I have a bunch of them. :) :) :). I have never used any weapon in an illegal manner. I have been shooting for over 60 years. I am also a collector of old fine weapons of history and war. I shoot them all with the exception of one that is so old I am afraid of the metallurgy and might risk destroying it and damaging my hand.
I was raised with weapons from my time as a young boy. When I was 13 years old I was allowed to have my own weapon in my bedroom and the ammunition. My beloved grandfather taught me what weapons were and how they should be used and more importantly not to be used.
When I was in High School we frequently had shotguns in our pickups. We would go hunting after school was out. Our teachers knew, our principal knew and the cops knew. They all knew because you could see the shotguns in the gun rack in the pickup window. This was just normal in South Louisiana rural society in the early sixties. I dearly miss those days. Today they would call out the SWAT Team.
PS
I no longer hunt. I just became tired of killing things with the exception of vermin. My friend does hunt on my land and he shares the venison with me. It tastes great!
You sound just like me...I got my first shotgun at age 8(that was 60 years ago also)...A .410 single shot...I use to sell squirrel tails for some money...
Since then, I’ve hunted deer in East Tennessee where I’m from...I’ve ran a string Plott Hounds and bear hunted Tennessee and Ontario, Canada...