Surprise! I Got You a Pistol for Your Birthday
Doing so may not turn out the way you hope and comes with many variables that should be closely examined and analyzed before you make any purchases.
Be careful of using the gift of a firearm as an excuse to impose your own views on someone else.
For example, if your wife has shown no interest in shooting and concealed carry, the act of buying her a gun of her own won’t necessarily excite her.
Your actions may even be seen as pushy or presumptuous.
You don’t want to find yourself in the position of feeling resentful about someone not using the gun you paid hundreds of dollars for, either. If your gift ends up sitting in a drawer collecting dust, it isn’t necessarily the fault of the receiver, but an issue with the giver not doing some serous thinking about what the person you’re buying the gift for would like. It’s not about you. It’s about them.
So, any decision involving the purchase of a firearm for others should be approached with the utmost care and tact. Pay attention for subtle signals of interest, such as questions about guns or an active interest in taking part in target practice.
Comments about wanting to be better prepared to defend him- or herself can also be indicators of possible interest. If a person buys themselves pepper spray without any input from you, it’s also a possible bridge into firearms experimentation and ownership.
Ease people into the self-defense world slowly. If you are contemplating buying your wife a pistol, try borrowing or renting a smaller gun suited for a beginner. See if you can connect her with other women that shoot and can offer her their own unique perspective and guidance.
The decision of buying a gun should not be one influenced by emotion or done on impulse. Remain aware of how much you may be pressuring someone into a decision they aren't fully invested in.
Also be sure that you know the person you’re buying a gun for very well. For example, you wouldn’t want to give a newer friend a gift like that. If you don’t know their history, buying a gun for someone you’ve known only a couple of years could potentially get you into trouble. White collar criminals don’t look or act like criminals, and they certainly wouldn’t want you to know their background.
Earlier this month, a West Virginia concealed carry gun purchaser was arrested for buying a gun for a felon. Of course, in this situation, he knew full-well what he was doing. But it’s just an illustration of how well you need to know the person you’re considering buying a gun for. They should only be people you are close to and have known for a very long time.
It’s also always a good idea to sleep on decisions like this and see how you feel about it the next day, after everything has had time to sink in. If you still decide it’s a good idea, you should probably take the person you’re buying for along with you, too. Guns are personal items. They should fit the hand properly, and the only way to know whether a gun is perfect for that first-time owner is to have them with you when you make the purchase. He or she will need to register the gun in their name, anyway, so it’s important to have them handy.
It’s definitely a knife’s edge balance when it comes to giving someone a gun. Author Kathy Jackson illustrates this in her article “Giving a Gift Gun” on USConcealedcarry.com. If you buy a gun for someone, will they practice with it, or do they have the intention of just waving it in someone’s face? Though sometimes showing your gun is all you need to do, concealed carry comes with a responsibility to learn how to use your weapon properly and well. Jackson writes:
“…as the new shooter looks through and handles the possibilities, discussing the pros and cons of each gun she handles, she learns a lot of basic information that she won’t learn in any other way. She begins to narrow her choices based on real knowledge. As her knowledge grows, she begins to develop within herself that hard knot of resolve that she must have if she is going to defend herself with a firearm. (Read more about the responsible gift of a pistol here.)”