Why can't guns just be for fun?

[Claude Clay]

i have been playing the monthly IDPA match at my favorite club for many years. i will work the timer or clearing table at most matches. background so as to put my request in perspective:

i asked the RO if i could run the match snap-shots and point shooting only and not be DQ'ed.
he said to play proper in the queue and than go again like that after all had shot.
when the range is just me or with friends, i train shooting and moving and not really conciously aiming. i seldom do not miss or by much. 1st pass had me 4th or 5th of the 27 that played that day. places 1 & 2 went as always to the 2 young men who are sponsered. when they play, the rest of us good naturedly consider 3rd to be tops.
anyways, my 'for fun' run was faster but i had 2 7's when ua need 8 on the cardboards. that was 10 seconds of penality.
i ended in the same position though.

it was a fun day using real SD equipment.

 

[Zombiphobia]

this is a new concept to me. All of my guns are fun except the KelTec P-32, that thing SUCKS(as far as accuracy goes), but thankfully it works well enough to double as a defensive weapon.

I tacticooled an AK that was once used for both fun range time and home defense, but it's since gone back to original configuration and is mostly just a hunting rifle since I moved to a more suburban area.

 

[loud-mouth shnook]

Personally, I think ALL of my guns are "fun" guns.
From the .22's all the way up to my biggest boomers.
Shooting an S&W 617 is different from shooting a Ruger MKIII which is different from shooting an S&W 586 which is different from shooting an S&W 629 which is different from shooting a Marlin 1894 (even though it's the same caliber) which is different from shooting a 1911...all are their own experiences.

The way I see it, the ability for home-and self-defense are an extra special perk that comes with the equipment necessary for the shooting sports.
Needless to say, certain pieces do double duty as both fun and "anti-bump-in-the-night".

But when I think of a firearm, my first thought is NOT picturing myself crouching behind a corner and ready to do battle with it. Depending on the gun, it could be in the woods looking up for squirrels or with my family and/or buds at the range, all smiles and lemonade on a warm, sunny day.

Doesn't mean one shouldn't take defense and training seriously, however, anymore than a driver would just jump behind the wheel at Indy simply because he just plunked down the cash for an Indy car. But even the learning curve is fun when someone keeps safety at the forefront. (End of sermon to choir.)

Just my $.02.

 

[Zoogster]

I think plenty of firearm enthusiasts have guns that are just for fun.

However the reason guns are not 'just for fun' is because we live in a society that has tried to take them away before, included 'sporting purposes', and generally does not recognize 'just for fun' as a reasonable reason for gun ownership.

If guns were just for fun they would be outlawed, posing risk to society without what most would consider a justified reason for existing and posing that risk.

So over time many gun owners used hunting as the excuse to warrant ownership of the guns they had. Fudds as we call them today. This was a strategy widespread a couple decades ago, apologetic gun owners that needed their guns so they could still lawfully hunt.
However all we need to do is look to many nations around the world to know just how failed a strategy that is at keeping firearm rights alive.


If guns are just for fun or recreation, laws demanding they be stored unloaded, disassembled, be transported in such conditions, and similar nonsense you see in other nations can be defended as reasonable. As well as those laws that put firearms out of reach of all except the few that go above and beyond by jumping through many hoops to demonstrate they should own firearms.
If they are just for recreation the greater threat to power or the danger posed by certain types of firearms is easier to weigh against their entertainment value.
Quite simply if they are only for recreation then the harm they can cause outweighs their recreational benefits in the eyes of much more of society.

No the only reason most gun rights can be justified in a way that outweighs the harm their existence can pose, is possession for self defense, or the real reason the founders gave the 2nd Amendment: so the people as a whole would always be more powerful than any force the government could raise against them, insuring they remain a free people.
This is an effective logical and moral defense for firearm ownership, and the reason the founders added the right to arms in the Bill of Rights.
This reason protects a much broader type of firearm, and in fact shows that the type of arms that need to be protected are those actually capable of taking on military forces, not just the single shot or double gun that can take down some game during hunting season.


So certainly many guns are for fun, possessed for no other reason. But if we start touting that as the reason for ownership and lose sight of the valid argument the founders gave for firearm ownership, the antis quickly gain victories in passing restrictions.
If guns were just for fun, you would be prohibited from owning most guns, and few people would satisfy the requirements for owning even the permitted firearm types.
If guns are just for fun, that fun won't outweigh the lives lost and harm caused with them.
Only the lives saved, the equality created, and the freedom preserved, justifies their ownership. None of which has anything to do with their recreational value.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

During shooting with anything, I stab myself with a cattle prod in between reloading so I'm never happy or having a good time shooting. My reason behind this is because if I'm involved in a shooting, I don't want to be seen smiling because it was fun because the DA will go nuts and prosecute me for it because it would look like I enjoyed it.

/sarcasm

Guns are fun!

 

[Sheepdog1968]

I think we see a lot of this "it's not practical for self defense" becuase many of the threads are from folks who are buying the initial few firearms and are having the firearms serve many roles. I have both self defense weapons as well as range/social plinking toys. When I post a question, I often try to distinguish the role of the firearm.

 

[Sobel]

I only have a Cz-82 and a Mosin Nagant. If I was in a desperate situation the cz would go to my brother and I would be stuck with my range gun and I wouldn't feel unarmed. People at the gun store judged me for having a 9x18 mak for home defense. ps. Anyone who says guns aren't fun to shoot just haven't found that one boomstick that gives em the perfect rush.

 

[12131]

All my guns are for defense, but they are all for fun, also.
Why do they have to be mutually exclusive?

 

[gamestalker]

The best self defense weapon is the one within reach. Yes, I have firearms I use primarily for S.D. carry, one's for hunting, but all are for self defense if necessary.

