Warning signs: Significant other and gun buying

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DontBurnMyFlag

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Hey everyone,

I was reading someones post about how their wife was complaining about gun purchases and I got to thinking. Forgive me if this sounds somewhat mysoginistic, but its a wifes duty to complain. And its a good thing! Let me explain.

Ya see. I used to have a very anti-gun girlfriend. She would never even consider going to the range with me and never understood why I had guns. Everytime I would tell her about a gun purchase or a trip to the range she would go nuts saying that i have to "starting saving money and that I cant go around wasting my cash on stupid stuff."

So one day Im talking to her and I mention about this new gun I want to buy for 600 dolllars! I was pretty much expecting an argument on this one. She merely said "oh thats cool." :what:

Later that week, she broke up with me. Which is a good thing, because now Ive taken more girls to the range than uh...insert funny pun here. :D

So anyway. If out of the blue, your significant other is understanding or supportive of your gun habit and offers no reason, red flags should go up.

I of course dont want to say that if your wife supports your gun habit tomorrow, that she will leave you a week later. That is not the case if they offer a nice valid reason. Oh and this also applies to any female THR members who happen to have an anti-boyfriend. Unlikely, but maybe.

So anyway, I thought Id share a somewhat humorous experience and at the same time look out for gun-owners relationships at the same time :cool:
 
Great story and good observations :)


I suppose I am in a good situation. My wife 100% supports my firearms habits-- although she will occasionally crinke her nose if I want to get something rather expensive.

I don't want to sound stereotypical, but in more southern and/or rural areas, it seems that the "wives" all understand that the hubby's firearms interest is just something men do. You hear the jokes about "Men and thier toys" alot.

I add the geographical element based on personal experiences. I was once engaged to a raving liberal, anti-gun, Berkely-type girl who grew up in NYC. She always thought of firearms ownership was an alien concept to being a good and responsible citizen.

Oddly that wasn't even the reason we parted ways. That reason was a LOT more insane. I seriously hope Mandy isn't indicative of a good portion of our societies' women, or our country is doomed.


All the best!

John
 
Before my significant other became significant to me, she was a long-time acquaintance and border-line anti. One night we met for dinner and I mentioned my passion for duck hunting. She just didn't see my hunting jibing with the part of my life she knew about. To her, I wasn't the gun toting, duck whacking, beer guzzling redneck that did that sort of thing. I guess she didn't know about the beer.

Anyway, she sort of mentioned that she'd never shot a gun and it
"might be interesting". So one day I packed up a range bag of newbie friendly handguns and took her out to a friend's private range. My first clue was when I made room in the cab for her by bungeeing the range bag in the bed of the truck for the short drive over to my friend's.

"Is that safe?" she asks.
"What, you thing they're gonna jump outta the bag and start shooting people on the highway on their own volition?" I reply.

The look on her face was priceless. She, and I, realized at that moment that, yes, she DID think the guns could jump out of the bag and shoot people. The priceless part was that she immediately understood that she was clueless. Once that was established (cluelessness) my job was easy. She trusted me to give her factual, safe info and that's what we did.

We started by looking at and handling bullets, then explaining how they and the guns worked together. Let her work the Single Six I brought for the introduction, etc. Did some dry fire, then walked her up to a plate rack, set the stops so that the wind would practically blow them over and let her rip. First bang follwed by a clink and dropped plate. She immediately turned and while she grinned painted me the Single Six - glad I had her load just one.

She took to shooting quickly and enthusiastically. Is quite a natural with a rifle and even better with a shotgun. That was about 3 years ago and her interest has continued to grow. We spent last summer traveling around the region shooting competitive skeet together. It's just worked out real well all around. She's not really "into" guns, but she is really into shooting and has developed a strong appreciation for the Second Amendment.

But this is the tops. A week or so ago I decided to sell a handful of Mosin Nagants I still had from my C&R days. A guy at the club wanted them , so we worked out a deal. I brought the money home and said something "well, they're gone now..." and her response was "You better take that money and buy another gun before you fritter it all away!"

You think I trained her right? :D
 
Actual Dialogue

LG: I think I’d like to buy a Sharps rifle. You know, like in Quigley Down Under…

MrsLG: Will it make you look like Tom Sellack?

LG: …um… yeah.

MrsLG: Is it expensive?

LG: …umm…. No!

MrsLG: Okay. Go for it.
 
I have an understanding with mine.

