Owning foreign war guns...

[CZguy]

Still believing there is no clear answer to this except for each individual to decide for themselves...I thought of this question I hope the OP doesn't mind an hope not to make anyone upset,
I have a question, for myself, an perhaps some would like to think about this....sure some vets took guns, an some didn't...but what if we knew the story of the weapon, that had killed the American, sure its a tool in wartime, sure its the person an not the gun....now lets say that this weapon was the tool, that had killed your dad....?....or your best friend......you find out, an its placed in your hands...not someone else's dad that you didn't know...yours...what if you had it...?
Would it be cool to have? Would you put it beside his picture an medals? Would you take a hammer an destroy it....remember, this was your dad...would it make a difference? I can't help but think that it would for me......

So, I guess you don't believe that a gun is just a tool.

Let's say that you had the gun that killed someone close to you. As you hold it, do you think that the gun aimed, and fired itself. Do you really look at it and think to yourself. "I hold you responsible". Maybe some people do but it just doesn't make sense to me.

Everyone is of course free to think what they will, but how far can one go with this line of reasoning? When I hit my thumb with a hammer, is it really the hammers fault. (and if it was, how long had it been planning it. )

 

[Ignition Override]

Until this topic began days ago, the only general negative comments I've read about any guns concern the AK, or SKS, maybe MNs.

As stated in my long group of paragraphs, people always say "Commie guns", but maybe it was because we (middle-aged guys) grew up always hearing about the Cold War on tv and the extremely close calls ( jets began to taxi out in Volk Field, WI, to bomb Cuba, due to a black bear on the perimeter fence, etc) in the Cuban Missile Crisis, unknown to most people.

DeathByCactus: It is difficult to imagine how often we have seen the AK held in criminals' and terrorists' hands on tv shows, and used in Showtime/HBO/USA Channel etc movies. Its influence on us can be subconscious, or even as conscious propaganda, but many hunters and at least one gun range owner also feel that no US citizen needs an AK, or should use it on their range. Hollywood has not really shown the SKS much.
Maybe it is the stigma which began with Korea, Vietnam, Laos (troops were there, not just 'Air America', 'Bird Air', 'Evergreen' etc), but people assume that even when semi-auto, they seem them as more dangerous/evil than a Mini 30?
I told a family member that with a good high-cap mag, my Mini 30 is just as deadly as any AK (he flew over 20 years in many ANG/AFRES aircraft, even the C-124 with cargo to Saigon).

Frankly, I was not involved with guns until Oct '07, totally ignorant about actual gun issues and saw no need for the AK, not being around any gun people etc (for 24 years owned just a .22 but used it twice). Mini 14, 30, SKS, MN 44s and Savage .22. Would like to own an AK one day, partly to spite the Leftists.

You guys comments' all reflect interesting perspectives.

 

[d2wing]

I have some commie guns, but like Japanese cars, they give me a feeling, just like leavin a whorehouse.

 

[Gewehr98]

To take that argument further...

If you are an American, do you feel strange to own a gun that probably killed your Countrymen? I am talking about Mausers/Jap guns, etc?

Personally I don't think I could own one of these guns. I own Lee Enfields, but I could not own a WWII Mauser. Great gun, but to me I just couldn't bring myself to keep a firearm that could have killed an American.

I have a Trapdoor Springfield, and there's a good chance it was used to massacre American Indians at some point during its existence.

Used by Americans - to kill Americans. Go figure.

It's a tool, period. Don't anthropomorphize it.

 

[Loggerlee]

It's a machine,it has no say in how it's used.
My mauser will defend my family as happily as it murdered others.

 

[Eb1]

Everyone of you have put sentimental value on a "machine" before. I guarantee it.

 

[Gewehr98]

Okeydokey...

Everyone of you have put sentimental value on a "machine" before. I guarantee it.

Some of us a lot more than others, obviously.

You find a Mauser, Arisaka, Luger, Walther, Carcano, G/K-43, Steyr, VZ-24, Kalashnikov, Simonov, Tokarev, Makarov, Mosin-Nagant or the like that rubs you wrong, send it my way. Those evil guns will keep good company with their compatriots in my gun safes.

Your conscience will thank you, and I'll be glad to relieve you of such a horrible burden.

 

[Eb1]

Some of us, heh....


Don't put words in my mouth. i.e. evil guns

Also I was mostly referring to automobiles. Also machines. Are they not? What else? I mean.. Why put sentimental value on anything. Right?

 

[nathan]

Let see, AK , sks, mauser, mosin. US made are 1911, garand and garand.

 

[CZguy]

Everyone of you have put sentimental value on a "machine" before. I guarantee it.

So, how do I collect on this guarantee?

 

[Eb1]

Quote:
Everyone of you have put sentimental value on a "machine" before. I guarantee it.

So, how do I collect on this guarantee?

you have never had a gift?

 

[CZguy]

you have never had a gift?

 

[Howser87]

I love the irony of this question. There are three reasons I will never think twice about owning a German/Japanese/etc gun that may have shot an American.

1. Any gun owned by an American has the potential to defend this country from threats foreign and domestic. That said, imagine the irony of a Mauser being used to defend our country should it ever come down to a citizen defense situation.

2. The gun was forged from a piece of metal and carved from a tree, according to the designs laid down by a man. Whoever used those three things put them together and then shot the gun at an American did the killing, not the gun itself. Do Japanese people use nuclear power?

3. If we still held a grudge against Germans we wouldn't be able to drive an Audi, BMW, or VW. If we held a grudge against japan then we wouldn't be able to eat sushi, play 80% of video games, use a computer, or watch some of our movies (Including ironically "The Grudge").

Leave the past in the past. Time to move on and appreciate these guns for what they are, works of art and tools.

 

[Art Eatman]

Good summary, Howser. Enuf.