> I guess in life we have to let our children make their own
> decisions, good, bad or indifferent.

Your learning! One of the most difficult things (for me) was to go "hands off" and let my son make his own decisions, and to KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT, when I knew he was screwing up.

He will learn from his mistakes far better (and sometimes painfully so) than he ever will by getting "advice". In time he will (probably) get around to asking your advice when he feels he needs it, not that he will always follow it :-(

Remember you ARE his Dad and he does listen to you, even if he doesn't appear to show it at times.

And yes, buying his own gun does make it "really" his in a way that hand me downs can't. I know as it was that way for me with my Dad, though it was fishing equipment and not guns.

Hope that helps.