How to convince parents to let me start a hobby in firearms?

[caffar]

I have for a while now, wanted to get a firearm, specifically the Ruger SR-22 to learn the basics about handguns and take up a plinking/target practice hobby. It would give me something to do between work and school, and would introduce me to a new set of acquaintances and mentors.

For the record I am 18, and I am aware of the laws regarding firearms purchasing. At this time I am not worried about being able to obtain the firearm.

My parents, my mother specifically is most of the time a huge nut. Myself legally being an adult, she doesn't allow me very many privileges or allow me to do anything that might be even remotely dangerous, even though I am a very intelligent and hard working individual with not a single "bad" thing done in high school etc. Thus, having a gun in the house is so far of of foreign thing, she laughed at me when I enquired about it.

I don't intend to use a .22 handgun for self defense or even open carrying. I want to learn the basics of firearms, and how to fire them, clean them etc. I need some suggestions on how to convince them or help them understand what I want to do. For the record, because I am an adult, I am legally a tenant on the lease, so I am legally a head of household. By technicality I can bring whatever I want into the house, but I want to respect my parents wishes for the most part.

Some ideas I have thought of:

A gun safe.
Keeping the gun unloaded whenever in my car/house/safe.
Not even having ammo in the house (purchasing it at the gun range).

Any other ideas?

[dodya]

Have you taken a firearms safety course?
Sounds like you have it all planned out.

[garret]

That sucks. Does she let you do unsafe things like ride in a car or go to the doctor? According to a study by Harvard, more people are killed every year in the US by doctors either mis-diagnosing or mis-treating patients than are killed by people operating firearms, either for good or evil. I don't really have any suggestions other than to act mature, which it sounds like you are doing pretty well. The day my son turned 18, I gave him two handguns that I had purchased over the years with the intention of giving them to him.

[piaras91]

Might I suggest signing you AND your parent/s up for a pistol class. I know the NRA has a good class and you can find one in your area using the included site link.

http://www.nrainstructors.org/searchcourse.aspx

If you don't want to use NRA that's fine, just have all of you take the course. Once they see how well the course is taught and all you/they will learn, they might decide to join you.

I am an Assistant Scoutmaster with a Boy Scout Troop and one of our scout's Mom was very afraid of firearms. She came on one of our trips with her son, saw what we did and how we did it (EVERYTHING EXTREMELY SAFELY) she bought a rifle for her son six months after we got back.
She had to wait to get her Firearms Owners ID Card. (We are in IL). She is now hooked and a NRA Certified Rifle Instructor.

[winwood]

Move out, and do whatever you want. Your parents do not hold sway over you unless you are living under their roof. Be respectful, honor them, and listen when they offer advice, but now that you're an adult, you can make your own decisions.