I'm not sure if there is a stigma associated with having a hobby like firearms.  To me when people talk about hobbies like golf, tennis, fishing, etc. it doesn't get the whispers or raised eyebrows or dead uncomfortable silence one gets sometimes when mentioning firearms or even hunting as a hobby.

There were times at work where my co-workers would blast the 2 or three of us that are firearms hobbyists and spew their political rant and raves or make comments that would suggest we are a bunch of unstable, mentally disturbed fanatics.

Not all of them.  But enough to where you just keep silent.

Anyway, I'm interested to know if you guys out there openly talk about firearms or are you more guarded as to who you talk to?  I've always been cautious when it came to mentioning firearms.
When asked I just say fishing and gardening which is not false.

I'm also quite paranoid in this day and age where the wrong people might flag your property as a potential target if they somehow got hold of information casually through friends and family members.

You know, the bad guy who happens to be a friend of a friend of your sister-in law's yoga classmate for example.

In my particular circumstance I made a mistake a long time ago by saying yes I own firearms to my brother-in-law who was trying to acquire one.  He got turned down during the application and I guess he mentioned to his brothers I own firearms.  His brothers also could not acquire firearms and those rare times I would meet them at family gatherings they would always bring up firearms and their wish that they could own them.

I also will never allow them to accompany me to the range.  One instance my BIL wanted to see my revolver.  I made sure it was not loaded and allowed him to handle it.

He immediately pointed it at my SIL.  I was so angry and upset that I grabbed the revolver out of his hands and never allowed him to see my firearms again.  He said I overreacted and was just being too sensitive and silly.  I said FUCK YOU.

A while back he asked if I still own firearms.  I said no, I sold all of them.  He knew I was lying and I don't care.  Fuck him.

Anyway, I'm interested in what you folks think about this subject.  Are you folks cautious about who you share your firearm hobby with?

Not just firearms...

My decades of working around all kinds of people have taught me a very important fact:  Choose what you say at work very carefully, and who you tell it to even more carefully.

Even if the person you tell is trustworthy and has no intention of ever using what you tell them to harm you, you can never trust that person to keep everything you tell them between just the two of you.

I had several in my office, and even co-workers from California visiting here, go shooting with me.  I was the "arsenal and ammo supply" for our range outings.  Everyone who wanted to shoot could just show up and use my guns if they didn't own any.  So, of course, there was mention in the office of shooting, but it didn't take long for me to be labeled the "gun guy." 

I've seen online where many have had their hobby/preparedness used against them.  One person competing for a promotion lied about the other person being considered for the promotion by saying he threatened to bring his gun to work and kill her.  Of course, that never happened, and she admitted it 6-8 months later after he was arrested, had his guns taken, was fired, and had his life basically turned upside down.  All because she knew he owned guns.

So, if there's no "need to know," I find it's always better to keep private things private at work.  Harder to do than to say, but I found when I failed to do this, the info might be used against me in some way, whether it was about firearms, marriage, kids, etc.  People who have an agenda thrive on your private information.  Something as simple as joking about the "great meds" the dentist prescribed when asked about how you're feeling after a dental visit can launch untrue rumors of your pain killer addiction.

Pick your friends wisely, and keep the others in the dark.  This is the best way to avoid freely providing someone info they can use against you.

Sounds like you have a lot of outlaws as in-laws!    

Firearms are not toys or conversation pieces.  If someone I know wants to see a particular firearm, I'll tell them, "I don't bring it out unless I intend to use it.  Still want to see it?"

If they are adamant about it, I might let them fondle it once I clear it.  But, if they start doing like your BIL -- pointing it at people -- I'll just chalk it up to ignorance and gently ask for it back.  Then I lock it up, and they don't get to see any of my guns again.  No sense in getting upset and causing them to feel bad.  If they ask why you won't let them see your guns again, tell them they don't know how to handle and respect guns.   Again ... tell them "not toys".

I don't let relatives who lost their drivers license have my car keys.  Likewise, if I know a relative is prohibited from owning a gun, then I am legally prohibited from placing one in their hands -- loaded or unloaded.  You have to draw a line somewhere.  If you are uncomfortable with anyone handling YOUR guns, then it's your choice to not allow it. 

I know many people like to show off their guns, but be careful who is watching.  You might not expect your BIL to steal your gun, but what about someone else who really wants a firearm, is prohibited and is watching you show your handgun off?  Also, if there's alcohol around, it's best to not introduce a gun into the situation for any reason.

One thing I can think to say would be, "Let me see YOUR gun first!"  Then the focus shifts to his denial trying to buy one which might be enough to stop the request to see it.

You might also say, "If you are really interested in it, I can take you shooting this weekend.  Oh, wait!  You can't legally hold a gun, can you?"  Something like that.   

Where I work, most people I work with know that I shoot guns.
The AC is pretty cold so I wear a windbreaker to stay warm.
One windbreaker has an NRA logo on it.
Another has the NRA Instructor logo on it.
My coffee mug has the NRA Instructor logo on it.
I've offered a Foodbank fundraiser shooting deal to the whole company with the blessing of the boss.
My former boss has some pretty nice "stuff"
Just last week, my coworker's brother asked about buying something.
One gal used to go to the shooting sports fair.
Another gal told me she owns a SIG and used to go hunting.
I've never experienced any controversy from any coworker.
But I don't actively go out and start gun conversations with anybody either.
Just lucky I guess.

Where I work, most people I work with know that I shoot guns.
The AC is pretty cold so I wear a windbreaker to stay warm.
One windbreaker has an NRA logo on it.
Another has the NRA Instructor logo on it.
My coffee mug has the NRA Instructor logo on it.
I've offered a Foodbank fundraiser shooting deal to the whole company with the blessing of the boss.
My former boss has some pretty nice "stuff"
Just last week, my coworker's brother asked about buying something.
One gal used to go to the shooting sports fair.
Another gal told me she owns a SIG and used to go hunting.
I've never experienced any controversy from any coworker.
But I don't actively go out and start gun conversations with anybody either.
Just lucky I guess.

I turned my boss onto shooting, so that made owning guns less of an obstacle.

Once that happened, he was really stoked and started arranging occasional "training sessions" every other month for whoever wanted to go to the range.  We also did a few weekend get togethers.

I'd say the largest group was 5 not counting myself.  We also had a lady working who was married to a Young Guns employee.  So, shooting and gun ownership was probably in the 25%-30% range of our 30+ employees.  That's not counting the out-of-state visitors who liked to go to the range on their roughly 4-5 visits per year.

Even so, the remainder of the office wasn't subjected to long-winded gun talk at work.  We rarely talked around the "outsiders" for fear they might be nervous concerning guns.  Of course, if anyone expressed an interest in the subject, one or more of us would gladly give them as much info and stories as they wanted.

Sometimes, especially after a mass shooting, people would come ask us "gun guys" about things they heard and saw concerning gun laws.  It was a good opportunity to explain why the facts are wrong in the media, and that the laws already in place could have stopped many shootings if law enforcement had actually been on their toes.  New laws would have been just as ineffective.

Eventually, most people would realize how they were being brainwashed to hate guns without being allowed to make up their own minds using the facts.  Still, others didn't want to know.  They just wanted "someone" to do "something," because they are afraid.

I keep what I do mostly private, especially with firearms. The media has brain washed lots of people and being a gun owner gets a bad wrap.  You never know like Flap said who you can trust, unless they too own guns (lol). But also because there are insider burglaries because people often show off too much online.  So maybe not their friend who steals from them, but a friend of a friend or acquaintance.  This is why I'm also selective on who I have on my social media friends list and refresh it from time to time.

The above part sucks, cause we wanna post so much stuff, but can't.  It's like boning the hottest chick in school and not being able to tell most about it. 

Mrs. CMO's women's conference in CO went over the above.  Which I've been telling her to delete people from her friends list for years, but it took an instructor to bring it up for her to listen.  Basic rule of thumb is if we don't hang with you or talk to you, then you're deleted from the friends list.  And any new addition is people who we have more than 1 interaction with.  Many like to add anyone they know just to build that huge friends list.

I keep what I do mostly private, especially with firearms. The media has brain washed lots of people and being a gun owner gets a bad wrap.  You never know like Flap said who you can trust, unless they too own guns (lol). But also because there are insider burglaries because people often show off too much online.  So maybe not their friend who steals from them, but a friend of a friend or acquaintance.  This is why I'm also selective on who I have on my social media friends list and refresh it from time to time.

The above part sucks, cause we wanna post so much stuff, but can't.  It's like boning the hottest chick in school and not being able to tell most about it. 

Mrs. CMO's women's conference in CO went over the above.  Which I've been telling her to delete people from her friends list for years, but it took an instructor to bring it up for her to listen.  Basic rule of thumb is if we don't hang with you or talk to you, then you're deleted from the friends list.  And any new addition is people who we have more than 1 interaction with.  Many like to add anyone they know just to build that huge friends list.

You explained why I abandoned social media.  Even if you try to limit your posts to trusted friends, there are plenty of people you decide to follow, and who are in turn followed by others, to the point where all it takes is one post on that "trusted" person's timeline being shared/copied/etc, and suddenly thousands know your business.

Direct/private messaging is not even secure.  People leave their devices unlocked and logged in for easy access.  Anyone in the area can read what you're sending.

some of them changed their tones after seeing all the rioting across the US last year. When people categorize me as a "psycho" for being a LEGAL gun owner I rebuke that stupid, false assumption/stereotype by explaining the process to obtain a permit to acquire here in Hawaii.

I'm not sure if there is a stigma associated with having a hobby like firearms.  To me when people talk about hobbies like golf, tennis, fishing, etc. it doesn't get the whispers or raised eyebrows or dead uncomfortable silence one gets sometimes when mentioning firearms or even hunting as a hobby.

There were times at work where my co-workers would blast the 2 or three of us that are firearms hobbyists and spew their political rant and raves or make comments that would suggest we are a bunch of unstable, mentally disturbed fanatics.

Not all of them.  But enough to where you just keep silent.

Anyway, I'm interested to know if you guys out there openly talk about firearms or are you more guarded as to who you talk to?  I've always been cautious when it came to mentioning firearms.
When asked I just say fishing and gardening which is not false.

I'm also quite paranoid in this day and age where the wrong people might flag your property as a potential target if they somehow got hold of information casually through friends and family members.

You know, the bad guy who happens to be a friend of a friend of your sister-in law's yoga classmate for example.

In my particular circumstance I made a mistake a long time ago by saying yes I own firearms to my brother-in-law who was trying to acquire one.  He got turned down during the application and I guess he mentioned to his brothers I own firearms.  His brothers also could not acquire firearms and those rare times I would meet them at family gatherings they would always bring up firearms and their wish that they could own them.

I also will never allow them to accompany me to the range.  One instance my BIL wanted to see my revolver.  I made sure it was not loaded and allowed him to handle it.

He immediately pointed it at my SIL.  I was so angry and upset that I grabbed the revolver out of his hands and never allowed him to see my firearms again.  He said I overreacted and was just being too sensitive and silly.  I said FUCK YOU.

A while back he asked if I still own firearms.  I said no, I sold all of them.  He knew I was lying and I don't care.  Fuck him.

Anyway, I'm interested in what you folks think about this subject.  Are you folks cautious about who you share your firearm hobby with?

"Are you folks cautious about who you share your firearm hobby with?"
In this state, I share with nobody.
I have a black powder rifle and a few cannons.
I used to collect firearms, but when I moved here, I left them with trusted family.
I refuse to register any gun, only a fool registers his guns, regardless of the laws.
Out of respect for the law, I have no guns in Hawaii.
I FedEx my guns in when I want to go hunting( I have a Hawaii hunting license).
and send it back before the silly assed un-constitutional time limits apply.
I'm still looking for a C-96 pre 1899 Mauser.  soon as I get one,  one of the Oahu assholes
will figure out a way to outlaw it.

I've asked my wife and daughters to not share anything about me having firearms on their social media friend list.

I told them sometimes it's easy to say things like "my dad likes to go shooting at the range" if for some reason the subject of firearms and shooting sports come up in conversation.  It could be that their friend(s) got interested in shooting as a hobby but I told my family I'd prefer they not share the fact their dad and husband is also a firearm enthusiast. 

That person is their friend, (and probably not a close one at that), not mine.  I'd like to be the one to decide whether I share information or not.

I don't care much for social media.  Never subscribed to it.

Interesting I tend not to give a fuck and I don't hide my firearms enthusiasm. 

Interesting I tend not to give a fuck and I don't hide my firearms enthusiasm.

Right.

When you confess to hiding your real identity from the Internet, saying "I tend to not give a fuck," carries no weight.

Anonymity breeds fearless trolls.

Right.

When you confess to hiding your real identity from the Internet, saying "I tend to not give a fuck," carries no weight.

Anonymity breeds fearless trolls.

I've met many people here.  Not all that anonymous...

But I am grateful my work environment and friends allow me the freedom to express my feelings without fear. 

I've met many people here.  Not all that anonymous...

But I am grateful my work environment and friends allow me the freedom to express my feelings without fear.

That's not what you said before.

School + age = pretty easy to find a name and more....I make it a practice to never have identifying information of me online.

Anonymity breeds fearless trolls.

Good point.
Is that why you’re on your fourth user name ?   
 

here we go again, another thread derailed like HART

It was already derailed when Flapp and Omni started doing their thing again.

 

I don’t hide it from anyone.
Most people I work with know I’m a firearm enthusiast.
Same with all my friends and family.
Can’t promote gun rights and the 2A without people knowing your all for it.
Can’t really expose people to it without them knowing you’re for it.
That’s how I think about it.

I don’t hide it from anyone.
Most people I work with know I’m a firearm enthusiast.
Same with all my friends and family.
Can’t promote gun rights and the 2A without people knowing your all for it.
Can’t really expose people to it without them knowing you’re for it.
That’s how I think about it.

=================
exactly
As I've said many times before, if we don't promote interest in the hobby (especially to younger folk). You might as well kiss it all goodbye.

Interesting I tend not to give a fuck and I don't hide my firearms enthusiasm.

For me, a big part of the reason I feel and act the way I do is because of my family.  Unfortunately they don't share the enthusiasm I have for firearms.  And they don't care to learn or handle firearms even if it were to defend themselves.  And I won't force them.  I worry for their safety and lives in the event I am not home to protect them.  This is why I don't want people I don't know or trust to gain information about me and firearms.

I think others along with people like you who are openly enthusiastic about talking and sharing information about gun ownership probably have family members who also are on board as far as firearm ownership.  They all know how to handle them and to use them if they need to defend themselves.  They understand the safety aspects also so they all are confident being around firearms.

But for me, even though I was fortunate to have this scenario, I still would be selective about talking about it to just anybody.

I also feel if I was single and living alone I wouldn't be so careful as I am now.  It would just be me to worry about and if the fuckers want to try breaking in and steal my shit while I'm home I'm game, lol!!

I'm sure there are other things that you and others like you who are more cavalier about talking about firearms enable you to be openly enthusiastic.  There are tons of fellow gun owners on the internet that also don't seem to be too concerned about anonymity.

Share your thoughts if you would. 

i never tell my patients unless they are shooters or hunters
my friends and family all know
well, most of my friends are my "stupid gun friends"...