Guns: Yay or nay?

[bosk1]

Although there is definitely a potential political aspect to the discuss, my goal is to try to keep it more neutral and avoid an extreme political bent, if possible.  So, post your thoughts, but please keep it civil.  Do you own?  For hunting, self-defense, something else?  Should they be banned?  Whatever.

[Omega]

I say let people buy guns, just with four conditions:

1) Donīt sell AK47īs, AA12īs, Grenade Launchers, etc. You wonīt need them unless you plan on taking on an army of bears in your backyard. Sell reasonable weapons and only for hunting.

2) Donīt sell silencers or 50 round clip magazines, etc. Doubtful your taking on an army of bears, again.

3) Sell all the guns you want, but keep the supply of ammo extremely scarce or reasonably expensive.

4) Background checks and psycho-analysis for any prospective gun buyer

[Cool Chris]

My dad has a couple, but he doesn't use them. He inherited them from his dad. I will likely inherit them from my dad, and never use them. Not because I am against them. I don't hunt, but will likely keep the handgun handy for defense. Guess I should learn how to use it at some point. He has always been very good about keeping them locked up. I don't know how these 8 year olds are getting in to their parents' guns. I am 35 and would have a damn hard time getting at my dad's guns.

[lonestar]

I of course approve of hunting uses, and for home protection.  Just because we have a moral platform against gun violence doesn't mean everyone does, and if someone feels the need to own one to protect themselves and their family, that is their right.

Coincedentally, I have two friends who are huge into guns.  Between the two of them, they probably have fifty guns, including a couple AK47s, at least a dozen AR15s, and many others.  I shoot with them often, and fined it a relaxing and very centering outing.  I personally don't own any, and have no plans on buying any.

[bosk1]

3) Sell all the guns you want, but keep the supply of ammo extremely scarce or reasonably expensive.

I can see why you would say that, and I'm guessing the motivation behind it is restricting how much someone has the ability to stock up ammo and go on a shooting spree, which is a decent, common-sense rationale.  But I would counter it with this:  I am much more comfortable being around someone with a gun IF I know they are very proficient with it.  The more you use any tool, the more comfortable and familiar you are with it, including its safety features.  If you jack up the price on ammo, you decrease the amount of time gun owners can afford to practice at the range and gain that kind of familiarity with their gun(s), which increases the likelihood of accidents.  To me, that would be counterproductive.  I see where you are coming from, but I don't think it is the best idea.

[Omega]

3) Sell all the guns you want, but keep the supply of ammo extremely scarce or reasonably expensive.

I can see why you would say that, and I'm guessing the motivation behind it is restricting how much someone has the ability to stock up ammo and go on a shooting spree, which is a decent, common-sense rationale.  But I would counter it with this:  I am much more comfortable being around someone with a gun IF I know they are very proficient with it.  The more you use any tool, the more comfortable and familiar you are with it, including its safety features.  If you jack up the price on ammo, you decrease the amount of time gun owners can afford to practice at the range and gain that kind of familiarity with their gun(s), which increases the likelihood of accidents.  To me, that would be counterproductive.  I see where you are coming from, but I don't think it is the best idea.

Then simply sell ammo cheaply at shooting ranges to allow gun owners to practice and shoot at targets to their heartīs content, but donīt allow any of the ammo purchased there to be taken out of the shooting range; make a policy that states that all ammo bought in shooting ranges must be either completely used or forfeited before exiting the range and set a reasonable limit of how much ammo would be allowed to be bought.

Also, just wanted to state that Iīm not one of those who despises all guns and gun owners. Shooting guns gives me a boner, too, but there are problems to owning guns that must be adressed.

[7StringedBeast]

I think gun ownership is fine with the right background checks and precautions taken and adhered to.  I shot guns really for the first time over Thanksgiving break and I had a great time.  I got to shoot a whole bunch of military grade assault rifles and I loved it.  Shooting targets and marksmanship, I think is a really fun sport.

I don't think I will ever own a gun, but who knows.  I will definitely be going to ranged to shoot them again though!

