Disagreement with the wife (long story gun topic)
Warbirds
Member Posts: 16,937 ✭✭✭✭
I think most know, I have 3 boys & we moved from FL to PA this year.
If you know that, you may know I just about grew up with a gun in my hand. My Dad was quite a character on this forum from the late 90’s until he passed away 10 years ago and in my family shooting was just what we did growing up.
I nearly always concealed carry, I have shot USPSA at the national level & am a USPSA certified RO.
I share all this to say, I’m no novice with a firearm and my wife knows this. In her own right, she used to run a women’s shooting league when we lived in Dallas that grew to nearly 100 shooters weekly. I share that to say- she is a gun owner in her own right.
Guns have never been an issue.
This Christmas we hadn’t really found a good gift for my middle son, he’s 12. & of the boys he is certainly my outdoorsman.
So I drop into the local brick & mortar store intent on buying him a 10/22. Next to the 10/22’s they had a Ruger Precision rifle in 22lr. It’s a bolt action, magazine fed rifle. I thought “even better”. As the thought of a bolt action appealed to me for shooting fundamentals.
I added a simple Holosun red dot and I was out the door.
My biggest hesitation was the dot was 2MOA but all things considered it was a pretty cool package and optics come & go. Well, I have not yet given my oldest (14) his own rifle yet, and our intention had been to give him a rifle at 15 (which is when I got my first rifle a 30-06 I still have).
Anyway, because the oldest who didn’t have his own rifle yet, wife ultimately objected to giving the 12 year old a rifle first. The middle son is be much more interested in shooting than the oldest.
But oldest didn’t have his own rifle so wife didn’t want t to give middle son a rifle.
So now it seems I have an extra rifle that is just gonna sit until I can “gift it” to a kid.
Bottom line, I’m annoyed but I suppose the precedence or agreement has been set.
This thing is cool!
Comments
1st congrats on your and you wifes shooting abilities and training others that's a gold star on your report cards
as for wifes requesr/ concern Tough call Never get the wife mad we all know that lesson
now I do I understand you wife wanting to follow some birth right from the older down
but then again if the youngest is a big fan it should not Matter i doubt the oldest son would even blinks eye over it . Let us how know how it works out
my story
I bought both my sons a bb gun when they were very young same time. And a taught and gave instructions and safety advise but there is almost four years age difference in age , the oldest I bought a 10/22 for him I will guestament when he was 12 he is 40 now and my youngest son a 1022 when he turned 12
Oldest Son not so interested in guns now my youngest son went in hook like and sinker including a 50 cal barrett started reloading ammo his wife is a gun fan also
Both still have their bb guns the rugers the oldest did add a 12 ga pump remington youngest a few more to say the least LOL
I would aproch the wife one more time explaining how #2 son has as passion and you want to encourage his feelings
Well. Let's us know how it goes
If the eldest is a "meh" about guns any gun is a waste of money on him. I reckon he'll like a car more being 14 or a girl? Get a ride that needs work/built as father son project car. If nothing else that'll sit untouched, too.
In Appalachia, there's a saying : Pa is boss, as everyone knows. But what Ma says always goes."
There is also a saying that goes: if mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. lol
While I can certainly see your reasoning, I'm go side with your wife. Oldest first then work down in age. Who knows, with a wild looking rifle like that, maybe your oldest will come around. If not, at least he was given a chance.
Gotta agree with HPD here, with the added caveat of putting better glass on the rifle so the boy can really shoot some nice groups with it.
Maybe his own gun would be the kick start to a lifetime of a love of guns. Don
Simple solution, give them both one.
In our family we have had a tradition of receiving a rifle for Christmas once the child had turned 13. I received a Winchester 190 in .22LR when I turned 13. Both of my sons received a new Ruger 10/22 the Christmas after their 13th Birthday.
I taught both of them to shoot a rifle around the age of 8. This was after many sessions with pellet guns from an earlier age. I used a 10/22 when I let them use a rifle for the first time. I bought a 2nd stock and cut it down slightly to fit them. After going over all the safety rules (Which they knew from shooting pellet guns) we started out with 1 in the magazine. I also build a little frame which kept them from raising the rifle too high or to the left or right for the first several outing.
The first time out, only one in the magazine. It taught them to load the mag, insert the mag, chamber a round, work the safety and fire in proper order. In the next session , we added a 2nd one in the mag and did the same drill. It was in the 4th or 5th session before they had a full magazine. That stock was borrowed by several friends over the years to teach their kids how to shoot. Someone borrowed it and I never got it back….
Maybe it is time to start a tradition of your own at whatever age you decide….
While agree with HPD, #1 might appreciate a gaming system more than a firearm.
He might look at the gun and be meh.
Id of just bought them both a firearm and let the wife be right. 😉
pull the oldest aside and be honest with him. Tell him what you already bought and what you want to do. Explain he hasnt expressed the interest as much as his younger brother. If he would truly like a rifle too, get it done. If theres something else he would rather have, get it done.
We were, are very lucky with our kids. They never were jealous of each other or compared who got what , when.
Having grown up as the youngest of 4 young country boys owning firearms I can see your wife's point, as a younger child I wouldn't expect being singled out or put ahead of the older ones on a gift like that. We 4 differed in our relationships with shooting / hunting but when it got down to it our DNA's ruled as we grew older, we all loved our firearms.
"Never do wrong to make a friend----or to keep one".....Robert E. Lee
Where in PA????
Ask the oldest what he really wants?? I spend a lot of money on Chris with rifles, shotguns and muzzleloaders, only for him to tell me at 16, that he hated hunting. No problem. He does like to target shoot, so I sold what he didn't want and bought him the ones he did. He would have rather had other things besides guns at 10-15. I wish I knew that!!! Not all boys are alike.
Well, how'd it turn out, who got what?
I think the wife got a new scout, in a few years that is…………
I have an unissued Ruger Precision Rifle in the safe (don’t worry, I kept the box….
I learned a long time ago sometimes it pays to PO the wife and when it comes to doing things with your sons if she can't understand it too darn bad on her part . the worst thing that's going to happen is you will get the LOOK from her for several days and you will have a few days without her talking to you which can be really nice .
on the plus side you will have did some thing for your son that he will never forget , give the gun to the kid and do something for the oldest that he wants