What would you say if asked?

[Declaration Day]

The neighbors who I trust know that I have them.

One day when one of the neighbor's kids was playing in my basement with my daughters, he asked "Why can't we go into that room?"

Me: "Because there are guns in there"

Kid: "My dad says guns are killing machines"

Me: "Tell your dad criminals are the killing machines"

That's the only time I've been asked anything about my guns.

 

[Lonestar.45]

I'd say it was a pool stick, fly rod, whatever. I wouldn't say it was a gun, I wouldn't want the kid advertising to the entire neighborhood I had guns in the house, in case she has a big brother, or uncle, or daddy that would want to drop in unannounced while I'm out and do some snooping.

 

[swjr72]

Depends - kind of a wide open question with a several scenarios that could be there In an apartment complex Probably best to not advertise If you want to invite a child to shoot you could always do that without letting em know you own gun. (i.e. range rental)

 

[psyopspec]

except maybe to those who were peeing in their diapers when I was in college

Ahh, the good old days

If it were a child asking, I'd say something generic like "grown-up toys," or "parts." An adult neighbor in my building would get the same type of response. My building has a high turnover rate and I've never known any of the tenants long enough to gain trust or feel out their 2A opinions.

I've managed to avoid the question altogether by putting pistols into a tote back with a non-firearm related logo and soft-cased rifles into a large plain black duffel bag.

 

[yorick]

6 yr old (tossing a ball in my apt complex parking lot): whats that?

me (grinning evily): machine guns...muhahahahaha...

kid (eyes wide): oh!



Always tell them the scariest possible thing - then laugh - they'll think you're joking...and thier parents/kiddie friends won't believe them if they blab...

 

[Tom Servo]

Well, luckily it's been years since I've lived in shared housing, but I was an avid amateur astronomer, so it was generally assumed I was carrying a telescope and/or equipment.

I was never asked point-blank, but if I were, I would have told them something along those lines. Either that, or "none of your business. What's in your purse?"

 

[GEM]

All my neighbors have long arms. So I don't have to worry.

I think I would say a rifle.

 

[Spreadfire Arms]

"Ancient Chinese Secret"

i'm asian...i can get away with it

 

[carpettbaggerr]

A small elephant.

You know, that's exactly what I was going to say.

Not small, though, he's a midget. And pretty big for a midget elephant.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

I'd say that it's an evil baby killing assault weapon that I got from the ice cream truck o'death, and if they run fast enough they can catch it and get one of their own.

 

[taliv]

i never pass up an opportunity to put a positive spin on guns. be honest with them. i'll bet it'll interest them and they'll ask you more questions about it.

i can appreciate the security concerns in apartments, but you can still have a gun safe in an apt.

 

[Standing Wolf]

I've never been the least bit shy about letting people know I exercise my Second Amendment civil rights. I'm not shy about letting people know I vote. I'm not shy about letting people know I read books.

 

[CoolRide]

I live in a open carry state so there is no doubt what I am packing. Everyone here has rifles in the back window of their truck. I don't think I have ever even been asked anything. Now in Spokane (where I lived for 3 years) I am sure sombody would freak, but its still open carry nonetheless, however I always just carried concealed there, cause the cops would more than likley shoot my ass THEN ask about my ccw.


CoolRide

 

[lwsimon]

I don't even bother with a case for long guns, unless I'm carrying more than two at once. For handguns, I have a cheap black plastic case that hold up to 4 small pistols, that I bought at a pawn shop for $2 because the people couldn't figure out how to open it.

I've been questioned before, but its no big deal. I even got my neighbors - raging liberals - to promise to go to the range with me sometime! I don't worry too much about people breaking in - its not all that hard to do, but this is a rather upscale apartment community, and although it IS possible that openly having a firearm could make me a target, I don't worry a whole lot about it.

 

[flatdog]

While it would be nice to tell the young lady the truth, as firearms ownership is nothing of which to be ashamed. I would not be so precise. She has no pressing need to know.

People talk, especially precocious children. They can and do say astounding things at the most unpredictable moments.

You have no control over where the information you provided will end up. Anyone who comes to steal your guns will also take anything else of value you and your loved ones own. Whether or not they obtain the guns for which they originally came.

A home break in will stand your life on it's head, and will take an inordinate amount of time to put right, if ever.

Tell her it's tools. That's not lying.

flatdog

 

[scottgun]

"It's an assault rifle, with cop killer bullets"

either that or I'd say "I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you"

But seriously, If I lived in a neigborhood, I'd just say, as many other have mentioned, that it's a rifle and I am going target shooting.

 

[Malamute]

If anyone asked around here, they would likely not be asking if it's a gun, but what KIND of gun, what scope, what caliber, what do you hunt with it, did you get anything last season, how big were the horns, how much meat did you get, how far away was it, what load did you use, what are you going to put in for next season, or are you going to hunt general season, did you use horses to get in, did you have any bear trouble, and then tell you all about their side of all those questions, and their Dads side, brothers side, and their uncles side, and their moms side, and..........Dang I like Wyoming.

