Gun-owners..I need your advice

[juzlookzfazt]

Seeing that I am a first time gun-owner, well half of one anyway, I need help or advice in trying to apprise the people around me. It seems that everyone around me, mostly family, feel very uncomfortable around guns. Just today I was angrily called an "idiot" for apparently building one. My entire immediate family feels guns are 100% dangerous.

For the gun owners out there, how do you handle this? How did you handle your family and their thoughts and feelings towards firearms? This is really disturbing because they immediately have negative ideas against guns but have absolutely ZERO education on them other than what they see on the news. So..toss me ideas, suggestions, support. lol.

 

[SNCBOOM]

Buy up a bunch of watermelon, print life-sized images of new born babies, attach images to watermelons, take your family for a little fun shootin' action.

 

[ford_racer]

Your family is beyond help. Ignore them.

 

[stangdiablo]

What kind of a gun is it? Many people don't have a problem with shotguns or rifles. Handguns are what many people have a problem with. I personally have 4 handguns and keep them locked in the safe in my room. If it is a handgun maybe you can ease their minds if you take a handgun safety course and get a good gun-safe. Also, don't make a habit of having the gun out all the time. Remember; out of sight, out of mind.

Handguns are very dangerous and accidents happen all the time. Never point it at ANYTHING you would be upset if you shot. EVEN WHEN UNLOADED.

 

[harry gilbert]

As an NRA instructor, my immediate family (wife, son) are not anti-gun, but my wife's family is. My Father-in-Law's only experience with firearms is WWII, where he was taught that the function of guns is to kill people; sadly, his only brother was killed in the war, and is buried in France. There is nothing I can say or do that convinces these otherwise intelligent people that there are other sporting and constructive purposes for firearms, and that, yes, sometimes they must be used to protect life and property.

However, I have successfully taken many people to a range and showed them how much fun it is to hit targets using .22 rifes and handguns. I always start with non-violent targets and low caliber firearms. I've also taught more than 3,000 firearms safety students over the years - I always cover firearm safety before letting anyone handle or shoot a firearm.

 

[NXSVTCOBRA]

tell them you'd rather not have them stand over your body in a box saying "damn I wish he had a gun"

 

[Black Sex]

That is the biggest missconception people have about guns..."oh they are dangerous." If you think about it cars, cigarettes, alcohol, and stuff like that are more dangerous IMO. How many people died every year from accidental shootings, and how many people die every year from vehicle accidents, alcohol and tobacco? The guns arent dangerous...its the people that use them. Guns dont kill people, people kill people..sometimes with guns

My wife wasnt thrilled at first when i started buying guns, but she realized that they are no big deal if used properly, and one day they may save your life. So now she has a handgun permit and plans on getting one of own because i opened her eyes to the fact that they are only as dangerous as you make them

 

[juzlookzfazt]

Thanks folks. My mom is the only one who doesn't listen. My dad is more understanding of guns, go figure. I'll stick to the out of sight out of mind idea, and if it is ever brought up, I'll tell them off with statistical information lmao.

 

[bit]

Be careful about "out of sight out of mind". Remember an unloaded gun is nothing more than a rock and you can't even use it as a rock if it is put up. I would suggest you put it in there hands, show them how it works, how to take it apart, and how to make sure it is unloaded. Show them it is just a machine that is human operated, not an "evil gun".

 

[svtfocus2cobra]

My family isn't anti-gun but they just didn't care for them or ever think they would have one in the house.

Once I just started bringing them home and explained to them that it was our Constitutional right and that the founding fathers intended for everyone to have one, blah, blah, blah, they eased up and now they don't think much of it.

My mom still asks me why I'm buying more cause she doesn't understand all the different types but my dad is sort of interested in them now. Once I take him shooting he'll probably want to be more involved.

I think the biggest thing with your dad is it sounds like he doesn't know the first thing about them maybe and he just doesn't know how to learn, sort of like my dad. Once you teach someone the basics and get them comfortable around a gun to where they get over that fear that it will randomly go off by itself than they're usually good.

I think it just takes time and exposure. If they don't want to be involved with them now then just tell them to not touch them and keep them out of sight. Then when your family is around randomly bring them out and take them apart and clean them. That way they'll see it's really not that complex and they can see the inner workings and you can show them how it all works.

 

[FX4 SAPPER]

Well, if you have smaller children around i can understand the concern, but that is why im a big time advocate of teaching children at a young age about firearms safety. I really think that our culture should take a better stance on this issue instead of demonizing firearms and gun owners. If i were you i would just tell them they are inoperable cause you removed the firing pins until its time to shoot. Thats what i tell my family and they are so un-gunducated that they never know and they get piece of mind.

 

[DrZacharyus]

Fortunately my whole family loves guns. I have never had to explain myself or anything. I have been around guns since I was 4 years-old. My father took the time to properly educate us at a young age about guns and allowed us to have our "own" guns to shoot with him at the range. The problem with guns is not law-abiding citizens, but the individuals who will break the law regardless of what we do.

 

[hb712]

I find the best thing to combat the insecurity or fear, is education.

When I bought my AK-47 everyone was pretty angry. I taught them about the rifle, how it fires, history, etc... I've done that with every gun I have.

They also need to learn that guns are not as "dangerous" as most people believe. Look up stats on accidental shootings as compared to other accidental deaths or injuries. They will be surprised I'm sure.

The last thing I did was take people to the range. I let them see, feel, experience what guns are about.

 

[Jack32v]

When I bought my AR I told no one but a few buddies, and my grandpa. I never told my other family members as they are a bunch of pussies about guns. My mother and grandmother both are anti-gun inside their homes.. my grandpa has his 12ga hidden in the closet in case of a robbery. My mother use to own a .38 but can no longer shoot since she got arthritis in her hands... and after she got rid of her gun she became very anti-guns in her home... When I bought my glock I was talking with my grandpa about it and my mother over herd and she about crapped a brick ... I couldnt understand why since she use to own a gun herself... I just avoided the subject since it would have been a pointless argument... As for having a CCW... no one in my family knows that... and they all live in CA and I can not carry in cali so its not a big deal... Just ignore them is the best advice I can give... you own guns...that is your choice... not theirs..

 

[Blackness03]

i grew up around guns, my whole family hunts and collects guns so i got lucky i guess

 

[1999-COBRA-6661]

I don't care what other people think. That's how I handle it.

 

[TexRob]

Your family is beyond help. Ignore them.

+1 A firearm is no more dangerous than a kitchen knife or an Alligator.

 

[TexRob]

Handguns are very dangerous and accidents happen all the time.

That's funny,I have seven different Handguns in my house and I don't consider them dangerous,I have yet to see one jump out of my safe and start firing on it's own...

 

[1999-COBRA-6661]

No one was ever killed by a gun. People on the other hand, they are dangerous.