People get really worked up over gun violence which is natural but how big of a problem is it really?  I don't think lawful gun owners are a big problem.  I think it's people who get guns illegally and are already involved in other illegal activities are the big problem. 

Getting all worked up and demonizing guns doesn't really solve the root issues as to what causes gun violence in the first place, be it a drug deal gone bad, a robbery, or a school shooting.  All these things have better ways of being stopped than banning gun ownership.

Also, I feel like a good rule for assault weapons is that they have to be packed up a certain way and held at a gun range.  I say this because if I ever did buy a gun, I would want it to be an AR-15 or something like that. 

Anyways, that's my 2 cents.

[lonestar]

I did get a chance a couple of years ago to shoot with a guy who is a sniper for the Marines.  Shooting his .30 sniper rifle with that scope was  an awesome experience.  I swear I could castrate a deer at half a mile with that thing.

[Nekov]

I am not in favor of people being able to have a gun mostly because I think people can snap and miss use it. Now I don't want to put everyone in the same bag so I think people should be allowed to buy a gun but prior to that they should go through at least some evaluations including a psychiatric one. I know this is not 100% percent accurate but if someone is considering committing a mass murder that includes guns, having to go through these will probably discourage them.

[Tick]

I have never owned one or really even fired one, accept for a 22 in camp as a kid. I am not against the right to bear arms. Someday I may want to own one and I want to be able to if I do.

[Tick]

I am not in favor of people being able to have a gun mostly because I think people can snap and miss use it. Now I don't want to put everyone in the same bag so I think people should be allowed to buy a gun but prior to that they should go through at least some evaluations including a psychiatric one. I know this is not 100% percent accurate but if someone is considering committing a mass murder that includes guns, having to go through these will probably discourage them.

Sounds reasonable to me.

[Adami]

I am fine with my countrymen owning guns.

However I don't think American's need guns.

[Sigz]

I bought an awesome gun that makes me feel like God, but I hope I never have to use it.

[7StringedBeast]

If I ever bought a gun I would only use it for recreation at a shooting range.  I wouldn't even want it for home defense.

[Dr. DTVT]

I was fairly anti-gun ownship until relatively recently (2 years ago).  I own a .45, and while I live somewhere now where I would feel completely safe leaving my house unlocked at all times (not that I do, that would just be really dumb), I might not always be in that position.  Still, I know realistically that even if my house is ever broken into, it will mos likely be going to be at a time when no one is home, which really weakens my own position of "protection".  So why own?  1) like bosk said, with practice comes proficiency.  The place I live next may not be the safest place in the world. 2) Going to the range is, quite frankly, fun.  It can also be challenging - which only increases the fun factor.

I still think limiting what guns are available and who purchases them is a good idea.  I personally wouldn't own 50 of them, but I have a friend who owns near 100 and its always fun to go to the range with him and whichever guns he chooses to take that day (shooting 10 different guns is more fun than shooting the same one 10 times).

So Guns: Yay.

[emindead]

Yay. I want to shoot my future kid's laptop with it.

[Gorille85]

I'm pretty anti-guns all around.

[kirksnosehair]

My view is pretty simple.  I think assault weapons should not be permitted for rank and file citizens.  Law enforcement and military only.  In my opinion, no one outside of law enforcement or the military really needs an assault weapon like an AK47, and the more of these you put in circulation, the more likely they are going to end up in the wrong hands.

With that said, I having absolutely no problem whatsoever with responsible gun ownership.  But I think anyone purchasing one should pass the requisite checks (background / psychological) that everyone else is mentioning, PLUS, I think everyone who buys a handgun or rifle for the first time should be required to pass a gun safety / competency test before they can get their permit.

Other than that, if you want to own guns, have at it.

Personally, I prefer something closer to non-leathal home protection which is why I may or may not have a stun gun in my night stand. 

[lordxizor]

I'm fine with hunting rifles or shotguns. I'm less fine with handguns, but understand why some think they're necessary. I'm not at all OK with automatic weapons.

