My wife Yes. My dog maybe. My Gun NEVER.

Sounds like a public service!

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Dick Burg

The only people I would lend a firearm to are son & daughters no one else period

Never lend women, cars, or guns. I don't remember who told me as it was 40 years ago. But I do remember he was a lot smarter than me. Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

I have loaned out guns in years past, when I was going to be along, be it jackrabbits, or doves, even deer. Only to people I KNEW would respect them nearly as I do--NO SLOBS. I have occasionally borrowed a shotgun or 2 when I was short one, but just on a one time only basis. I wish more people cared for their weapons as I do, and showed the safety self discipline that is necessary. NEVER any alcohol or drugs around my firearms--don't even ask! If I feel I'll get a gun back in basically the same shape I loaned it, and if I'll be along to sorta witness such behavior I'll loan a long gun. No handguns, tho'--too much potential liability.

This has been interesting, I've been watching before replying myself. I have, yes. But only to a very select group of persons, which is very small in number. And I won't let them borrow what ever they want, its limited to just a few guns. So far, I've gotten them back every time, none worse for the wear.

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Geoff. Since 1960.

it was in the panhandle of Texas circa 1964 when i got a minor in possession. Of course I didn't have the $14 for that kind of fine. The old J.P. I went before was my Dad's friend and I knew this was the end. He talked me out of my double barrel 12 ga Stevens for the quail season. Needless to say I didn't get to hunt that season, and I considered the old J.P. a friend for life for saving mine. I told my Dad about it many years later, after I grew up and had a family. He just laughed and said "I knew about that right after it happened" and we both had a good laugh. Almost 50 years later I still have that old shotgun and it's hasn't missed to many quails since. Those were the days...

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Texas Is A State Of Mind

I have loaned guns in the past but will no longer do so,there's too much potential liability.

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"Shall not be infringed"

In NJ, lol, that's a quick trip to the gray bar hotel. And no I never would, I don't care who it is but fortunately I have never been asked. Got a better chance of borrowing the Mrs. lol

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Back to back World War Champs.

Business or pleasure? Doesn't matter, NO. Actually I have 2 dear old friends that I go back to grade school with, that I would loan almost any gun to, because I know how they care for their own, and I know they would carefully and meticulously clean it.

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

hand guns no ,not out of my sight anyway. my wife has had a "full race" uberti 73 and a winchester 97 loaned to her for months now . it makes me a little nervous so i care for them better than i would my own. funny how she borrows them but im responsible, eh?
lending guns during a match is pretty common in CAS

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the rules? there are no rules

You had better hope the wife doesn't read that.

I see this thread has come back to life. The subject came up in the intervening 8-months or so and I learned it is actually illegal to loan a handgun here in Indiana. I can't provide a link to the code but interested Hoosiers can no doubt search around and find it.

I have routinely shared firearms with my brothers and my father. Now my father and identical-twin brother are deceased. So... my little brother and I share some guns. But I do not feel comfortable sharing my firearms with anyone else.

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<><

I do not loan guns or tools or money.

That being said, I do not count letting somebody else shoot your gun at a range while you are there with them to be loaning. But I only go out target shooting with people I trust and respect anyway.

I have loaned rifles to friends to hunt with. So far I haven't loaned a handgun, but I borrowed my brother'd Dan Wesson .357 to hunt with when I "forgot" my holster. I do loan guns at the range, we all swap guns around.

I had a co worker who loaned a shotgun to a neighbor and the fellow used the gun to shoot himself.

BTW, I have also loaned tools and money.

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Luke 22:36

My son and a few trusted friends with years of experience.Nobody touches my tools!

NO, NO, A thousand times NO !!!!!
Not to NO one, NO way, NO how.

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NOT SO FAST,, NOT-- SO-- FAST

Our family home was a big, secluded house that made one feel very exposed when there by themselves. After my mom passed, my dad admitted to feeling frightened in the place by himself. I gave him an old M&P to keep in the nightstand or to have by his side while watching T.V.
He's not a gun guy and it may not have bee the most responsible thing in the world, but I have no regrets. My 75 year old father was scared and an old revolver fixed that.

He now lives on a golf course in Palm Springs where I don't have to worry about him a bit and the gun, having done it's duty is back in my safe. So yes, I've loaned a gun.

Only to family members, who I know will not abuse them and know how to safely handle them.

A friend of mine from work once loaned me his .40 when I was thinking about buying one. That saved me from making the mistake of buying one.

Best reply I have is , yes I will loan you my pistol if you will loan me your wife. never had to loan one yet.

While not making it something that I live by I agree with not loaning out tools or guns, my hot-rod, wife, etc. There are always exceptions, a buddy of mine truly lost his rifle while we stopped to water our mules in deep snow...I loaned him my back-up old trusty 30-30, which he used to harvest a nice little spike buck.

My friends know better than to ask.

Polonius said,
Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
This above all: to thine ownself be true,
(Hamlet)
I have lent, and regret it even to this day, 40 years later.

