Should I? "It's for the children"

[Len_in_Phoenix]

Well, the current count is 71 for, 0 against. I never would have guessed.

I had pretty much made up my mind last night when I posted the question, but there was that last little shred of doubt.........it's gone now!! LOL...I needed a nudge....y'all gave me a shove.

This one (like my other AR) will definitely be 'built' instead of 'bought', but I have to admit that I was going to build it by myself while he is away and then let him discover it when he unpacked the rifles during our first range trip after his return.

Now that building it together has been mentioned, I'm torn between the surprise of presenting him with a complete rifle and the pleasure of building it as a team.

My dad and I never did anything like that.

As I was typing that last line I made up my mind. I'll collect all the pieces this summer, and then we'll build it together when he comes home.

Regarding 'earning it'.......being the mercenary bas***d that I am, I was planning on getting lots of mileage out of this one from the beginning. Car washes, lawn mowing, not fighting with his sister, that kind of thing. He already does his chores without having to be hounded about it (most of the time) and brought home a 4.0 gpa last year. He also helps with cleaning the guns and the more mindless aspects of reloading (sorting brass, etc). Before he left he sorted 3000 .223 shells by headstamp for me.


Thanks for the shove......I'll keep everybody updated and try to get some pictures during and after.

Len in PHoenix

uh oh........I just had a horrible thought:

What am I going to build for my daughter?

 

[magsnubby]

Johnny, what did you get for Christmas? "An AR-15". How cool is that?

 

[Nightspell]

Len_in_Phoenix --

Will you be my father?

 

[jobu07]

You can build your daughter and AK-47 with pink furniture I just love how the vote is 81 to 0. Quite the consensus. You'll be the coolest dad in the world to him if you do this. I'd have to say build it while he's gone, and make it a suprise on that first range trip. There will be plenty of time to bond while you're working your way through those first few cases of .223....

 

[Len_in_Phoenix]

LOL........

To all who have asked: I'm sorry, but 2 kids is enough.


The pink AK isn't a bad idea, but she's more into shotguns than rifles. Pink furniture on her model 12 would be rather sacreligous, so I'll have to come up with something else.

I still have to decide on the finish for the 1911 project......does Robar do pink?


Len in PHoenix

 

[1911Ron]

Umm if you don't want to be our dad(sniff sniff) could you at least take us to the range to help test fire it seriously let us know when you do it and we can take pictures and stuff(hint hint)

 

[D_Burchfield]

The vote is unanimous. DO IT! If you build it together, those memories will be everlasting. If you build it and surprise him, those memories will be everlasting. How can you lose? After all, it's for the children.

Best,

Doug

 

[twoblink]

At the risk of being the guy who pours cold water..

Don't buy one..

BUY TWO!!

Society is at the point where I question whether or not I want to have kids... But then I think about a good father-son or father-daughter shootin' together, and it makes me rethink everything again.

Good kid, great dad..

If you are in need of excuses to buy one, trust me, THR has an endless supply..

 

[SXSMAN]

Len , I like the idea of father and son shooting and teaching the responsibility of proper gun handling and ownership .

Although my father never shot w/me he bought me a rifle and took me to a indoor range that also earned me my safe hunter course at a young age .

Are you shooting out at Ben Avery or another course ?

My wife is out already in Phoenix waiting on me to finish and sell this ole house and hope to meet up with you and your youngin .(She flies home to me on weekends )

Maybe your boy could help me dial in my Colt Elite .

If you build it for him , I'll throw in a 30 rounder . (Mil spec,no aftermarket crap )

Best to you and yours , SxS (Soon to be out in Phoenix)

PS SxS #100

(Edit for can'tspell4acrap)

 

[4v50 Gary]

The bonds between a father and son should remain strong. Don't sever the tie. Buy the gun.

 

[grislyatoms]

Do it!

Also, I agree wholeheartedly with Diggler. Before you know it he will be grown and out of the house. Don't miss this opportunity!