I will likely never own or shoot a gun. I just don't see why an average person would want one.

[bosk1]

I think anyone purchasing one should pass the requisite checks (background / psychological) that everyone else is mentioning, PLUS, I think everyone who buys a handgun or rifle for the first time should be required to pass a gun safety / competency test before they can get their permit.

Here in CA, the rules are pretty stringent for handguns.  Much less so for rifles, but I get the rationale:  People just don't twist off and go on shooting sprees with rifles.    For handguns, you have to pass a certification test that demonstrates that you know not only the relevant laws, but also common sense gun safety.  Then for any handgun you buy, you have to have a background check and have to wait 10 days before you can take it home.  And then when you pick it up, you have to go through a hand-on safety demo with the dealer to demonstrate that you know how to operate it safely before the dealer can sign it over to you.  Overall, while it puts on a lot of limits that are somewhat artificial on some levels and annoy a lot of handgun purchasers, I think the process that is in place mostly makes good sense.

I just don't see why an average person would want one.

I hear you, but you might be surprised at how many "average persons" have one.  I started asking around recently, and I was amazed at how many people that I never would have thought would own guns actually do.  And it was like a huge expanding chain where I would ask somebody a question, and they would say, "Oh, yeah, well here's what I have, but if you want to know more about such and such, you should talk to either Joe or Dave because..." and I never even knew "Joe" or "Dave" would have guns.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

I don't like guns.  I don't like people having guns.  I would never argue that people should be allowed to have them, but in my eyes, a gun's sole purpose is to kill or harm someone or something.  Proficient users of guns still routinely fuck up and kill people by accident.  A gun will never be a safe thing to be around, regardless of the proficiency of the owner/user.

Then you've got CCW people who insist on having their gun on them wherever they go.  Why?  A typical answer I've gotten is "to be prepared".  Prepared for what??  God forbid you should ever suggest to this person that maybe their need to constantly be secretly armed to the teeth in public stems from some sort of paranoia or fear of something.  They really don't like that at all and turn it around to insist that you just don't get it.  However, never when I have had this conversation have I gotten a decent explanation as to what a CCW person intends to be prepared for.

[Sigz]

Then you've got CCW people who insist on having their gun on them wherever they go.  Why?  A typical answer I've gotten is "to be prepared".  Prepared for what??  God forbid you should ever suggest to this person that maybe their need to constantly be secretly armed to the teeth in public stems from some sort of paranoia or fear of something.  They really don't like that at all and turn it around to insist that you just don't get it.  However, never when I have had this conversation have I gotten a decent explanation as to what a CCW person intends to be prepared for.

They want to be prepared for their recurring wet-dream of single handedly saving the diner from armed robbers.

[yeshaberto]

we have a gun in our home simply because my wife feels safer with it.  she has seen some horrific stuff growing up and having a gun allows her to feel safer.  my assumption is that if someone were breaking in, simply shooting it into the ceiling would deter any criminal.  if they continued toward her still, then I would be especially thankful she had a gun.

[ResultsMayVary]

I own quite a few rifles (an AR-15, SKS, AK-47, and a Remington 308), but no handguns due to my age. I enjoy hunting and target shooting with my close and extended family. When I do turn 21, I hope to get a nice handgun or two to shoot and keep for easy home defense (and possibly a concealed carry license in the future after that). I'm a firm believer of the 2nd amendment and mostly use my firearms for sport, although I can think of several disaster or civil unrest situations that having firearms would allow to protect my family and close friends.

[lordxizor]

I just don't see why an average person would want one.

I hear you, but you might be surprised at how many "average persons" have one.  I started asking around recently, and I was amazed at how many people that I never would have thought would own guns actually do.  And it was like a huge expanding chain where I would ask somebody a question, and they would say, "Oh, yeah, well here's what I have, but if you want to know more about such and such, you should talk to either Joe or Dave because..." and I never even knew "Joe" or "Dave" would have guns.

Yeah, I've known some surprising people who've owned guns too. Doesn't change the fact that I still don't understand why they'd want one though.

