Are the guns worth the trouble?

Status
Not open for further replies.
A

Amadeus

Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2003
Messages
638
Location
America
Does anyone here ever wonder, even in passing, whether owning guns is worth the trouble of owning guns? I'm not trolling. I've been shooting for 20 years and I've occasionally considered this issue.

Gun ownership is a LOT of responsibility and expense. There are safes and locks and ammo and gear and cleaning supplies and bags and holsters and belts and range fees to worry about.

There are different laws in every jurisdiction that we must consider when moving around the country, (such as for a shooting event). And those in the shooting community who CCW must be ever-vigilant about the laws surrounding said activity, including the nature of every property they enter. Does it serve alcohol? How much alcohol does it serve? Does a school own the property? Is it a state or Federal park? Is it a "Federal facility"?

Also, there's the issue of information control. Who knows I own guns? Can I trust that person today? Can I trust him tomorrow? Who knows when I'm home and when I'm not? Am I required to inform that officer I'm carrying? Even if not, should I out of courtesy?

And then there's the act of buying the gun itself: licensing, permits, paperwork, NICS checks, expense, waiting periods (in some states).

It all seems like a lot of work and money that goes into acquiring and owning an inanimate object that is designed purely to make noise and throw lead really fast.

So is it worth it? Share your thoughts. And no, I will not send you mine. I'm not ready to give them up ... not yet.
 
Amadeus said:
And then there's the act of buying the gun itself: licensing, permits, paperwork, NICS checks, expense, waiting periods (in some states).
Click to expand...
Last few guns I've bought were less trouble than last time I got a cold and tried to buy Sudafed ... but I haven't bought a gun from a dealer in quite some time.
 
Sometimes I think it would be better if guns were as free as free speech, and speech was as free as gun ownership.

How does it make sense, when there can be a requirement that a gun have a "sporting purpose", but free speech is unrestricted regardless of whether or not one has anything intelligent to say?

If you're going to speak across state lines, that speech should be transferred through a Federal Speech Licensee.
If you're going to speak above a certain volume, or more than one paragraph per speech, you need a tax stamp for that speech.
If you're going to speak silently, you need a sign language tax stamp.
If you want to buy from a speech dealer, you have to fill out a form 4473 and have a background check, to be sure your speech will have intelligent content in it, or you will be denied.

If you want to buy a gun, you can have anything you want, anyway you want it. Three laws. Don't shoot other people. Don't shoot other people's stuff. Follow all hunting regulations when hunting with your firearm.


/wishes in one hand
/craps in the other

someone please pass the soap
 
Last edited:
[QUOTE inanimate object ][/QUOTE] that inanimate object is a tool with awesome intrinsic value- they are trade goods... especially when the day comes that the antis figure out that they need them too.
 
Yes - particularly if you move a lot. Guns - you have to keep careful track of and typically move yourself. Ammo - if you collect and store it, it's a lot of weight and PITA.

I have begun to question the wisdom of having a large collection for a person that moves a lot. I LOST money (and time) on my last move and will likely lose in the future moves too because I had to move the stuff myself.

But as for ownership in general, I would say that it's definately worth owning at least some of your favorites, despite the hassel. You can't put a price on that freedom and piece of mind for self/home defense.
 
Yes, it's worth the trouble. Some of the reasons why: I believe in the 2A and want to do my part to preserve it, I feel safer with guns (they protect me and my family), and I enjoy training with my guns (it's my sport, if you like).
 
No more trouble than a large sport fishing boat.....actually, frequently a lot less frustrating and certainly one of the least expensive hobbies we have.
 
is freedom worth having

is it worth sending our young men and women into harms way i personally think it is. i believe that anything as important as the freedoms our generations of fathers have been fighting for are worth the trouble.
 
h the trouble of owning guns?
Click to expand...

What "trouble"?

You keep valuables safe and you keep things that might cause injury put away. How is it any more trouble to do this for guns?

Maybe if you're an "enthusiast" with a lot of purchases it becomes a hassle, but for the average member here it probably isn't that big an issue. Folks in California, Illinois, New Jersey, ... excepted.
 
Pick up a rifle and you change instantly from a subject to a citizen.
---Jeff Cooper

So yes, they are worth it.
 
After moving halfway across the country with an overloaded uhaul trailer full of all the gun stuff the movers wouldn't take, I probably would have hesitated before answering....

