Which is why I'm nonplussed about hearing that you want to bring one into the house as decoration, but want it to work. Those things don't go together in my head, and I wonder if your DH isn't getting a mixed signal off of what you describe, too.

Well, it's a gut thing. If it's nonfunctional, I'd feel like I might as well get a painting. And I do want to learn to fire it. I read about stuff like this enough, and I'm consumed with curiosity to know how it works.

I just have to figure out how to explain it to DH. The problem is, since we talked last night, I've been mulling it over and getting angrier over his reaction--he made owning a gun (a muzzle-loading, one shot at a time, black powder rifle that was a state-of-the-art weapon 200 years ago, fer cryin' out loud) sound so evil in his sight that I'm feeling indignant on behalf of all the deer and quail hunters in my family, not to mention all the Army men. Not to mention that I don't feel particularly evil myself. (We never even got to the point where I talked about getting a gunsmith to make it work--he had that reaction to a replica alone.)

ETA if nothing else, I think I should get his share of the venison steak next time we're home at the right time of the year. Since VCOB uses an evil gun to obtain it and all.

Also, ETA I guess you can take the girl out of Alabama, but you can't take all of Alabama out of the girl after all.

I'm an urban Canadian. I think only criminals should have guns.

t stereotype

Well, okay, some cops and the army and uh, the guys who do the caribou cull, but they can get them out of storage.

Swords are cool, though.

he had that reaction to a replica alone

Oh, dear . . .

Until this is resolved, have you thought of looking around for a place where you could borrow/rent a black powder rifle and try it out at a range? There's got to be some re-enactment group around you who'd be delighted to help, especially when you say you're doing research for a novel and want the details right. You'll learn more about the practicalities of weapons than you'll ever need.

I want my daughter/son to be the one who says "I already *know* guns are dangerous" when one of their friends shows them "something cool" they found under their parents bed.

I feel a little lame quoting myself, but I'll get over.

I started thinking about this concept in general when I took the dogs/baby class. The woman made a point of saying "don't teach your kids to hug your dog because you won't be able stop them from hugging dogs at other people's houses and maybe those people won't have trained their dogs as well as you have trained yours." I think this holds true for guns, dogs, and other scary stuff. A friend of mine grew up cutting lines of cocaine for her dad - I would never have guessed that based on where she lived.

I've shot a .22. I grew up on a farm, but that was it -- we moved to the city before I was 10, and that was the age my dad had deeded as old enough to be taught to shoot a shotgun.

He always had a couple of rifles (deer hunting) hanging on the rack in the living room. I dunno where the shells were, but didn't much care. Guns weren't for fun; they were for shooting food. We got the gun safety, "every gun is a loaded gun" lecture from the time we were 3 or so.

Um, ION, (whitefonted for the TMI, but I'm feelin' mighty smug) NGA? who's NGA? Not me! ANd it was FG!

I just have to figure out how to explain it to DH.

I think your curiosity is a good start.

Susan, would you let one of your relatives bring his/her hunting rifle into your house? If so, what precautions would you ask that person to take with Annabel in the house? Are those precautions different than the ones you'd ask of yourself with this gun?

You don't have to answer these here, I'm just throwing them out there because you might need to explain why this gun is different to your husband than those hunting rifles.

ION: What's the deal with allergies? I mean, I assume it's kind of like your body's reaction to a virus (foreign body? Attack!) But why is my body so convinced that dust, dander, mold, pollen, etc. are such DANGEROUS INVADERS? And why-god-why does it think that the most effective weapon to combat it is snot?!? Why?

Go, Erin! Woo!

Until this is resolved, have you thought of looking around for a place where you could borrow/rent a black powder rifle and try it out at a range? There's got to be some re-enactment group around you who'd be delighted to help, especially when you say you're doing research for a novel and want the details right. You'll learn more about the practicalities of weapons than you'll ever need.

I'm already planning to meet some re-enactors this summer, since my plan is to buy the gun after I've sold the book. Maybe I should try to get DH to come along, too--it might freak him out a little less conceptually. I think this is just a City Boy marries Country Girl thing.

My allergies have been particularly vicious this spring.