Owning a gun

[StealthParticipant 5341]

What are some good reasons for an everyday person to go out and purchase a gun? …And bad reasons? I know there are some gun afficionados here. Let’s have a canded discussion about everyday gun ownership.

REASONS FOR:
I am not a conspiracy theorist, but I do live in a low-income urban neighborhood and could imagine crime rising once entitlements get cut.

REASONS AGAINST:
I don’t necessarily trust myself with a gun. I am not used to being around them.

For most people I know who own guns, it is just an expensive hobby. Once they start talking about the aesthetics of guns…custom finishes, etc. I can tell they are collectors, and gun ownership for them is equivalent to collecting watches or antiques, rather than needing to own a gun. For me a gun could end up as a real expensive paperweight. In fact, this would be ideal outcome, versus ever really needing to use one.

If I owned one, I might feel the need to use it (or conversely, I wouldn’t want to own one unless I had a good reason to use it). I am wary of this instinct of wanting to use a gun if I own one. It seems like problems get created from this.

Financially, ammunition costs add up and range memberships can be high. I don’t have a lot of free time and am less likely to spend it shooting guns unless I were fully retired and just needed another hobby. I view the financial cost-benefit of owning & maintaining guns about like setting off fireworks, or setting fire to dollar bills.

A street-smart guy I knew in my higher crime area refused to get one. If he owned a gun and tried to use it while being assaulted or broken into, he said he would probably wind up dead. I know a guy that happened to. He was robbed in person in his home, but instead went for his revolver, and got shot and killed.

On the other hand I have a friend who shot and killed an armed robber at his retail store. There, my friend had the advantage of shooting from the robber from the side while the robber held the manager at gunpoint – an advantage I would not have if my house were burglarized while living alone.

"Once you’ve taken care of the basics, there’s very little in this world for which your life is worth deferring." -David Hansson. "It’s not when women are mean or nasty that anything is out of the ordinary. It’s when they are NICE to you that you have to be on high alert..." -Jackinov.

[joetechParticipant]

I bought a handgun in 1983 after someone got shot two blocks from where I lived in San Diego. Two years ago I sold the gun after having fired it three times in almost 30 years. If I enjoyed shooting as a hobby, sure. Otherwise I don’t really see the need. My brother owns several firearms and I know where the handgun is, so I still have one available for home protection. This does give me a sense of added security.

"Don't follow in my footsteps...I stepped in something."

[Anonymous 6]

It is the most liberating thing in the world. You’ll feel like a king when you get behind this…..

And shoot this right behind the shoulder…

(Rifle pictured is a Mossberg MVP LC)

Guns are fun. Never let anybody tell you different.

[The Batman 2020Participant 2112]

I think you should get this one

Your 20's are for learning, your 30's are for earning.

[AttonParticipant]

If push comes to shove it gives you a chance in hell.

A MGTOW is a man who is not a woman's bitch!

[Old RottweilerParticipant 1520]

Buy a Glock 9MM. What ever one fits your hand, I prefer the Model 19. It should cost between $400-$500 depending on how well you shop. The gun will probably never go down in value. Don’t buy a cheap gun, buy a Glock. There are lot of good guns out there, but you can’t lose with a Glock. If you have kids around, ever, buy a small gun safe, maybe $30. Kids WILL find a gun.

Two boxes of Ammo will set you back $40. Use 1 box, 50 rounds to practice.

Never point the gun at something you do not want to kill or destroy. If you fear for your life, or someone breaks into your house with a gun or a knife, use your gun.

Or you could just decide to die.

What ever you do, don’t hesitate.

[KeymasterKeymaster]

I admit I am totally on the fence about this. Really torn down the middle, and it’s a debate I haven’t yet decided either way.

Stealth wrote:

REASONS FOR:

Here’s just one. And it’s a damn good one. You can get a lot further with a kind word and a gun – than you can with just a kind word.

Stealth wrote:

REASONS AGAINST:

I have never come close to needing one or found myself in a position to even think about it. I have always been able to disarm without fighting….. except for that one bully in school when I was 7 and my fist flew on its own. He never bothered me again.

The “right to bear arms” is not one I would argue very effectively, although that could change anytime. I hope don’t need to get shot first before changing my mind about this.

I really don’t know. I suppose I don’t believe any citizen should carry a gun at all, but it wouldn’t be hard to change my mind about that… based on the current state of things.

Using the ^ video as an example and giving me a choice…. thanks for asking but don’t give me a gun. Get rid of the violent scum instead. A person with no reason to attack anyone and walks around with a mask and baseball bat just p~~~es me off. They are WEAK. Maybe I just need to get p~~~ed off enough.

