I share what I am passionate about, and that includes guns. Before I had 50 rounds downrange, my nephews were shooting my new .17 hmr. I've shot a lot of other people's guns over the years, and would think it greedy or selfish of me not to return the favor so long as the person I'm shooting with is safe. If one of my guns were somehow damaged, I'd be bummed, but not angry. Sharing is caring...they taught me that back in kindergarden, it it holds just as true a 1/4 century later. And an aside, I'd like to thank those people who shared their love of guns with me over the years, and gave me opprotunites to shoot guns I may have never had otherwise. I grew up on a ranch in SD that was alternately blessed and cursed with a decent praire dog population. I spent many a summer day being an unpaid, unoffical guide for many an out of state priaire dog hunter, many of whom were more than happy to turn their high dollar varmit rigs loose with an enthusiastic 12 yr old who seemed to love all things guns. I shot more guns than I ever had a right to, from .224 Weatherbys (where I made probably my only legit 400 yd plus kills) to .338 Winchester mags (which, ironically i was more willing to shoot than the guys who brought it!) to my first experience with a 1911. Even the local Game warden allowed me to shoot his Glock while I helped him post our land that was enrolled in the Walk In Hunting program. I was raised around guns, but mainly from a utilitarian standpoint. My dad's collection didn't include muchg beyond an assortment of .22's, a Remmy 700 .243, a MArlin 30-30, and a 12 gauge and .410. If it weren't for friends and passerbys, my exposure to handguns would have been rather slim. Dad didn't have anything AGAINST them, but no real use FOR them, so I went without til I could buy my own. However, shooting other people's guns was a blessing to a knowledge huntry 12 year old fascinated with anything that went "boom". I'd probably still have some interest in guns...at least from a hunting standpoint...but my exposure to such an array of firearms definitely fueled my obession. If those poeple were greedy or too concerned about me "breaking" something, who knows where I'd be today? Browsing this forum? Porbably unlikely, really.......
For clarification purposes though...only a very few people would be trusted with my firearms outside of my presence. Outside of family, theres only a handful whom I'd trust with my guns.