He buys computer stuff and gadgets. I buy firearms.

If he comes home with a new projector or a new laptop or some handheld music player, that just means I'll go buy something new too.

I roll my eyes at him, he rolls his eyes at me, and we go on our merry ways.

My goal is to take him to the range this summer. He's not anti, he's just not interested. Yet.

-Jen
 
LOL @ the thread , my wife is pretty supportive of my gun habits , other than she will " emminante domain " any new toy that intrests her lol .

JenniferJane , Try this , ask him to set down and compair the value of last years electronics, vs last years firearm LOL .
 
What's a girl to do?

Well I guess I am the other shoe on the first situation. I am the GF who wasn't interested in guns of any kind for 5 years and then made a sudden change of heart. To him anyway.

I have lived my life (a long one) with a horrible fear of guns brought on by really bad childhood experiences. When I first met the SO, I wasn't interested in the gun aspect. He on the other hand was not only a collector but a very good shooter and dead aim. He was disappointed that I didn't share this with him, but very understanding and he was very patient with me. Eventually I started going to gun shows with him. I did go watch him shoot several times, but never felt obligated to go. Mostly because when he shoots, he doesn't pay any attention to me and I sit there for hours waiting for him to finish. Along sometime last winter I started thinking about trapshooting and thinking that I might want to try it, but it took me until December to ask him to help me. His first reaction was something to the effect of "With the phobia you have, that will happen when pigs fly" well it did happen, I have been trap shooting, and this past week actually ventured out on my own alone (not for long, he met me later) I have no plans to leave this man, but I do think that my interest in the sport will go a long way to making him happy and I am enjoying it. :)

So I suppose the moral to this story is that there is an exception to the rule.
 
My wife and I have a joint account that handles the bills, savings, and retirement. We have calculated how much goes into that account. We each also have our own individual accounts. Anything I have above my "payments" to the joint account goes into my personal account and is mine to do with as I please, same for her.

I can't even begin to tell you how many arguements over shoes, guns, photography gear, jewelry, camping equipment, etc. this has prevented. It's also a good "leash" for me as I tend to be the "spender" of the family. If I don't have the $$$ in my "fun" account then it don't get bought, PERIOD.

My wife was extremely gun fearful initially, now she comes home and I have one in a holster on my belt (I'm trying to break in a couple of holsters) and she doesn't even bat an eye.
:D
 
my wife is very supportive of my firearm hobby. so long as the bills are paid, and nothing big is being saved for, we have carte blanche for our own spendings.

however, she is very critical of my reloading side-hobby. apparently there is no such thing as 'enough' 357mag.
 
Enough Said...

Here is a typical conversation for us:

Me: I really want a new rifle/pistol! It's worth X, and they have it on sale for X.

Wife: What bills are due?

Me: None. I paid them all.

Wife: What's in it for me? If you're going to spend X, then I should get to also.

Me: Of course!

If we have enough, we proceed. If we need to save, we save. It's a 50/50 thing.

Doc2005
 
I have that problem with my wife, sorta. I want to buy guns, but she won't let me. She says she'd rather spend the money on food. The nerve! :)

But seriously. My wife is pretty supportive, if not of purchases then of the 'agenda'.
 
I've posted this before, but when my wife was my serious girlfriend, we came to an agreement about buying guns...12 pair of shoes equal a gun. When she compared the "differences" she saw in her 8 pair of black shoes to the "differences" in my guns, she was cool.
I've since got her interested in guns, but I'd say she thinks I have "enough" but won't quesiton another purchase too much.

Of course, the discussion came up on me possibly getting a CCW, and that I wanted to take "her" gun (S&W mod 60 that she LOVES). I was told I'd have to replace it with something. Knowing I'd be able to buy another gun, I asked her what she wanted.

Model 629 - (Yes, she has fired them before, and isn't in it just for the "cool factor")


I thank God for my wife EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!!
 
When I met my wife she had never held a firearm and was, and it kills me to say this, an anti-hunting type. It almost led to us not dating but one night I asked her to just open her mind and hear me out on it. She did and I went on to explain wildlife management through hunting and the difference between a quick clean death and death by starvation or disease. I could actually see the light go on in her head when it hit her. She asked me to put her in the next Hunters Education class I was teaching and when she took her test she scored 100%. On range day she got her first hands on with a firearm and took to it like a duck to water and has been my range buddy every since. She recently got her carry license and confiscated my Bersa as her own. I guess my point is, sometimes you just have to sit and talk in a calm manner and someone who has no idea why they are anti can do a 180 degree turn. Heck, last Christmas I had to intervene between her and her sister (anti-hunting) going at it about hunting! I thank the lord all the time that we were able to resolve that one issue that could have kept us apart, she truely is the best thing that has ever happened to me!
 
