Reluctant Shooter

[Speedo66]

My wife is an intelligent, well educated liberal with no interest whatsoever in guns or shooting. Many years ago when I was still working in LE, I tried to show her where I hid my duty gun in our home, a revolver at the time, with the instructions that in an emergency, all she had to do was point it and pull the trigger. She poo poo’ed the idea and paid absolutely no attention.

Fast forward a year or two, I come home late one night, all the lights are out. I slip in quietly and hear her call my name, as a question, from upstairs. I turn on the light, and she’s at the top of the stairs with my gun in her hand. OK, what happened? She thought she had heard noises near the back yard window, thought it might be a burglar.

She had remembered what I’d said about staying at the top of the stairs, not exposing herself, and to shot if the unknown person continued up the stairs. She remembered where the gun was and how to use it. She naturally was very upset, but wouldn’t call the police because she wasn’t sure she’d actually heard something. I told her she wouldn’t hear a good burglar, and should have called.

I found it interesting that when she thought the children might be in danger, liberal or not, she went to a gun for protection. She was too upset about the situation for me to kid her about it, I know when to keep my mouth shut for my own protection.

Have any of you experienced a similar situation, where a basically reluctant, anti gun person will attempt to use a gun as a perceived last resort?

 

[edwardware]

"Hey, look. Monster."

She found, ever so briefly, a small corner of her Monster. Pity she won't train herself to use and control it, but that doesn't mean it isn't there.

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

I think you're lucky she didn't shoot (at) you.

With guns in the dark house, I believe the prudent thing to have done, on your part, was to quietly answer her when she called, rather than just head for the light switch at the end of the shooting lane (staircase or hall).

Had she been a bit more frightened, or on edge, there is no telling what may have happened.

 

[milemaker13]

Some folks seem to like playing the Anti gun part, but don't really believe it in their heart. Its trendy nowadays with Facebook and all that garbage.

A lot of politicians like to play various 'cards' just because it suits their political platform. I remember Gabby Gifford's husband getting "caught" buying an AR-15 ahead of proposed bans... And then claiming it was to show how easy it was to obtain such a weapon. It was plainly obvious he just wanted one before he couldn't get one.

I'm glad your wife has enough sense to put away the foolishness when it really counts.

 

[ATLDave]

I have many, many anti-gun (or at least no-gun-for-me) friends. They have various reasons for their views, and that's fine. But most of them really struggle when pressed as to what their plan is for getting a person out of their house that doesn't belong there and won't leave. They say "call the police," but they acknowledge that won't happen fast enough to prevent something bad from happening, if that's the intent of the intruder. They're just making an assessment (which the media go to great lengths to tell them is the only rational assessment) that the net risks of gun ownership are higher than the net risks of non-gun ownership. Only the truly insane people think there's no circumstance in which a gun is helpful.

As for the OP, I think you have an opportunity to say, "Hey, we now know for a fact you will reach for the gun when circumstances get scary enough. That's perfectly sensible. Let's spend a little time making sure you can do that safely and competently."

 

[FROGO207]

I have a female acquaintance that refuses to be near me when I am carrying she is so anti. So usually I am "not" carrying when she asks. She has stated if ever things go south the first place she will go is to hide behind me though. The irony of it.

 

[tubeshooter]

My brother was fairly indifferent to guns until 3 young guys followed him home from the convenience store one day to rob him. I witnessed the whole thing and was able to break it up (no shots fired). "Good guy with a gun" and all that.


He's not the enthusiast I am or anything, but his stance is markedly different now.

 

[FROGO207]

^^^^^Funny how reality tempers our thought process with wisdom.

 

[Mousegun]

When some of the more liberahlees question me as to, "what are the chances of anything ever happening?" My response to them is, "just ask anyone it HAS happened to and they will say the chances are 100%."

When a few break ins took place around us, one of them begged me to sell him my old air rifle. I asked why and was told it was better than nothing. I could hardly contain myself and then begged him to come with me and buy a rifle that would do some good. He held his ground and I thoroughly enjoyed spending his $100 on ammo and supplies.

Some will learn, others will wallow.

 

[milemaker13]

Yeah, just wait till he sues you because you inadequately armed him... And his attacker sues because he lost an eye. You'll have to cover that guy for all the loot he can't see!

Sorry. The air gun thing makes no sense. Any common criminal will instantly be able to see its a BB gun. He may laugh and walk away... Shoot him with it and your buddy better be prepared for a real serious beat down.

 

[jeepnik]

So here's the story with my wife. She was not anti firearm, just not interested. Then one day she was out with my eldest in his stroller. A man tried to reach in at grab him. That's when all 5', 95#'s of the mommy attacked with teeth, claws, fists, feet and knees. A local business owner (and friend) saved the guys life (literally).

From that day forward she has carried. She's not a shooter out of interest. She's a shooter out of need. But don't think she isn't very, very good. The boys are grown, but she still carries.

It also is a perfect example of the saying "don't mess with the mommy".

 

[FL-NC]

Guns are like power tools. Very useful in the hands of a trained individual, potentially very dangerous, and almost always ineffective in the hands of the untrained. Compare it to a computer, or a lawn mower, or even a new microwave. Do we need to pay attention, struggle, read the manual when we first obtain these tools? Then, after a while- when we have LEARNED how to use said tool (through practice) we can just operate them with little conscious thought, right? So, it stands to reason that the first time we use a handgun, it would probably be least desirable to try to do so under emergency circumstances- when we will be experiencing for the first time the weight, noise, recoil, executing fine motor skills required to perform the task, making the dozens of decisions required, and above all marksmanship in order to perform the task.