When I was around 13, I discovered girls (and a few other things) and I wouldn't have cared if my Dad parked an Abrams tank in the driveway and handed me the title. (Unless, of course, I had found a way to put mag wheels on it and sneak it out of the driveway after curfew!)

 

[dairycreek]

Whenever one of my kids wanted a gun................

I had them earn some portion of it. Felt that was always better than me just outright buying it. I know that it is tough for a ten year old kid to earn money but it isn't the amount that's the issue it is working towards a goal is what counts. Good shooting

 

[Nick1911]

I'll always remember that clear March day when my dad gave me his old 410 single shot.......


Build the gun... your son will never forget it.

Nick

 

[Len_in_Phoenix]

UPDATE:

There were a couple of surprises waiting for the kids when they returned home from their summer vacation in Kentucky...........

Surprise 1: My daughter had been using my 10/22 for quite a while, but both kids have progressed far enough for all 3 of us to shoot together instead of them shooting and dad hovering. I found a 10/22 for a good price and added some custom touches to make sure everyone would know it was hers.


Len in PHoenix

 

[Len_in_Phoenix]

Surprise 2 and 3 were a big pile of parts on my workbench. Here are the results...........


Len in PHoenix

 

[Len_in_Phoenix]

Nathan with his:


Len in PHoenix

 

[Len_in_Phoenix]

Kathy with hers.....



Len in PHoenix

 

[Feanaro]

Nice AR and a great suprise for the kids. Brings new meaning to "for the children." I also like the purplish 10/22 and the gal beh...

*remembers the thread entitled "Daughters" in Roundtable*

*ducks*

*from a safe distance:*

You're quite the cool dad. Now, you need to build a FAL with 'em.

 

[OEF_VET]

You are definitely a cool dad. I trust they were both quite happy.

 

[38SnubFan]

123 to 0!

Being your son, even at 10 years old, shows himself to be smart (4.0 GPA), responsible (keeps with his chores and does as he's told), and generally well behaved (fighting with Sis is just good old "sibling rivalry" - no matter what you do, it won't stop), let alone the fact he's THAT good a shot....

HELL YEAH! Bought or built, he DESERVES it.

And (the good Lord forbid I say this) it's a good education, for you never know when he might have to use it for other than target practice - he might as well know now how to use it right.

How about teaching him how to use a handgun?

And I have to be another one of those sick SOBs that say this:

"WILL YOU BE MY DADDY!?"

Sounds like your son might be the kind I see taking home a lot of competition shooting trophies.

-38SnubFan

 

[cracked butt]

I still have 8 more years until my son is your son's age, I hope he turns out alot like yours and pops a similar question like "dad, can you build me an XM-8?"

Seriously, if dad doesn't build the kid an AR, who's going to?

 

[cracked butt]

I still have 8 more years until my son is your son's age, I hope he turns out alot like yours and pops a similar question like "dad, can you build me an XM-8?"

Seriously, if dad doesn't build the kid an AR, who's going to?

 

[cracked butt]

I still have 8 more years until my son is your son's age, I hope he turns out alot like yours and pops a similar question like "dad, can you build me an XM-8?"

Seriously, if dad doesn't build the kid an AR, who's going to?

 

[Tharg]

I don't know - used to think buying a gun "for a kid" was ludicris. My current gf before she was my gf bought her son a 410 when he was the same age. Course - i'm not a big hunter... and rarely have the money to shoot half as regular as i'd like... hehe

Either way - looking at the way he grew up... it wasn't all that odd for a kid to "own" a gun... for me it would have been odder... my dad taught me how to shoot and all - but it was never a regular thing.... so buying me my "own" gun wouldn't have been prudent i rekon....

Sounds like you and yer kid tho.... obviously have more than i had going on - so i'd say GO FOR IT =)

J/Tharg!

 

[RaySendero]

Yes - Get the boy another rifle and why not a shotgun too!

Good wing shooting takes time to learn (or teach). Teach him to shoot skeet while you have his undivided attention - Figure it will take a year or two. Good shotgun skills open up so much more hunting and shooting opportunities for the rest of his life!