to be in your position I did the frog in the pot of water with my wife. Over a 13 year period She didn't notice my collection growing
by leaps and bounds just a little here and there until it was too late.

 

[blades67]

That's why I got a gun for my girlfriend...




























It was a good trade!

 

[pwrtool45]

You'll probably catch a lot of static (and that's to be expected, given the leanings of the group) but you do what you gotta do.

WRT to your wife's own thoughts on "the gun issue," I'd suggest a more subtle approach to the argument than most. Watch movies like "Enough" (yeah, I know, I know) with her. Watch the evening news with her. Get her some pepper spray and use it as an opportunity to expound on the benefits of simply being aware. Let other people (news anchors, celebrities) make your point for you. (All the better if they're anti-gun themselves. )

I've yet to meet anyone who can maintain an anti-gun/defense attitude without shutting themselves off from the unpleasant aspects of reality. If you can get her to start paying attention to her immediate surroundings (large men leering, groups of people loitering, etc.) she'll probably change her views. Most people combat their optionless position on the hierarchy of victimhood by ignoring what's going on around them. Take that away and they come around. Some more quickly than others.

Not exactly what you asked for, I'm sure, but you *did* open the floor to comments by posting.

 

[Mulliga]

I'm in a similar situation. I've spent nearly 2000 dollars on guns, and I haven't told my family about it. I'm thinking of selling them, but I know I might need them . Good luck.

 

[SodaPop]

Give them to a relative.

I have several of my uncle's firearms.

 

[lee n. field]

My wife is pretty scared of guns, and listens non stop to NPR,

She needs to find something other than National Socialist Radio to listen to.

 

[hillbilly]

If you sell or otherwise dispose of a gun that your father gave you as a gift, you will live to regret it.

Some day, dad won't be there any more, and you'll have gotten rid of the gun he picked out, bought, and gave especially to you.

Get rid of the others, if there really is no other way, but do not, under any circumstances, sell the one your father gave you.

But if you ask me, there always is another way short of ditching them all.

hillbilly

 

[hillbilly]

Oh, one more thing....you have to give up your guns because the wife has an irrational fear fueled by propaganda on NPR..................

Somehow, that just doesn't wash with me.

And yes, I have been married for the past ten years to the same wonderful woman.

hillbilly

 

[4v50 Gary]

Invite Wifey to drop in here at THR.

 

[P95Carry]

They really do need a ''temporary home'' and badly. And also one with a buy-back option too.

Over time you can hopefully sort this all out.

Family weapons . selling?? Never .. you don't get a second chance on those unless very lucky.

 

[fjolnirsson]

Jamz,
You might try a deal with her. Do something she wants with her(girlie movie, etc.), and get a promise from her to sit through "Innocents Betrayed" from JPFO. (Jews fro the preservation of firearms ownership)

It might sway her.

 

[orangeninja]

Jamz...I have a suggestion for you. Get a gun friendly policeman to stop by to discuss guns and crime. Maybe she would listen to a "professional" and maintain a more open mind. I've even seen the wives take up shooting as well. Usually they put more faith in a complete stranger in uniform than their own husbands. Its not her fault, society teaches us to do that .

 

[Autolite]

I don't mean to be critical but ...

why wasn't the 'gun thing' discussed before the marriage?

 

[MaterDei]

OK, Jamz, time to quit pulling our legs. What is the point of this prank? It is a prank, isn't it?

First you say,

However, I did not tell my wife about the bonus. We sort of have a "dont ask/don't tell" policy regarding my hobbies and their costs

Then you say,

As much as I enjoy shooting, I enjoy being open and honest with my wife more.

and,

So I am going to sell the 3 guns she doesn't know about

You expect us to believe this?

HAH!! Nice try. Hurry up and get to the punch line, would you?

 

[Zundfolge]

In addition to what was posted above, also have her take the quiz over on Oleg's site

www.a-human-right.com (just have here click on "Liability")


I understand wanting to get your guns out in the open and honestly (but in all honesty my wife doesn't know what half my guns really cost ... nor does she know how much ammo I really have or what it cost ... she's not an anti, she's just cheap ).

 

["yote"]

If the woman in my life doesn't like my guns or tells me to get rid of them,
then she knows where the door is!!!! That's no ****! I've sent 2 possible
marriages down the road. If they marry me, they marry my guns.
This might upset some people but here goes! SOME OF YOU GUYS NEED
TO GROW A SET OF YOU KNOW WHATS'!!!

P.S. I divorced a woman over the gun issue and it's NOT gonna happen twice!

