Thursday, December 18, 2008

5 Lame Gifts You Should NOT Give To Gun-Owners

Persons, desiring to give a "thoughtful" gift to a gun-owning friend or family member, may be in a quandary as to what they should buy. The general thought is that the donor wants to show the donee that the donor appreciates his hobby which the donor may not share. Be admonished, however, that no matter how well intentioned a desire to make a good impression on a donee, the gift selection exercise could backfire if donor purchases a lame gift.

In no particular, the top five lame gifts to give a gun-owner are listed as the following:

Lame Gift Idea #1: A CCW Badge
Nothing quite says "Loser" like a possessor of one of these badges. They have absolutely no merit from a legal perspective. If a member of law enforcement "pulls over" a Concealed Pistol Licensee on a traffic stop, the display of this badge may not only draw a stern lecture but also a ticket for "failing to immediately disclose" his licensee status. The officer wants to see the state issued Concealed Pistol License - not a badge.

Lame Gift Idea #2: A Magazine Loader
Every self-respecting owner of a semi-automatic handgun should be able to manually load his magazines without the aid and assistance of a cheap mechanical device. Granted, the act of loading magazines is a somewhat daunting task at first, however it is a rite of passage he should go through. In time, the owner of an "auto-loader" should be able to master the art of magazine loading with a little practice.


Lame Gift Idea #3: An "Uncle Mike's" IWB Concealment Holster

This particular model is widely available and inexpensive. Thus, without intervention it could easily become a X-Mas stocking stuffer. If you insist on buying a holster for someone, do not buy this model. They are made of an easily damaged faux suede-like material and the holster's clip does not reliably stay in place when drawing. A good quality holster is made of leather and will cost at least $50.


Lame Gift Idea #4: A Fanny-Pack Concealment Pouch

A individual with this firearms carrying device is signaling to everyone around him that he is carrying a concealed firearm, which defeats the whole purpose of concealed carry. In short, it's a lame choice for a gift.

Lame Gift Idea #5: Concealment Vest
As is the case with Fanny-Pack Concealment Pouches, these vests are "dead-giveaways" that the possessor is carrying a concealed firearm. I have yet to see someone wear one of these vests and fit into the environment. A vest of this sort will more likely draw stares from onlookers trying to guess where the gun is hidden - bad idea.

Hopefully, after reviewing this list you will not commit a faux-pas by buying a lame gift for a gun-owning friend or family member. However, if the gift is intended as a gag, you may find a winning selection. Of course, if the donee actually likes the gift, the joke will have back-fired and you will have labeled the person as a lamer to others in the gun community.

Good Luck! You only have 6 shopping days until X-Mas!

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