Your guns & hiding them from the Mrs.

[goon]

I guess I am fortunate. I tend to limit my collection to about what I can easily transport and travel with anyhow, which means usually no more than three handguns, maybe three rifles, a shotgun, and a .22 rifle. I doubt that my collection will ever get much bigger than that because every time I add one I sort of "trade" another out.
So at least when I wind up married I will already be "trained" so to speak.

 

[Sisco]

One reason my wife and I have been together over 25 years and have NEVER had a serious argument is that we do not hide things from each other.
She doesn't care much for my gun hobby but accepts it. She is the bookkeeper, would be impossible to hide a purchase if I wanted to. I see something I want I touch base with her first to make sure there 'expendable' funds available and I get it.

 

[old4x4]

My GF doesn't know one from another and doesn't care. BTW, we bought a house together, so we spend a lot of time together. Unfortunately, she's not a shooter. I'd rather her be a shooter and be able to tell the difference, tho...

 

[Geno]

There is an expression in Chile, "miti-miti". It's short for "mitad-mitad", which means "half-half" or loosely translated, "50-50".

 

[logical]

My wife doesn't require me to ask her permission to spend money. She knows I have a lot of guns but isn't interested in the detals so I don't volunteer them.

She knows the safe combination...she can look in there if she cares to. I suppose if money was tight it might be different but within reason, she and I spend what we want.

 

[countryrebel]

My wife just walk in while I was reading this thread
I cant pull anything over on her because she knows all my guns plus we keep no secrets.I just have to buy her something when I buy a gun then its all good.

 

[Troutman]

Come on! Come on! What is this the confessional section! Thing if you guys and gals do keep secrets from one another, about buying firearms.
It could be worse. Keeping secrets about the.............! If this is the case you better not tell her/him, you bought those firearms! Because,..............!

Just say your prayers.

 

[DawgFvr]

My wife is into "new thought"...made me sell all my weapons after I retired from the Army. I now buy a new weapon every six months...christ, I'm 54 years old...at mid life, I do not need permission for anything. I started aagain with My M1 Garand purchase...and the lust of guns returned. I now draw the line in the sand for all that matters to me. Life is too short....besides, they are a better investment than all the crappy stock I've lost money on this past ten years. And you know what? I couldn't care less about safes. I have weapons throughout my house...I use them for paper weights on my desk...a rifle behind every door...one in the garage...etc.

 

[Troutman]

See the key in telling a woman that you’re buying a gun, is saying:
Honey, sweetie pie, poopsie baby, love of my life, can’t live without you 24/7; you looked marvelous, in the mud mask and rollers last night! You look ravishing!
I’m going to buy a “firearm” for us. To broaden out lives together.

Don’t use the words gun, or weapon, handgun. You will break that romantic feel to it. And for crying out loud. Don’t ever say you’re going to buy a "piece”!

 

[skeeter1]

WOW! You guys are making me think that I've been lucky to have stayed single for the past 54 years. If my budget allows it, new firearms, cars, motorcycles, etc., are all OK. I've got a safe-full of shotguns, rifles, handguns, and not a closet-full of shoes.

 

[zenner22]

Boy, this thread took a horrible Oprah turn there for a minute! Back to it's original intent!

I go with a don't ask / don't tell policy. I won't exactly lie (maybe about the price) but I don't go parading it in saying "Hey look what I bought and it was a steal at only $700!" It's not because it's a gun that she'd get annoyed it's the spending of the money. It's tough to explain why I need ANOTHER one! When I get another I just put it next to the other ones. If she asks, I'll tell her, if not I don't. Who was it that said, "Better to ask forgiveness than permission?"

One of the local dealers, whenever someone places an order, always asks if it's ok to leave a message on the home phone. Now that's a considerate dealer! And probably someone who knows...

 

[tinygnat219]

HONESTLY HONESTY WORKS

I feel that I have to be up front with my spouse on these issues. Otherwise, it could get messy in Gnatland.

If it's a BIG purchase, and I am talking over 300 bucks, I tend to talk about it with her at first so she doesn't get mad that I spent 1200 bucks on a Kimber Jam-O-Matic. I also keep a separate "gun fund" that allows me to save up the necessary cash to purchase what I want.

Personally, I feel that hiding purchases from the spouse will just hurt the marriage and end up biting you in the A$$.

 

[El Barto]

I love milsurps and I try to find deals when I can such as the $124 I paid for a Ruger P90 so most of my purchases have been under $200 and most of the time under $100. I am looking to get another CZ-52 and was telling the Mrs. that the cost of ALL of my guns added together is still less then what she has in jewelry. She replied “That’s true and it’ll always stay that way”.

