Poll: How 'Normal' is your Relationship - has your gun hobby hurt or helped?

[Joe13]

So, there seems to be a few different groups of gun enthusiasts on this site regarding their relationship with the spouse.

This is just a curiousity Thread and poll answers are annonomous so this isn't a dig into your love life thing unless you choose to share.

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[cigars]

You need to add the vote option: "She's got her world, I've got mine".
Dysfunctional? Maybe. Does it work? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Other voting option, "They're all just future ex wives".

 

[Kidder74]

Hmmm. So, ex- didn't like the fact that I had 2 older rifles (60's and 70's era Remington bolt-actions from my dad) and was "over her dead body" in regards to handguns. Also, no-go on motorcycles.
My girlfriend now paid for my BRT class for my motorcycle endorsement... Her kids all ride, too, as did she before she sold her bike a few years back (and I'll be buying her another one once I've got money available again so I have a riding partner). She also has no issues with guns - she was in the Marines earlier on in life and her oldest son did three tours overseas in the Army (2 in Iraq, one in Afghanistan). I think most of her kids and their spouses/girlfriends have at least one gun.
So, I've now got a collection (does 2 handguns and 2 rifles count as a "collection") since being divorced. and a motorcycle, yay!

 

[Foamcups]

Actually really helped my relationship.

Wife and I married young, 25. Hitched in Vegas hammered drunk with my equally hammered bff as a witness. When I bought my first gun (NPAP) the wife was very concerned, typical "we don't need one because reasons" bs. But when I took her out to shoot it the first time, she fell in love with it. I own 14 guns and her favorites are the AK and her little S&W SD9.

I'm actually really proud of her. We try to go shooting at least once a month, and shes always up for it. And shes getting scary accurate. She still gives me bubblegum for spending money on guns and ammo and prep stuff, but shes gone from a good Christian girl with stars in her eyes to a hardened doomsday prepping weirdo, just like me!

 

[Joe13]

I've had inherited guns since I was 18 and my grandfather passed away. I also bought a Marlin 60 .22 rifle that year. Then I received my dad's shotgun and .22 rifle along the way but only took my wife shooting a couple times before we had a kid and I didn't really shoot at all for years.


Then the kid was in highschool and I had some freedom and cash so I bought a gun. Then another. Then another.

My wife at the time wanted to know why I needed all these guns and I had a response for the few I already had bought.

Then I decided to try my hand at hunting, so of course I needed a small game rifle, big game rifle and another shotgun.

Then my wife and I had a fairly serious discussion about how I would not be happy with just what I had and would want to buy guns for the foreseeable future and that they were a good investment because I could make my money back if needs be. (She didn't believe that)

That when the don't ask, don't tell buying started. She didn't want to know and I didn't want to try and justify every good deal I found.



Then our financial crisis hit.

I started selling guns and the ammo.

Then she realized I hadn't been BS'ing her about the resale value or that I wouldn't sell them because I loved them all.

I haven't had any issues since that time. She knows I want one of everything but because money is tight, I have to run it by her to buy even a cheap sub $200 gun so we don't overdraft our accounts. (I've bought 3 in the last 4 years)


I have my own account but generally I use it for household stuff and not guns like it was intended - things will change for us eventually, and I'll have more cash to throw at my stash.


So my wife is my best friend and it has taken some years and difficult conversations to get where we are but now she supports my hobby and gets that I want one of everything, even if she doesn't understand it.

AND she has gotten around to wanting to go a couple of times a year to keep up with the function and practice with our HD guns.


There is my gun story to date

 

[Diamondback]

You're gonna laugh... the GF ENCOURAGES my gun-nuttery... surprised she hasn't tried to pushed me to try out a Chainsaw Bayonet yet, TBH.

 

[Foamcups]

It was funny, I took my 63 year old father out shooting with us one time.

He almost lost it when he saw my wife shooting dualies at a target. Guy couldn't stop laughing, like he was struck at how all the sudden in this day and age a woman could fire two pistols simultaneously and not be beaten with a mop handle for her impudence.

 

[JRuby]

She does not like my black rifles and shotguns but has no problem with my hunting and target rifles shotguns and pistols. The guns have become a part of my life and has been for most of my life. She accepts that and even has a couple of her own revolvers. She knows that I would never jeopardize our well being for my hobby. I am a lucky man. She likes sewing machines and they are not cheap for a good one
I think her last machine was almost six grand. We work so that we can play and plan our future.

 

[Foamcups]

6k for a sewing machine? Holy Christ.

 

[JRuby]

6k for a sewing machine? Holy Christ.

Embroidery machines I have seen upwards of 13k

 

[moose]

My family all have assigned weapons, some of those are firearms.

Before my life changed, I had a girlfriend that absolutely freaked when I said there were guns under the bed.

 

[Alex V]

I would say my hobby and I are in an open relationship.

 

[teflon6string]

Mrs. Teflon has her own pistol and CHL. Good shot. She's conservative, responsible and participative. Especially when her little soldier boy comes home on leave and we go turn money into noise, even if it's freezing and windy like last time - her idea.

On this topic, I saw a thread here a few years ago about the various weapons that members hope to acquire next. One post started with...

"I need... no wait a second, I'm not married anymore... I want a..."

 

[Tomahawk67]

An Ex-girlfriend once said to me " All you care about are gun's , cars and motorcycles and i don't!"
So right after the Nuclear attack eminent alarm stopped, I told her that it wasn't gonna work out.

 

[BillM]

Wife has her own CHL and carry gun(s). We both shoot Steel Challenge and USPSA. Doubles my
gun cleaning and reloading time, but sure makes vacation planning easy.

 

[peternov01]

when i met my wife she was full blown anti gun. Less than a year later we were married and while she doesnt enjoy shooting she has never asked me to get rid of any of them, in fact the first present she wanted to get me was a rem 700 because i had been talking about one so much. Her words are "i dont get it but you love em and i love you" Needless to say she is not anti gun anymore, that went out the door by the end of our first date.

 

[Provincial]

When I married my wife I was 47 and she was 45. She was a widow with two grown daughters who had been on her own for 8 years. Early on, she told me that I remind her of her deceased father, who was an outdoorsman who had a lot of guns. She grew up plinking with .22's and deer hunting.

She understands that I like guns, but doesn't shoot for fun. Varmints are her only targets now, and she doesn't miss.

My son loves to shoot. His sister isn't much interested, but she learned at an early age, and can shoot very well if she picks up a gun. She regards guns as a normal part of our rural life.

Life is good.

I can buy whatever guns I want, but I only want a few enough to spend the money on them. It is never an issue.

 

[Hop Sing]

Guns have been around as long as we have been married - no problem for 43 years.

She especially likes it when I bring a "pretty one" home.

 

[Captain O]

I no longer have a spouse, so it does not matter. I don't need a "long-haired mess cook".

 

[Medic!]

There have been undisclosed gun purchases.
There has been hiding and sneeking arround behind the others back with said gun.

But when she finally gives me my birthday or aniversary gift. I forgive her.