Gun control poll--please read OP for assumptions.

[Pardalis]

Why should the government make that decision for the citizen? How are the police going to protect you during the time the intruder has entered your home and is heading for your bedroom?

Why would you provide special dispensation for the police to own and carry firearms and not a law-biding citizen?

Well, the way I see it at least the police are trained to evaluate a dangerous situation and act accordingly, not the regular people. If anything, I think owning a gun is more of a hazzard even for the owner. It increases the chances of something going wrong, IMO.

 

[Drudgewire]

Well, the way I see it at least the police are trained to evaluate a dangerous situation and act accordingly, not the regular people. If anything, I think owning a gun is more of a hazzard even for the owner. It increases the chances of something going wrong, IMO.

That's not always the case. Yes, there are irresponsible gun owners. There are also those of us who have taken courses that rival police training and regularly hit the range as constant gun safety refreshers. I certainly don't want to risk jail time or even the loss of my guns because I acted negligently, and if I thought for one second the possibility of that happening came close to the possibility of my last thought as I lie in a pool of my own blood being "sure wish I'd had a gun" I wouldn't carry one.

As I always wind up saying in these threads, if someone creates a machine that elimiinates every gun on the planet with the push of a button I'll be the first in line to vote for its use. Until that happens people who wish to do harm with them have them, and I'm not giving up the even playing field.

 

[fuelair]

Except firearms clearly don't prevent people being robbed, mugged, raped and murdered, so I fail to see the relevance.

True - if you do not have one. If you do, quite relevant. Unless, of course, you are claiming that a gun has never prevented one or all of those from occuring for at least some who would have been victims.

Other than a gun, I have no problem using a knife -(preferred) knuckle duster - my favorite (have two) has nice St. st. points and a short blade in the center (line of thrust). Used correctly
the short blade will guarantee severing of aorta (high hit), cutting heart tissue (mid hit), cutting solar plexus and liver, or ...- delivers more functional thrust that normal knife positions - and it looks cute to those who do not know better (not unlike the Hibben throwing ax when you are not using it to throw). My preference is 1)not to need any weapons, 2) if needed, to have the best for guaranteeing my survival - and opposite for attacker, 3) for places that do not want citizens protected, to carry things that will work nicely, though more difficult to use. Some day we should discuss my love for Bic pens (biros, I believe, where you are).

 

[MattusMaximus]

But I looooves me some guns, carry one everywhere I go.

Cool. May I ask what caliber?

 

[fuelair]

Cool. May I ask what caliber?

Not D, but currently my regular is Taurus, .357 mag, Black Talons, speedloader w/5 more just in case. Snub, shrouded hammer.

 

[fuelair]

Take a Virginia tech type of scenario.

Not only would there be only one crazy gunman, but if everyone owned a gun and could carry it everywhere, you would have dozens of gunmen. And once the police arrives on the scene, how are they supposed to discern between the good guys and the bad guy? For all they know, now they have dozens of people shooting at each other. Heck, once the first person starts to shoot back at the crazy gunman, how are the other people going to know who was the instigator?

I think in this sort of scenario, gun ownership compounds the chaos, instead of stopping it.


It can remain a sport I guess (although I don't agree).

Did not stop it at Va. Tech.

 

[Pardalis]

That's not always the case. Yes, there are irresponsible gun owners. There are also those of us who have taken courses that rival police training and regularly hit the range as constant gun safety refreshers.

You may have hit something there. Maybe there should be mandatory courses to own a gun, exactly like for owning a vehicle.

 

[fuelair]

I guess your country does not trust its citizens to own firearms. But firearms used for hunting are more lethal than ones purchased for collecting, plinking and personal protection.

I'm doing my small part to make that a little less true, but true it is.

 

[MattusMaximus]

Not D, but currently my regular is Taurus, .357 mag, Black Talons, speedloader w/5 more just in case. Snub, shrouded hammer.

Wow - nice!

Btw, I'm pretty liberal, but I can appreciate such hardware

 

[Darth Rotor]

You forgot the CF Larsen option.

 

[gnome]

I am, as ever, frustrated by a poll that requires me to declare myself as "liberal" or "conservative" before stating my view on the subject at hand. I'm not either. I am generally "socially liberal"--what people smoke, drink, read, view or screw is not the State's business--and "fiscally conservative"--the State should stick to a limited list of responsibilities, and should collect and spend tax money parsimoniously. What does that make me?

I can understand the frustration, I hope it helps for me to say that I wasn't assuming everyone would fit into this poll--I was primarily interested in the range of opinion among people that consider themselves distinctly liberal or conservative.

 

[Drudgewire]

Cool. May I ask what caliber?

Usually carry a .38 airweight, but occasionally put on the Galco holster and sport a Glock 26 (9mm) if I'm feeling froggy.

