My dear wife's response has changed somewhat over the years. In the beginning, her real concern was about the money involved, since we had very little of that which could be described as discretionary for spending for anything. She really didn't have any concerns about guns, just the finances. As time progressed, and discretionary funds became more available, she also had ideas about what we needed most at the time.
Today, she has a sorta resigned smile when I buy another. She's well aware that I really don't "need" another one, that it's all about want, and she knows how much pleasure I get from buying another that I want. She has also always been interested in having one that she could call her own for personal protection since for many years, I was out on the road in uniform and she was alone at home. I always allowed her to pick and choose among our collection for that purpose. She's also always been willing to go shooting with me and she is a very compent gun handler and able to shoot very accurately.
Some time ago, I showed her a Shield EZ at a gun show, and she was very positively impressed. Advancing age has diminished her hand strength so her Model 442 was becoming more difficult for her to shoot for more than a few rounds, and the Shield M&P9 that we bought for her as her very own was becoming difficult for her to operate the slide. The EZ Shield fit her hands nicely and was very easy for her to manipulate. We purchased that one for her totally on her own decision. First outing with it, she fired it about 300 rounds, and said she could do it again. She was excited about it, and shared that excitement with several of her lady acquaintances, some of whom bought one for themselves.
She still rolls her eyes when I come home with a new one, but with a smile! Thankfully, our discretionary funds now allow that to happen without angst, and she knows how much I enjoy having them. I don't buy many these days and that helps. Since owning these guns is about the only thing I spend much discretionary income for, and she knows how much pleasure they bring me, along with the fact that I don't make much fuss about her discretionary spending, we have no problems about these things. Truth is, she is still very deliberate about spending the money on herself, and I usually have to encourage her to do that.
Have I conveyed that I feel I am a very blessed man! Life is good!