 

[jeepnik]

Guns are like power tools. Very useful in the hands of a trained individual, potentially very dangerous, and almost always ineffective in the hands of the untrained. Compare it to a computer, or a lawn mower, or even a new microwave. Do we need to pay attention, struggle, read the manual when we first obtain these tools? Then, after a while- when we have LEARNED how to use said tool (through practice) we can just operate them with little conscious thought, right? So, it stands to reason that the first time we use a handgun, it would probably be least desirable to try to do so under emergency circumstances- when we will be experiencing for the first time the weight, noise, recoil, executing fine motor skills required to perform the task, making the dozens of decisions required, and above all marksmanship in order to perform the task.

So according to your logic if a non shooters life is in jeopardy and a handgun is available they should just die rather than try to figure out how to use it.

 

[nettlle]

My wife is not a liberal and has been around my guns all her life. She has absolutely no interest in guns whatsoever. She has nothing against them but she shows about as much interest in guns as learning to sky dive. Still over the years I have taught her how to handle a loaded gun and seen that she has one always available to her. Every now and then she will get spooked and she will call me at work for a refresher course on making sure a particular gun is loaded and the proper operation of the safety. That's a comfort to the both of us.

 

[Franky50]

^^^^^Funny how reality tempers our thought process with wisdom.

And when reality clashes with ideology...

 

[mbok1947]

During my years covering law enforcement I often accompanied patrol officers on calls, and it was quite common to encounter victims of burglary, prowling, even robbery who had not necessarily been hostile to firearms but essentially indifferent -- as in "it will never happen to me." Now it had and very often those folks asked the officers for advice on what kind of gun to buy, ammunition to load it with, etc. As the old saying attested, the quickest way to turn a liberal (or at least a neutral) on guns into a conservative gun owner is to mug him.

I don't recall ever running into anyone who was openly hostile to guns, but this was in the 70s in Oklahoma, so true anti-gun lefties were likely thin on the ground.

 

[Speedo66]

In NYC where I lived, it was like a one crop economy. I knew people who would have just as soon thrown themselves under a bus as pick up a gun.

And they were serious. I talked to a cousin’s wife about what she would do if she were ever mugged and thought she would be killed, how would she protect herself? Her answer was she wouldn’t, she’d just die.

 

[Rock185]

I wonder if some TV shows and movies actually do accurately portray the Liberal attitude prevalent in the Western world? For instance, a character uses a firearm to save his/her or another's life. Then the character immediately drops or throws away the firearm (that thing that just saved their life) as if it were the nastiest, vilest thing imaginable. I suspect that in real life many would actually rather die than touch a firearm. It is a visceral thing with some, not subject to discussion or logic.

Speedo66, glad to hear that when it comes right down to it, your wife is not one of those.

 

[JTHunter]

I have no idea where this line came from but it is at least of WW2 vintage: "There are no atheists in a foxhole."
That's why a few anti's will "bite the bullet" if it came right down to it.
Speedo - well done!

 

[FL-NC]

So according to your logic if a non shooters life is in jeopardy and a handgun is available they should just die rather than try to figure out how to use it.

I never stated any such thing. If you are going to "read into" my post, maybe the thing to take away is that people should do some soul searching and decide if/when trouble comes, are they COMMITTED to being a victor or a victim? If the choice is victim, then its easy to do nothing. If the choice is victor, then it is incumbent on that person to COMMIT to obtaining the knowledge, skill, and equipment necessary to prevail.

 

[CoalTrain49]

It's a fact that some people won't defend themselves in a life threatening situation.

That's a personal decision and I'm not going to judge, everyone has a choice.

People who don't train shouldn't have access to guns. It's better for everyone involved.

Would you leave the keys to your car for someone to drive in an emergency who has no drivers license or insurance? Probably not.

Instead you would insist that the person take the normal steps to learn to drive, get a license and some insurance.

 

[Milt1]

I know of a sheriff in a county next to the one I live in that is frequently on television telling all that are listening that if his department receives an emergency call from a resident that he could be there is less than five or greater than15 minutes depending upon how close one of his deputies are to the address. Because of this time factor he cautions residents that it's their responsibility to arm and defend themselves until his people arrive. He also tells his residents that they need to get their CCW permits. We need more instructive talk like that!

 

[Guitarmike]

3 years ago I was one of folks indifferent to guns. I didn’t own one but I supported your right to own them. Fortunately I was not awakened to the need to become trained in the use of a gun by anything bad. It seemed like the smart thing to do. It turns out it’s fun to shoot.
My wife fully supports gun ownership but she is not into shooting them very often.
That said, a mother that fears for her family is not something I want to be against. My wife would use everything she had including our guns to destroy someone who is trying to harm her kids or grandkids.

 

[EIB0879]

My wife was anti-gun when I met her. She had been robbed at gun point a couple of years before we met. When we met and started dating she knew that I owned firearms and knew that I knew how to use them.

She got curious after a while and I started to train her. I took her to the range and she enjoyed it. She finally realized it wasn't the gun that was the problem.

Now she complains that she hasn't got to shoot in a while.

 

[old lady new shooter]

I have a cousin who is not anti-gun but says she doesn't think she could pull the trigger on someone.