Wait, what?

[tooltech]

I had someone make a comment to me this morning that left me flabbergasted. A sales rep came in this morning, and after making his pitch, asked if I knew where he could shoot Rimfire Challenge. After I said I didn't know, we talked about shooting and ranges in general. Then he dropped this "bomb": "I have an opportunity to buy a gun with a confirmed kill" he said. Ok, I'm thinking milsurp, police trade-in, something. No, someone used the gun to kill themselves, and he thought that would be cool to own.

I'm not easily creeped out, but that has bugged me all day. I'm not superstitious, and the fact That someone used a weapon on themselves or someone else would not deter me. But to place emphasis on that aspect bothered me.

Is it just me?

 

[Larry E]

Sort of like owning the guard dog that just killed someone IMHO. Not interested. Very strange lad IMHO.

 

[towboat_er]

Not cool!!!..

 

[Owen Sparks]

A gun is a tool. Its past history has no impingment on the present. Tools are incapable of action of their own and past use, either good or evil should be accredited to the user not the tool. In other words, guns don't kill people, people kill people guns are just tools, no better or no worse than the man who uses them.

 

[tooltech]

Very strange lad IMHO

Sadly, he's older than me, and I'm pushing 50.

 

[orionengnr]

Anyone who has that fascination is more than a bit disturbed. Not to put too fine a point on it, but IMHO, that boy is Foxtrot Uniform like a football bat.

I would avoid that individual in the future, and wouldn't be shy about telling him why.

Unless you care to encourage him to duplicate the previous owner's actions, and do us all a favor. Not THR, I know...and this will probably earn me my second violation...but we don't need people like him as part of the RKBA world.

 

[N003k]

It's all fine to say that the past of the gun doesn't matter, and I agree, I'm well aware several of my mil-surps may have been used to kill someone...

However to actively search for a gun BECAUSE you know it's been used to kill someone? There isn't anything wrong with the gun...but the person buying it has some issues in that case IMO.

 

[Diggers]

Yeah that's weird.

Guns are tools yes but some also exist with a history. I gun owned by a famous law man for example is thought of as special by many because of its history. A gun like this will be worth more money than another of the exact make just due to its history. So there is that. I can see people wanting to own mil-surps that have seen combat but few have a known history and the gun is really just a tangible link to history more than anything else.

To want to buy a gun because it has been used to take a life is disturbing. That it was a suicide makes it all the more strange.

If there is such a thing as bad mojo, this guy is going to find it.

 

[ATBackPackin]

^^^^ +1

That is almost word for word what I was going to say. Creepy indeed.

Shawn

 

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

Takes all kinds---I guess

 

[ghostwriter]

I'd pay a lot of cash to have a Carlos Hathcock rifle, how 'bout you?

 

[shotgunjoel]

I'd pay a lot of cash to have a Carlos Hathcock rifle, how 'bout you?

I'm sorry, but that's different. You would be buying it for who owned it and used, not because someone used it to kill themselves.

 

[shiftyer1]

I've had the choice to own several guns that where used for suicide. But who the hell wants a gun that you know was used for this purpose?

Maybe he was a friend of the deceased and this is a very wierd connection/memory between the two? But that doesn't seem right either!

 

[ZeBool]

I picture this guy looking like Lurch. Creepy indeed.

 

[au01st]

I think it is interesting. Every time I carried or shot the gun I would be reminded of the power it can provide and the responsibility gun ownership carries. That said, it would probably sit in a safe and not be shot, so I wouldn't spend too much on it.

I wouldn't pay extra for said gun, but wouldn't be deterred by its history.

 

[General Geoff]

A peculiar history to be sure, perhaps this man is less after the gun, and more after an intangible link to mortality.

 

[Drail]

Personally I cannot see what possible difference it makes as far as the value or desirability/undesirability of any gun what it's history may have been. This is exactly the kind of fuzzy logic the antis use when they view a gun as an evil thing. Would you hesitate to buy a nice car for a great price because you learned that it fell off of a jack and crushed someone to death? Anyone who would attempt to make extra profit by promoting the gun as "more valuble/cool/whatever" with a story about it is in the same class as a used car salesman.

 

[labhound]

"Its a tool", "it's not the gun fault", "people kill people, not the gun"....all true but the gun wouldn't be coming home with me! I know that every time I shot it I would be thinking about its past. NO THANKS!

 

[LHRGunslinger]

So there is something wrong with being fascinated with death?

 

[Revolver Ocelot]

I know 2 people that own such guns but the owners are the ones who killed a person with them (both lawful self defense shootings), I can understand that, you'd grow a fondeness for anything if it saved your life but owning a gun for the sole reason it has taken a life is just a little weird.

 

[mptrimshop]

it may be true that it is just a tool. But if you like to do carpentry work in your free time and the guy down the street bashed his head in with a hammer would you want to toss said hammer on your tool belt or in your box? I think it is kinda creepy... i know i would much rather run to the hardware store and pay a bit more and get a nice new shinny hammer......just say-n

 

[pockets]

Different streaks for different freaks. It's really not a big deal.

 

[BADUNAME37]

I wonder what else he has for his "collection" of tools that have been used to kill people!

He might have a large stash of hammers, wrenches, rope, baseball bats, knives, a couple of cars and this 'new' gun!

That goes beyond normal reasoning and thinking in my book. That tells me there is more than likely something evil in this person and it many times is ancestral, meaning it goes back various generations in his family in one way or another. Not always, but many times.

That person would not be my friend, the only conversations I would have with that person would be to see if I could help turn his life around.

 

[BADUNAME37]

Personally I cannot see what possible difference it makes as far as the value or desirability/undesirability of any gun what it's history may have been. This is exactly the kind of fuzzy logic the antis use when they view a gun as an evil thing. Would you hesitate to buy a nice car for a great price because you learned that it fell off of a jack and crushed someone to death? Anyone who would attempt to make extra profit by promoting the gun as "more valuble/cool/whatever" with a story about it is in the same class as a used car salesman.

No, but I would not go out of my way seeking these things related to the death of people.

 

[TexasBill]

I remember a detective coming into a gun store some years ago. He was looking for a new sidearm and was offering his blued Model 19 for sale. Part of his pitch was that he had used the gun to kill a criminal. Folks were lining up to make him an offer.

I guess it takes all kinds to make sausage, or something like that.