Presidents and Firearms

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This doesn't count, for it was a handgun that was owned and carried as a CCW before he was President.

Ronald Wilson Reagan: When he was the President of the Screen Actor's Guild, Reagan was an un-paid informant for the FBI. He was giving the FBI general information regarding the Communist infiltration of the Hollywood movie industry, and had received numerous death threats. Reagan didn't inform on any individuals, just the activities that were pro-Communist. J. Edgar Hoover authorized a civilian CCW permit (nation-wide) for Reagan. He carried a Smith & Wesson .32 caliber revolver in a shoulder holster.
 
On a related note...last Christmas I went home to see my family. They live near Crawford and Dad asked if I would like to head to the diner there on the off chance President Bush would be there dining as he often does. I didn't think it would be too cool to try and carry into that diner in case they were searching folks so we didn't go. I am not sure how they would even handle that. Certainly the SS has no right to search everyone entering the diner unless the owners say it's okay. Whay say you???

Greg
 
Wasn't it a .405 Winchester M1895 that ole Teddy carried?

I'm not sure if it's urban legend or not but Lincoln was said to have tried out a repeater rifle during the civil war and had, no pun intended, a blast. A henry .44 rimfire, IIRC.

That's all I can gather. Pretty much all the presidents up to Clinton had military service, even cursory service IIRC (Reagan was a liaison, I think) so they'd have access and training on whatever military arm was used at the time. Heh, hard to think of Carter qualifying with an M1911 and M14 or 16, but it would have had to have happened.
 
Actually they can

... C.I.C. has Saddam Insane's Makarov pistola. Of course don't dare bring one back yourself soldier!"

Actually a Makarov is an authorized "bring back" but the paperwork and hoops they have to jump through hardly make it worth it. My son was going to bring back a Hi-Power he picked up in Baghdad on "day two" and by the time he found out what was involved, he decided to just carry it for the duration of his tour and just passed it on when he rotated.

The select fire AK's, like that trooper from Minnesota shipped home, are a definite no-no. and even though the military goes out of it's way to downplay bring back weapons it still is done.

Anyway a Mak is so cheap to buy from an FFL here, it hardly makes it worthwhile unless you have Usay's personal gold plated version.


On a separate matter...

IMNSHO, next time you make a post you might want to try and keep the pointless and unappreciated editorial comments to yourself. You seem to be new here. We have a pretty courteous board here and we tend to treat each other, and even the subjects of our political discussions, with a degree of respect no matter how much we may disagree.

If you were a big fan of John Kerry and are still disappointed about his loss and you really feel a need to rant about the current administration, regardless of the subject under discussion, you'll feel right at home over at the DU.
 
First lady Eleanor Roosevelt carried a revolver from about 1933 to the end of her life, refusing secret service protection. I think it was a S&W .38 special, probably an M&P but I don't have authoritative information on that.
 
The elder Bush carried, while on the campaign trail at least. I remember hearing about how he unholstered and displayed it during a speech in New Hampshire to show his support for the Second Amendment. Can't remember the make or model.
 
jobu07 said:
The elder Bush carried, while on the campaign trail at least. I remember hearing about how he unholstered and displayed it during a speech in New Hampshire to show his support for the Second Amendment. Can't remember the make or model.
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And then he went on to lead the charge on behalf of the gun grabbers in stopping the flow of "assault weapons" into the U.S. from abroad.
 
Presidents and Their Firearms

If we could find some historical links as to the Presidents & their Firearms, I'd appreciate it. Consider the Following:

* George Washington - former General, farmer, hunter. Musket owner ??
* Thomas Jefferson - regularly wrote in a positive way about Firearm ownership and carrying firearms regularly.
* Andrew Jackson - former General, hunter. Not sure what he owned.
* Abraham Lincoln - Farmer, Attorney, Hunter and yes, Fisherman.
* Ulysses Grant - former General. I believe he had muskets and handguns.
* Theodore Roosevelt - known for his hunting & love of the outdoors. I'd love to know what his collection consisted of.
* Franklin Roosevelt - former Secretary of the Navy. Received pistols I believe as a gift. His wife Eleanor was given a pistol she carried by the Secret Service.
* Dwight Eisenhower - former General, farmer, hunter. Owned pistols too as I recall.
* Harry Truman - former Infantry Captain. Owned shotgun as I recall.
* John F. Kennedy - Navy Cross for combat heroism. But he was from MA, so go figure.
* Lyndon Johnson - Did some hunting I believe in Texas. Not sure.
* Ronald Reagan - While still a sports announcer, brandished a pistol to save a woman in an alley way from an assault. Sure miss having him around.
* George H.W. Bush - Naval aviator, hunter, fisherman. Lifetime NRA member. Owned as I recall some Shotguns, and at least one pistol.
* William J. Clinton - Only President to not honor 'The President's 100' for marksmanship. Owned no firearms but had lots of condoms.
* George W. Bush - Fisherman, hunter, shotgun owner, and I believe he was presented a replica of the Davy Crocket long gun as a gift year before last.
 