If you keep doing what you've always done... you're gonna keep getting what you always got.

[Anonymous 6]

Would rather have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it

[KeymasterKeymaster]

Anonymous wrote:

Would rather have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it

I got nothing. +1

If you keep doing what you've always done... you're gonna keep getting what you always got.

[StealthParticipant 5341]

The Batman 2020 wrote:

I think you should get this one

This might be a James Bond joke based on my avatar, however that does seem like a quality weapon. Otherwise I was looking at a Stingray-C. Rottweiler, thank you for the Glock suggestion as well.

But first I feel the need to iron out the reasons to get one, decide if it is something I need, and inspect my motivations and possible hazards of owning one. I don’t have kids around, but sometimes guests with kids.

"Once you’ve taken care of the basics, there’s very little in this world for which your life is worth deferring." -David Hansson. "It’s not when women are mean or nasty that anything is out of the ordinary. It’s when they are NICE to you that you have to be on high alert..." -Jackinov.

[GrumpyParticipant]

Because I choose to own firearms.
Aside from hunting and not being a felon, all other reasons are my personal beliefs and my choice.
Anyone else has the “right” to disagree with me all they want, that is fair enough.
After personally witnessing what happens (on several occasions) to an unarmed populace when thugs of any type, with a not so loving agenda enters a town. I prefer the option of a fighting chance at survival.
I believe my justification has more merit than anyone who thinks they wont be slaughtered like sheep.

There was a time in my life when I gave a fuck. Now you have to pay ME for it

[PushingnumbersParticipant 72]

There’s no bad reason to owning a gun as long as you’re a law abiding citizen.

If you buy a gun don’t ever let it become a paper weight. It’s a tool, a force multiplier. Learn your local laws. Invest in some training and become proficient with your firearm.

Plenty of bad people out here preying on good hard working people…and they have guns. Why not keep the playing field level?

It’s up to us to protect ourselves. Multiple people are kicking in your door right now, you wanna grab a phone or a gun?

I feel the likelyhood of me ever needing to use a gun to defend myself is pretty slim…but s~~~ does happen. I have a conceal carry permit and carry daily, I never leave home without it.

[Anonymous 43]

I bought a gun the day after the c~~~ kicked my door in and struck me in the head, making me woozy. A well placed foot keep her from coming in. She had a knife in her hand.

She was picking the kids up…kids were out of sight in her truck, and she came back to “retrieve something our daughter left”…I had to replace the door. It had a knife stuck in it.

So. I own a gun. 10 shot .22.

I have to be careful where I go with it, like nowhere near the c~~~. Another reason 900 miles apart is a wonderful thing. I think I am in violation of the divorce papers. I don’t care. She attacks me at my residence again, the outcome will be different.

The c~~~ has a best friend. Her husband has 3 pistols, 2 shotguns and a Garand. Best friend would do anything for the c~~~, anything she says about me must be the truth, right? Chad Thunderc~~~’s son has a .22 rifle. C~~~ grew up skeet shooting with her bestie, and her step father was a cop and has several firearms. Her father has a rifle at a vacation home. With tears in her eyes and the right sort of lies, she can have a gun.

I’m a little out gunned here. I have to be careful not to get picked up with it, particularly at the pick up point. That is where I am most vulnerable, and I really can’t have it there. S~~~. I have to be careful where I leave it. Hide it from the my kids, can’t let the c~~~ know I have this. I used to live close to an elementary school…potential trouble there.

I kept it close by when I was living in the tent with the illegals in Kansas, and carried it in a bag in town. If I told you the name of the town, it would make sense, old west town with a reputation for shootouts even today.

When I first bought it, I was at the range every weekend, for 18 months. I could put 8/10 rounds in a 9 inch circle at 25 yards. I guess that is good. like any skill, time erodes proficiency. Shooting with Pistol Pete reminded me of that. OMG it was fun to shoot again. It had been a year since I put it away.

Holding the means of retaliation in my hand while I lived near the c~~~ was frightening. I had the power to find her, and end the s~~~ vortex, all the court dates, stop paying money, get my kids away from her permanently. I think it speaks to my character to endure more bulls~~~, and not act upon the temptation. No, brothers, I need the c~~~ to lead a long happy life with her Chad. Anything bad happens to her, and I am suspect number 1.

There is definitely a rush, just taking it out of the bag, unlocking the cable, unlocking the internal lock, loading it up and swinging the cylinder closed feels like a religious ritual…ok im weird, there is a procedure to it all, and it is serious. Even the .22 conveys a sense of power, I can’t imagine what having larger round feels like. If you don’t know, a .22 makes a hole the diameter of a pencil. Hitting a watermelon, it removes a golfball sized chunk out the back.

