I feel upset but AIBU? Air rifle

[citybranch]

DH just got home from collecting the DSSs, and they have brought an air rifle round which DH has said they can keep at our house (presumably their mum won't let them keep it there).

I overheard talk about this air rifle 2 weeks ago but thought nothing much of it as I thought it would be discussed with me before it was ever brought here.

I actually feel quite upset. Our DCs are 3 and 1 and I suddenly feel very unhappy about my 3 year old playing with it. He is already going through a difficult aggressive phase.

I have just blown up at DH about it but I'm not sure if I'm being unreasonable.

He didn't mention it 2 weeks ago, or even when he walked in the door with it. I have had to ask about it in order to get any info out of him.

Is it fair to expect your DH to discuss such guns with you before bringing them home, and how would you deal with this situation?

Many thanks!

Sorry all - I've been working a late shift tonight and I didn't get time to log on before I left for work. Thanks very much for all responses!

OK, so it has now emerged that the rifle belonged to DH years ago and he left it in the shed back at the house... the DSSs have recently found it and got all interested in it so it has been brought over to our house, I suppose it is DH's property then?

DH never actually used the gun back then and has little interest in it now, he says, but I think he has been cajoled by the boys into bringing it over.

It's fair enough that they would be interested, but I'm still cross that I wasn't consulted... I wasn't even told it wasn't loaded!

The BASC link is very good and I'll be showing it to all of them in the morning. Especially the part about not pointing it unloaded in an unsafe direction.

DSS age 9 was pointing it at DS age 3 when I looked out there!

I bet you'd get a different response on dadsnet .

I wouldn't wannt an airgun in the house, but guess the novelty will wear off soon, and it can be hidden in the loft. And in the meantime, your OH can teach the boys about not pointing guns at people. So it'll provide a useful lesson.

We have an air rifle and various guns, they are locked in a gun cabinet and the keys hidden, only DH know where the keys are.

No way would I leave any of the guns lying around with our DC's. It is the FIRST rule of gun safety is to be safe and to keep everyone around you safe. Unless he can lock it away then I would ask him not to bring it into the house.

Same as 5, we have guns in teh house but locked away (locked room, in a lockd gun safe) and DH has hidden the keys

agree that if he can't lock it away, its a no

Target shooting with an air rifle is great fun, but safety comes first

We are the same as Fanny FiveGoMad. DH has an air rifle and others which are locked in a gun cabinet. A condition of the police and insurance is that only DH knows where the keys are and that the ammunition is stored separately.

Unless he can do this and prove to you that he is going to teach DSS's that these are NOT toys then I wouldn;t let them in the house

my ex had a small gun in his appt. it caused major rows when they accidentally told me about him having it.

He said ..oh its in a cupboard where they cant get to. Hello do you not realise children will find anything they want to. They were 6 and 11 then and obviously impressed with this weapon. I had visions of one of them ending up with a pellet in their head or worse. I eventually said either the gun goes or you dont see your kids.simples.......(this was 10 years ago). Thankfully he eventually got rid.

Believe it or not he picked it up at a car boot sale. Why would anyone even consider buying one.....arrggh it makes me shudder.

i reckon its ultimatum time

Sorry unaceptable, he should have discussed it with you and taken your feelings into consideration, I would be terrified having that around my children

I would not have an air rifle in my house. And in a way I would trust my 11 year olds less with an air rifle than my 9 month old baby unless they were constantly supervised. They are prone to geeing each other up and acting impulsively. I think your husband is being unreasonable. This is the sort of thing where if one partner is v unhappy a power of veto should obtain, imo. I would just refuse to budge on this one.

What are air-rifles for ? Is it mainly target-shooting? Is it legal to shoot an animal?

I agree with Skegness - for me, this would be non-negotiable - but then we live in a big - gun-crime ridden city

Sorry - got the answers to my questions from that link. Thanks

Hang on, it was lying about in a shed and his DS's found it?
That would be a complete deal breaker for me, if he can't be trusted not to forget he had a gun and left it 'lying around' then he can't be trusted with it now.
I'd be veyr pissed if I was you, I hope you work it out.

Oh my God!!! Why would children need a gun?! YANBU, I would get rid of that asap.

If it's not suitable to store at your DSS mum's house, then why on earth would it be acceptable to store it at yours? Especially when you have two LOs?

YANBU. If DH's ex is happy for her kids to use an air-rifle, she can keep it at her house. If she's not happy with it then they shouldn't have it at all.

YANBU - I also grew up around guns and I bloody hate the things. Especially as one of my friends used his fathers legally held guns to commit suicide. There is NO need for a children of your DSS age to have access to any weapon which could cause such serious injury. Madness.

I think he should get rid.
He was so disinteresed he forgot it!

If the boys are interested when older it´s something they can do together then,perhaps.

12 and 9 pretty but with toddlers in the house . What a ridiculous thing to own at their ages.