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Gifting A Gun? Here's What You Need to Know

Gifting A Gun? Here's What You Need to Know

Dec 12th 2018

Gifting A Gun? Here's What You Need to Know

Gift-giving can be nightmarish for even the most experienced holiday shoppers. Yet for many people, the struggle isn’t with buying presents so much as choosing them. After all, how do you translate emotional affection for a friend or loved one into a material object? Admittedly, firearms enthusiasts often have an easier time with the question of “what’s the perfect gift?” Why, it’s a gun, of course! But is gifting a gun really that straightforward?

Six Maritime is a company of firearms training enthusiasts. Over the years, we’ve discovered that, while guns make great presents, the person gifting the firearm must account for a myriad of other factors. But don’t let that discourage you. Instead, if you aim to gift a gun this holiday season, simply keep the following tips in mind.

Remember, Safety First

Many Americans know about Ralphie, his “Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle,” and the phantom backyard icicle in A Christmas Story. On the surface, Ralphie’s accident may seem like nothing more than an “oh, fudge” moment. But looking deeper, the whole event underscores the importance of safety when gifting firearms. Here are a few ideas for how you can add a safety element to your holiday present.

Gun Safety Courses

If the person receiving the firearm is a first-time shooter, such as a child, a gun safety course is a great supplemental gift to a firearm. It’s also a way to give yourself peace of mind. After your young shooter trains with professional instructors, you can feel confident that they will handle the weapon safely on the range. Not to mention, you won’t have to worry about “icicles” in the backyard.

Tactical Training

Experienced gun owners practice basic gun safety. But not all shooters know the basics of tactical training. In tactical training, participants learn to use their weapons for self-defense and train for real-life scenarios, like active shooter mitigation. This training also incorporates situational awareness, unarmed defense, and similar techniques that even experienced shooters can find informative.

Safety Gear

For all his unmitigated enthusiasm, Ralphie’s saving grace was his eye protection. If not for his glasses to protect his eyes, the prophecies of the department store Santa and others could have proved true. Similarly, eye protection makes a great gift. Ballistic glasses with interchangeable lenses for different lighting conditions are popular with shooters. On the other hand, if the person you’re buying for isn’t fashion conscious, safety goggles, although bulky, offer superior protection. Additional stocking stuffers for a gun enthusiast could also include ballistic ear muffs and shooting or tactical gloves.

Put Yourself In The Shooter’s Shoes

While standing at the gun counter in a sporting goods store, it’s easy to be drawn to the models we like best. But keep in mind, you’re objective is to choose a weapon for a particular person. As you look at each firearm, put yourself in that person’s shoes. Here are a few details to consider.

Intended Use For The Firearm

The first step is to consider the activity for which the gift recipient will use the firearm. Whether it’s self-defense, target shooting, or hunting, you need an idea of the intended use before you can start browsing pistols, shotguns, or rifles, specifically.

Suitable Size & Caliber

You want the person receiving the gun to fire it comfortably, which means you should choose a gun of the right size and caliber. Full size weapons in lower calibers have low recoil, making them easier for first-time shooters to fire. Conversely, small guns in high calibers have high, violent recoil — best managed by experienced shooters.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics refers to how well the grips on a gun fit into the hands of the shooter. This relationship matters for comfort, but also because it affects finger placement on the trigger. When firing a gun that’s a poor match, a shooter’s hands might become fatigued. Poor ergonomics could also affect a person’s aim and slow the rate of fire.

Consider Tactical Training & Gun Safety Courses

A firearm makes a great present during the holiday season. But there are ways to make gifting a gun even better, namely by enrolling the present’s recipient in tactical and gun training courses. At Six Maritime, we offer tactical trainings for any type of gun you gift, including pistols, carbines, and long range precision rifles.

And if you’re looking for a truly unique experience for an avid shooter, check out the critical training laboratory. In place of live ammunition, participants use simulated guns in life-like training modules that apply to civilians, law enforcement, and military. In fact, between our trainers and technology, we could even make a marksman out of Ralphie.

To learn more about our training courses this holiday season, contact Six Maritime today!

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