Enthusiast/collector or gun nut?

[PlayboyPenguin]

Hello, I am new here and was just wondering how this board's patrons fell into what catagories. Do you consider yourself more of a gun enthusiast......someone who loves the craftsmanship, the joy of firing, the sense of person protection in your home, etc..Do you consider yourself just a hunter who uses guns for sport only, or do you more consider yourself someone who feels it is your right to be armed at all times, a type of person who always carries, lives by their guns, and beats their NRA bible every chance they get. I myself love firearms (always have since I was a small kid). I love to own and fire, I appreaciate the craftmanship and beauty of a nice weapon, and I do believe in being able to protect my home and family if needed ( I do not hunt at all anymore so that is out ). I do not, however, believe that it is appropriate for any joe smoe to be able to walk around with a loaded and deadly weapon. I would not trust most people to pump gas into my car much less with the ability to kill with very little effort. I have fought for my country (8 yrs in ARMY/MI), I am a gulf war veteran, and have seen combat more than once but I still believe in some scrutiny when it comes to concealed hand guns (buy all the rifles you want...they are a little harder to hide in your pants). So I guess i would fall somewhere between gun nut and collector...leaning more towards the nutty side.

 

[jeepmor]

Guns for everyone....

I prefer everyone in America be required to get training and possess a gun if they do not have a criminal record. Society would be much more polite to each other and there would be a lot less crime.

Think of it from a criminal's perspective. If everyone "owned" a gun and a large majority of the populace "carried" concealed, they would have to consider being shot while committing their crimes as opposed to just having someone call the authorities and getting away in the 2-10 minutes for an average LEO response.

Other than that, I'm an enthusiast. I like the shooting, reloading, hunting and freedom that comes with the possession of a firearm, particularly a handgun. There are places in the world where you cannot have a handgun, like Canada. I'm not to keen on the semantics of it all, but they represent some freedoms we possess as Americans that many societies in the world do not.

jeepmor

 

[Declaration Day]

There are places in the world where you cannot have a handgun, like Canada.

jeepmor

This is not true. See www.canadiangunnutz.com for more information about Canada's gun laws.

As for me, I always carry, unless I am in the shower or sleeping. I consider firearms ownership to be both a right and a way of life.

I also believe the Second Amendment to be absolute.

Restricting who can own a gun, and when, is not the answer. Rather, someone who commits a violent crime should be locked away permanently, instead of being let out in six months to commit more crimes. Get them off the street for good! When a violent criminal is caught and convicted for his first offense, it should be his last.

Of course, that is not a foolproof answer; there will always be people who slip through the cracks.

That is one of the inherent risks of a free society.

I'll take my chances.

 

[hso]

Sometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes you don't

 

[1911 guy]

I'd like to be all three.

But alas, the pocket book and the wife (she insists that we buy groceries) prohibit mass and frequent acquisitions. However, I do very much apreciate fine work and I also am passionate about taking responsibility for my safety and that of my family. So I guess I'm an enthusiast and nut, but unfortunately not a collector.

 

[db_tanker]

hobbyist is my prefered nomenclature.

D

 

[benEzra]

Hello, I am new here and was just wondering how this board's patrons fell into what catagories. Do you consider yourself more of a gun enthusiast......someone who loves the craftsmanship, the joy of firing, the sense of person protection in your home, etc..Do you consider yourself just a hunter who uses guns for sport only, or do you more consider yourself someone who feels it is your right to be armed at all times, a type of person who always carries, lives by their guns, and beats their NRA bible every chance they get.

That's a false dichotomy. I am licensed to carry a firearm and do carry regularly. I do feel it is my right to be armed, both at home and when traveling. But I'm not a nut or a zealot, nor do I thump an "NRA bible." I am a Gen-X, politically centrist, college-educated, goatee-wearing, guitar-playing, poetry-reading husband, father, and dad to two wonderful kids (7 and 5), one of whom is a special-needs kid.

I am not a hunter and have little interest in hunting, and don't even own a pickup truck or any camouflage clothing. My wife and I do share an interest in some historical guns, and have a very small collection of eastern-bloc milsurps between us (some Mosin-Nagants, her SKS).

My favorite rifle is a civilian (non-automatic, non-NFA-Title-2) AK-47 lookalike. Last time I went to the range, I and my "AK-47" was the only one shooting at the 200 yard line...

I do not, however, believe that it is appropriate for any joe smoe to be able to walk around with a loaded and deadly weapon. I would not trust most people to pump gas into my car much less with the ability to kill with very little effort. I have fought for my country (8 yrs in ARMY/MI), I am a gulf war veteran, and have seen combat more than once but I still believe in some scrutiny when it comes to concealed hand guns (buy all the rifles you want...they are a little harder to hide in your pants). So I guess i would fall somewhere between gun nut and collector...leaning more towards the nutty side.

