Too protective of my guns?

[browningpotato]

So I was put in kind of a tough spot today. A good friend of mine asked "hey can I borrow your sniper rifle this weekend?" I asked for what and he said basically jsut becauise he wanted to shoot it. My respinse was that I was not comfortable with leaving such an expensive item outside a safe (he does not have a gun safe). He kind of made me feel bad when I told him I was not entirely comfortable with him taking it.

Am I being paranoid? He is a good friend and my wife said "he would do it for you" making me feel even worse. So what do you think would you guys lend out your guns for an extended visit?

 

[ShawnR]

* FIRST POST!!!*

It would depend on just "how good" of a friend he was. Genuine good friend, then I wouldn't have a problem with it. I would also feel confident that he would replace it if anything did happen to it. If he is just an acquaintance, or has had some incidents of "poor judgment" in the past, I would probably find some excuse to not do it.

Thinking about it more, it would also depend on the value of the gun. I would be more likely to lend out a cheap .22 rifle than an AR15.

 

[browningpotato]

it is a very expensive precision .308, I have roughly $5000 invested in it. It should also be noted that I have only shot it enough to break the barrel in. He is a good friend and has done alot for me as well. It is jsut concerning because I have so much invested in this gun and take very very good care of them. I could tell when I told him no that he was shocked and kinda upset. I dont know what to do

 

[w_houle]

Am I being paranoid? He is a good friend

If you can't do it, you can't do it. Maybe you need to identify why that is, but my best advice would be to go with your instincts.

... my wife said "he would do it for you"

... and good for him, but it still has no real bearing on the issue.

 

[Ben86]

I never ever, ever let anyone use any of my firearms unless I am present, period. There is just too much that can happen. Also, too much potential liability on my part. Tell the bum to get his own gun. You don't have to make up any excuses, it's your gun. Tell your wife to let her friends borrow her expensive jewelry. Boy that will go over big, maybe that's not a good idea.

 

[Straight Shooter]

A good friend of mine asked "hey can I borrow your sniper rifle this weekend?"

If it is a friend I would but I am very selective with the term friend.

Let me ask you this, would you lend him your car?

 

[jakemccoy]

Dude, there's no way. Now, if he wanted to swap wives, that would have been something to ponder.

 

[summerhelp]

Can you not go out shooting together so that way you are both happy.

 

[browningpotato]

I would rather lend out my truck than my guns lol

 

[Walkalong]

Are you a sniper, or do you just have a nice accurate rifle?

Anyway, it's your decision, and yours alone.

 

[VA27]

I have 'loaner' guns, but my precision rifle is NOT one of them. I once loaned a nearly new Buck Skinner out and it came back looking like someone had sharpened it on a brick. That broke me of loaning my gear.

 

[browningpotato]

"Can you not go out shooting together so that way you are both happy. "

I asked him that same thing. I said "cant you wait until we go shooting" we generally go shooting together somewhat frequently. He said he has been dying to shoot it and he wants to take it out this weekend and I will be out of town. I thought it was kind of bold of him to ask in the first place, I would NEVER ask to borrow something that expensive, particularly if I did not have a safe that I oculd guarantee I could keep it safe.

 

[cskny]

Am I being paranoid?

If he's a good friend that you know would do it for you, then yes, I think you're being paranoid. I also think you probably have some inkling inside that you are because you're asking us.

But it doesn't matter what I think, it's still your decision to make.

 

[browningpotato]

I am not a sniper, in fact I would not even consider myself a particularly good shot, it is jsut a rifle precision rifle commonly used by snipers so we just use the term sniper rifle. I am in no way trying to compare myself to one.

 

[SSN Vet]

I would never even consider asking a friend to borrow a firearm. I don't know what kind of relationship you have with the guy, but some requests are just inappropriate.

Just my 2 cents...

If one of my very best friends needed a rifle to go deer hunting... I'd probably say O.K. And he'd get the "loaner".

But just to go plinking for fun..... probably not.

For me there are certain ethics about borrowing...

1. I won't ask a friend to borrow tools if he's a tradesman and those tools are how he makes his living.

2. I won't ask to borrow something that I know is of sentimental value.

3. I won't ask to borrow something that I can't afford to replace if it is lost, stolen or damaged in my keeping.

 

[Walkalong]

I am not a sniper,......................... it is jsut a rifle precision rifle

Then it's a target rifle.

No sense in helping the anti's demonize any more classes of guns.

 

[Cosmoline]

If you're going hunting or shooting with someone it's not a bad idea to have a beater as a loaner gun--assuming you know and trust their safety with firearms. But no way would I loan out a 5,000 precision rifle, esp sight unseen. There's just too much at stake.

 

[Ben86]

I think it's kind of odd that you go shooting with this guy frequently and he still wants to borrow it, at a time when you will be out of town no less. Now I may be thinking too much into this.

Stop trying to explain yourself and just stick with NO.

 

[lojax]

Have to agree, i wouldnt lend it out but would offer to taked him shooting and let him shoot it.

 

[browningpotato]

I know his intentions are genuine he does just want to take it shooting. He is OBSESSED with firearms and is very very proficient from the military. He does not have to expendable income right now to grow his collection so he likes shooting some of mine, which is fine when we go together. He has asked me many times to borrow one of my 1911's and I have told him I am not comfortable iwth him not having a safe. Anyway, I do not think it is suspicious, im sure he does jsut want to shoot it.

 

[Max's Dad]

If I were in your shoes, I would offer to go out together and shoot. If that isn't suitable, I personally would not lend the gun. My personal rule is at the range or out in the field it is ok to let a friend borrow in your presence, but always remain close ride them like you are their mother if they don't abide by your rules and generally accepted safety rules. If someone at the range lends me a gun to fire, I want them right behind me. If they go to the bathroom, run to the truck or do anything but stand behind in close proximity I lay the gun down or hand it back. But I believe in strict following of gun safety rules, and always having the owner maintain or be able to take control of the weapon within a moments notice for accountability sake.

 

[hso]

What's the value of the telescopic sight on top of it? What's the value of the rings and mounts? Let's determine what the total loss might be in the event of theft or fire and the more likely "loss" should the 'scope be damaged.

 

[browningpotato]

The whole package is roughly $5000. I has badger ord. mount rings holdin a fixed 16x leaupold Mark4 it has an ops inc break and collar....the price I gave before was for everything.

 

[Birdhunter1]

Most of my guns I would loan to a good gun owning friend or my dad. In fact my dad has full access to my gunsafe. But the one rifle I value the most (my .243) would only get loaned out to about 3 people... 1 of which taught me most of what I know of rifles, 1 of which is my nephew, and 1 of which knows the full value of a rifle that you feel most comfortable and confident in....... But in that order the 1st guy already has a slough of them and wouldn't ask to borrow it, my nephew would either be afraid he would accidentally do something to it or he would carry it like it was a newborn child, and the third would probably only need it in a pinch if his rifle was inoperable. My dad is afraid to touch it simply because he doesn't want to be the one to drop it.


Of my 'friends' it would depend more on the gun and the reason. I have one single shot .22 that is an excellent little rifle to teach young first time shooters (think 7 year olds) how to shoot as it is light, short and big irons.

 

[Nicodemus38]

you can never be too protective of a weapon. with luck saying no to the friend will most likely save you hundreds of thousands of dollars in lawyer costs associated with a murder trial associated with the friend saying "well i dont know what happened, it shot fine with a box of remchester hunting ammo i got. so i switched to this pakistani milsurp ammo/"bag o ammo" i got offline/at a gun show...."