Thread: Guns, Knives and General Weaponry

First, thank you to Frank for amending the rules.
Second, keep it civil. I'm a moderator now, I'll ban your asses! (I doubt I can, but I like to throw around empty threats. It makes me feel impo'tent!)

We here at SaabWorld truly represent the world, with members hailing from almost all corners of the globe. We are an eclectic mix of people with sometimes drastically different opinions on controversial subjects. Despite that I feel that we are capable of having mature discussions about controversial subjects.

And I'm going to get the ball rolling. Many of our members come from places with very strict gun control laws, and in my experience the laws made by the government do not always represent the feelings of the people. However, some people are in complete agreement with their countries strict gun control laws and would like to see similar laws enacted in the US.

If you are anti-gun, I don't agree with your opinion, but I respect it. All I ask/expect is the same from you.

But many of the Americans on here embrace our 2nd Amendment rights. I'm one of those people. I'm not a gun nut, I"m not a psycho. I was raised around guns, my dad is an ex-cop and I grew up in the country. Guns were simply a part of life for me and many of my friends. We were taught gun safety at an early age and we started hunting as soon as the gun wouldn't knock us down.

The county I grew up in was, at the time, the second poorest county in the state of Indiana. For many of my friends hunting was a necessity. Two or three deer killed in a season meant that you didn't have to buy red meat from the grocery store. Racoons were hunted by many of my friends for their pelts.

So, whats in my gun cabinet?

My go-to, personal protection, concealed carry gun is a Glock Model 36 .45. People either hate Glocks or they love them. Obviously I love them.
The gun thats always on the top shelf of the linen closet in our bedroom, loaded, in case my wife has to use it, is a Ruger P95DC 9mm.
Semi-Antiques include a Colt .38 Detectives Special snubnose revolver that my grandfather purchased in the 1930's and a S&W .38 revolver with a 4 inch barrel that my grandfather bought in the 1950's. The Colt has never been fired.

Long guns include a Vietnam era M1 Carbine, a Ruger .243 rifle and a Charles Daly Tactical 12 gauge shotgun.

I'm shopping for a Ruger LCP(Lightweight Compact Pistol) right now. A small framed, single stack 6+1. .380 that will fit in your back pocket.

So, what do you guys have?

Remmington 870 for breaking clays and hunting.

Mosin Nagant, 1943 production year. Cheap cheap cheap. Shooting targets, and hunting if I ever get around to a buddies land where rifle hunting is permitted.

Hopefully I'll be picking up a 12 gauge side by side this weekend. Who knows though. None of my plans seem to be happening; especially that one where I was going to make a brake hub puller.

A Red Ryder BB gun! And I'll shoot yer eye out with it!












Somebody was going to say it.

I don't have any guns, but I really am a good shot. Always have been too. I just don't have a reason to have one, I don't hunt, and I don't have time to go to a range. I do; however, enjoy using my uncles various weaponry at our cabin.

Our law enforcement is having a heck of a time dealing with ......... weaponry

I am hoping to start a collection sometime soon after graduating. Went trap-shooting with a couple buddies and had a blast, even if I didn't do so hot at first. I was a lot better at hip-shooting than actually aiming through the sights lol. I don't even remember what guns we were shooting too well, except for the Remington 870, I really was fond of that gun.

Enough.

The Remington 870 is the the Ford Taurus of the gun world. They're inexpensive, dead reliable and will take all kinds of abuse. Everyone should own an 870 at least once.

I remember one miserable deer season opening day when it was 38F and raining. I sat in a tree stand for 5 hours and never saw a thing. I walking back to the house just before dusk, totally out of hunting mode. As I walked into a small clearing about 100 yards from the house a large doe lifted her head and stared at me. I think she was as surprised as I was, because she froze. Keeping her eyes locked with mine, I slowly got my 870 12 gauge into position and fired. A perfect shot, she dropped instantly. Being out in the weather for 5 hours didn't bother the 870 at all.

The unspoken hunting rule goes like this: 1 shot = Dinner. 2 shots = Maybe dinner. 3 shots = McDonalds for dinner.

Originally Posted by Hirsch

The unspoken hunting rule goes like this: 1 shot = Dinner. 2 shots = Maybe dinner. 3 shots = McDonalds for dinner.

That will work for 1-shot or 2-shots dinner calls:



But not 3-shots, as we all know there is no real beef in McD's patties ............

Well, I've never hunted a cow. I can't imagine that there's much sport in it.

My brother was the lucky deer hunter in our family. Almost every year he'd walk into the woods and kill a deer within an hour. I was the one sitting in a stand for hours every day. More often than not I'd get my deer on the last day of gun season.

But my patience usually paid off because I'd generally shoot bigger deer than my brother.

Check out the YouTube vid on the fellow demoing the Ruger LCP.

How long does it take you to figure out where he has it concealed?

The cow thing got me to thinking about a true story told by Mickey Mantle. For you kids, he was THE Yankee ballplayer of the 1950's.

He takes Joe DiMaggio out to a farm to hunt deer and stops buy the farmers house to say hi. Joe D. stays in the car. The farmer asks Mantle to put down the old mule in the yard, old and lame ...

Mantle comes back and .... rants, "Sommma' bitch says we can't hunt, I'll show him so he loads and shoots the mule. DiMaggio gets out and shoots the cow in the next pasture.

