What would you do?

[FrugalFannie]

I won a rifle and my brother has it because I am not licensed. I will be taking my safety class and applying for my license etc... I have a son who is 9 and of course he has friends who come over to the house. I have told 2 friends taht eventually we will have the rifle in the house and it will be secured, most likely in a safe, since I don't feel confident with a trigger lock. I feel I should disclose this because I would certainly want to know. Now, I am beginning to doubt whether I should have told them because of their reactions. They weren't openly hostile but one set of parents admitted to me that they would always be nervous about it but would probably let their child come over still (we'll see if that happens). The other mom I told that I had won a rifle said "why?". Why would I want one? Did I want to hunt? Let's just say it went over like a lead balloon. Do you think it is my responsibility to inform every parent that we have a firearm in our house when it happens or is it their responsibility to ask the question. BTW, my son does not keep "secrets" and since we will be buying a firearm he can shoot and probably 2 pistols for carry for us, he will probably be ready to tell all his friends that we have guns in the house.

 

[Jose]

Do you think it is my responsibility to inform every parent that we have a firearm in our house when it happens or is it their responsibility to ask the question. BTW, my son does not keep "secrets" and since we will be buying a firearm he can shoot and probably 2 pistols for carry for us, he will probably be ready to tell all his friends that we have guns in the house.

Shut your mouth about the subject and tell your son to do same. It is nobody's business.

Do your firends tell you they have alcohol in the house? Cigarrettes? Rat poison?

 

[Pilgrim]

Do you think it is my responsibility to inform every parent that we have a firearm in our house when it happens

or is it their responsibility to ask the question.

no

none of their business

 

[vellnueve]

I don't even think it's your responsibility to tell people you live with that you have firearms, much less parents of your kids friends.

 

[Garys]

I agree with Jose and Pilgrim. When my kids were younger they knew I had firearms in the house, but they also knew that they were not to discuss it outside the house.

 

[clinotus]

When you broadcast that you have firearms, depending on your viewpoint, you remove the element of surprise/defense.

There is an old expression that fails me but it something like this: The only time your neighbors should know you have gun is when they find out from the police what those popping sounds were when your door got kicked in by some thugs.

For myself and my own kids, I dont say a word. Guns are in a safe, knives are in drawers and the keys to the cars/toys are in my pockets...meaning we have a responsible household. If another parent tells me that they have guns in the house, my first thought would probably be along the lines of are you telling me this because they are unsecured? And I'd probably give you the same gut reaction despite my kids knowing the firearms rules.

 

[Len-2A Training]

Jose said it best . . .

What a woman carries in her purse is ONLY her business, same for what a man carries in his pockets or on his belt!

Everyone has "hazardous materials" (common household cleaners, aspirin, forks and knives, etc.) within easy reach of a nosy person (child or adult) in their household.

- You take adequate precautions to prevent visitors from getting hurt,

- You educate your children to NEVER speak about guns in the house outside the house unless alone with one of you. [Just mentioning the word can get a kid suspended, expelled, sent for counseling in one of our moronic school systems!]

 

[SiameseRat]

Don't ask, don't tell. Just keep it locked up. Teach your son that it isn't something to discuss outside of the house, and that he never, ever, ever is allowed to touch it or use it unless you are right next to him at all times.

 

[JonJ]

Talking about guns isn't bad. If you told someone about winning or buying a gun what's the harm? It's not as though you have something illegal to hide.
I wouldn't tell someone for the sake of "disclosure". I don't believe in disclosure. It's my business.
I've taken the youngest out shooting and if she tells, so what.
If your friends can't or won't share in you excitement and now look down on you, do you really want them as friends?

 

[Martlet]

Talking about guns isn't bad. If you told someone about winning or buying a gun what's the harm? It's not as though you have something illegal to hide.
I wouldn't tell someone for the sake of "disclosure". I don't believe in disclosure. It's my business.
I've taken the youngest out shooting and if she tells, so what.
If your friends can't or won't share in you excitement and now look down on you, do you really want them as friends?

I couldn't agree more.