I don't understand this thread at all. I work five days a week. I pay all the bills and my wife works part time but makes over $40,000 a year and most of that goes into savings although she does buy the groceries. She is free to buy whatever she wants with her income and I am also. As I make quite a bit more than she does, if she wants something expensive and would need to dip into savings to buy it I'll usually cough up the money to allow her not to dip into savings and still make the buy. Sometimes she takes a bill and tells me she will pay it such as the property tax on our place. All in all we give each other all the room we want to be individuals, not joined at the hip and co-dependant. We are married to each other out of choice not necessity and we don't nit pick at each other to be sure we come out "even" on money and toys. Years ago, when we didn't have the resources neither of us spent money on toys as there was no discretionary income. We worked, saved, invested and educated ourselves to get better paying occupations, now we are enjoying a better life.
 
You sort of have a point... I guess

My GF is no longer anti. She was when I met her, but I took her to the range, got her shooting and she then under stood why I liked to shoot, but still didn’t “like” guns, or see a purpose other than paper punching or hunting. Side note: She likes hunting, and had bow hunted with her father…go figure

Then a friend of hers was the victim of a home invasion and attempted rape, which was only an attempt because her neighbor happened to be coming home from work early pulled this piece of **** off of her. The perp took off, and the neighbor gave chase, but he is, shall we say a bit “husky”, so the chase didn’t last too long. My gf’s friend was pretty beat up, and the guy was never caught. That’s when it clicked in my gf’s head that guns are not just for sporting purposes.

So now she “likes” them. She sees a need for a HD gun (“her”229 and my USP45). She sees a need for my deer rifle. She sees the need for a shotgun for clays and birds. She even sees the need for a target rifle. But she can’t grasp why I need more than one of any type. “why do you need two 45’s (1911’s)?” Why do you need that “black rifle” (AR)? But she is coming along.
 
I keep telling my wife, I buy these old rifles because they are cheap! If I die, she will probably sell my M1 Garands at a garage sale for $50!:eek:
 
I keep telling my wife, I buy these old rifles because they are cheap! If I die, she will probably sell my M1 Garands at a garage sale for $50!
Click to expand...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA... damn now I have to clean up some coffee.

Yeah I told my wife a while ago that if something happens to me she MUST go to a good friend of mine and find out what the guns are REALLY worth before she decides what to do with 'em.
 
My sons are 12 and 10 and they both like to shoot. When I want to buy a new gun, I use a little trick that I learned from the Senator Feinstein. I tell her "But its for the children! You wouldn't deny our precious childern the happiness that only a new gun can bring, would you?" Sometimes it works. Sometimes the children must be unhappy for awhile.

All in all Mrs White is pretty supportive as long as there's sufficient money for the purchase. I'm just getting into reloading so that's where the bulk of my gun money is going now and she's pretty cool with it. I might sell off some Finn Mosins and some SKSs to finance another Garand, but beyond that, I think my gun buying might stop for awhile.
 
I keep telling my wife, I buy these old rifles because they are cheap! If I die, she will probably sell my M1 Garands at a garage sale for $50!
Click to expand...

Note to self: Send Hagar a nice fugu sushi plate. Find out where he lives and keep and eye on the obits and yard sale notices in his local paper. :)
 
I never question what the SO spends on guns. I also do not know how many guns he owns, I only know they number 100 or more. He does all the reloading for us both although I buy supplies for reloading from time to time. He's really pretty good about it and I have no reason to question. He certainly doesn't question when I buy another guitar. :D
 
SCOUPE You are really after my heart man, you did it right!
USMC RET Same thing You guys are good to go.
My Wife is not a rabid Anti but she had a brother lose his life because he was stupid and didn't adhere to the four rules. Her mind still isn't right. She grew up with an alchoholic father who never respected guns and kept them loaded throughout the house. Threated family members on occaison with them so I understand. She applauds the quality time I spen with my son when we go shooting and he loves it and loves me taking him, what boy wouldn't. I would like to hone his pistol craft a bit. His marksmanship with a rifle does me proud because I couldn't shoot that good when I was his age.
 
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