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Loaning Guns to friends?.....

RembrandtRembrandt Member Posts: 4,486 ✭✭
edited July 2002 in General Discussion
Have you ever loaned a gun out with bad results?
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Comments

  • whiteclouderwhiteclouder Member Posts: 10,574 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    A friend does not borrow a gun. It's usually only relatives.

    Clouder..
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  • NighthawkNighthawk Member Posts: 12,022 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    It usually ends up with heartache,especially rifles scopes knocked out of alighnment.Scratches here and there,and your never told about when the gun was sitting in the front seat and the guy in front suddenly stopped and I had to slam on the breaks and the gun went flying into the dash.Nope dont like to do it.But really how do you say no?

    Rugster
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  • thesupermonkeythesupermonkey Member Posts: 3,905 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Anyone can use any gun I own, so long as I'm present. I've loaned out weapons before with bad results.

    Don't worry about the bullet with your name on it, worry about the fragmentation grenade addressed 'To Occupant'.
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  • 4GodandCountry4GodandCountry Member Posts: 3,968
    edited November -1
    I guess it would depend on the gun and the friend. What is the gun going to be used for? Most cases Id have to say no, maybe my old 20 gauge single shot Harington Richardson, but no pistols, no rifles and certainly not my favorite shotgun. If im at the range shooting, as long as they can show they are safety conscious I allow them to shoot anything I have, but only if Im there making sure they dont abuse my babies...

    When Clinton left office they gave him a 21 gun salute. Its a damn shame they all missed....
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  • jastrjastr Member Posts: 463 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I pretty much agree with everyone else on this one...As long as Im present. but not anything im too fond of.

    lets all be responsible! shoot a criminal! Remember 0% of firearms pull there own trigger!
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  • cbxjeffcbxjeff Member Posts: 17,642 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Letting a friend shoot my guns at the range with me is one thing, waving good bye as it heads out the drive in a truck is something else.

    cbxjeffIt's too late for me, save yourself.
    It's too late for me, save yourself.
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  • cowboy62cowboy62 Member Posts: 70 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    NO!

    See, it's not really that hard...

    Cowboy

    When first a job has begun, see it through till' it's done. Whether the labor is great or small, do it right, or not at all! gshutes@aol.com What I d
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  • salzosalzo Member Posts: 6,396 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Last deer season, I was hunting with my in laws, which I have been doing for ten years.
    Last year a cousin of an in law decided to join the hunting party, and was supposed to use one of my uncle in-laws gun. His gun was acting poorly when sighting in, so the cousin asked if he could use my shotgun. I brought it along for back up.
    This fellow took a hunters ed course, but was having a difficult time with the shotgun. I told him a hundred times to never put your finger on the trigger until its time to shoot, and I told him a hundred times to hold the barrel up off the ground. The way he was walking, the muzzle was about two inches off the ground. I told him to keep the muzzle up, because you do not want to get dirt in the barrel.
    I do not know why I told him this, but I said if you shoot a deer, make sure you keep that barrel away from the ground. I told him about the first time I shot a turkey, that I was so excited I just stuck the muzzle in the ground. I was concerned about this, because we fire two shots to alert the other hunters a deer is down.
    I hear a shot! I know it is the cousin cause he was the only one with a shotgun. Figuring that hge was a new guy, I went looking for him. I found him, and he said the gun went off by itself. WHAAAAATTT!!!?? I told him that guns do not go off by themselves, and I asked him to show me what he did. While trying to disengage the pump to empty his gun, he had his finger RIGHT ON THE TRIGGER! I took him back in, and I spent a half hour with him, going over loading unloading, safety, trigger. I made him shoot a couple of rounds, show me how to engage safety, show me how to load next round. In all honesty, I was not totally comfortable, and should have said no more-but I didnt want to be the guy who made him quit hunting before he even started.