On a side not, education and familiarization is going to keep your children safer than a trigger lock or safe ever would.

In my family, we started handling/shooting guns before we were old enough to start school (under adult supervision, of course). By age 10 I'd taken 2 or 3 hunter/gun safety courses. On my 10th birthday, I received my own shotgun (10 is the legal hunting age in Maine). The guns/ammunition were never locked up in my house. At age 16 (legal unsupervised hunting age) we were allowed to use the guns whenever we wanted, without getting permission first.

I know I never abused the rules. I doubt my brother or sister did either.

 

[jkelly]

I don’t have an opinion as to who you should or shouldn’t tell about your guns.

But I think you need to have a good answer about safe gun storage for those who might ask. Being able to tell a concerned parent that the guns are locked in a safe is a good thing for neighborhood relations.


Be Safe,

jkelly

 

[dwarven1]

I don't that that you need to "warn" your friends that you have the rifle; after all, it's not like it can jump out and shoot someone by itself.

Your son needs to learn that if he tells his friends that there's a "real live gun!" in the house, they'll be pressuring him to "let us see it... just a little!!" in short order. Gun safe and keys in your pocket is the order of the day here...

 

[jkelly]

JonJ,
I think that the possible harm in disclosing that you have guns could be their theft or a PC action taken against you or your children. Of course those concerns are somewhat minimized when speaking to a gun owning adult.

While you may not want those, that would look down on you because you own guns, as friends your children might value their children’s friendship. But as a parent that is your call and not my business.


Marlet,
I wish the children of this state could grow up in an environment like you did where responsibility for gun ownership was left to the parents. But this is Massachusetts (where the OP lives) and not Maine of a few (?) years ago. The very responsible way in which your parents raised you would be illegal here today.


Respectfully,

jkelly

 

[Martlet]

JonJ,


Marlet,
I wish the children of this state could grow up in an environment like you did where responsibility for gun ownership was left to the parents. But this is Massachusetts (where the OP lives) and not Maine of a few (?) years ago. The very responsible way in which your parents raised you would be illegal here today.


Respectfully,

jkelly

Yeah. I wasn't implying that he shouldn't lock his guns up. I suppose I should have made that clear. However, you can follow the law and still give your children a great education, which will increase their level of safety.

 

[vellnueve]

I couldn't agree more.

On a side not, education and familiarization is going to keep your children safer than a trigger lock or safe ever would.

In my family, we started handling/shooting guns before we were old enough to start school (under adult supervision, of course). By age 10 I'd taken 2 or 3 hunter/gun safety courses. On my 10th birthday, I received my own shotgun (10 is the legal hunting age in Maine). The guns/ammunition were never locked up in my house. At age 16 (legal unsupervised hunting age) we were allowed to use the guns whenever we wanted, without getting permission first.

I know I never abused the rules. I doubt my brother or sister did either.

Agreed. I was shooting the .22s at age 5 and "given" my AR-15 SP1 at age 6.

 

[sksguns]

It's your business as to whether or not you want to tell people you own a firearm. I've always been of the mind that it's none of their business. There are lots of things in my house that my neighbors don't know I have and there are lots of things in my neighbor's houses that I don't know they have.

Depending on what you are using it for I think would greatly depend on who I'd tell. Unless you have a garage or a discreet way to get the firearm to your vehicle when going to the range people will most likely find out anyway. Even though you don't trust trigger locks you still need one or a locking case to transport the rifle.

Just keep it locked up. I recommend a safe with room for exapansion. Just because you have one rifle now doesn't mean that at sometime in the not so distant future you won't need more storage. Guns are like lays potato chips.

Make sure the safe is bolted down and next to impossible for your son and/or his friends to obtain access to. I'm not implying that your son would ever, but peer pressure can make kids do stupid things. If his parents know now because you told them then your son's friends will know. It's best to be one step ahead of curious kids.

 

[Arioch]

I've always been VERY selective about who knows I have guns. They are ether other shooters that I trust implicitly, or non-shooters that have similar viewpoints to me and that I trust.