Sort of reminds me of the time I was stopped for speeding in Arizona a few years (20) ago, and ended up talking guns with the DPS (Highway Patrol) officer for 20 minutes. No, he didnt give me a ticket, but he really liked my original Winchester 1886 and my Colt SAA.

 

[GRB]

I would say little kid mind your own business and keep your snot nose out of mine! Neighbors bah humbug I live in New York we all hate each other.....

First of all, if I did not know the kid, I doubt I would say anything except maybe to ask hasn't her parents ever told her not to talk to strangers! If I knew her I would tell her what I had, this of course dependent upon the type of apartment complex in whcih I lived - full of low life skells or fairly decent folks.

I have no trouble telling my neighbors now that I have guns, or advocating for gun owner's rights; so I probably would have no trouble telling a child like the one described that is was some type of a firearm. I would explain I was on my way to the rifle range to get in some practice with my rifle (or whatever).

If I wanted a laugh I could tell her it contained a few "long arms", roll my eyes in a sinister fashion, and let her wonder what other body parts I was carrying in the case.

All the best,
Glenn B

 

[Mark in California]

Never lived in an aprtment. Always lived in a house. Load up in the garage with the door down. When I am at the summer property I am even more worried that they might think I leave a firearm there.

Try to case and bag everything. I worry about people IDing me as a gun owner and robbing my house. I watch my back real close when returning from the range. Members have been followed.

Having had my house broken into once, I try to be very carefull not to advertize that I have any firearms or anything worth stealing.

 

[CleverName]

Electric guitars look like they'd fit well in a long hard case. Or electric basses. I'd think acoustic anything would be too thick - wouldn't want a long arm as thick as an acoustic guitar - but the electrics look like they'd do nicely.

Of course, it would help if you actually played said instrument every now and then, so you could keep your cover.

 

[firearms_instructor]

Thank you all for many great answers!

A little background: I have a safe in my apartment, and a Medeco lock on my front door surrounded by a steel kickplate to thwart jimmying, etc. Also, I live in an upstairs apt but my front door is on the ground level, so the front door is the only way to get in without a ladder. This also gives me a tremendous tactical advantage in the unlikely event of a home invasion, as there is a blind right angle turn in the middle of the entry stairway. All my upstairs balcony doors are reinforced. And one of my neighbors across from me is a BSO deputy who works graveyards and sleeps during the day. In short, my apartment isn't easy to burgle.

I know most of my neighbors, and the apt management knows I am a firearms instructor and have guns (the assistant mgr has her CCW) and they're cool about that. The maintenance man cannot enter unless I or my wife are home (they do not have a master key), but I know him and he's a good guy. My apartment is on the "do not exterminate" list, the exterminator doesn't get my key either.

I don't advertise, but I don't want to lie nor do I want to alarm my neighbors, so "paper punch" may be my best reply so far.

Cheers!

 

[cookekdjr]

Target rifles (or shotguns, pistols, etc.).
David

 

[Evil_Ed]

Make some sort of smart aleck response along with a laugh, the kid will write me off as a standard annoying adult. If I know the kid and his judgement is good, I'll tell him the truth, but chances are if I know him and his parents he's probably already been invited to go to the range with me.

Usually I have my firearms camoflauged in some way when I am carting them from the house to the car. I've found that a couple of cheap mexican style blankets rolled up around the gun cases and then tied look amazingly like a bundle of blankets being carted to a picnic or the beach (thanks to Burt Blade who passed on this neat bit of camoflauge to me). All my other range gear goes in a sturdy gym bag in some color other than black or navy blue (nobody expects guns in a bright red gym bag and NO ONE wants to steal a sweaty jockstrap!). I've had my house robbed before so I do not advertise ANYTHING expensive I might have on hand to anyone.

The last time my Dad's place was robbed the guy turned out to be a friend of the family's boyfriend (house has been burglarized twice, once while I lived there which prompted the purchase of a security system and once after I moved out). She and her boyfriend had come up from the Miami area to visit a couple of weeks before we got hit and he had been too sick to go out to dinner one evening and stayed at the house (which is when he checked out the place for stuff to steal). A few weeks after they left a black suv rolled up to our house and he walked in through the front door (broke the window) and cut the alarm lines (cut the phone line outside before he went in as well). He cleaned out what was left of our gun collection after the first robbery (Dad hadn't got the clue yet about a gun safe) and took a bunch of other items. So anyone you tell you have weapons or other high street value items could potentially be a burgler or let slip information about you to a burgler.

 

[Malamute]

Thinking about some peoples living situations reminds me of visiting in Illinois. I have only soft cases, (they take up less room), when I walk from the house to the vehicle to go shooting, I hold the handle of the carry strap, but with the case vertical and against my body, keys in hand so I don't stand around fumbling with them and have to put the gun down showing it's profile. This way it isn't sticking out like a gun case. A casual glance reveals nothing much of interest. I do the same thing taking long guns into motel rooms when on the road. A small duffle ro gym bag can handle the handguns, headphones and other stuff that goes along. Where the family lives isn't a high crime neighborhood, I just don't like to advertise.

 

[Ol' Badger]

"Whats that?"

"A Body"