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So here's a bit of a frustration for me. I'm going to explain a bit about it first.
I'm not a stranger to firearms. I've lived in and around gun-culture for much of my life, across the U.S. while growing up. I first learned handguns on a .22 Ruger loaned from my best friend's Da, learned to shoot rifles from Uncle Sam on a M-16, and even done a little bit of skeet shooting with my uncles when I was a kid. So I'm relatively comfortable with them, enjoy shooting as a hobby, and want my friends to also enjoy learning about and shooting guns.
Now while I own longarms, up til recently I did not own a sidearm. I've long talked about it, along with a very good friend who is a native Los Angeleno; who as a rarity actually believes in RKBA and has taken some courses at Front Sight in Nevada. But he's not exactly from a gun family, and most of his firearms experience is when shooting with friends on borrowed or rented guns.
So earlier last year, we both decided we'd put off getting handguns for long enough. It's always a case of putting it off til we had enough comfortable pocket money, or the timing wasn't right, la-la-la-la... you get the idea. So we made a pact, told each other no more BS, let's just dive in and do this. We'd each pick up a handgun by the end of year, understanding of course that emergencies might delay plus or minus a few months.
So I've been reading, window-shopping, browsing online, and doing my research here at Cal Guns and on the High Road for quite some time. I'm not a fellow for posting much, especially if I've got nothing to share. So forgive me if I sound odd with such a low post count and activity. But I think I did the things one might reasonably do if trying to follow through on this sort of decision to buy.
Now my friend on the other hand has just sort of relied on me to do his browsing and research for him. Even though I've given him all the links, loaned some reading out, and pointed him towards the gun stores and dealers that I trust and like, it's just been easier for him to just ask me the questions for whatever answers he might want.
The thing is, it got me a little self-conscious that I might be spoon-feeding him. I don't want to create a clone of me by just giving him everything that I think and believe. So I've been sort of egging him to be more active, actually register on Cal Guns and THR, and be more "pro-active". And then there's the question of actually making a purchase.
The state of the economy made us both agree to put off our purchases for a season back in December, but we said we'd commit come Spring, and so I have. I got myself the handgun I wanted; and it's just waiting for me to pick it up. But while I know he's got the money saved up, my pal is dithering. I suspect gf influence behind the scenes, but he says he is going to commit to a buy- so long as the price is right.
Now he's got less to spend than I, and I acknowledge he's got to work within a budget. But at this point, I've been scanning forums and RiverofGuns for the criteria that he gives me, contacting folks and trying to put them in touch with him, so he can tell them directly what he's got to spend and how far he can drive to meet them. I've gone through at least 3-4 possible contacts so far, forwarding information back and forth on possible buys for him. In each case, I don't actually know if he's gotten in touch with anyone, or if they didn't contact him. But long-story short- the sales didn't happen.
I'm really starting to wonder if I should even keep this up, cause I'm feeling like a matchmaking service here, especially since he still hasn't gotten off his *** and registered at any of the forums I pushed him to join last year. He talks a good deal about supporting firearms, the RKBA, training and responsibility, yada-yada. I think he's a great pal and of course I want to see another person that I can bring over to the fold and join up. But I am starting to wonder if I am really doing him a favor by doing all his legwork, and maybe should just tell him to pony up and buy in since we had a pact and he's really got little excuse for not doing this here and now.
And since I've been trying to help him, scanning the WTS threads and contacting people on his behalf, I can't help but feel a bit funny that it's creating the wrong impression when I'm doing this. I know that every online community has got its esoteric do's and don'ts, and even though something may not be written down there is still unwritten etiquette. So what I'm wondering is would any of you go through all this just to bring a friend in and commit into the hobby?
I'm not a stranger to firearms. I've lived in and around gun-culture for much of my life, across the U.S. while growing up. I first learned handguns on a .22 Ruger loaned from my best friend's Da, learned to shoot rifles from Uncle Sam on a M-16, and even done a little bit of skeet shooting with my uncles when I was a kid. So I'm relatively comfortable with them, enjoy shooting as a hobby, and want my friends to also enjoy learning about and shooting guns.
Now while I own longarms, up til recently I did not own a sidearm. I've long talked about it, along with a very good friend who is a native Los Angeleno; who as a rarity actually believes in RKBA and has taken some courses at Front Sight in Nevada. But he's not exactly from a gun family, and most of his firearms experience is when shooting with friends on borrowed or rented guns.
So earlier last year, we both decided we'd put off getting handguns for long enough. It's always a case of putting it off til we had enough comfortable pocket money, or the timing wasn't right, la-la-la-la... you get the idea. So we made a pact, told each other no more BS, let's just dive in and do this. We'd each pick up a handgun by the end of year, understanding of course that emergencies might delay plus or minus a few months.
So I've been reading, window-shopping, browsing online, and doing my research here at Cal Guns and on the High Road for quite some time. I'm not a fellow for posting much, especially if I've got nothing to share. So forgive me if I sound odd with such a low post count and activity. But I think I did the things one might reasonably do if trying to follow through on this sort of decision to buy.
Now my friend on the other hand has just sort of relied on me to do his browsing and research for him. Even though I've given him all the links, loaned some reading out, and pointed him towards the gun stores and dealers that I trust and like, it's just been easier for him to just ask me the questions for whatever answers he might want.
The thing is, it got me a little self-conscious that I might be spoon-feeding him. I don't want to create a clone of me by just giving him everything that I think and believe. So I've been sort of egging him to be more active, actually register on Cal Guns and THR, and be more "pro-active". And then there's the question of actually making a purchase.
The state of the economy made us both agree to put off our purchases for a season back in December, but we said we'd commit come Spring, and so I have. I got myself the handgun I wanted; and it's just waiting for me to pick it up. But while I know he's got the money saved up, my pal is dithering. I suspect gf influence behind the scenes, but he says he is going to commit to a buy- so long as the price is right.
Now he's got less to spend than I, and I acknowledge he's got to work within a budget. But at this point, I've been scanning forums and RiverofGuns for the criteria that he gives me, contacting folks and trying to put them in touch with him, so he can tell them directly what he's got to spend and how far he can drive to meet them. I've gone through at least 3-4 possible contacts so far, forwarding information back and forth on possible buys for him. In each case, I don't actually know if he's gotten in touch with anyone, or if they didn't contact him. But long-story short- the sales didn't happen.
I'm really starting to wonder if I should even keep this up, cause I'm feeling like a matchmaking service here, especially since he still hasn't gotten off his *** and registered at any of the forums I pushed him to join last year. He talks a good deal about supporting firearms, the RKBA, training and responsibility, yada-yada. I think he's a great pal and of course I want to see another person that I can bring over to the fold and join up. But I am starting to wonder if I am really doing him a favor by doing all his legwork, and maybe should just tell him to pony up and buy in since we had a pact and he's really got little excuse for not doing this here and now.
And since I've been trying to help him, scanning the WTS threads and contacting people on his behalf, I can't help but feel a bit funny that it's creating the wrong impression when I'm doing this. I know that every online community has got its esoteric do's and don'ts, and even though something may not be written down there is still unwritten etiquette. So what I'm wondering is would any of you go through all this just to bring a friend in and commit into the hobby?
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