TarpleyG said:
On a related note...last Christmas I went home to see my family. They live near Crawford and Dad asked if I would like to head to the diner there on the off chance President Bush would be there dining as he often does. I didn't think it would be too cool to try and carry into that diner in case they were searching folks so we didn't go. I am not sure how they would even handle that. Certainly the SS has no right to search everyone entering the diner unless the owners say it's okay. Whay say you???

Greg
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As far as carrying a gun anywhere near the president, I think Tommy Lee Jones said it well in the Fugitive: "Richard, you want to get shot?" Your survivors can argue with the secret service after your funeral. I'm quite confident they do whatever they feel is necessary to protect the president and worry about any consequences later. There's lots of leeway in the words "protect the president" and I'm sure they will happily stomp all over your rights & mine if they think it's necessary to their job.

Now, if I were president.........I'd have a Glock 18 on me at all times.:D
 
SouthpawShootr said:
As far as carrying a gun anywhere near the president, I think Tommy Lee Jones said it well in the Fugitive: "Richard, you want to get shot?" Your survivors can argue with the secret service after your funeral. I'm quite confident they do whatever they feel is necessary to protect the president and worry about any consequences later. There's lots of leeway in the words "protect the president" and I'm sure they will happily stomp all over your rights & mine if they think it's necessary to their job.

Now, if I were president.........I'd have a Glock 18 on me at all times.:D
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The President lives/vacations in Texas. What are the odds of someone spending a month at a time in rural Texas and not come accross someone legally in possession of a firearm? Surely this situation comes up from time to time.

I don't recall hearing of the secret service shooting anyone to protect Bush. Either The Prez's presence projects some sort of magical gun-repelling forcefield, or the SS knows how to deal with that sort situation.
 
TR carried "large hangun," to the surprise of a reporter friend who saw him pull it from inside pocket of his coat and lay it on a dresser while, freshening up in his hotel room. He was an enthusiast and tried most firearms available at the time, although he favored winchesters for hunting.

Lincoln considered it one of the enjoyable perks of the presidency to take weapons from the patent office, or which those hopeful of govt contracts brought to him directly, out for testing.

I would be surprized if any of the presidents had never owned a firearm.

To directly answer the question, I am not aware of a single-source listing of presidential firearms, but would think you could turn one up through Google or ask the NRA.

The Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Association might have a catalog of the guns in his estate.
 
Teddy's great nephew was on TV once and said Teddy had a few guns, but would usually buy one, hunt with it, then sell it or give it away. Supposedly he was never a big gun collector, just an outdoorsman. :confused:
 
Southpaw

If i were president, I would open carry a pair of .357 revolvers.
Can't tell you about BUG(s), I'd have to kill you.
 
Bush II supposedly kept a 357 revolver around.

Teddy Roosevelt supposedly carried a small semiauto in his cumberbond and it once fell out on some King's toe.

How good J Edgar 'I wear lady's underwear' authorize a national CCW? There's no law for that.

Nixon has a snubbie given to him - a decorated model.

If these are true - who knows.
 
Na, never happen,
they'd call in the MSM and say "hey he's committing a crime, IMPEACH".
Then again, it would depend on who the Prez was the his/her political leaning:barf:
 
The Frazier (sp?) Arms Museum in Louisville had Washington's long gun ready to display when the provenance was questioned. Turns out they couldn't back it up 100% that it was GW's gun so they pulled it from the exhibit. Class act on the staff's part IMHO.
 
If I were President, I would sample handguns, rifles and shotguns from all American manufacturers on a regular basis, while downplaying the "Foreigners" in my collection. (Gotta support the national economy.)

After my time in office, the Czechs, Yugos, Russians, Japanese, Italians, Germans and Belgians would get more use.

I would have a 1911 on me at all times, unless dress for the situation dictated something more ornate, like some commemorative wheelguns or something.

I would also take part in Service Rifle matches, graciously;) allowing the active duty service members to outshoot me.

Of course, I would never be the prez, but if I was...
 
A Washington hostess remembered TR taking off his coat and exposing a large revolver that he said he always carried. The Ronald Reagan story from his early days involved a 1911 he said he was issued as part of his college military training. In the White House Nancy Reagan was once quoted as saying that she kept a little automatic under her pillow. Dick Cheney is rumored to be quite the shooter and have a large collection.

Sllightly off topic, there is a new book out about the attempt by some Puerto Rican nationalists to kill Harry Truman. I think it's called "American Gunfight."
 
GEM said:
How good J Edgar 'I wear lady's underwear' authorize a national CCW? There's no law for that.
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Hoover rarely cared if it was legal (or constitutional) when it came to his actions. This is the reason so many people worry about the Patriot Act. What if another Hoover comes into power?
 
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