But being able to craft my own ammo, and put it on target at almost a mile brings a smile to my face like nothing else does. Yes, it's worth it, my wife on the other hand might have a different answer. ;)
 
Absolutely. After decades of airgun shooting and "paper/armchair" learning about guns, I'm glad I finally went ahead and started buying 'em.
Even in NYS, where acquiring a pistol (longarms are still pretty free of restrictions) means first getting a permit and then having that permit "amended" every time you get an additional handgun is a pain, but I enjoy shooting my guns so much and the overall comraderie of the range where I go, that it's all quite worth it.
Didn't realize how quickly my gun safe was going to fill up, nor how much cleaning they'd require, nor how much I'd be spending on ammo, but hey - we all have to prioritize our money.
 
oh hell yeah it's worth it! I have my own and I've got guns I plan on passing down to my growing family... I enjoy shooting them ALL!
 
No trouble for me at all.
However, since I went to the range yesterday to shoot two of my deer rifles, namely my Marlin 336 30-30 and my old Ithaca LSA-55 .243 I decided to give them a good bore cleaning and while doing so on the Ithaca the aluminum cleaning rod broke at one of the screw on connections.
So that meant a quick trip to Wal-Mart were I spent a whole $7.97 for a made in America Winchester cleaning kit that included a heavy duty brass cleaning rod,patches,4 phospher bronze brushes,3 wool blend mops,2 spear pointed jags,and 2 slotted patch loops.
I may buy a second for that price.
And I also spent while I was there $12.97 for a box of Remington CoreLokt 170 grain 30-30 ammunition.
Came home finished the cleaning and then pulled all of my long guns out of both safes and gave them their twice a year oil rub down.
Hell this is great enjoyment and satisfaction too me just to be able to own all of this.
While I am at it I actually spoke to a Norweigan couple briefly at a park on Sunday as I helped him cut a piece of rope with my Benchmade knife that would,according to him,be quite illegal in Norway.
No telling what he would have said if he only knew I had my LCP tucked away on me in my cargo pocket of my shorts.
No bother at all.
 
CajunBass said:
They're not as much trouble as owning a dog. I've got a bunch of guns. I wouldn't have another dog if you gave me one.
Click to expand...

Oh, and unlike a dog, which may or may not be located and returned to its owner, when a firearm "runs away" it is carefully tracked and quickly located lest it be used as instruments of organized crime... :evil:
 
No more trouble than a large sport fishing boat...
Click to expand...

That's a fact.
The money I spent on a 35ft Luhrs would have bought more firearms than I could store.
But, the boat was fun when I was younger and able to scramble around.
I kept a Mossberg 500A Mariner SS on board.
 
I spend time thinking what it would be like if I didn't have guns that I am able to use as needed.

I spend time thinking grateful thoughts for the founding fathers who debated the subject and saw fit to grant us the right to do so.
 
Amadeus said:
Does anyone here ever wonder, even in passing, whether owning guns is worth the trouble of owning guns? I'm not trolling. I've been shooting for 20 years and I've occasionally considered this issue.

Gun ownership is a LOT of responsibility and expense. There are safes and locks and ammo and gear and cleaning supplies and bags and holsters and belts and range fees to worry about.

There are different laws in every jurisdiction that we must consider when moving around the country, (such as for a shooting event). And those in the shooting community who CCW must be ever-vigilant about the laws surrounding said activity, including the nature of every property they enter. Does it serve alcohol? How much alcohol does it serve? Does a school own the property? Is it a state or Federal park? Is it a "Federal facility"?

Also, there's the issue of information control. Who knows I own guns? Can I trust that person today? Can I trust him tomorrow? Who knows when I'm home and when I'm not? Am I required to inform that officer I'm carrying? Even if not, should I out of courtesy?

And then there's the act of buying the gun itself: licensing, permits, paperwork, NICS checks, expense, waiting periods (in some states).

It all seems like a lot of work and money that goes into acquiring and owning an inanimate object that is designed purely to make noise and throw lead really fast.

So is it worth it? Share your thoughts. And no, I will not send you mine. I'm not ready to give them up ... not yet.
Click to expand...
Sounds like getting married...is it worth it? Only you can decide.
 
What "trouble"?
Click to expand...
Kind of what I was thinking. The only trouble I have is keeping them fed and happy. The very little "trouble" they are is well worth it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

M
  • Locked
Do you have some Interesting State Gun Laws
2 3
Replies
63
Views
3K
d906670
D
D
  • Locked
Gun Shows worth it?
2 3 4
Replies
83
Views
5K
jcwit
J
Jim NE
  • Locked
How many people out there own JUST ONE firearm?
2 3
Replies
55
Views
2K
ChCx2744
ChCx2744
JackBurtonJr
  • Locked
Is the damage to society from the misuse of guns worth the freedom to have guns?
2
Replies
45
Views
1K
Robert
Robert
Z
  • Locked
Applying A Gun-Control Argument To Alcohol
2
Replies
25
Views
1K
charon
C
Back
Top