So, my oldest doesn't want guns anymore

View · by **45Badger** on Sat Mar 30, 2013 5:31 pm

Jackson announced at dinner that whatever I do, I should not get him a gun for his 18 birthday. I wasn't planning on that exactly, but did plan on giving him a very nice 25th Anniversary Kimber that was lightly customized by Novaks for his high school graduation in June. Anybody else here (of a certain age) go through this with their kids? I wanted to get him something that was less disposable than most of the crap kids get or want. I suppose I could get him a $100 iTunes gift card and call it a day. Give him the gun? Keep it and give it to him later if he changes his mindset? Thoughts?

View · by **Erud** on Sat Mar 30, 2013 5:41 pm

That's too bad. I would definitely keep it and hope to give it to him at some point down the road. Might be 10 years or more, but very likely he will come around and something like that from his dad will mean a lot.

Kids that age never know what they want, they just think they do.

View · by **Pat Cannon** on Sat Mar 30, 2013 5:43 pm

My boy was never interested. I did drag him to one steel shoot, where I was deservedly scolded by China for how poorly I'd prepared him. If he & his roommates have a problem with an intruder they apparently plan on beating them down with action figures. Sigh.

As far as a gift for your boy, how about a knife? One of my favorite possessions is a Gerber survival knife that friends bought me for my 27th birthday which was 0.32 centuries ago.

Or, how about a domain name or a big chunk of cloud storage?

[ETA:] Oh, and say hi & tell him I think he's pretty cool anyway.

View · by **Username000** on Sat Mar 30, 2013 5:44 pm

Shoot, I'd love a gun as a gift..

View · by **Hoot** on Sat Mar 30, 2013 5:50 pm

I went through a phase like that about the time I started seriously chasing tail. No time or money to spare.

Lasted about 6 years IIRC. Found my way back. If it's meant to happen, it happens.
I wish I had a son to even entertain the issue. If I did and that was his opinion, I'd leave it alone and find some other shared interest to do with him. Heaven knows, there are plenty. When he see you heading off to get some "me time" at the range or go hunting, he will accept that it is important to you. Maybe he'll elect to tag along just to be with you.

Hoot

View · by **river_boater** on Sat Mar 30, 2013 6:08 pm

Hang on to his "graduation present" until he regains interest and then give it to him then. If he never regains interest it wouldn't have made any sense to give it to him in the first place.

View · by **LarryFlew** on Sat Mar 30, 2013 6:09 pm

My boys are in their 40's but at that age had one interested and one not. At this age the not is now my shooting bud and the one that was now only deer hunts but doesn't care to go shooting.

View · by **rtk** on Sat Mar 30, 2013 6:20 pm

Wow....and he is such a good shot! He will see the light, we called it the "wonder years" with our kids.

View · by **mmcnx2** on Sat Mar 30, 2013 6:33 pm

I went through it with my son. Actually built him a limited gun for USPSA and he had zero interest. I can et him to range maybe once a year. I don't push it anymore adn am waiting t osee if he comes around. I've got a Model 41, a limited fun and a 12ga O/U waiting for him.

View · by **Snakeman721** on Sat Mar 30, 2013 7:30 pm

Same thing here. I took my son (age 26) to OGC last year and he enjoyed the outing...shooting a few pistols I own. Then this Christmas, the discussion came up as to what would I do with my guns when I die. I told him that I thought maybe he'd inherit them. His reply was that he would sell most, if not all of them. (sigh)....time to redo the will.

View · by **rugersol** on Sat Mar 30, 2013 7:36 pm

Snakeman721 wrote:(sigh)....time to redo the will.

.... ya've always been like a father to me!

View · by **Snakeman721** on Sat Mar 30, 2013 7:42 pm

rugersol wrote:
Snakeman721 wrote:(sigh)....time to redo the will.

.... ya've always been like a father to me!

Ha ha, yeah, I might have to do the "will to the NRA or a shooting club" or something routine. Hopefully, that won't be for another 35-40 years.

View · by **brad3579** on Sat Mar 30, 2013 7:49 pm

If it is one that you really would like him to have, I would keep it for at least ten years and try to get his interest into it occasionally as a father/son outing. (maybe a fathers day shooting session)

View · by **NMRMN** on Sat Mar 30, 2013 7:50 pm

He could just want to stay out of the politics for now... Were you convinced of everything that you believed in when you were 18?

brad3579 wrote:If it is one that you really would like him to have, I would keep it for at least ten years and try to get his interest into it occasionally as a father/son outing. (maybe a fathers day shooting session)

I would just keep it for him... period. Even if he never changes his mind, some day he will value it because you did.

View · by **FJ540** on Sat Mar 30, 2013 8:13 pm

Maybe he thinks you're gonna give him a glock? :lol: