We are at crunch time for holiday gift purchases. By the time you read this, Christmas has come and passed. Here is some advice – you get to decide whether it is excellent or not – for gift giving for those who love the shooting sports. Let’s break this into the gift receivers and the gift givers. I have a beard, glasses, and a little weight above the belt so I also have some street credibility. I often get the question of “what should I buy for…” – which I never answer. What I respond with is a set of questions to ask themselves or family members. If you are an instructor that allows discussion in the classroom (something I highly recommend) this is a good way to get people talking with each other. Just toss out “has anyone ever given or received a shooting related gift” or “has anyone ever been given a _____? did you find it useful?” [fill in with the item of the moment of conversation].
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The question about giving and getting weapons almost always comes up. Your homework is to read the statutes in your state. In my state I can purchase for immediate family to give as a gift. There is that first question on the background check form that should be talked about with the retailer. I tell my students to read the statutes so they can make an informed decision about who they can give to legally. A mantra that I say 10 times a class day is “not everything on the internet is true.” This is especially true when giving items that require a federal background check. Read your state statutes, you might learn something, and you might fall asleep – either way you win.
In the classroom I will mention items that I think would make a great gift (e.g., gear bags, gloves, well-fitting hearing protection, subscriptions to well written magazines or fun books). This may sound sexist, but in a husband/wife scenario, one will say “I never thought to mention” and one will say “I wish someone had told me about [fill in the blank].” Ultimately it comes down to communication. What follows are some communication suggestions. When I first started teaching it didn’t occur to me to include gift giving/receiving ideas, but my comments are always well received.
Gift Receivers – Teaching Others About Firearms
Let’s face it. We have a fairly esoteric hobby. If you are loved by someone not in the sport, your needs, wants, and wish list is going to seem beyond comprehension. I have taken two approaches to this issue. First approach: I have a spreadsheet that lists the items I would like to get as gifts. I add to the list whenever I find something of interest in a magazine, video, or in a garage conversation (remembering of course that not everything on the internet is true). Here is what I do:
- The name/description of the item is in the first column. The likely gift giver really has no language to use to place an order or talk to a clerk – so you have to give them that language. Don’t just say “ammo;” rather, say the brand, caliber, weight, target, or self-defense. I remember standing in my favorite gun store one holiday and a woman and a child came in and said, and I quote, “daddy says he needs a 45 something…do you have one?” Not helpful at all.
- Then the next column has the approximate cost. Put some over the top items on your list – maybe you were worthy of a top shelf gift this year. Then some realistic items in the middle and a few pieces of low hanging fruit. Remember this list is likely to be shared among friends and family. For every sterling silver, powder measure cup, there should be utilitarian pocketknife. For every laser engraved windsock, there needs to be markers that will write on wet targets.
- The next column I list has the website or websites that could have the item and get it delivered OR some local shops that will likely have it in stock.
- Remember to think outside the box. A few months ago, I wrote a piece about using non-branded shooting items to use on the reloading bench. For example, a sonic jewelry cleaner will do a dandy job on dirty brass. Or, how about a lifetime supply of nitrile gloves. Also, there may be some items that cross over among your various hobbies – storage containers, waxes, and lubricants come to mind.
To facilitate your spreadsheet, you could email it to someone who might need an idea. Or you could brew a cup of tea and go over the list with them. Or break out some old sporting magazines and go through the last 10 pages that seem to have small advertisements that might spark an idea. Remind your students that communication is the key. Your gift giver will be thankful – trust me.
Gift Givers – Teaching Others About Firearms
If you are one of the gift givers, now is not the time to be stingy. My rule is to always let spouses and adult children pick out their own weapons. You can, however, be generous and thoughtful, as one of the gift givers.
- They might not know they need something – like shooting gloves. Or maybe they would never buy a pair for themselves.
- Look at your own pile of hobby gear and ask yourself “what do I wish someone had given me early on?”
- A quality knife or flashlight is always appreciated – eventually. Your adult daughter might not think it is a great idea at first but add some bling (or not) and the next time she is opening a clamshell box in the dark she will thank you.
- To really keep yourself out of trouble be thinking about these items all year long. For example, have you ever been to the range and saw someone using a “thing” – say a reloading tool – and thought to yourself “I bet my brother/dad/mom/sister/uncle/aunt would make good use of that thing.” Just keep that item in the back of your mind. My little secret is that I have a box of things that I liked – and maybe bought two or three – because I knew they would make a good gift in the right situation.
Finally, the best gift givers spend time enjoying our hobby with the person they care about. Time spent with someone is the best way to develop the next generation of shooting sport enthusiasts. Oh yes, one last piece of advice to pass on to gift givers: generally speaking, an item with a power cord is not considered a romantic gift. Enough said.
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