Some say it's not enough stopping power but I'm not looking to shoot through walls or anything, and since I always have one or the other of these in the chamber I feel confident they'll do what they need to.

Speer GoldDot's "star stabbing" swaging operation provides maximum damage without over-penetration.

Hornady TAP turns body gelatin to goo, and they're pretty to boot.


I also have a full-size .38 Smith for the nightstand, although it'll probably be upgraded to .40 soon because I'm absolutely in love with the new Glock RTF.

 

[gdnp]

I think all guns should be registered and gun owners should be licensed after passing an exam. We do it with cars and drivers.

 

[Drudgewire]

I think all guns should be registered and gun owners should be licensed after passing an exam. We do it with cars and drivers.

I do wish people would take a safety course before buying their first gun. As far as registration goes, I'm happy living in a state which doesn't require it. I'm not saying I think our gun-hating Attorney General is going to try and take them from us, but I'd rather he didn't know exactly what to look for "just in case."

 

[madurobob]

I think all guns should be registered and gun owners should be licensed after passing an exam. We do it with cars and drivers.

I pretty much agree. Problem is, there is something like 18 bazillion guns in the US and you're just not going to get all their owners to walk into the local tax office to register them. I've said before I think we should register all firearms and track them as we do vehicles and allow their sale only via FFL. But, I admit I'd be one who only registered maybe 1/2 his collection. The other 1/2... no-one need know about but me.

But, at least we'd have a good handle on any new or used firearms sold legitimately.

 

[FlamingMoe]

Usually carry a .38 airweight, but occasionally put on the Galco holster and sport a Glock 26 (9mm) if I'm feeling froggy.

[qimg]http://www.lethalwrestling.com/upload/glockbox3.jpg[/qimg]

No Pearce mag extenders? You must have small hands, sir. I ordered a pair of 'em the day after I took my G27 (like the G26, but .40 S&W) to the range for the first time and felt quite unsafe limited to a two-finger grip on the thing. Took it to the range for the second time on Monday, and there's quite the improvement in control.

 

[gdnp]

I pretty much agree. Problem is, there is something like 18 bazillion guns in the US and you're just not going to get all their owners to walk into the local tax office to register them. I've said before I think we should register all firearms and track them as we do vehicles and allow their sale only via FFL.

And we can prosecute anyone found with an illegal firearm. If guns are registered, only outlaws will have unregistered guns.

But, I admit I'd be one who only registered maybe 1/2 his collection. The other 1/2... no-one need know about but me.

I suspect that there are many who feel as you do. I hope that most would reconsider if confronted with the potential of fines, confiscation, revocation of their firearms license, and potentially prison time if caught with an unregistered weapon.

 

[Drudgewire]

No Pearce mag extenders? You must have small hands, sir. I ordered a pair of 'em the day after I took my G27 (like the G26, but .40 S&W) to the range for the first time and felt quite unsafe limited to a two-finger grip on the thing. Took it to the range for the second time on Monday, and there's quite the improvement in control.

That was the first pic out of the box.

I can shoot it without the extender but yeah, full grip is the difference between night and day (and it's two extra bullets in the magazine so double yay!)

But, I admit I'd be one who only registered maybe 1/2 his collection. The other 1/2... no-one need know about but me.

I bought my first handgun from a friend. I went to Wal-Mart to buy ammo and asked the guy where I go to register my firearm. He laughed and laughed.

 

[MattusMaximus]

Usually carry a .38 airweight, but occasionally put on the Galco holster and sport a Glock 26 (9mm) if I'm feeling froggy.

[qimg]http://www.lethalwrestling.com/upload/glockbox3.jpg[/qimg]

[qimg]http://www.lethalwrestling.com/upload/swbox3.jpg[/qimg]

Some say it's not enough stopping power but I'm not looking to shoot through walls or anything, and since I always have one or the other of these in the chamber I feel confident they'll do what they need to.

[qimg]http://www.lethalwrestling.com/upload/SPEER203.jpg[/qimg]

Speer GoldDot's "star stabbing" swaging operation provides maximum damage without over-penetration.


[qimg]http://www.lethalwrestling.com/upload/40swh.jpg[/qimg]
[qimg]http://www.lethalwrestling.com/upload/hornadaygel.jpg[/qimg]

Hornady TAP turns body gelatin to goo, and they're pretty to boot.

I also have a full-size .38 Smith for the nightstand, although it'll probably be upgraded to .40 soon because I'm absolutely in love with the new Glock RTF. [qimg]http://www.lethalwrestling.com/upload/clint.gif[/qimg]

 

[Tricky]

I think all guns should be registered and gun owners should be licensed after passing an exam. We do it with cars and drivers.

Funny. I think the same thing about children. How come you have to have a permit to own a gun or a car, but any doofus can have a kid, no matter whether or not they've got any training at all?

(Yeah, I know. Derail, but let me say in my defense that most gun crimes are committed by somebody's child.)