Thread: Hubby wants....

You may want to read this article. I personally think it is not a great idea unless you honestly feel you are in danger.

[url]http://www.bradycampaign.org/facts/factsheets/?page=home[/url]

I assume there are no safety issues which cannot be easily addressed, for example, access by children.

The thought has crossed my mind from time to time, although I have never acted on it. One thing is certain: if I feel the need to have a handgun at home, I will have more than one, and my wife will be trained on a weapon suitable for her.

My suggestion is that you ask your spouse his reason for wanting a firearm in your home. Also try to examine the pros and cons of having a gun in the home, independently of his reasons.

Since I don't know how old you all are I would really want to know why now. I've had a pistol since I was 17 that was bought to fit my hand and have had hours of target practice with it. My husband who was in the Army has only shot guns on a tank. If he decided today he wanted to get a handgun it would worry me. I would have to know WHY?

I'm 24 and my husband is 26. We have no kids. We live in a relatively safe suburban community. He gives a really lame reason as to why he wants one "because I just want one", and then goes on to talk about how helpless we'd be if someone were to break in and how many people enjoy guns as a hobby. He also tells me he has lots of experience handling guns. We've been married for almost four years, and together for over five years. I can say with certainty that he hasn't picked up a fire arm in the last five years. I knew him pretty well before we were a couple too, and I know he wasn't going to target practice on a regular basis. I think having a gun for reasons of protection now MIGHT be a wise idea, but what about when we have kids. Also, there are a lot of risk factors to be considered. Mostly I think he wants a weapon for the wrong reasons. It's almost like he thinks its a toy. He's very adamant about the issue though, so I'm trying to give it due attention and consideration.

I grew up with guns in the house, easily accessible if needed. We spent time going out target practicing with rifles and handguns when I was a kid. When my parents had to make an emergency trip out of town when I was a senior in high school, they made sure I knew where the gun was in case someone broke in the house (it was not unheard of where we lived). I knew how to shoot, clean and load a gun. About 15 years ago, I got a concealed weapon permit and have kept it up to date. If I travel alone on a long trip, the gun is in the console beside me.

I taught self defense and personal safety for years. I know the dangers. I know people who have been in danger. I feel safer knowing that if I want to carry a weapon in my car, I can. I feel safer knowing that when I am in the house alone at night, I can have a weapon within reach.

Nowhere is completely safe. Being prepared is important to me. Our kids both know how to handle weapons safely (they're grown now and neither owns a weapon personally but it wouldn't bother me if they decided to get a gun). We still have weapons in the house and I wouldn't hesitate to load a gun to keep beside my bed at night if the occassion arose that I was in the house alone.

As for why he wants a gun now and never did before, well as people mature they realize that bad things can and do happen. Usually that happens after the "nothing like that can happen to me" phase is outgrown and reality sets in along with a feeling of mortality that hits us all at some point or another around mid-late 20's. And guys won't talk about that sort of thing -- they always like to think they are invincible -- or at least they want everyone to think they feel that way He's probably just feeling the natural urge to be protective of the life you are building together.

As an aside, just in the last couple of weeks, there was a home invasion in our area and the homeowner shot the attacker and killed him. The homeowner was not arrested. It was clearly a case of self-defense and no legal action was brought against the homeowner. To my way of thinking, that sort of thing seals the need for home protection. And with abductions at an all-time high nationally, you bet I'd carry a concealed weapon if I were traveling a long distance alone.

Just my opinion.

I don't see a problem with guns in general, as long as you're properly trained. I don't, however, think they're the best means of protection. If I felt that I NEEDED a gun for protection in my own home, I think I'd rather move. We have three guns--a .22 rifle, a deer rifle, and a .38 special.

My husband was raised around guns & hunting, so he has the rifles. He's quite comfortable with them. Now, I've never been around rifles, so I don't go near them.

I do, however, own the handgun. When I was doing my student teaching, I lived alone in a MOTEL that was right off the interstate and near many gas stations/restaurants. My parents worried about me being my myself, so they bought me the gun. I haven't kept my concealed weapon permit up to date, but I've thought about taking classes again. My best friend's dad gave me lessons on how to use it. . . some shooting practice, but mostly lessons on how not to do something stupid with it. (He was a trained sharpshooter, by the way.)

We don't have children, and there are RARELY children in our house. Likewise, hubby and I aren't prone to drunken (or otherwise) brawls that might lead to violence. None of the guns are loaded, and the bullets are stored in another area of the house. I don't, honestly, think of the guns as "protection" at all. They're mainly for hubby's hunting, which he does RARELY.

Hubby once asked me what I'd do if someone ever broke into the house. Ummm. . . lock myself in a room, hide, try to call the police, and probably wet my pants, in all honestly. Getting to a gun wouldn't occur to me. And if I DID think to get the gun, the fact that we keep the bullets in another part of the house would mean that I'd probably have to resort to clunking the intruder in the head with the gun instead of actually SHOOTING it.

Other than the motel safely issue, the closest I ever got to using my gun for protection was when my friend and I took two guns with us when we went to Florida by ourselves for 9 days when we were around 21/22 years old. For two young women traveling by themselves, it seemed like a good idea, especially because we were travelling at night part of the time and had to stop at a few rest areas. We always had then in our handbags when we went into rest areas. We still giggle about "packing heat" on our Florida trip. One of us always stood outside the toilets while the other went in the stall. ("OK. . .you go in and I'll cover you.")

Originally Posted by Ima Teacher

We always had then in our handbags when we went into rest areas. We still giggle about "packing heat" on our Florida trip. One of us always stood outside the toilets while the other went in the stall. ("OK. . .you go in and I'll cover you.")

That is too funny!! When I taught self defense classes, I always recommended keeping a home fire extinguisher under the bed. If anyone came in the bedroom, you could spray them with it and them conk them over the head. Works much better than a baseball bat Get the personal use fire extinguishers -- oh and get two -- one to keep under the bed and the other to practice with so you can use it in the dark!!

This is strictly my opinion- but it is asking for trouble. I personally lost a friend to an accidental shooting - in the home of people well versed in gun use and care.
I would never want a gun in my house.

Thank you everyone, it really helps to hear both sides of the issue. Barbara, thank you for sharing that. That exact sort of tragedy is what I'm afraid of. No matter how well trained and experienced a person is, there is always the chance for human error. I think I'm leaning toward keeping guns out of my home. My husband's concern is that I'm alone a lot because he works late, but we live in a suburban community with a very low crime rate. He wants me to get a carry permit, but I told him that there is no where that I would take the gun. It's not like I could keep the gun in my car while I'm at work. God forbid a student every broke into my car and found it.