 

[444]

I am trying to take the high road here and not be offensive; I don't know if I can succeed though.
I have a question for you. Your wife is a liberal. You obviously don't buy into a lot of her beliefs. You are more to the right at least as far as guns are concerned. Why is it that you are the one that has to bow down to her beliefs ? Why is it that she is totally inflexable and you are supposed to be flexable ? Put simply, what makes her right and you wrong ? You are expected to be reasonable, yet she isn't. Why does she have unilateral power to decide what stays in the house ?

http://www.ebuy123.com/book_american_male.html
Never read it, but saw an ad for it in SWAT magazine.

 

[scromp]

I completely agree. I was in a similar situation myself three years back, and now my wife's getting her own carry pistol. It just took some careful nudges, and the patience to let her think it through on her own afterwards. She's smarter than you think. ;-)

 

[MeekandMild]

I can't say what I think about this situation without being offensive so I will instead quote what another has thought in the past.

The Betrothed

The Mare’s Nest

 

[Frohickey]

Why give up? Can't you just give your dad custody of them. That way, you can visit them whenever you want.

The nice thing about guns, you don't need to pay for child support.

 

[Edward429451]

In my opinion you may be letting her down in a way by getting rid of them. It's just a matter of perspective. Women generally run the households in America and are granted this responsibility & authority willingly by husbands who love them and are eager to see them happy so give them the reins, and all is well, she's happy we're all happy. No rocket science there.

It's not without it's checks though. In times of crisis or shtf, or anything close to that...the reins quickly get handed back to the man (ie, save me, protect me, feed me/us) and so forth. You still have the responsibility to be ready to grab the reins at a moments notice and deliver.

Save me.
Sorry honey, I thought you'd be mad and sold it.
What are we going to do?
Umm, err.

Save me.
Right here baby. (shuck-shuck)
Where'd you get that thing?
Just an ace in the hole. Just in case.
I love you too.

JMO.

 

[MeekandMild]

On second thought I will say more. Offensiveness is relative.

At my work I see a whole lot of women whose husbands/boyfriends molest their children, smoke crack cocaine, beat them, bring other women into the house, spend all their food money on beer, et cetera. There are thousands of women, probably millions, in this country who just ask for a little bit of kindness and consideration.

So you are loving, kind and considerate and what do you get?

Let her next husband worry about offending her NPR sensibilities. Find someone who deserves you.

 

[schromf]

1st take the rifle your Dad bought you and store it back with him for a while. Now the other collected items there are not collectable items if you need the $ do what you must. Nothing there that can't be replaced your just going to lose your shorts on the sale.

Personally my guns are not for sale, unless I decide I no longer want it or need it. I do not look into my collected guns as a cash reserve, I have some pieces that are simply not replaceable for any cost
( examples are a A3-03 that my father sporterized ) some that could not be replaced by reasonable cost ( my 1913 commercial 1911, my 1958 grade Winchester Model 70 in 375 H&H, my custom mauser G33/40 7x57, colt SAA second generation) and some that would just hurt like Hates to loose ( my Colt Python, model 58 S&W) I pretty much figure that any one of the above if they ever leave my hands will take years or real big dollars to replace.

Some advice on wives, my wife likes diamonds, I personally think they stink, I never wear jewelry of any sort, but I like it on my wife. But diamonds as far as I am concerned are good as abrasives on cutting and grinding wheels, my interest ends there, I don't like how the whole diamond trade operates, and I don't think they are attractive. But I make concessions and have bought my wife some diamonds, she makes concessions and puts up with my guns, tools, and toy trains. Its a two way way street. My wife bought me a gun for Xmas, not cause she likes them, because I do.

A trick I have learned about my guns is don't put all of them in one place so she spots them, my rifle rack remains pretty unchanged...full. But I keep the handguns scattered out a bit, if she ever saw all of them together she would croak. Another trick is to publicly trade one or sell one once in a while, weeding out the less desireable pieces for more desireable. That way the illusion of at least one going is maintained. Even if the last sale was 3-5 years ago, the admittely lame excuse of I just sold one is good for a couple of years. As long as I am not out buying a new gun every month harmony is maintained, and let me tell you two or three guns a year over twenty years adds up.

 

[sm]

I ain't got the women - still got the guns tho'.

I never had a problem with the women in my life and guns. Kinda evident, since often on dates we went shooting, another one her daddy was my shooting partner...Guns were evident from get-go.

Now I and others have "babysat" guns for fellas that didn't. Introduced the women to the aspect of firearms. Be it starting out plinking, coming out to the range to watch a tournament...world events and concerns for personal safety. When the women became involved...Guns were "bought" *ahem* ironic how these guns came about.

Family heirlooms, sentimental value cannot be replaced - they can be brought "back" home...they can be "babysat" until things change.