So who have YOU turned "gun friendly"?

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We all know the "culture" that combats lawful firearm ownership. So, in the interest of self preservation, whom have you "brought over" to the side of the Second Amendment?

The last two were my g/f and her sister. Neither were "anti" gun, but weren't necessarly "pro" gun. After taking the g/f a few times, she is now considering getting her CCW for protection. Won't ever talk her into OCing, but it is her choice. I am going to get her some training as a present, I can help her with safety but helping her aim isn't my bag

This weekend I am taking one of my best friends shooting to help him get into firearms, he has wanted to for awhile for his wife and self, both plan on getting their CCW's.

So, who have YOU helped?

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My father, who used to contribute to HCI (the Brady Bunch). Now he's a supporter of the 2cd although he doesn't carry or anything. He also used to be a dyed-in-the-wool FDR Democrat. Now stauch Republican. He says he didn't leave the Democrats, they left him.

But I can't say I know of anyone else per se. I'm still working on the other memebers of the family. I remember when I first brought my Keltec PLR-16 home for Christmas (just to show everyone and poke fun at them), my sister picked it up, and you could obviously tell she was uncomfortable holding it, and said "This is excessive!" HA! I tell her that now when I go to the range and someone has a really big gun or some black evil looking thing I tell him, "Hey man, that's really excessive. Can I take a shot?"

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I got my wife started. She had never been around guns and even told me that she would not let her Ex husband have one. I started taking her to the range and got her to try my Mini 14, she liked it then went on to my 30-06. She has been shooting my .45 all summer and made a couple of comments about carrying. So this Christmas Santa was nice and got her a S&W MP .40 along with a Serpa holster and now sheOC's to OCDO dinners. Now we are working on getting her CCW permit:lol:.

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I've taken a few middle of the road people and made them much more pro by simply taking them shooting. It demystifies the whole thing and clarifies the issue for people.

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Intersting tidbit: 98% of reasoning is subconscios/involuntary. That means you can spend hours reasoning with a person and it will help with that 2%, but if you want to change his subconscious associations with guns, take him/her shooting!

A good argument with sound reasoning is only 2% of the battle.

Which brings me to another thought: long live open carry!!

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I have taken my brother, his friend, and my girlfriend shooting with me, the 2 latter being middle of the road people, and actually asked to come with, my brother is a little on the anti side, but as we continue to debate this topic on a continual basis, he is starting to come over to the logical side.

As far as people that I have helped turn progun, I'm not sure, but I would say a significant number.

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Where to start? My mom had a pistol but hadn't used it in about a decade when I asked to take it shooting at age 17. She came with me, and I had my first experience shooting a gun with her and one of the instructors at the range. That got her interested again. She's now looking at getting a CHP (10 years later).

My dad had always been a gun fan, but after seeing my interest, his was piqued again and he now has an extensive collection in his gun safe.

I had several friends in college that started out with a vaguely bad feeling about firearms that turned into good feelings, from vaguely good to staunch 2A supporters. One of them had a friend commit suicide with a firearm right in front of her, and she came to the range with me to try to take the extreme emotions out of her opinion on firearms. She's now at least middle of the road. Another friend bought a shotgun.

My brother in law went from vaguely interested to owning a handgun and having his CHP. My sister went from really uncomfortable with a gun in the house to happy he has it, espeically after they had a break in one night and he performed admirably in keeping his family secure until police arrived.

A continent away, my uncle in California, upon realizing that both my father and I are gun guys, has started up his own interest in handguns, and is trying to get a couple for himself.

I just turned to my wife, and asked her what her stance was on guns before I met her. Her reponse was to take up a Weaver stance. That's all I need to say about that. I'm happy I was a major influence on her.

My greatest victory, however, would have to be my stepdad. He was a war-protesting, long haired hippie liberal for years, and those beliefs have never really worked their way out of him, even though he now has a government job. He came into my life at age 14, and was very anti gun from the beginning. Now, 14 years later, he has purchased a shotgun for home defense use. This purchase was largely related to the mental breakdown of his ex-wife and her threat to the family. Once he saw the reality of a threat to his safety, his whole stance on defense began to change. He's still not a huge fan, but he's come a long way. Recently, after relating to him a harowing experience I had, he responded by saying that for the first time, he saw a situation where he was happy I was carrying a handgun. We'll keep working on him.

I'll keep working on everyone I find.

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A couple of Canadians that I work with. One had a Canadian firearms license, but was amazed at the acceptance of firearms here, and the genuine fun on the firing range. He now hates the miserable firearms red tape in Canada. Says it makes him paranoid, even though he follows all of the silly laws and rules there. So he is not only gun friendly, but anti regulation.

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My girlfriend was neither pro or anti, but after going to the range with me she loves it. I still havent convinced her to get her own, but she loves to go shoot mine.

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I don't know if I've turned anyone pro-self-def, but I know I've made a few less-anti, at least.

The funny thing is, you never know. You may have had a conversation with somebody you met once years ago, and got their gears turning on the road to pro. And you'll never know.

It's the Johnny Appleseed effect, and it's one of the things I like about occasional OC.

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I turned my wife, before she met me she had never fired a gun. Now I've just about convinced her to get a CCW, but she wants to wait til we move to Tennessee this summer. She used to ask me why I carried my pistol when we went out, but now she asks me if I have it with me.

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Let's see, I talked to 2 guys at work about guns and carrying. They bought their first handgun and also got their CHP. They also vote demorat and didn't realize that dems are generally antigun. One is considering voting for Ron Paul.

There are others at work that have become more progun because of the info I give them.

I've recently introduced my sister in law and her husband to shooting and they're hooked. Her husband is going to get his CHP.

Then there are some friends at church that are getting more interested and one that won a pistol during the Army marksmanship events and now is interested in pistol shooting and getting his CHP.

All of the people I talk to at work and church I tell about the importance of the 2nd amendment and self defense. At first some thought I was a little paranoid but, when I show them articles in the paper or magazines and discuus cases that are in the news they now understand my position. These things help my case more and more as they realize the importance of armed self defense.

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Nobody