Originally Posted by tunnanxwd

Check out the YouTube vid on the fellow demoing the Ruger LCP.

How long does it take you to figure out where he has it concealed?

Link?

Try:

Ruger LCP - YouTube

Well, it was pretty visible in his left pocket.

His right (I know what you mean), but the tip was the length of the pant leg and the way there were no wrinkles. One leg hung lower and heavy.

I got a chuckle because his intent was to demo how well it hides ... and it does, but there are other clues. We used to play games like ... Where is Waldo or .. Is Waldo Loaded?

Is Waldo loaded sounds like a dangerous!

Yeah, right pocket, thats what I meant. It's hard to hide a gun in your shorts pocket.

It is a nice, small, concealable gun, though.

Originally Posted by Hirsch

Is Waldo loaded sounds like a dangerous!

Just some random thoughts..

I grew up in a country where guns are not very common and I think you need a special permit to own one. There are shooting clubs where you have to become a member but I think you need to leave your gun at the club all the time. It's not like you walk into a store, shop for groceries and a gun and be able to pick it up a few days later.

I have lived in Northern Michigan for quite a while and there is absolutely no need for personal protection for me. I don't see the fun in hunting at all but I am not opposed to it either. There are too many deer in Michigan and I imagine hunting only puts a small dent in the deer population. And it is used for food anyways so there is no harm in that. I just couldn't kill an animal just for fun.

I often feel much safer in the US than in Europe. Crime seems to be increasing in Europe and opening of all borders does't make it any safer in Western Europe either. Assaults with knives is quite common so I think I would actually like to carry a gun if I would move back to Europe. At least more so than in the US.

I have been intrigued in guns and shooting and would like to try it some time. Where do you start? Do you just go to a place where they sell guns, buy one and start shooting anywhere? Do you have to do that at a shooting range or can you do it in your back yard? On public land? As you can tell, I am quite the gun noob. What gun would you start with? Hand gun or rifle? Dirty Harry, Jack Bauer or James Bond style? OK, I am just kidding with the last question..

Originally Posted by Frank Wulfers

Do you just go to a place where they sell guns, buy one and start shooting anywhere? Do you have to do that at a shooting range or can you do it in your back yard? On public land? As you can tell, I am quite the gun noob. What gun would you start with? Hand gun or rifle? Dirty Harry, Jack Bauer or James Bond style? OK, I am just kidding with the last question..

Wulf, you could start with:



And work your way up

Laws about guns vary from state to state about where you can shoot guns. Here in New York there are tons of laws. But generally it's like this (excluding New York City):

Rifles and Shotguns (must be at least 18" long to be considered one; also known as "long guns")
-No permit require
-No background check (most stores such as Dick's or GanderMountain do a quick/small background check based off your drivers license though)
-No fully automatic
-Limit on capacity of magazine (number of bullets it can hold that can be fired without reloading)
-You can pretty much legally carry one anywhere (there are areas you can't, and places do have a right to not allow them) but be prepared for people to run away in fear or call the cops.
-Can be used for hunting, but many counties don't allow rifle hunting due to their long range (safety reason for missed shots).

Pistols
-Permit required. To get a permit it varies based on county. "Easy" counties take at about a month to be approved after filing all paperwork, getting fingerprinted. "Harder" counties take a year or longer (my county) after filling out paperwork, getting fingerprinted, and having other hoops to jump through.
-Can only use for what is specified on your permit (Concealed carry means you can have the gun not visible, and take it where ever. Open carry means you must have the gun visible at ALL TIMES and carry it where ever. Target/Range only means you can only have the gun in a case for transport from house to range, and only "on" you when at the range or at your house. There are more...)
-When you buy a gun, it depends on your permit, but basically you cannot take it home until you have added it to your permit. You need to go to the county clerk's office to get it added. Then you go back to the store (or private seller) to pick up the gun.

The laws go on and on.

But basically (check your laws first), you should be able to go to Dick's or GanderMountain or (I prefer) your local gun shop and walk out the same day with a long gun. Took me 30 min to get my Mosin. If you have ample property (I'm guessing is several acres) you can shoot on your own land. Make sure you have a back-stop so the bullets have somewhere to stop when you miss the target. Or you can join (some don't require membership) a gun club and shoot there. You cannot shoot on most public land. Some public spots allow during hunting season, but most do not.

When most people go hunting, it's on other people's land. Of course, you need their permission.

If you wanted to get started, I would strongly suggest getting a .22 rifle (a Ruger 10/22 is a great choice if you ask me). Ammo is super cheap and found EVERYWHERE, so you can practice for hours and hours. It's a very small round, so for those unfamiliar to guns won't be scared of recoil. The guns are cheap (relatively). Plus, with a rifle you get the added safety of it being longer; therefore harder to injure yourself. Although, it is still a very strong possibility of happening, so you always must be careful. But, don't take much advice from me. You can find NRA courses near you (NRAInstructors.org - Portal for NRA certified Instructors, NRA Education and Training). They'll get you started, and for lots of them you don't even need a gun! They'll provide!

Oh, and if you want to go and check guns out, I suggest smaller gun shops (kinda like going to the Indy shop over the dealer). Typically you'll get a nicer guy. Tell him you are unfamiliar with guns, and hopefully he'll help you out from there.