 

[BruceP]

Don't feel like you have to tell anyone. But remember, the responsibility is yours to make sure all firearms and ammo are well secured and not accessible to kids. If they're secure, it doesn't matter how many guns you have in the house, 2 or 200, it's no one elses business.

Gun safe and keys in your pocket is the order of the day here...

I'd go one further and say combination in your head as opposed to keys in your pocket. I believe that keys are too easy too gain access to, no matter how careful you are. Kids can be pretty resourceful when they want something.

 

[sksguns]

Don't feel like you have to tell anyone. But remember, the responsibility is yours to make sure all firearms and ammo are well secured and not accessible to kids. If they're secure, it doesn't matter how many guns you have in the house, 2 or 200, it's no one elses business.


I'd go one further and say combination in your head as opposed to keys in your pocket. I believe that keys are too easy too gain access to, no matter how careful you are. Kids can be pretty resourceful when they want something.

My dial has a key lock and once unlocked you need the combination. It's always worked well for me...

 

[pdm]

Talking about guns isn't bad. If you told someone about winning or buying a gun what's the harm? It's not as though you have something illegal to hide.
I wouldn't tell someone for the sake of "disclosure". I don't believe in disclosure. It's my business.
I've taken the youngest out shooting and if she tells, so what.
If your friends can't or won't share in you excitement and now look down on you, do you really want them as friends?

When I asked a friend of mine if he'd mind being one of the two references on my LTC app, he wigged out on me and gave me the 3rd degree about how I should never bring a gun over to his house, etc. I've known this guy for 12-15 years and suddenly he thinks I'm going to Rambo it up in his house with his wife and daughter around? I'm in my thirties for crying out loud. The days of dumbassery are long gone. I've got a mortgage, a car payment and student loans to repay.

 

[MFP4073]

Your responsibility is to safely store the gun and ammunition so as to eliminate accessability to "unauthorized" persons. As others have said, you do not have an obligation to tell people you own a gun(s).

 

[MrsWildweasel]

We just didn't say anything. It was way easier, and also told son not to say anything in school and explained why. Unfortunately in this day and age,we felt it was better.

I won a rifle and my brother has it because I am not licensed. I will be taking my safety class and applying for my license etc... I have a son who is 9 and of course he has friends who come over to the house. I have told 2 friends taht eventually we will have the rifle in the house and it will be secured, most likely in a safe, since I don't feel confident with a trigger lock. I feel I should disclose this because I would certainly want to know. Now, I am beginning to doubt whether I should have told them because of their reactions. They weren't openly hostile but one set of parents admitted to me that they would always be nervous about it but would probably let their child come over still (we'll see if that happens). The other mom I told that I had won a rifle said "why?". Why would I want one? Did I want to hunt? Let's just say it went over like a lead balloon. Do you think it is my responsibility to inform every parent that we have a firearm in our house when it happens or is it their responsibility to ask the question. BTW, my son does not keep "secrets" and since we will be buying a firearm he can shoot and probably 2 pistols for carry for us, he will probably be ready to tell all his friends that we have guns in the house.

 

[FrugalFannie]

Thanks guys. I appreciate all the input. I always like to be open and honest with my friends. Guess there is a limit. I'll have to have a serious talk with my son about this (the not telling part). If he is asked though I wouldn't want him to lie. We have already posted and practice the "Eddie Eagle" rules of what to do if you see a gun (not that it will be out in the open). We certainly intend to have a safe! I grew up in Maine, shot rifles and shotguns at about 6 years and up. Don't remember Dad or Mom ever telling us not to touch the rifles. We knew they weren't toys. Also, never had them locked up because we often had critters prowling around the yard at night (12 acres) and not all of them were friendly and cuddly. And even though we had a serious accident in our family it hasn't turned me off them. Just hopefully made me more cautious.

 

[MrsWildweasel]

Yeah. I wasn't implying that he shouldn't lock his guns up. I suppose I should have made that clear. However, you can follow the law and still give your children a great education, which will increase their level of safety.

I can't argue that. Alan was hunting with Dad and grandpa from the time he was 5. Wr have always done that,but with the way schools and parents are these days we found it was better to not say anything. Unfortunately.