To put it another way; while the gun to jewelry value ratio is at best 1:3, it is generally accepted that this is a balanced equation.

 

[morcoth]

Im with the Honesty crowd:

My wife is an accountant, and as such, I never have to deal with the bills. I give her the main day job paycheck, and I keep whatever MY investments make, along with whatever I make doing freelance computer repair. (that can total alot) I give her the reciepts, just so she can track the sales tax, and she never complains that I "Need" another 1000 rounds of some ammunition.

So my advice, if you cant afford that 2000 dollar 1911, dont buy it, if you can afford the 600 1911, do it. But no matter what, be honest, the truth is alot easier to remember in 6 months (And she WILL catch you in a lie).

Morcoth

 

[Troutman]

Tell all the truth but tell it slant
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth’s superb surprise.


As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind

 

[WeThePeople]

The basic tenent on which we rely for RKBA is the right to protect ourselves and our families. Don't you think it is strange to do something that is detrimental to your family (spousal dishonesty) in the exercise of your RKBA?

It's not worth lying about buddy. I have been married for twelve years and my wife has been with me each time that I purchase a new firearm (except for the .357 for her birthday).

Even if she doesn't tell you, she knows what you are doing. Even if she doesn't know the difference between a Mossberg and an AR-15, she can count!

Just when you think that she hasn't noticed, she is going to say "oh yeah, well what about all those new guns you bought last year?"

I always ask for her opinion on new firearms and she always just tells me "whatever you want" while she tallies up the total in her head for the trip to the shopping mall for the quid pro quo.

 

[Pud]

Agree with zenner22 .........

We have the same type of deal in my house that zenner22 mentions, when it applies to my buying stuff, whatever it is..guns, airplanes,etc.

I call it the "Don't tell/Don't tell" policy....

I don't tell her how much it cost, and she don't tell me I can't have it!

Pud

 

[brj3car]

Reminds me of a story. A guy had a number of Garands, most of which his wife didn't know about. I guess to her untrained eye they all looked alike because everytime she walked by the shop where he was cleaning a new one up she would ask, " Are you working on that old thing again ? "

 

[Bear41mag]

Guess I'm lucky in that respect, my wife is a shooter and has her own .45 1911. She was down in the gun room a few months back and was looking into my open safe. She told me I had a nice collection of Smith and Ruger Revolvers going, but was pretty light on Autos. She prefers autos to my revolvers. So the next week I went out and bought a Sig 228 and a Polish Makarov, and this week will be picking up a 1927 System .45.

She tells me I'm still top heavy with wheel guns, but its getting better.

Guess I will have to bite the bullet and pick up that XD .40 I have been looking at....

 

[piste]

Dissenting opinion

Buy what you want, hide it all, tell them nothing. Forget all this progressive honesty crap. This thread is getting to be a love fest. The less they know the better off you are. You think she tells you everything she buys? Guess again.

 

[Hardtarget]

Hide them? Hardly. On March 19 I picked up the K-31 Swiss she got for my birthday. No, she isn't interested in shooting, but she does like to know there is a way to "repell boarders" should need arise.

My collection list is not long. Also, what I do have is sort of hodge podge...no real direction...just some of what intrest me this year.

I don't think I could camoflage either. She doesn't pay much attention, but I think she knows what most of the guns look like. Most of them I've had for years.

Mark.

 

[aguyindallas]

Perhaps the BEST thing about a Glock...they all look the same...


I, sadly have done this on occassion...

 

[tuckerdog1]

I'm straight up honest with my wife. Real trust of anybody takes a long time to earn. And it can be destroyed by one dumb act. And forever after, there will be good reason to doubt your word. Wouldn't want to lose the trust of friends. And especially wouldn't want to lose the trust of the the most important person in my life.

Tuckerdog1

 

[CajunBass]

I have to keep hidding my Colt Commander. She shot it the last time we were at the range, and her eyes lit up and she said "I LIKE THIS!"

We've worked out a good system. I can get any gun I can afford two of.

 

[MikeG]

I've only bought one firearm without consulting my wife, and I told her later. A local pawnshop had a Finnish M39 for $80. She understands a bargain and was ok with it.

She has her own handguns, a Taurus M617Ti and Glock 26; and I share mine at the range. She likes the SKS and Steyr M95.

However, she's expressed quite a liking for my Ruger SP101, so I may have to hide that.