    Next morning, I shoot a doe. I drag it in, hang it, and I am washing up when the cousin comes in.
    "I GOT A BUCK"
    He was real excited, I congratulated him, asked him where it was, etc..
    He then said "By the way, I owe you a barrel."
    "WHAAAAATTTT!!!??"
    He told me he did not know what happend, that the barrel just bursted at the tip.
    I asked him to tell me exactly what happend. Told me he shot a deer from a tree stand, jumped out of the tree stand, checked his dead buck, and then fired two shots. I asked him if he made sure the muzzle was up when he jumped out of the tree stand(I didnt even want to get into how ridiculous it was for him to be jumping out of a tree stand with a gun)
    He sai "I think so" Trtanslation; "It wasnt even on my mind to keep the muzzle up." So I realized that he jumped out of the tree, stuck the muzzle right into the ground(something I told him 100 times not to do) and then fired two shots with a plugged barrel.
    In addition to the bursted barrel(which he did replace) he scratched the heck out of the stock, and there was a * in the stock. My guns are hunting guns, but I take good care of them, and I am careful to put minimum blemishes on my guns. If he just looked at my gun, he would have seen it was in nice shape, and that I took care in keeping them looking good.
    But again, I did happenup on him in the woods sleeping, and he had my gun lying on a rock in a very negligent way, with the scope sandwhiched between two rocks. I never saw such negligence in my life Common sense would....well I guess I do not haqve to say it.
    I will never lend a gun to a relative again.


    "The powers delegated by the proposed constitution to the federal governmentare few and defined, and will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace negotiation, and foreign commerce"
    -James Madison
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  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,085 ******
    edited November -1
    You guys are going at this all wrong.

    Every gun owner/hunter should have a couple of cheap "loaner" guns around for just that purpose.

    Buy a very used single barrel shotgun, same for .22, and maybe a semi-sporterized cut down Mauser or Enfield. If you play your cards right, you can get into this loaner collection for under $200.

    If you never get it back, or if it comes back in pieces, no big deal. When your "friend" asks you to borrow a gun, let him have a loaner. If he asks why you won't let him have your Weatherby, tell him there is a restriction in your insurance policy against it.

    BUT...A real friend will not borrow your gun. Keep the loaners around for your brother-in-law.

    SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com, the best gun auction site on the Net! Email davidnunn@texoma.net
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  • airborneairborne Member Posts: 1,728 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I've be burnt both by individuals not properly taking care of or on one case it took me over a year to get the gun back. Any more absolutely refuse to loan a gun to anyone, don't have to worry about dad, my son, or my brother as they always bring their own.

    Using the liability reason for refusal makes it easier to say NO.

    B - BreatheR - RelaxA - AimS - SightS - Squeeze
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  • jltrentjltrent Member Posts: 9,345 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I loaned my 243 to my brother-in-law and was letting him test fire it. I don't know how it happened because the gun doesn't kick very much, but it did kick up against his forehead and the scope put a big old * that took fourteen stictes to put back together. He is one who had spent a fortune on a nose job, hair implants and always tries to make himself pretty. I honestly thought I had a lawsuit on my hands. The part that I can't understand is that he spent four years in the army, but I guess those .223 don't kick as much.


    Every time I see him he points to the scar right between his eyes that it left.
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  • gunpaqgunpaq Member Posts: 4,607 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Lending a gun to another person is the same as lending out your chainsaw and your wife. Nothing but bad things will result.

    Pack slow, fall stable, pull high, hit dead center.
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  • pickenuppickenup Member Posts: 22,844 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Ain't been there, don't want to do that. Don't got the hat or the t-shirt.My guns do not leave the house without me. (Except for the ones that jump out of the safe and go out and kill someone on their own, ha ha)

    If I knew then, what I know now.
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  • muleymuley Member Posts: 1,583 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    My advice is....don't loan a gun to anyone, any time, for any reason.

    I've loaned two guns out in my life. One was a Winchester M70 pre '64 in .30-06 and the other was a Savage M99, .250/3000. I loaned them to a couple of friends that I had known for years. Never got them back. They each moved out of state with no forwarding address. One guy called me a year later and told me he had forgotten that he had the gun and if I would loan him $200 for a personal debt, he would send me the gun and the $200 within a month. So, guess what this big lollipop did. I sent him the $200. A month later, I called his home in Salida, Col. and he had moved again. No one knew where. All this happened over 20 years ago and I am starting to get worried. Maybe something bad happened to them. Car wreck or something.
    muley

    **I love the smell of Hoppes #9 in the morning**
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  • 4wheeler4wheeler Member Posts: 3,441
    edited November -1
    My friends can ask for a kidney or some other vital organs but not for my guns.

    "It was like that when I got here".
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  • treedawgtreedawg Member Posts: 321 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    guess i'm just lucky. have loaned several of them out and never had anything bad happen, short of a few new scratches. i bought them to enjoy. i take care of them, but i'm not going to make myself miserable trying to keep them new. the guns that i'm concerned with stay in the safe.
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  • RembrandtRembrandt Member Posts: 4,486 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Asking to borrow someones guns is like asking to borrow their toothbrush....like Nunn suggested, I've got a couple of beaters for use by family members when we go hunting.