[bosk1]

I don't like guns.  I don't like people having guns.  I would never argue that people should be allowed to have them, but in my eyes, a gun's sole purpose is to kill or harm someone or something. 

Care to modify your answer? 

[7StringedBeast]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ushomicidesbyweapon.svg

Pretty interesting chart there.

[bosk1]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ushomicidesbyweapon.svg

Pretty interesting chart there.

Interesting.  If that is accurate, I wonder what the spike in the early '90s is attributable to.  I also can't help but wonder how different the chart would look if the "handguns" portion was split into legally-obtained vs. illegally-obtained.

[7StringedBeast]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ushomicidesbyweapon.svg

Pretty interesting chart there.

Interesting.  If that is accurate, I wonder what the spike in the early '90s is attributable to.  I also can't help but wonder how different the chart would look if the "handguns" portion was split into legally-obtained vs. illegally-obtained.

Right, and then look into it on how many were because of gang activity or drug deals or used in some other already illegal act.

I personally would like to get into shooting guns more.  I just don't have the time or the proximity to a good range.  Shooting historical and military guns is pretty awesome too because it's like a history lesson in your hands and gives you a great perspective on what people in the armed forces get exposed to. 

After shooting an AK, AR-15, SCAR-H, and AR-30, I have even more respect for our men and women in uniform for volunteering to be on the receiving end of these guns.

[snapple]

My view is pretty simple.  I think assault weapons should not be permitted for rank and file citizens.  Law enforcement and military only.  In my opinion, no one outside of law enforcement or the military really needs an assault weapon like an AK47, and the more of these you put in circulation, the more likely they are going to end up in the wrong hands.

With that said, I having absolutely no problem whatsoever with responsible gun ownership.  But I think anyone purchasing one should pass the requisite checks (background / psychological) that everyone else is mentioning, PLUS, I think everyone who buys a handgun or rifle for the first time should be required to pass a gun safety / competency test before they can get their permit.

Other than that, if you want to own guns, have at it.

Personally, I prefer something closer to non-leathal home protection which is why I may or may not have a stun gun in my night stand. 

I'm with this. Except for the assault rifle part. I think you should end up on a heavily monitored list if you own one. Mostly because I want to own authentic WWII weapons. Some of them are fully automatic weapons.


Barry, a buddy of mine has a shotgun that he sawed off the barrel on. He doesn't even have ammo for it. But, he keeps it for home defense. Someone has broken into his home and he merely pumped it and the guy left. 

[gmillerdrake]

I own multiple guns. Handguns, rifles and shotguns. I completed a Conceal Carry course 5 years ago and ALWAYS have a .45 cal. handgun on me. Chances are I will NEVER have to use it...but I carry it for that one time that I would have to. I fully agree that those who are purchasing weapons/guns should have to be evaluated both mentally and pass a shooting class. It makes sense. But the bottom line is that criminals and the 'bad guys' who are going to use guns for the murdering and holding up stores and what not WILL ALWAYS find a way to attain weapons. ALWAYS, no matter the amount of tough gun laws passed.
 
 

[lonestar]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ushomicidesbyweapon.svg

Pretty interesting chart there.

Interesting.  If that is accurate, I wonder what the spike in the early '90s is attributable to.  I also can't help but wonder how different the chart would look if the "handguns" portion was split into legally-obtained vs. illegally-obtained.

Probably the same, I figure almost all homicides are commited with illegally obtained guns.

[rumborak]

My personal opinion on guns is that people should be subjected to a painful screening process before being able to get one. You want a gun? Then tell us about your life in detail so we can make sure you don't go postal next week.

rumborak

[snapple]

My personal opinion on guns is that people should be subjected to a painful screening process before being able to get one. You want a gun? Then tell us about your life in detail so we can make sure you don't go postal next week.

rumborak

Again, so much wisdom in this post.

[7StringedBeast]

My personal opinion on guns is that people should be subjected to a painful screening process before being able to get one. You want a gun? Then tell us about your life in detail so we can make sure you don't go postal next week.

rumborak

I'd be down for that.