Worst myths you've heard about guns which are meant to scare the general public?

[Skribs]

I'm not sure if this qualifies as a myth about guns to scare people, but a lot of people don't seem to understand how different calibers work. When I say ".50 caliber pistol" most people seem to think that I mean the .50 BMG in a pistol, because that is the ".50 cal." I have to then explain that there are .50 AE, .50 GI, and .500 S&W, and that while they all use a .50 bullet they are all different.

 

[bigfatdave]

Why is that a surprise, Skribs?
Gun enthusiasts still need to be told that .22wmr is not just a longer .22lr
Police reports still mis-spell simple company names like "Kel Tec" (when the gun has it printed on the side to be read by the gomer writing the report)
How many people in the shooting community don't know the difference between 9x18 makarov and 9x19 luger (or that luger/nato/parabellum are the same thing)

 

[AZ]

He does want to. His books and speeches demonstrate this.

He just doesn't have the political ability to make it happen right now.

Would you like to provide references. I am going to have to respectively call you on that one. It is a myth, and a widely accepted one as well.

 

[Kiln]

How many people in the shooting community don't know the difference between 9x18 makarov and 9x19 luger (or that luger/nato/parabellum are the same thing)

Very true. I just had this one happen to me the other day.

A guy at work was showing me some pictures of his Hungarian PA63 and was telling me that he was just going to get a Ruger P95 9mm so that he wouldn't need to buy more ammo because he'd bought a bunch of 9mm Mak ammo.

It took me several minutes to explain to him that 9x18 and 9x19 were not interchangeable.

 

[MedWheeler]

Hollow-point bullets are meant for evil killing only, and there is no legitimate need or use for them in defensive weapons.

 

[Skribs]

Eh, I did buy hollow points because of the (internet) research I've done on wound mechanics. However, self defense doesn't constitute an "evil" killing in my book.

 

[Inebriated]

From outside the shooting community?
That guns just "go off", Glocks don't have metal in them, and that guns are specifically for going, getting in fights, and winning.

From inside the shooting community?
That .357 is a hard recoil, .22 is useless, and you have to have a Class III license to own an NFA firearm.

 

[RBid]

Recently heard on TV:

"That's full of hollow points. They go in, and ricochet around, until there's nothing left, but paste."

 

[Skribs]

The thing is, though, is half of these myths I think are started by ammo manufacturers. Specifically ones relating to how deadly hollopoint/frangible/ricocheting/etc can be.

 

[BobTheTomato]

I just remember my gym teacher telling us in health class that parents often accidently shoot their childern in the night because they thought they were robbers. Guns are evil!

 

[buggley]

my dad shot my brother because of that lol

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

I just remember my gym teacher telling us in health class that parents often accidently shoot their childern in the night because they thought they were robbers. Guns are evil!

Shows that the homeowners were stupid for not having some sort of light handy.

 

[Kiln]

I just remember my gym teacher telling us in health class that parents often accidently shoot their childern in the night because they thought they were robbers. Guns are evil!

It does surprisingly happen fairly frequently. Somebody comes home early and a triggerhappy moron fires a weapon off at them without bothering to verify if it is actually an intruder or not.

They had a case of this in the paper less than a year ago where the guy's wife came home unexpectedly one night and he shot her, killing her in their house.

 

[brickeyee]

Somebody comes home early and a triggerhappy moron fires a weapon off at them without bothering to verify if it is actually an intruder or not.

Clorox for the gene pool.

 

[jjjjeremy]

"Guns are dangerous."

"Guns kill people."

guns go off when you don't want them to.

low capacity magazines are safer than high capacity magazines

forward pistol grips make a gun dangerous

.22s are safe

 

[SlowFuse]

The black talon rounds in 45 ACP can go through 6 or 7 people and keep going!

 

[Toaster]

.50 BMG is an incendiary device

A .50 BMG round fired from a sniper rifle will kill a person if the round passes within 12 inches of their head because of the concssion it creates

 

[EvilGenius]

Clorox for the gene pool.

I think you got it the wrong way round...

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

"Hollow points are armor piercing and cop killers"

 

[timhernandez]

Worst myths ever....

"There is such a thing as too many guns!"

"He owns guns, he is crazy"

"The Government is here to protect you"

 

[Skribs]

Brickeye, the problem in your Clorox statement is that it is not the moron who is removed from the gene pool.

 

[gatorjames85]

Brickeye, the problem in your Clorox statement is that it is not the moron who is removed from the gene pool.

When he goes to prison, he will be.

My personal favorite: .223/5.56 is just a glorified .22 lr.

Edit: I forgot this was myths that scare the general public, the above is just a regular myth.

 

[hammerklavier]

"Guns are dangerous."

Huh?

 

[ldsgeek]

Brickeye said "Clorox for the gene pool."

Except it's not the idiot that gets shot, it's another family member.

 

[Spats McGee]

That there exists a "gun show loophole" by which violent felons and the criminally insane can buy any firearm their evil hearts desire (including fully automatic weapons with "assault clips") without any background checks.