How open are you about being a firearms owner?

The reason I ask is that my daughter's new boyfriend was over for dinner the other night. He saw my M14 disassembly guide on the table and excitedly asked if I actually had a "real" M14. I don't really know this guy from Adam; but he strikes me as sketchy and I'm not real thrilled with the idea of him knowing I have guns in the house - if I'd been thinking, I would have put the books away ahead of time.

I'm just curious if others have or have had similar concerns. I won't lie if someone asks if I have guns, and I'm sure I've talked to everyone at my job about it at least twice by now, so it's not a big secret or anything... What's your opinion; is my 'prudence' just paranoia?

Most of my co-workers, close family and friends know. Otherwise I'm generally quiet about it.
 
I am open about being a firearms owner not denying or hiding the fact and do not really caring who knows what I have (those who have taken the most threatening posture in regards to my property already have an itemized list of what I have). I do not discuss home security with anyone that does not need to know.
 
Most of my co-worker know I own guns, so does my boss. My neighbours know and all my families know. Everytime I go to the range, I carried out a couple of gun cases to put in my truck. They know!!
Why need to hide?

Hunting license is next for me.
 
The reason I ask is that my daughter's new boyfriend was over for dinner the other night. He saw my M14 disassembly guide on the table and excitedly asked if I actually had a "real" M14. I don't really know this guy from Adam; but he strikes me as sketchy and I'm not real thrilled with the idea of him knowing I have guns in the house - if I'd been thinking, I would have put the books away ahead of time.

I'm just curious if others have or have had similar concerns. I won't lie if someone asks if I have guns, and I'm sure I've talked to everyone at my job about it at least twice by now, so it's not a big secret or anything... What's your opinion; is my 'prudence' just paranoia?

"No, they took it away after my daughter's last nosy boyfriend went missing. Still got the others, tho..........."
 
In the matter of the Boyfriend: I do not show firearms to strangers. This is not a son in law, or a member of the family. He is someone you do not know and may never see again. He has earned no trust, and just the fact that the household princess has an interest in him is not necessarily a positive endorsement. I keep the information about that side of my life on a need to know basis.

Everyone who knows me knows I hunt, I only discuss firearms with enthusiasts, I find there is not a lot of point discussing them with others. And yes, there is no point discussing the number in the lockup with just about anyone, as no one needs to know. Once while I lived in a town house, about 10 years ago, a fellow (who was not born in Canada, and came he recently enough that his accent was still very strong) tried to file a complaint that I was taking a rifle out of my house to my car on a saturday or a sunday. He was very suprised to find that this behavior is perfectly legal in Canada. It is not something that most people need to know. No one asks if I have a rifle to hunt with. I mostly leave it at that.,
 
I don't even tell people I don't know what I do for a living, much less details on any firearms I have.

Now someone I know and (at least a little) trust, I have no problem with it. Anybody who spent any time around me would figure it out pretty quick anyway.
 
I'm pretty open about owning firearms, most of the people I work with are aware that I own them, I've shown them pictures of my latest purchase or what I'm planning on buying in the future, and I've even taken a few of my co-workers to the range so they can partake in my hobby.

However, I am a little paranoid when leaving the house, I try my best to make sure the neighbors don't see me lugging around my rifle case or my ammo crate when I'm off to the range, it's not so much as I don't want them to know that I have guns, it's the people in the neighborhood that I don't know or don't trust I want to avoid.

As for the people at work, I have a long list of requests to go to the range and I'm continuously working on individuals to go out and get their license. Even if they never own a firearm in their lives, it's good for them to know how to safely handle, store, transport firearms and the rules and regulations associated with owning them.
 
Be open about it. The more you are, they better it is.

They know me, I'm somewhat normal, I own guns, so guns must be OK.

The more its a secret, the more people won't like them, people fear what they dont know.

Just my opinion.
 
Family knows, friends know, some co-workers, some neighbours.

Some people dont know what car(s) I drive, what bike(s) I ride, who my employer(s) / client(s) are... they also don't need to know I own firearms.

Heck, depending on who you are I am a damned tourist who doesn't speak English (and those are my friends that think that).

Can enjoy shooting sports and know how to (safely) handle a firearm arm without owning one. So will either not speak English, speak English and not admit to knowing how to tie my shoe laces, be an advocate for shooting sports, be a gun owner with a Cooey, be a gun owner with non-restricted and restricted firearms.

People I have any sort of regular contact with know that I will happily take them to the range and do my best to not have them shoot themselves in the foot.

---

My uncle was an airforce pilot, raced motorcycles, raced cars, boxed, was a real problem for my cousin, when suitors came for her they often ended up spending more time with him than with her.
 
Somehow this seemed appropriate to the first post...


thoughts.png
 
My family knows, my friends know. A lot of other people associated with my friends and family know. Most of my coworkers know (I work for Ontario MNR, so its not that big a deal). I live in rural Ontario, so its not all that uncommon for people to own firearms. Heck, my wifes car has Browning Buck Mark decals and a pointing Vizsla decal, so its pretty obvious looking at her car we hunt. I wear hunting/gun related hats often
 
How open are you about being a firearms owner?

:DOn a strictly need to know basis.

My neighbors of 11 years do not know I have firearms in my residence.

I keep the guns locked up at home & covered when I take them to & from the truck & never discuss my guns except with my shooting buddies.

It's personal information & none of anyone's fracken business & the nosy SOBs don't have the venue to drop a malicious dime on me as happened to one of my more high "firearms ownership" profile friends last year.

He was spotted carrying an exposed (& unloaded) scoped deer rifle from his truck to his residence in Scarborough.

He's a big guy & wears shades & I think the dime dropper must have figured he was looking for Sarah Connor.

Lucky for him the attending officer had a head on his shoulders with a functioning brain inside & nothing came of it.

The best security policy is: Out of sight out of mind.

Most gun thefts result when the location of firearms reaches the wrong eyes & ears.

I know some machos on CGN have different ideas about publicly & openly demonstrating THEIR RIGHTS but I don't need the hassle.

Life Memberships: NRA, GOA, CSSA, NFA, OFAH
CCW Permits: Utah, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Maine
 
Tell everyone close to you

The way that I see it, tell as many people as possible. The more you talk to people about firearms the more chances you have to turn people on to owning them. The media tells people about them(negatively). So why not let people know the positives about their rights to own firearms.
"freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose"
 
All my friends and even some people are mere acquaintances know I own, my MSN display picture is me with a CZ-858 at the range. The more people I talk to about it, the more people get interested, the more people want to try it.
 
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