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Why do you own a gun?
For self-protection 18%  18%  [ 11 ]
For hunting 7%  7%  [ 4 ]
As a hobby or collection 12%  12%  [ 7 ]
Symbolic or object of desire 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
I don't own a gun 63%  63%  [ 38 ]
Total votes : 60

MrsPeel
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05 Mar 2018, 4:31 am

Humour me, here?
I'm of British extraction, which means no exposure to guns whatsoever.

Just out of interest, and seeing as how guns seem to be a big thing right now, why do some people get so upset about the idea of having their gun(s) taken away?
I'm guessing it's related to why you own a gun in the first place...?



sly279
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05 Mar 2018, 5:04 am

Only like 6 of us here so won’t get much results.
My number one reason is self protection and to protect my family. As a aspie and non violent person, I’m weak and process no fighting skills, I’ve never been in a fight and avoid situations that may lead to one. If I was to be attacked I’d be unable to defend myself physically. Guns are a equalizer. It’s why people like me, women, old people carry them, we can’t defend ours or overcome others physically runs gun doesn’t need strength or fighting skills. Anyone can learn to use one. Knifes on the other hand require fighting skill and strength. They also require close distance which means you’ll get stabbed and sliced to making it a matter of who can stab more or who can precisely stab and slice. With a gun hopefully they’ll never get close bough, most cases just pulling the gun gets them to stop. Making it possible to call the police.

Then there’s hobby and collecting, I enjoy shooting, I enjoy their different mechanical designs. I like stripping them down and cleaning them. I don’t hunt as I’m non violent and for me hunting is unnecessary, which I’m glad for as I don’t like killing and feel bad for accidental killing bugs or crickets. I’d hunt if I had to, but I don’t have to thankfully.
Target shooting is an Olympic sport. Your nation has a team. It’s fun and stress relieving. Here there all kinds of shooting competition the ar15 is big in shooting competition. 3 gun is a popular one where people us the ar15,a shotgun and a handgun to hit various targets in a course. There’s also run in gun, stationary target courses. Then there’s bunch of pistol competition, there 1911,stock handgun, modified, 9mm etc. If I had the money I’d probably get into it but I’d need lots of practice to be ok, a lot of those guys are really good and have sponsors. It’s also a fun group or family activity. I first went shooting with a church group in middle school. Kids love target shooting.women too when they try, women also tend to be better at it.

Collecting can be something. Guns have different operating systems, which I find interesting, then there’s historical guns, some people with money collect prototypes and trial guns, rare guns, odd guns, etc. some will collect hundreds of one type of gun. 1911 and Lugers are big for this. There’s bunch of models and designs of those guns. People will try to collect them all. At $500-10,000 a peice it an expensive collection. My guns are mostly new production modern guns. I have two historical guns. I wish I could afford to get more, now they drying up and price is going up. Surplus guns from ww2 are big in collecting but are now mostly dryied up( they haven’t been made since 1950 so when supply runs out they gone) all those nations stock piled their old rifles then surpluses them out to USA. You can own a peice or history that served in ww2. Its amazing to hold and shoot something that went through world war. I have a ww2 Turkish bolt action. Gun was originally 1903, rebarreled in 1938ish it’s over 100 years old and still working and in good shape. Just amazing if you think about it. Some people have 200 year old guns. To think where thst guns been what it’s seen in 100 years. Guns are also works of art.



MrsPeel
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05 Mar 2018, 6:41 am

Eloquent explanation, thanks, Sly.
I'm now experiencing an odd sort of cognitive dissonance: kind of wanting to look up different types of guns on google while simultaneously disapproving of the things on principle.



VIDEODROME
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05 Mar 2018, 7:38 am

I used to own a Tec 9 in 9mm Caliber with an extended mag. It was mostly a curiosity to me and just something unusual to own and take to the gun range.

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I eventually sold it because going through 9mm ammo fast with this thing was expensive.

I'll also add my opinion that if guns like this were banned because of recent tragedies, I would accept the ban. In the future if I wanted a home defense weapon, I would be content to own a basic pump shotgun. I don't need to own semi-auto weapons.

Oddly enough, I used to own a very basic .38 Special Revolver that did not fire semi-auto, but I thought it was a much cooler gun. I sold it to a dealer for cash though because it was partly broken.