    I've run into the same thing with loaning tools.....had a sign made that hangs in the garage above the tool boxes that reads, "Need Tools?...Buy your own, I did!".....for some reason, nobody asks to borrow....
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  • robsgunsrobsguns Member Posts: 4,581 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Well yes I do loan guns for use by people I know, but most of the people I know are Marines. That being said, I have never had a problem with the guns being returned in anything other than the condition they were given out in. I'm also a known gun freak by my friends, and none of them would even dream of asking me. They are told to borrow mine, by me. I have a lot of extremely responsible associates and friends, and dont have to worry about what will happen to the gun. They know I'd also kill them if anything happen to one of my guns while they were using it. Almost all of my family are born hunters and sportsmen, so I guess I'm lucky there to, nothing to worry about. I guess its all in the company you keep, and I really dont have much to do with anyone who isnt into guns, its all I'm interested in, guns, bows, hunting, ya know? What else is there? Who cares what else there is, gosh I love my hobby! I think I'd loan a gun to anyone thats a responsible regular on this board also, you can pretty much figure out who is blessed with common sense, and who is not.

    SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC
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  • bama55bama55 Member Posts: 6,389 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Loaned my AR to a trooper, for training, when our post started a tactical team. Was not advised they would be shooting cases of blank ammo. He returned it very un-clean, and refused to clean it. Needless to say when the Captain asked to borrow it again the answer was NO, and the reason was given.
    An OLD Mercury outboard motor mechanic once told me "I don't loan my
    wife or my boat, I did it once and they both came back screwed up!!!"
    I will loan a gun to my brother, as he will replace or repair anything
    that goes wrong with it while in his care.

    Don't send flowers when I die. Send money now, I can buy more ammo.
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  • The LawThe Law Member Posts: 2,287 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    ...now I'll be serious for a moment...i have no problem letting someone shoot my guns(i am not a * collector)...i would be reluctant to let them out of my sight unless...i knew them well enough that they could use them responsibly....either target shooting or hunting...i truly would even give someone a gun if i could see their need,desire and or...appreciation and safety for them...

    "What we have here... is Failure to Communicate"
    "The Board Law"
    "You fought *The Law* and *The Law* won"
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  • BlueTicBlueTic Member Posts: 4,072
    edited November -1
    I have only offered one of my rifles to a friend, because he was having a problem with a Yote getting his chickens. I went over to try and get a shot at it one evening but never could. He is a very good friend or I would not have offered. He only kept it for 2 weeks waiting on the varmit, but it never came back. I think I got lucky that he returned it right away, but I knew he was a decent guy. I do keep a few rifles on hand for my Canadian Brother-in-Law and Cousin, but they have more or less payed for them in other favors....

    IF YOU DON'T LIKE MY RIGHTS - GET OUT OF MY COUNTRY (this includes politicians)
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  • jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
    edited November -1
    Would loan to family but not freinds. However, they may shoot any of my guns if they ask and come to the range with me. Had a freind out a few weeks back who was considering buying a P08 Luger but wanted to try one out first, so I let him have a few shots with mine- though I admit, I did worry a bit that he would drop the thing or something.

    "...hit your enemy in the belly, and kick him when he is down, and boil his prisoners in oil- if you take any- and torture his women and children. Then people will keep clear of you..." -Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, speaking at the Hague Peace Conf
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  • jokor3jokor3 Member Posts: 75 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    IF YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO BUY A GUN OF YOUR OWN, THEN YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO SHOOT. WHETHER IT'S TARGETS OR HUNTING, IF ONE HAS AN INTEREST, THEN ONE SHOULD PURCHASE THEIR OWN EQUIPMENT. SAME WITH SHELLS OR BULLETS. IF ONE WISHES TO JUST SHOOT TO SEE IF THEY LIKE IT....... THEN GO TO AN INDOOR RANGE AND RENT A FIREARM.
    NO TO THE BORRROWER OF GUNS, TOOLS, AND WOMEN!!!!!!!!!!!
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  • robsgunsrobsguns Member Posts: 4,581 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    jokor3,
    That isnt a real good way to get more people interested in shooting, I guess I'm just a real nice guy, or not, but anyone wanting to try out shooting is welcome to shoot mine, I have a blast teaching anyone how to shoot, I get more out of it than they do I think. Ammo, gun, no problem, whats it cost me? The reward of sharing is almost always greater than receiving. I'm thankful that people dont all have that same theory you have, or I wouldnt have a place to hunt on private property, because I dont have my own property, and cant afford it.

    SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC
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  • squeakycsqueakyc Member Posts: 204 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Never, never, ever loan a gun to a friend or acquaintance due to liability for one thing. Also they may not treat the weapon in the same manner as yourself and you get back a piece you don't recognize.
    I use my dad's shotgun but he doesn't hunt anymore and it will be mine eventually so I don't know if this counts as a loan.
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  • boogerbooger Member Posts: 1,463 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I'm with nunn, I think you need a couple of loaner guns handy. I'm always offering to take a friend, someones son, or maybe a co-worker hunting and the first time expense of stuff to buy is enough without the gun, so if they'll get basic stuff I've got a gun for 'em. So, usually I'm hunting with them or nearby.

    I think it helps promote shooting/hunting if you can afford to have a few loaners.

    Once though I loaned a co-worker a .22 to go hunting with and it was returned with a few new scratches which he 'fessed up to right away. He said he thought he saw a game warden and threw the gun down and ran because he didn't have a hunting license. Good grief!!!! Now I ask about that and hunter safety.

    Them ducks is wary.
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  • BoltactionManBoltactionMan Member Posts: 2,048 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have some loaner guns that I let people use, but I have a small handful of friends that I hunt with and we rifles all the time. Please understand that I have known and hunted with these people for a minimum of 15 years, they can use anything I have. They would let me use anything they have. We may be just lucky, but it has worked out very well.

    KC
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  • agloreaglore Member Posts: 6,012
    edited November -1
    I have firearms that are specifically used for loaners. All Mauser 98's, can't possibly hurt them.

    AlleninAlaska

    Free men are not equal and equal men are not free
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  • 96harley96harley Member Posts: 3,992 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Loan! Loan what? No! My wife's a possiblity
    My dog's a maybe
    My guns never

    A neighbor gave me can cooler wrap with that on it. I showed it to my wife and she just laughed. My wife knows as long as she shoots straight I couldn't abide by what the cooler says...........ducking a vicious vacum hose as he finishes this post.
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  • interstatepawnllcinterstatepawnllc Member Posts: 9,390
    edited November -1
    Yeah, I loaned a nice H&R 9 shot barrel tip eject .22 to a neighbor right after hurricane Andrew plowed through south dade county in 92. The guy discharges it to scare off some looters and leo's were in the vicinity. Well they hear the shots and swoop down on my friend, arrest him, confiscate the weapon and I never see it again. I will NEVER lend a firearm to ANYONE again !!
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  • bartobarto Member Posts: 4,734 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    clouders right- mostly relatives.
    as we speak my soninlaw has my 870 (hes been storing it for me for the last 11/2 yrs.HAH)
    nunns right. i have 4 old enfields that i use as "loaners".kinda pisses em off when i wont lend a nice gun but i just tell them "deposit the value of the gun & you can use it".
    the last revolver i lent out the guy committed suicide with it.
    i DONT lend handguns under any conditions. couldnt ever go through that again.
    barto

    the hard stuff we do right away - the impossible takes a little longer
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  • kimberkidkimberkid Member Posts: 8,858 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Loan out GUNS?

    Why? Doesn't everybody own at least one?

    Everyone I know well enough to loan a gun to, is already pretty well armed. That includes almost everyone I work with, the Baptist minister that lives to the west, the retired Marine to the east, and 2 of my neighbors across the street belong to the same gun club as I; both up and down the street whe have several avid hunters of all seasons ... even most of my wifes friends own guns

    If someone wanted to borrow a gun to "try it out" I would take them to the range and let them try it out with my supervision! ... I dont beleive letting anyone "try out" anything that is unfamiluar to them is a safe practice.

    Ditto robsguns:
    quote:I have a blast teaching anyone how to shoot, I get more out of it than they do I think. Ammo, gun, no problem, whats it cost me? The reward of sharing is almost always greater than receiving.

    =================================
    The only bad thing about choosing a Kimber ...
    ... there are so darn many models to choose from!
    kimberkid@gunbroker.zzn.com
    If you really desire something, you'll find a way ?
    ? otherwise, you'll find an excuse.
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  • n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427 ✭
    edited November -1
    Loaned guns twice in my life many years ago. One a pump shotgun to a "good friend" of my friend, the other to my now ex-brother-in-law. Both were returned with minor damage and one with rust.