Define "any joe schmoe" and "some scrutiny."

If by "any joe schmoe" you mean someone like me, who

(1) is not a celebrity

(2) does not contribute to my local sheriff's political campaign

(3) am not a close personal friend of someone in my local sheriff's office

(4) does not regularly carry large amounts of money

but who is very competent with a firearm, then I don't think I should have to get down on my knees and beg my local CLEO to give me a permit; I think that if I have a clean record, meet the statuatory qualifications, and such, then one has NO BUSINESS denying me a permit simply because one might think I don't "need" one. So I suppose it depends on what you mean.

 

[Snake Eyes]

I do not, however, believe that it is appropriate for any joe smoe to be able to walk around with a loaded and deadly weapon

First, thank you for your service to our country--defending our Constitution that gives Joe Shmoe the right to do exactly that.

Second, thank God you do not get to decide who carries what gun.

Third: Welcome to The High Road.

 

[Telperion]

Welcome to THR! If you desire scrutiny with regard to who gets to carry pistolas, you should consider relocating here to California or Massachusetts. Here we have oodles of scrutiny, and the wise and benevolent Sheriff gets the final say on whether you need to carry a gun.

No sir, this arrangement could never be abused.

 

[critter]

Hunter-gatherer here!

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

First, thank you for your service to our country--defending our Constitution that gives Joe Shmoe the right to do exactly that.

Second, thank God you do not get to decide who carries what gun.

Third: Welcome to The High Road.

Thanks for the welcome and for the nod...but I do not believe every person does have a right to be armed. I know every supreme court decisions agrees with me also. As far as some people considering it a "god given right" there is no such thing. Any right you enjoy in organized society is granted by your fellow man.It is up to us to maintain certain freedoms and when some people want to abuse them or take them too far we risk losing them. I am always turned off a little when I am in a gun shop and i start hearing yahoos talking their crap about blowing "someone away" or "defending their rights". I know the vast majority of these guys have never had a gun even pulled on them much less had to return fire (regardless what they say in their colorful stories on message boards and in gun shops). Once you actually have to use a weapon you truely realize the consequences.

 

[Henry Bowman]

Welcome.

I know every supreme court decisions agrees with me also.

Please identify one.

As far as some people considering it a "god given right" there is no such thing. Any right you enjoy in organized society is granted by your fellow man.

By my "fellow man" do you mean a majority vote? So if a majority vote that there is no right to privacy (not listed in the Constitution so we don't need an Amendment), it is gone? Same with abortion, contraception, slavery, etc.?

 

[Declaration Day]

Thanks for the welcome and for the nod...but I do not believe every person does have a right to be armed. I know every supreme court decisions agrees with me also.

Every supreme court decision? Even if this were true, the Constitution means what it says, not what a judge says it means.

As far as some people considering it a "god given right" there is no such thing. Any right you enjoy in organized society is granted by your fellow man.

Rights are inherent, privileges are granted.

It is up to us to maintain certain freedoms and when some people want to abuse them or take them too far we risk losing them. I am always turned off a little when I am in a gun shop and i start hearing yahoos talking their crap about blowing "someone away" or "defending their rights".

As I stated in a previous post, why doesn't our "justice system" get tough on those who abuse their rights (aka criminals) and leave law abiding citizens alone?

Like it or not, in a Constitutionally limited Republic, the rights of individuals trump what some perceive as the "greater good". It has its risks and drawbacks, but those of us who believe in our way of life consider those risks to be acceptable. We cannot be free and have guaranteed safety. On this issue, sir, we will have to agree to disagree.

I agree with you on the "yahoos", but people say all kinds of things, it doesn't mean they intend to act on it.

Oh, and welcome to THR.

 

[f4t9r]

All of the above

 

[HerrWolfe]

Suppose I am the admirer of fine craftsmanship and a believer that free men have the right to protect themselves and their country from others, as I believe is stated in the constitution. Military type firearms which have the black parkerizing, obscure that beauty when it exists, so I usually don't care for that type of gun, pistol or long rifle. And likewise I don't care for other than a wood stock, except for the natural color lamainated type. Do really like the close tolerances, tight fitting actions, long heavy barrels and beautiful wood stock firearms. I do not hunt any more, not because of any specific conviction, but probably more tied to non-availability of suitable hunting lands of low hunter populations I feel are needed to assure hunter safety; and not being wealthy, I do not partake of the $6K {and some much higher] hunting trips.

 

[benEzra]

As far as some people considering it a "god given right" there is no such thing. Any right you enjoy in organized society is granted by your fellow man.

Those who founded this country thought differently...that some rights ARE inalienable, and that the primary purpose of government is to protect these individual rights.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." --Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence, 4 July 1776.

Many of the leading intellectuals who founded this country signed their "lives, fortunes, and sacred honor" to that statement.