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kraftiekortie
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05 Mar 2018, 10:14 am

I'm not really a gun lover.

But some people in America think that their "personal sovereignty" is breached when the US government seeks to limit their access to guns. This is based on the 2nd Amendment of the Bill of Rights (which is the cornerstone of our Constitution).

They feel "gun control" is a sign of an intrusive government.



Daniel89
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05 Mar 2018, 11:49 am

I hear a lot of Americans say its protection from the government when I first heard this I thought it was silly but when I think about it here in the UK people are arrested for saying something mean on twitter and we have the government ignoring rape gangs maybe if politicians thought there was a reasonable risk of being killed when they take away our rights they wouldn't do it.



c0r
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05 Mar 2018, 12:17 pm

I love skeet shooting and my 12 gauge is almost harmless when I use birdshot to other people. I would like to go hunting some day but I dont have any friends or a license for a gun or any money to buy one.



redrobin62
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05 Mar 2018, 12:25 pm

<--- Doesn't own a gun. Given his history of depression, would probably use the gun on himself.



sly279
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05 Mar 2018, 2:19 pm

Hers some pretty guns.

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Here’s one I own, but mine doesn’t have wood grips

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sly279
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05 Mar 2018, 2:24 pm

c0r wrote:
I love skeet shooting and my 12 gauge is almost harmless when I use birdshot to other people. I would like to go hunting some day but I dont have any friends or a license for a gun or any money to buy one.

No it’s very harmful. Often used for home defense. Bird shot will detour anything it’s hot at, me and my friends have destroyed TVs, toilets, chairs. It’s good time. We cleaned it up after.



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05 Mar 2018, 3:07 pm

I used to own a CO2 pistol for sporting. But I favor gun-ownership (I cannot afford one right now) for sporting and hunting. In more dangerous nations, self-defense is also a valid reason, but only if it is a country where you are often in danger of getting mugged or attacked. I favor registration, mental health checks and secure storage of guns (as long as the law isnt too specific about safes and isnt draconian), but I also favor open carry, but not concealed carry unless it is in a glove box.



MrsPeel
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06 Mar 2018, 3:35 am

sly279 wrote:
Hers some pretty guns.

Image

Image

Image


Here’s one I own, but mine doesn’t have wood grips

Image


Yeah, I have to say, those do look cool, especially the top and the bottom ones.
If I owned one of those I'd check the "object of desire" box for sure. Just something to keep and admire for its functional elegance :D

But if I'm honest, I wouldn't trust myself to own a gun. What if I shot someone 8O



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06 Mar 2018, 3:59 am

I checked as a hobby or collection and for self-protection. I've always been extremely fascinated with guns. I don't worry about having my guns taken away. If it ever came to that, and it won't, I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees....but I wouldnt expect you to understand that.


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Raptor
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06 Mar 2018, 4:05 am

c0r wrote:
I love skeet shooting and my 12 gauge is almost harmless when I use birdshot to other people.

NOT!
Birdshot comes in common sizes from #2 to #9 with the lower number being the largest. Even the smallest will kill at distances inside a room in your house.

Quote:
I would like to go hunting some day but I dont have any friends or a license for a gun or any money to buy one.
But above you say you have a 12 gauge.


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06 Mar 2018, 4:09 am

I don't want a gun but I call for the UK's gun laws to be much relaxed over decades - that will be the endpoint for liberty and must be voted on by the public in successive referendums. This will coincide with the promotion of personal responsibility and a pride in family and community; a sane justice system for offenders that punish for real rather than victimless crimes; civil and political liberty and national sovereignty with direct democracy - Westminster must be the parliament where UK laws are made. The statute book needs to be far more simple across the board.

Ignore the multiple edits.



Last edited by Tequila on 06 Mar 2018, 4:17 am, edited 6 times in total.

Mudboy
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06 Mar 2018, 4:10 am

Skeet shooting is a lot of fun.
I live in the country. A gun for self defense is a necessity, because the police are at least a half hour away. My neighbors and I are the defense against criminals.
The young wild hogs that get into the the garden are delicious. (The old ones are very destructive, but they make good fertilizer). Bird hunting is too much work and venison tastes too wild for me.
Family tradition makes it a duty to be on guard against the unthinkable threat of invasion or government tyranny. (Mainly keeping the revenuers too scared to search for the neighbors moonshine still.) 8O :roll:


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