have a couple buds with reputations for buying a gun, but not breaking the news to the wife for long periods of time. I've actually screwed up by mentioning their recent acquisition in an email..not realizing that their wife also reads their emails..talk about a double whammy. anyway, that wife talks to my wife who now is constantly watching my butt to make sure I don't follow patterns and decide to make secret purchases of my own. I've learned it's better to discuss it in advance. On rare occasions I've come home with something...immediately lay it out on the bed so i can tell her about it the first oppty, even then, buying a gun without talking about it first seems to be a sore spot with my wife, whereas I can make other purchases and not get a single glance.
Anyway, it's my friends bad habits that tend to bump me into the suspicious category and cause me purchase grief.
I know we've threaded a "do you tell or not" topic before...but this is me saying I tell, but catch hell cause my buds keep secrets.

I do buy ammo and accessories at will, it's just the new gun that causes trouble. my buds don't even tell about the accessories and ammo...not sure who has the most credit on their man card. I had considered last year buying a tactical evil black rifle, which the wife was against, and just storing it in the emergency stash for a dark day...but thought better to just talk it out..in the end she agreed that if I thought such a purchase was needed that she would go along with it..wound up with a nice compromise of a ruger mini 14 that she too enjoys shooting so it all worked out for the best.instead of me hiding an AR, I get to enjoy my mini...at the same time, one of my buds has purchased 3 AR/AKs that his wife still is not aware of...it's not a "I'll buy what I want and she can shove it"...it's a hide it so momma don't bust my chops deal. And it means I've learned not to congratulate him or ask about the latest acquisitions..since they apparently don't exist (Grin)

Why would your wife bust your chops about buying guns? As long as the bills are paid, food is on the table and there isn't mountains of debt, what's the issue?

It's a part of who you are and she should love you for who you are, right?

My wife gets mad if I DON'T buy a gun I've been talking about wanting, or if I come home with a spur-of-the-moment purchase, she's as excited as I am. She's not into guns per se, but she knows how much they make me happy and that makes her happy.

I've always felt it was indicative of larger issues if you have to "hide" things from your significant other. My opinion.

Why's the guy's wife reading his emails? Sounds like there must be other underlying problems.

Ed,

I've known a lot of guys that sneak guns. They tend to either be unhappy in their relationships, or their relationships don't tend to last very long. Successful relationships depend upon mutual trust and respect. Pretty simple concept, but so many screw it up. I'm lucky, my wife may make faces, but as long as I've taken the opportunity to speak with her beforehand, I don't have any problems. My wife isn't into guns, but she knows that I am, and she knows that I respect and trust her, and that I don't spend our money without thinking carefully about what I want - not need.

Regards,

Dave

my wife is great..she'll notice me ogling a guitar on ebay, etc and she's quick to say "oh, that's pretty..you gonna get it?" I'll stall and she'll say "get it!!!" and its that way.
guns are the only area that she's touch on. Mind you she is supportive. She has her CWP and I've been sure to purchase 2 very nice weapons that are her personally registered guns. she also enjoys my guns and goes shooting with me. I think the issue has been that she knows I have guitar friends, and then I have gun friends that are never happy with the 10 or 20 that they have and are always coming home with another one. She is worried that I'm getting into another hobby. I assure her I'm into guns as tools not for collecting. and for the most part we are cool on it. one of my buds pays his bills, his wife has a huge jewelry chest, 2 kids with custom decorated bedrooms totally spoiled, dance classes, etc..there's nothing material that anyone in the family is short on, and usually when she finds out he has another gun, it's a hard time and then blows off and they move on...so I'm always asking him "why hide it?" But he'll stop at a store, see a "deal" and the puppy has to follow him home.
this is a guy who has every model glock, every XD, some 1911, multiple AR/AKs, a 300mag, a 50cal, a PS90, auto shotgun, the list goes on and on and he has a huge stash of ammo. Me, I'm running a 45, 2 40s, a 32 bug, and an old ruger 22. my dad's lever 30/30, a mossberg 12ga for homedefense, and a ruger mini for zombie fun if the day ever happens. I call it a well rounded arsenal, not a hobby, but if I brought home another gun, there'd be a bit of upset..still, i wouldn't hide it..that's my question. I know a lot of guys do and it seems to be mostly around guns, not other toys...that's my point of interest.

Well, I hide it from my dad, sorta. He's not really "anti-gun", he's just not into them and doesn't "get it". I was excited about some new purchases, but only told him about the K22 and not both .44s.

I have no NEED to tell him, but I like to include my family in my interests. He's come around to the whole "well, if it makes you happy" type attitude. Of course, bikes, cars, anything, I can talk to him about freely with no issue. Just guns make him all ooky.

Of course, you can't pick your family, but you CAN pick your mate, so I hope that one chooses someone who understands all their interests and passions and is with them 100%.

A bit ago there was a thread about a fellow that always told his wife that a new gun cost $50 to $60. Not the true price of $500+.
When he died she sold the whole collection to a very bad relative for $600.

I have found that my best approach is to not only tell my wife, but to keep it on the kitchen table for a week or so. Till the new gun finish is worn off a bit.

I love being single!
When I was married, there was never a problem, as we both worked, paid the bills and had our own personal savings. She bought what she wanted as did I. We had an ongoing joke when one or the other would notice a new acquisition and ask about it. The response was, "oh this old thing?"

quote:

Originally posted by BighandEd:
...not sure who has the most credit on their man card.

Are you sure your friends have one? I heard they take away your man card if you're wife reads your e-mails.

LOL...probably do take the man card away..you'd have to meet the force of nature that both this guy and his wife are, to understand it...

quote:

Are you sure your friends have one? I heard they take away your man card if you're wife reads your e-mails.

It should have already been confiscated for failing to use Outlook's password feature.

Just tell your wife how much you paid for it, even if you have to lie, and then tell he what it's worth and how much she can get for it when you kick.

First of all my wife would not read my personal emails nor would I read hers. My wife doesn't care less what I buy gunwise. She knew from the get go that the guns were part of my life. We've been together about 30 years. As long as the bills are paid, we have a roof over our heads, plenty for us to eat I can basically buy what I want. The household money is just for that, the household. I have always worked part time or second jobs to afford my hobby without having to take away from my household obligations.

Jnariv

Anytime a woman is happy for you to buy something for yourself...BEWARE! She's done something that you don't know about and she's trying to justify it in her mind. Or she's hoping that whatever it is that you buy will be something that will keep you out of the house more than you are already.

Smitty

my wife pays all the bills, and i got a good life because of it. i never have to ask for any thing but, if i buy something over a certian ammount i tell her. yea i can,t handle money but thats my wife does best. even after getting laid off in feb she says i can go buy a new gun if i want so im looking, "carfully" as money is an object now. but not tell my wife well thats just silly . sounds like your boys are skeered.