Friend that wants to get into guns admits to me he was suicidal

Aak him how long ago it was and why. Go from there

If he wanted to kill himself and needed access to a gun, he wouldnt have told you.

>>35177675
If all he wanted to do with a gun is shoot himself with it he probably wouldn't care to practice marksmanship, all he'd have to do is buy a pawn shop shotgun and a box of ammo.

If you're worried he'll own one for a while then randomly decide to kill himself with it, he could do the same with a knife, by driving off a cliff or taking a nap on some train tracks.

By all means ask if he wants to talk about it, but freaking out and taking a pellet gun out of his hands probably just made him uncomfortable and less likely to talk about it in the future. He probably went through some angsty phase as a teen and wants to know if that will keep him from being able to buy a gun. Plenty of people have had their firearms rights stripped from them over stupid shit that happened to them as kids that they no longer have to worry about.

>>35177675
literally just ask him if he thinks he isn't suicidal anymore and wouldn't use a firearm recklessly with his mental condition and if he doesn't convince you then you should advice him it's not a good idea.

the younger a person was when they experienced suicidal thoughts the less concerning it is imo. if he asked you about it it might mean he's not too sure about his own mental stability or it was purely a legal question. but yeah, just have a talk about it, you should be able to judge him.

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/means-matter/means-matter/survival/

> Nine out of ten people who attempt suicide and survive will not go on to die by suicide at a later date. This has been well-established in the suicidology literature. A literature review (Owens 2002) summarized 90 studies that have followed over time people who have made suicide attempts that resulted in medical care. Approximately 7% (range: 5-11%) of attempters eventually died by suicide, approximately 23% reattempted nonfatally, and 70% had no further attempts.

>>35177675
Tell him the legal facts. I'm pretty sure you can only be barred from purchasing firearms if you've been deemed mentally incompetent and i think theres a 5 year wait if you got put in a 72 hour hold. Check your states laws, i'm not a lawyer. Then, this is the most important part: talk to him. Ask him when it was, what happened, and why. If his problems are over or if he's gotten better and he knows suicide isnt the way out, then proceed normally into letting him be hasguns. From what you've said he doesnt seem like a suicidal guy, he's engaging in a social activity with you which is something suicidal people dont often do (unless theyre women). Just talk to him and make sure hes okay, and either way make sure that he knows he can talk to you if he's feeling suicidal. Thats the most important thing you can do for your friend, just knowing that youre there for him. People commit suicide when they feel theres no way out, having someone else there makes a huge difference. And, if hes not suicidal, great! you've got a rangebuddy!

>>35177731
>but freaking out and taking a pellet gun out of his hands probably just made him uncomfortable and less likely to talk about it in the future

Admit it, you'd do the exact same thing on instinct. It might seem shitty, but given all of us have had gun safety savagely drilled into our skulls, it's only natural to react like this.

People can grow out of being suicidal. Eventually you realize that life doesn't suck, society sucks and you can leave society without killing yourself. Also, you accumulate reasons to stay, like kids, a home, a career, etc.

>>35178058
>he knows suicide isnt the way out
>implying

Has anyone in the history of forever offed themself with a BB gun?

>>35178535
>Admit it, you'd do the exact same thing on instinct. It might seem shitty, but given all of us have had gun safety savagely drilled into our skulls, it's only natural to react like this.
First time I held a handgun I was given it by my moms boyfriend.
Loaded with JHP and one in the chamber.
Never told me till I had to open the slide.
Second time I was drunk with a buddie and he showed me his "hot" revolver.
Never have I been told gun safety.

I want to kill myself damn near every day and also own lots of guns. Like 15-20 probably.
So what? Big whoop! Wanna fight about it?
But seriously, it's kinda a non-issue. I could do it 100 different ways.

>>35177675
I can't say whether or not it is legal for him to own but I can say that even if he seems fine he may still be suicidal as the people who are tend to hide it pretty well.

I had a good friend who was an ex-marine, he was a fun guy and people usually loved being around him and he had just become 3 months sober when he hung himself. He showed no suicidal tendencies before hand.
that being said I kinda agree with other people on the thread that if he really is suicidal then keeping a gun from him is not going to change that or keep him from killing himself. Best thing you can do is keep an eye on him
good luck