What's everyone's thoughts on letting buddies borrow a rifle
- Thread starter Ricky Bobby
- Start date
Ricky Bobby
New member
Originally Posted By: 204DudeI guess I don't understand why your buddy does not have his own rifle.
He is a diehard bow hunter. Plus we live in a shotgun/muzzleloader only state for whitetails. Lots of folks around here have no reason to own a rifle if they don't chase after coyotes.
He is a diehard bow hunter. Plus we live in a shotgun/muzzleloader only state for whitetails. Lots of folks around here have no reason to own a rifle if they don't chase after coyotes.
canislatrans54
New member
Originally Posted By: Ricky BobbyOriginally Posted By: 204DudeI guess I don't understand why your buddy does not have his own rifle.
He is a diehard bow hunter. Plus we live in a shotgun/muzzleloader only state for whitetails. Lots of folks around here have no reason to own a rifle if they don't chase after coyotes.
For me, it would depend on just how good a friend he is; how confident you are of his knowledge of guns & how to properly use them; and whether I thought his reaction to me saying "No" would be more of a strain on our friendship, compared to the possibility of something happening to the gun.
After all, a gun is a replaceable material item. A good friendship is much harder to find!!!
Once upon a time, I had a couple friends that I wouldn't have hesitated to let borrow anything. Unfortunately, those friends & I let the years drift us apart, & we don't ever see each other.
There isn't a current friend that I have, that I would trust to use one of my guns, unless they were in my eyesight.
Mainly because I'm not entirely sure about there gun usage knowledge. (Ie: Using the proper caliber ammo in the gun, ect.)
I'd let them borrow tools, but not my guns.
He is a diehard bow hunter. Plus we live in a shotgun/muzzleloader only state for whitetails. Lots of folks around here have no reason to own a rifle if they don't chase after coyotes.
For me, it would depend on just how good a friend he is; how confident you are of his knowledge of guns & how to properly use them; and whether I thought his reaction to me saying "No" would be more of a strain on our friendship, compared to the possibility of something happening to the gun.
After all, a gun is a replaceable material item. A good friendship is much harder to find!!!
Once upon a time, I had a couple friends that I wouldn't have hesitated to let borrow anything. Unfortunately, those friends & I let the years drift us apart, & we don't ever see each other.
There isn't a current friend that I have, that I would trust to use one of my guns, unless they were in my eyesight.
Mainly because I'm not entirely sure about there gun usage knowledge. (Ie: Using the proper caliber ammo in the gun, ect.)
I'd let them borrow tools, but not my guns.
Ricky Bobby
New member
Originally Posted By: canislatrans54
There isn't a current friend that I have, that I would trust to use one of my guns, unless they were in my eyesight.
Mainly because I'm not entirely sure about there gun usage knowledge. (Ie: Using the proper caliber ammo in the gun, ect.)
I'd let them borrow tools, but not my guns.
I guess we're just the opposite ... I wouldn't hesitate to let any of my buddies borrow a gun. They would not be my buddies if I could not trust them.
There isn't a current friend that I have, that I would trust to use one of my guns, unless they were in my eyesight.
Mainly because I'm not entirely sure about there gun usage knowledge. (Ie: Using the proper caliber ammo in the gun, ect.)
I'd let them borrow tools, but not my guns.
I guess we're just the opposite ... I wouldn't hesitate to let any of my buddies borrow a gun. They would not be my buddies if I could not trust them.
Ricky Bobby
New member
Originally Posted By: PeteyNo way, you could loose a friend over a gun if it got dinged up.
Guns are supposed to get dinged up ... that is if you use them.
Guns are supposed to get dinged up ... that is if you use them.
canislatrans54
New member
Originally Posted By: Ricky BobbyOriginally Posted By: canislatrans54
There isn't a current friend that I have, that I would trust to use one of my guns, unless they were in my eyesight.
Mainly because I'm not entirely sure about there gun usage knowledge. (Ie: Using the proper caliber ammo in the gun, ect.)
I'd let them borrow tools, but not my guns.