Greg Honda was there too, living in a country that bans personal firearms with some exceptions, this must have been a real experience for him. We were just plinking with .22s out in the yard, nbd. He told me that being caught having a Swiss army knife in his pocket would put him away for a while. I have one on my key ring, on in the car, one in the range bag and another in the tool box.

I have mixed feelings about this thing. No matter how bad things get, I have to show restraint, and not use it. I know it is there if things get so bad, I want to end my life. Nope. I have not run out of hope. I think the gun is more trouble than it is worth, now that I am so far away from the c~~~.

So, c~~~. Live a long happy life, live long enough to be a problem for our kids, just leave me the f~~~ alone.

[ForeverDoneParticipant 2928]

If you have to ask, then you already know the correct answer.

[bstoffParticipant 4865]

I speak as an American, and my main reason for owning a gun(s) is because our 2nd Constitutional Amendment outlines my inalienable right to have one. Any government that wants to earn the trust of it’s citizens should allow the unhindered possession of firearms.
While they are useful for sport, hunting, collecting and home defense, the greatest value of a firearm is the ability to protect oneself and family from an invading force, or one’s own government that has turned to tyranny as a means of controlling their populace. The 2nd Amendment protects all of our other rights from being taken away from us. Our first and 4th Amendments protect our ability to hold onto our 2nd Amendment.
There are many who say our Constitution is out of date and no longer reflects our country’s needs. So far, the Bill or Rights, found in our Constitution, is the only thing that has prevented the complete fall of our country to tyranny.
There are many people around the world who are regretting and lamenting the fact that they are not allowed to possess firearms.

[Silver FoxParticipant 2766]

The Czechs seem to have the right approach, considering the current trend in Europe.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-eu-guncontrol-czech-parliament-idUKKBN19J1Q2?il=0

As for gun ownership in the US, I think there are strong cultural differences depending on what part of the country you’re living in. Where I’m from in the Northern Rockies, gun ownership is commonplace and hardly worth mentioning. Nobody really thinks twice about seeing guns, talking about guns, or just assuming that your neighbor has a gun. In fact, after living in California for about a year, I realized how vastly different the perception of guns is there, even among pro-gun folks.

I read about people’s strong emotional reactions about the “rush” they experience when they first see/touch a gun, and to me it is an interesting glimpse into another culture. I like guns but I can’t honestly say I’ve ever felt the “rush” because they have always been a normal part of my community. So when I hear about anti-gun politicians and journalists talking about how “guns will make you have violent thoughts” or “guns give you an unhealthy feeling of power” I have always had a difficult time relating to that. I suppose it might be true in some cases but I suspect that when guns are commonplace, such feelings are greatly diminished among normal citizens.

"Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife." --Apostle Paul

[Anonymous 42]

Stealth wrote:

What are some good reasons for an everyday person to go out and purchase a gun? …And bad reasons?

1. Good reason: You can kill someone else.

2. Bad reason: You can kill yourself.

I’m a good reason kinda guy…

[Anonymous 43]

hmmm
maybe rush isn’t the idea I want to convey. I used to shoot once a week, it was something to look forward to, like anticipation, not some blood thirsty urge to go perforate some living tissue. And the power thing, I was thinking about that too. It is harder to pull the trigger on a staple gun than it is to pull the trigger on my firearm, and there is a sense that this is a destructive device in my hand, pay attention to what I am doing. It is kinda cool to see a soda bottle explode, shredded and fizzing everywhere from 50 feet away.

[VassagoShaxParticipant 255]

I don’t feel especially qualified to answer this topic, in the UK we don’t have a gun culture and never have. Typically the only regular shooters I know to are clay pigeon shooters, wondering off in the morning in tweed armed with shotguns. They seem to enjoy it but it’s the realm of the few and mostly privilaged. I believe, but don’t quote me, that in order to own a firearm here you need a license, a secure container for it and you have to notify the police you have it. Might even have them inspect the premises but I am not 100% sure of that.

Lately it’s becoming more of a discussion point here due to the sudden influx of terrorist attacks. But frankly we’re use to terrorism, it has never worked here and never will. You’d have thought todays terrorists would have realised that by now but I am guessing they are intellectually challanged.

It seems to me, from my limited perspective, that people who own guns in the US, who have had formal training and a genuine interest in them, don’t seem to be the type who go on gun murdering sprees. And you do have a gun culture as well, not to mention in law your entitlement to bear arms. The way I see it, even if guns were banned you still wouldn’t stop some lunatic from going postal.

[MonkParticipant 16995]

A gun buys you options. Without a gun you will always be a victim.

[Author]

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