 

[huntsman]

but I have many guns that are toys. I would not use these firearms in a serious situation. I just think that too many people are getting wrapped up in being tactical or worrying about self defense. Sometimes you just need to relax and have fun. Not every gun you own has to be so serious.

I don’t consider any of my guns as toys but I do own fun guns.

My early influences were hunting and plinking so yeah we were more laid-back when it came to gun usage.

 

[BigN]

And I thought that's what I'd been doing all along

 

[Pete D.]

I have been saying "my guns are sporting goods" for years. Nice to read finally that others feel the same way.

"That javelin ain't no sporting toy.

No. it ain't. Neither are any of the Olympic field events. The Hammer, the 16lb shot, the discus...all throwing weapons. The broad jump - crossing moats. The pole vault...leaping over barriers. The Marathon...named after a battle related mission wherein the Greeks defeated the Persians. Hurdles - broken field attack?
Pete

 

[beatledog7]

Any gun can fill either role or both roles, to varying degrees. It all depends on the manner and situation in which one needs defense and on what one considers fun.

Every gun I own is fun to shoot, and every gun I own could play a role in HD or SD.

I would not choose 24" bolt-action 22LR for HD/SD given access to other guns I own, but in a pinch it beats a sharp stick. And it's huge fun to shoot.

Conversely, a .44 Mag with full-house 240gr loads is not really fun to shoot, but with mid-range .44 SPL loads it's a joy. But with those same magnum loads it's hard to beat for stopping power.

 

[JustinJ]

I come from the perspective of "why buy a gun that's just for fun, when you can buy a gun that's for fun and for _____." I have fun with all of my SD guns.

Because a .22 is cheap to shoot. I enjoy shooting my Winchester 94 but wouldn't use it for SD. Same for Mosin Nagant and M1 carbine.

 

[wannabeagunsmith]

If guns didn't look like fun, I probably wouldn't be interested. Same with lots of other people, it is the human nature.

 

[raveneap]

I have a number of guns that I'd classify as "self defense" but they're still fun to shoot. Then I have some that are totally fun but, unless there were no other choice, I'd never consider for self defense. Such as this, one of my favorite "fun" units, the SW M&P 15-22.

 

[valnar]

I have to admit, and maybe this is a bit crazy, but if the government did make such a big deal about it I probably wouldn't be as interested as I am. But then, maybe I would be?

I've wanted a switchblade since forever - not because I ever intended to use one as designed, but because I was told I cannot have one. I'm a grown adult now, but some "kid" behavior never goes away.

 

[splithoof]

A great game I taught my children is called "22 Golf"; each player uses a .22 pistol to chase their own colored golf ball thirty-five yards down range until it goes into a cardboard box. Several players all start at once. Once you try it, you will be hooked.

 

[rellascout]

All of my guns are for fun.... but all of them can also double as a fighting tool. The only exception is my Ruger MKII.

 

[BellyUpFish]

I have firearms that I would use in defense of my life but I also have many that are mostly for fun. It seems that many people only focus on the serious use of firearms. For example they will state that "when your heart is racing you will not be able to operate those controls due to your loss of fine motor skills". I also hear " the grips on that weapon are too slick if your hands are sweating or covered in blood". I know this may anger some people but I have many guns that are toys. I would not use these firearms in a serious situation. I just think that too many people are getting wrapped up in being tactical or worrying about self defense. Sometimes you just need to relax and have fun. Not every gun you own has to be so serious.

All of my guns are toys. Lord willing, I will never go to war with any of them. While toys, they are also tools.

My guns are just for fun.

 

[Byrd666]

For me, going to the range and shooting IS fun. I love going out and shooting a soda can full of lil' bitty holes for hours at a time. Or killing a zombie on a stand over and over again. But at the same time, when I strap on that belt and put my pistol in the holster, it's dead serious. Because it is serious and could be deadly.

 

[The_Next_Generation]

Come to think of it, its been a while since I've seen anybody smiling at the range, except for me!

The guys shooting their Rem 700s, M1As, AR15/10s, and other rifles, seem to have lost track of the 'fun' part of shooting. Most people seem to show up, punch some holes to check that they can use their weapon if need be, and leave.

Recently, one of the other members at my range and I had some fun ringing various sizes of steel at 200 yards with our .22s. It was smiles and "..*bang*.......*plink*..YEEHAW! How 'bout that eh?!"

But, it is also important that guns be used and seen in a serious light. Lawful self-defense use is pretty difficult to argue against.

I think it is important that firearms are seen as both serious and fun.

- TNG

 

[Tiberius67]

Because a .22 is cheap to shoot. I enjoy shooting my Winchester 94 but wouldn't use it for SD. Same for Mosin Nagant and M1 carbine.

A M1 Carbine is a rather efficient weapon out to about 100 yds, especially if you use soft or hollowpoints. They're even fun to shoot.

 

[george29]

Why can't guns just be for fun?

They are! This is my Rifle, this is my gun.........

 

[dmazur]

I will admit to having fun with a .22 semiauto rifle and pop cans at a gravel pit. Of course, I justified it by telling myself I was working on grouse skills...

My wife likes to blast cans with a 9410 shotgun. She uses the same excuse, but I can tell from her grin that there is something else going on.

But the practice sessions with the 1911's are a little more structured, and there is a little less smiling. We're shooting silhouettes, not cans, and you lose points the further you get from vital zones.

Sometimes we take the hunting rifles and shoot groups. I wish her .243 would open up its groups, so I'd have half a chance. So far, I can beat her shooting offhand at a 6" gong at 200 yds.

So, I guess we try to do both if possible. Practice hunting or self-defense skills and have fun.