    Never again! I'll let someone shoot anything I have if i'm there but thats it. Period.

    Lt the stingy

    "We become what we habitually do. If we act rightly, we become upright men. If we habitually act wrongly, or weakly, we become weak and corrupt" - *ARISTOTLE*

    **Like Grandad used to say--"It'll feel better when it quits hurtin"
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  • bhayes420bhayes420 Member Posts: 1,314 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I had a co-worker about 20 years ago, and his 10 year old son was wanting to start deer hunting. They had some financial problems, and just flat out couldn't afford to buy the kid a rifle (his dad hunted with an old marlin goose gun loaded up with slugs), so I loaned him my Marlin 30-30. I had just bought a Winchester 270, and wasn't using the Marlin, so figured it would be a good thing to do. And it was. Kid kept my rifle for 2 seasons while he raised the money for his own by cutting grass in the summer, and he took 3 bucks with my gun. It came back with a few "character" marks, but nothing bad. Just marks from hard brush hunting. I didn't have a sling on it, and when they brought it back, they had put sling mounts and a nice sling on it for me (he did ask first before having the mounts installed). So it worked out great. But I would have to know someone really well to loan out a gun. If anyone wants to shoot anything I have, as long as I am convinced that they are safe, and as long as I am present, I have no problem with that.
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  • LowriderLowrider Member Posts: 6,587
    edited November -1
    I won't loan my guns, my guitars, my motorcycles or any other motor vehicles. Or my tools, my music books, my cameras, my bike trailer...

    Hell, I guess I'm just a selfish sumbitch. I worked hard for the stuff I own, you should do the same.

    I WOULD loan any of the above stuff to my brother. He's even more * about taking care of things than I am.

    Lord Lowrider the LoquaciousMember:Secret Select Society of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets She was only a fisherman's daughter,But when she saw my rod she reeled.
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  • Brth729Brth729 Member Posts: 1,231 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I've had a couple that I've loaned out over the years. They weren't anything fancy or expensive, but some did come back different than when they left. A 22 rifle I loaned to a friend came back with a bent barrel. To this day I still can't believe it happened. As it stands now, there is only two people I would loan any of my guns to. One is my oldest brother, and the other is my dad.

    ***I'm in the hi-fidelity first class travelling section I think I need a Leer jet***
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  • jokor3jokor3 Member Posts: 75 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:
    jokor3,
    That isnt a real good way to get more people interested in shooting, I guess I'm just a real nice guy, or not, but anyone wanting to try out shooting is welcome to shoot mine, I have a blast teaching anyone how to shoot, I get more out of it than they do I think. Ammo, gun, no problem, whats it cost me? The reward of sharing is almost always greater than receiving. I'm thankful that people dont all have that same theory you have, or I wouldnt have a place to hunt on private property, because I dont have my own property, and cant afford it.

    SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC
    I am referring to letting them borrow the guns when you are not present to oversee or supervise their actions unless you wish to assume their responbility and liability.
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  • armyboyarmyboy Member Posts: 11 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    if one want to lend a gun make sure it is sign in black and white on a paper saying the other dude lend it. if he uses it in harms way the you could be in trouble.

    JOIN THE ARMY BE ALL YOU CANNOT BE.
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  • sandman2234sandman2234 Member Posts: 894 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I loaned a 9 shot .22 revoler to a guy (No relation)that lives 350 miles away. Took me a year to get it back. And that was when He came over to trade it for a 9mm that He wanted to try. Kept that one about a year, and then sent it back when he bought his own carry pistol. Now this ain't the average Guy. This is the guy I roomed with in the Service, loaned me his p/u for months while sears had my car. Oh, and on special days, even loaned me His 66 corvette (now mine).
    We were Charter members of the Miracle Strip Corvette Club, and he had to work the first time we had a rally. Sent me with his Corvette and I won 2nd place in an autocross. Figure the least I can do is supply him with guns, since he sold me all of his when things got tight around the house way back when.
    Good Friends, hopefully for life.

    Have Gun, will travel
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  • SP TigerSP Tiger Member Posts: 872 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Never my guns or my truck. I'll be glad to let a responsible person shoot my guns as long as I am present. I once loaned my AR-15 to a friend just back from Marine Corp boot camp. Since he was obviously familiar with it I agreed. I still worried about that rifle like a mother who sends her kid off to school for the first day. It came back just fine.

    Better to have and not need, than need and not have.
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