Beware the man with one gun

[oldfool]

everybody ought to own one (or six) that they especially favor
another dozen (or two) to just enjoy shooting
and at least a dozen more "just because"

but beware of anyone pointing any one of 'em at you

 

[SwampWolf]

Feel sorry for the man with one gun.

 

[Skribs]

I have one gun. I also have virtually no training (other than what I've found on the internet) and very little practice. Should you beware of me?

 

[goon]

I see both sides of it. Personally, I've owned one of about every style of semi-auto military style rifle, each of the common bolt action military rifles, many revolvers and most styles of semi-autos.
I can use an AK, a FAL, an AR, a Mosin Nagant, an Enfield, a 1911, a Glock, a SIG, a S&W or Ruger revolver - all reasonably competently from the first time I pick it up. I like the wide range of experience I have - if nothing else it gives me confidence in advising friends on guns or in making my own purchases.

Having said that, my dad used only a 99 Savage in .300 Savage for nearly forty years. He was and still is surgical with that rifle. He generally kills deer with shots to the eye at less than a hundred yards, the the neck at ranges over that. I saw him snap-shoot a running deer through the neck at over one hundred yards once - the rifle cracked as soon as it touched his shoulder and the shot went exactly where he wanted it. Another time he shot a deer through the brainstem at a paced 400ish yards (at least 350 in the real world) from an improvised rest.
That kind of ability under real world conditions is a product of using that same rifle for more years than I've been alive.

 

[Old krow]

The saying in question is based on a false premise.

Not at all. There's some interesting reading on it, but it was used by Jeff Cooper and Elmer Keith to infer that "shooting isn't an equipment driven sport" or, "you can't buy your way to being a good shot." We at THR have a tendency to lean heavily toward "practice! practice! practice!" so this really shouldn't be a foreign concept.

It was never meant to say that owning more than one gun was a bad thing, it was meant to say that owning only one gun was not a bad thing, or your skill level was not proportional to the number of guns you owned.

If you take in in the context that is was meant, it makes perfect sense.

1. It doesn't apply to every one. It was only meant to apply to poor gun owners (or new gun owners) as a means of reassurance and to rich gun snobs as a jab.

2. When it doesn't apply, just disregard it, it really isn't a big deal.

3. The fact of owning x amount of guns by itself has NO bearing on shooting ability, practicing does and it can be achieved with one gun. See #4. for a better explanation.

4. When we give advise to new gun owners we follow this to a T, do we not?

Example; "Looking for first handgun, suggestions?" is the thread subject.
Reply; "might I suggest brand x and a crap ton of ammo to become proficient?"
Successive replies; "might I suggest brand y and a crap ton of ammo."
Or "no matter what you get, get a crap ton of ammo and practice."

I have one gun. I also have virtually no training (other than what I've found on the internet) and very little practice. Should you beware of me?

You should beware of any man with a gun, even a broken be right twice a day.