Why do People Want Guns so Much?

Many thanks to archy [post 76] for the delightful image. To us diehard enthusiasts, few women are so attractive as those carrying a gun. Especially if they know how to use it.

They're Swiss reservists, en route to a local range for practice with their SIG 550/Fass 90/Stgw 90 Army rifles before their record qualification.

“Okay. If your life is in immediate danger, and there is a gun lying close by, go ahead, don’t use it. If you are set on dying, I supposed an exploding gun or a bullet in your head doesn’t much matter.”

odawg’s phrasing brings with it the aroma of rhetorical finality - like something’s been settled with surety.

If he (she) deems me some sort of Libertarian, hung up on absolutist concepts of ownership, that’s his (her) privilege. I can offer only my unsupported assertion that I find Libertarians too childish to survive in the real world (true of most other absolutists too).

The prudent user adapts to the situation. The more dire the situation, the more urgent one’s search becomes, for a suitable tool for self-defense. Even if it is only GGGGGreat grandpa’s fowling piece(not that I’d volunteer to stand in front of a functioning one).

Short of that, forum members are urged to attend closely to particulars of ownership. And attend equally closely, to what will or won’t work for them, in instances of mortal peril.

Since incidents can arise with little warning and go wrong in a hurry, it’s prudent to think one’s way through tactical scenarios, and accumulate tools in anticipation of ugly happenings that have not yet occurred (with thanks to the late Mel Tappan).

For those set on owning firearms, find out beforehand, what you can handle. And afford. Buy quality as the budget permits. Do not go with older items; they fail in unanticipated ways, often at the least opportune moment. “They don’t make them like they used to” is an adage to be avoided. In practical terms, this means anything predating 1940, of US origin. Foreign items are less certain.

Obtain enough ammunition, and spare parts and support stuff (cleaning tools and supplies). Train with your arms. And above all, stay safe.

Once hostile action begins, there are no sure things. All you can do is improve the odds. I’ve no idea why odawg chose the silly expression “set on dying,” but the objective ought to be to stop the hostile actions of one’s adversaries. By life, death, or any other means necessary.

Please report back to your sanitarium.

In answer to the title question, it's much more satisfying to shoot a gun at people who are trying to harm you than to shoot your mouth or your finger. The premise is that there are people trying to harm you. Which is demonstrably the case.

A second answer is one I reserve for the more obnoxious liberals - what do I *need* a gun for? I don't need a gun. I have a gun. The guy who needs a gun is the one who doesn't.

“In answer to the title question, it’s much more satisfying to shoot a gun at people who are trying to harm you ...”

With thanks to Billthedrill for reminding the forum of the original point of this thread -

After more than a dozen years in the gun sales & repair business, I will venture to guess that there are more reasons to own a gun than there are people wanting to own guns. Which adds up to hundreds of millions of reasons, in the US alone.

As many noted, a good primary reason is defense of self, family, and community. After that comes food procurement, training (much more broad than simply learning how to handle an arm and shoot properly), sport, recreation, study & research, investment ...

Aside from the top two or three, every new gun buyer brings their own reasons. As a sales staffer, I never ask for a reason - unless the customer is unsure what they want or why, and do not know what might be available, or suitable. Then (and only then) it becomes my professional responsibility to sound them out - to a degree - on their goals and reasons, and give such advice as they might need.

Billthedrill is absolutely right in correcting obnoxious lberals. We must stop them in their tracks, as they pursue their arrogant quest to tell the rest of us how to live. Perhaps we should give thought to how we might alter the culture, to place the query “What do you need it FOR??!” outside the bounds of polite conversation.

If odawg and other posters find my responses pedantic or picky, I can ask but one question in response: which gun-ignorant citizen will forgive us, if we (who already know some details about firearms & related stuff) give them sloppy, ill-considered (or just plain erroneous) advice, and on the strength of such they injure themselves or loved ones, because we told them to get the wrong gun, or the wrong ammunition to use in it?