If you're an atheist, I suppose you could quibble with the concept that humans are "endowed by their Creator" with certain inalienable rights. But if you're an atheist, you can draw a similar conclusion straight out of the concept of natural selection--that every being has the RIGHT to defend its own life to the best of its ability.

When you allow 51% of a country to decide what "rights" to "allow" the other 49%, you end up with slavery of the minority to the majority. The whole concept of a right is an individual's authority in a certain area that the majority cannot take away.

It is up to us to maintain certain freedoms and when some people want to abuse them or take them too far we risk losing them.

The right to own a gun is already encumbered with plenty of restrictions.

Right now, it is pretty much the case that law-abiding citizens with no criminal record have relatively unrestricted access to civilian type firearms. You can't just go down to your local gun store and buy an automatic weapon, for example. You can't shorten that shotgun barrel to 17.9 inches. Nor, in most states, can you just holster a gun and carry it around in public without a license. We don't have unrestricted gun access here, so if you're speaking of "taking the freedom too far," you are implying that you wish to see my freedom more strictly limited than it already is in that area.

What do you consider to be taking the 2ndA too far? If you consider allowing me to get a LICENSE to carry a gun, or to own a rifle with a protruding handgrip and a parkerized finish, as "taking it too far," then I am afraid we will have to disagree on that.

 

[shermacman]

As far as some people considering it a "god given right" there is no such thing. Any right you enjoy in organized society is granted by your fellow man

Nope. God given is correct.

 

[Kramer Krazy]

I'm an enthusiast/hobbiest, and I don't hunt. I enjoy punching holes in paper and the skill involved in non-bench shooting. I'd like to get into a more competitive/tactical shooting, like IDPA. Recently, though, if my firearms collection ever became a topic for the media, I'd be some wacko/terrorist because I "make my own bullets".....I recently began reloading.....mainly for cost of ammo reasons. You ever notice that when someone is brought up in the media and they have firearms, it's written up so sound like you are the worst type of person because the hobbiest reloads?

 

[Atticus]

Hunter and hobbyist. I'd like to "collect" but just don't have that much spare $ at this time...and likely never will. I wear cammo when appropriate.

The whole "unfettered" gun ownership thing is a tough call.
There is a great amount of irony sewn in the comments expressed here and at other gun sites. Basically no one is to be trusted, and everyone is a threat and/or moron - yet they should all be armed with silenced full auto weapons, with no questions asked or qualifications required. The world, and the people in it, get stranger to me everyday. As more and more third worlders move to the US, the more "third world" we become, while many urban ghetto dwellers would have to take a step up to reach the third world level.
I don't know if society at-large is as willing as some of us to bear the cost of total freedom.

 

[Henry Bowman]

I don't know if society at-large is as willing as some of us to bear the cost of total freedom.

Although the cost of freedom is as high as ever, its value seems to be at an all time low.

 

[Correia]

I own a gunstore, and am licensed to sell machine guns and suppresors. I teach firearms classes, and am a CCW instructor. I occasionally write for gun magazines. And I help moderate this place.

What do you think?

 

[Mad Bodhi]

I'm a freedom nut.I believe that many people know their rights but not enough know their responsibilities.I absolutely see WE THE PEOPLE as having the responsibility of keeping our government in check by the soap box,jury box,ballot box and if need be,the cartridge box.I'd like to see every man armed and having evil men live in fear of decent men instead of the way things are now. This thing about being selective of which of our law abiding citizens we deem "fit" to be trusted with the ability to safeguard their lives and the lives of their families is ridiculous.Yes, a safety class should be mandatory but that's all.It comes down to freedom vs security.Maybe Slack Jaw Joe is as bright as a box of rocks,maybe he can't hit paper at 7 yards but that doesn't lessen his rights.

"He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself." --Thomas Paine

“You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children's children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done.”-Ronald Reagan

 

[R.H. Lee]

I am not a nut; neither am I a hunter nor a 'survivalist'. I'm not even really a 'collector'. I'm an 'aficianado'. I appreciate first the functionality of firearms; I use every gun I own. Any aesthetic value, even the history, is secondary to me. I understand that possession of a firearm is only half the equation; the owner must also develop and maintain the skill and will to use it for whatever the intended purpose. I enjoy weekly trips to the range to practice with handguns at 7-25 yds, the occasional IDPA match, and rifles out to 400+ yds.

 

[Brother in Arms]

benEzra wrote:
"every being has the RIGHT to defend its own life to the best of its ability."

I totally agree with this statement sir.I think the right to defense is the original right of nature.


Henry Bowman wrote:
"Although the cost of freedom is as high as ever, its value seems to be at an all time low."

Again I must totally agree with your statement also sir. Many people are willing to give away there own freedom, even worse give or take away the freedom of others.

Brother in Arms

 

[Nightcrawler]

Gun enthusiast? Gun nut?

Hrm. Today I described myself as a gun whore.