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Halfway and one more step

I have a small group of family/friends who I would give anything to. Aside from that small group though...never...and just 'cause you're family doesn't mean you're in the group that could borrow a gun.

I loaned my Anschutz Fortner to a junior competitor. Straight A student. Practised shooting everyday and skied about 150-200 km per week. He went to the Arctic Winter Games with it and brought back a couple of medals. Knowing him and his family I never thought twice about sending off a $3500 rifle. He worked like a galley slave one summer and bought it. I dropped the price to what I had paid for it and we were both quite pleased.

Never to handguns! As others have stated, too much liability.
Rifles, 2 out of three have been a bad experience. One was returned dirty with no attempt/offer to clean it, the other was also dirty and had blood clots between the barrel and the stock.

I am happy to take to the range anyone who wants to shoot my guns but not on their own.

pass em out like a pez dispenser......lol, jk...never loan anything, and usually real friends no better than to even ask,........mine just go buy there own.

Forgot one, years ago when i was 18 I loaned my RWS 22 caliber pellet rifle to a good friend of mine, ...he had it roughly 6 months, and then brought me a brand new rifle still in the box back, told me he had left mine behind the seat in his truck and it rusted horribly.....he kept that one and got me a new one....
still never a good idea to loan out a gun

NO. Never. No way. Nope. NADA. Not even to family.

I lent a handgun to my dad once. I've also lent shotguns to folks I've hunted with and was there with them. Most I know wouldn't think of asking me as most have their own guns.
I've shared my guns at the range but was right there at the time too.

My brother in law has borrowed several over the last 20 years. We trade with each other some too. If I trust him to care for my kids (he would probably kill over them as quickly as I would) why would I not loan him a hunk of metal?

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I hope I copied that right

Only time I ever loan a gun is to a friend who is down for a hunt and for whatever reason does not have a gun with him. Happens a lot-visiting friend and an impromptu hunt-but then I'm with him. I have a special gun for a loaner. As far as handguns. Absolutely not!

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Forum consigliere

I was lent a shotgun once, upon the owner's insistence.

Deer season @ a cousin's spread. I'd brought an 870 synthetic upon which I'd mounted a rifled barrel w/ a cantilever and Bushnell Banner SG scope.
My cousin (whose taste in firearms is extensive and exemplary BTW) told me to put it away and handed me a GORGEOUS old 1100 set up for deer w/ a Leupold scope mounted on it.

It was my first time in a treestand. It was also about 3 degrees that morning. I was so paranoid about making sure that my cousin got the 1100 back in AT LEAST as good a condition as it was when he handed it to me, that the only thing I could think to do was take off my coveralls and wrap the gun in them before I tied the tumpline to the parcel and pulled it up into the treestand after I'd gotten up there.

COLD!!!!!
Did I mention COLD!!!!!?????

Did I also mention that I don't do heights?

I don't know what had me squirrellier, bein' up there in the ether half frozen to death and tied to a tree, or picturing that 1100 fallin' off my lap and plummeting earthward. Deciding that I'd rather be the one doing the falling than the 1100, and that even if it DID work out that way, it would still be devoid of any kind of "fun factor", I rejoined the ranks of the ground hunters.

I've also lent one, sort of.
A very dear friend, a type of guy a man only ever meets one or two of in a lifetime (and a forum member, actually), had sent his home defense pistol out for some work and asked to borrow a shotgun to replace his pistol in that role. "Certainly!" So I took him an 870 w/ a 20" cylinder bore and a box of ammo.

Funny how ways can show up out of the blue that you married the right woman. I was in my favorite chair thinking about my bud and the shotgun a couple days later and realized I should have just given it to him. Right then, my wife looks at me and says, "You know, ya oughtta just go to Greg's house and put a red bow on the buttstock of that 870."

There's always been a deep sense of sacred nobility and honor in connection with the presentation of a firearm to a gentleman as an indication of your respect and opinion of him as a friend. In my world, it's the highest honor a friend can bestow. I've been in the incredibly fortunate position of having been a recipient a couple of times, along with having been the presenter, and the gravity of each instance was not lost to me in the very least.

Beyond the 2 above instances, I've neither lent nor asked. Everybody I know is either enough of an enthusiast to already have what they need or doesn't want any part of a "nasty ol' gun".

There've been many gentlemanly experiences shooting what each other brought to the range, however.

Sorry for the diatribe.

Only if I take somebody to the gun range.

No.

De Oppresso Liber

I learned at a very young age to never loan my guns, my Harley, my wife, or my Levi jacket. That decision has worked well for me.

No I do not loan hand guns is illegal in Michigan, Rifles no to that also. My son comes to visit he is welcome to shoot any of my guns. When the granddaughters are visiting they can shoot there favorite guns as much as they like. They know they will get that gun when I am to old to shoot or I am gone. The boy gets the rest. Tools I loan but not guns. Money I don't loan but if I have it and someone needs it I'll give it to them, Guns no. My truck I don't loan and I won't help you move either. My guns no.

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Carpriver.