I guess we're just the opposite ... I wouldn't hesitate to let any of my buddies borrow a gun. They would not be my buddies if I could not trust them.
No offense meant, Ricky Bobby...it isn't a matter of "trusting" them.
I know they would never intentionally do harm to my guns.
But they only hunt with bows, & I do not hunt with them. So I have no idea of their knowledge of guns.
Even though they are friends, they could be like one of my sons.
Due to a very nasty divorce (& other things ex-wife related), I didn't get to spend much time with my sons as they grew up.
Visitations were not easy to come by, so I never got to take them hunting, or teach them as much as I would have liked about guns & gun safety.
My 24 yr old spent a couple years in the Army (15 months of that fighting in Iraq), as well as the past 4 years in the Army Reserves.
He was taught the basics about a FEW weapons, & gun safety while in the Army.
HOWEVER, until recently, he didn't realize that each gun is designed to only use a certain caliber of ammo....ie: you can't shoot a .223 round in a gun chambered for .243; ect.
Evidently he missed that little nugget of pertinent info during training!!!
And it's not because he isn't intelligent...the boy is only TWO points (or whatever it's called) from actually being a genius. And he has very reasonable common sense, most of the time.
My point is that...unless you have seen your friends actually handle a gun several times...you really have very little idea what his knowledge level is.
For me it is about safety...NOT trust. I mean, you wouldn't want your friend to accidently load the wrong ammo, & suddenly have the gun explode in his face would you?
There isn't a current friend that I have, that I would trust to use one of my guns, unless they were in my eyesight.
Mainly because I'm not entirely sure about there gun usage knowledge. (Ie: Using the proper caliber ammo in the gun, ect.)
I'd let them borrow tools, but not my guns.
I guess we're just the opposite ... I wouldn't hesitate to let any of my buddies borrow a gun. They would not be my buddies if I could not trust them.
No offense meant, Ricky Bobby...it isn't a matter of "trusting" them.
I know they would never intentionally do harm to my guns.
But they only hunt with bows, & I do not hunt with them. So I have no idea of their knowledge of guns.
Even though they are friends, they could be like one of my sons.
Due to a very nasty divorce (& other things ex-wife related), I didn't get to spend much time with my sons as they grew up.
Visitations were not easy to come by, so I never got to take them hunting, or teach them as much as I would have liked about guns & gun safety.
My 24 yr old spent a couple years in the Army (15 months of that fighting in Iraq), as well as the past 4 years in the Army Reserves.
He was taught the basics about a FEW weapons, & gun safety while in the Army.
HOWEVER, until recently, he didn't realize that each gun is designed to only use a certain caliber of ammo....ie: you can't shoot a .223 round in a gun chambered for .243; ect.
Evidently he missed that little nugget of pertinent info during training!!!
And it's not because he isn't intelligent...the boy is only TWO points (or whatever it's called) from actually being a genius. And he has very reasonable common sense, most of the time.
My point is that...unless you have seen your friends actually handle a gun several times...you really have very little idea what his knowledge level is.
For me it is about safety...NOT trust. I mean, you wouldn't want your friend to accidently load the wrong ammo, & suddenly have the gun explode in his face would you?
catwhacker
Active member
Did it once and had to call him to get it back. Same guy borrowed my first wife and still has her. I didn't call to get her back!!
ballistic_trep
New member
Absolutely not. My close friends don't share the same cleaning and maintenance regiment as I do. Did it a couple times long ago and learned my lesson the hard way. I'm passing the same hard taught lessons on to my sons as well.
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Gary Bryan
New member
absolutely no....learned my lesson long ago about "loaning" out my firearms. 1 came back with a round in the chamber, another came back broken {cost me $200.00 for repairs} the 3rd time I had to retrieve a firearm from a "friend" who had put it in his safe and "forgot" about it, after having it for 2 years.....that was back in my younger days. live and learn........NO WAY
svt tactical
New member
Depends on what the gun means to me. Letting the loan the gun is cheap if it tells you what kind of person they are. In other words I'd rather them mess it up than other things they make ask to use or borrow later.