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This thread is to discuss what guns you own, or plan to own (or would like to own). If you want to discuss other posters' answers, that's fine, but do NOT derail this thread by complaining about gun ownership or gun control laws, or anything like that. You can discuss this policy with mods or in website feedback, but violators in this thread will be warned or banned depending on the severity of the offence. |
On July 08 2011 11:20 Kahuna. wrote:Show nested quote +On July 08 2011 11:12 nalgene wrote:On July 08 2011 11:08 Kahuna. wrote:
Why do you own guns? shooting range is fun? hobbies? collections...? Oh sorry, I was asking the person who posted the OP directly. But yeh, those reasons seem pretty cool. Are those generally the reasons for owning them? Also, to gun owners in general, I'm wondering if there are any gun owners who own guns solely for the purpose of protection. And, what kinds of things contribute to the desire for having this level of protection, since not everyone feels that they need that much protection during their everyday lives. Is it possibly the neighbourhood you live in... i.e. Lots of robberies and break-ins in your region? Or is it just a general sense of extra safety that you feel you need? So yeh, more along the psychology behind owning guns... Oh, and what is "grandfathering"?
Grandfathering is the act of inheriting guns that are otherwise illegal. Like in the case of the 11 working condition miniguns (gatling guns) in the USA, they weren't made illegal for civilian use before 1984, and all civilian miniguns made before that are perfectly legal to own. They have been sold, and some will probably be inherited.
Now, to your questions.
No, I do not keep a gun for protection. I keep one to hunt. It's a bolt action mauser from maybe 30 years ago, caliber .308 (not certain, ages since I used it). No army weapon, in other words. I could see me hunting without a gun, but that would be cruel towards the animals, and when you're going to kill them, I figure it's better that they don't suffer. I use it mostly like a tool when hunting, and I wouldn't dream of using it for protection or threatening anyone, as that could go horribly wrong horribly fast. If someone breaks into my home and steals my shit, I'm not going to take their life because of it. It's just stuff, you can get it in a store. The gun itself is kept in a shooting range about 1 km from my house, locked inside a bunker, picked apart with ammunition in another safe, so they're not going to steal that anyway. Most people breaking into houses in this country are unarmed druggies, and it's extremely rare that they harm you. (And judging by statistics, such is also life in most states in the USA)
I am considering getting a double barreled 12 gauge shotgun for duck/goose hunting though. Not gone into specifics as of yet, but it will undoubtedly be a sturdy gun which can take a beating. Anyone got any good models which doesn't go to hard on the wallet? 
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On July 12 2011 07:45 FagelBagel wrote:Show nested quote +
I've used a Colt HBAR AR15 for 15 years, and have used the forward assist a total of zero times. It's there as a backup for when shit goes wrong, not for using every reload. I've put thousands of rounds through it, and jammed maybe twice, due to my own failure when reloading that ammunition. Most feed problems are actually due to magazines... which has nothing to do with the rifle's design.
They also make newer rifles based on the AR15 platform with a gas-piston operation if you're that picky about it. But honestly, if you keep your gun well maintained and lubed, it will keep shooting for many many years.
Most civilian model ARs are of higher quality then what the military uses. I have an M16A4 straight from the Marine Corps (Step father was in the marines) and it performs substantially worse then my Ruger SR556 (civilian AR). The M16 is as clean as it can get, marines are told to clean their rifles in downtime and there is a lot of downtime. The forward assist is to help a round get chambered correctly, combination of sub-par ammo and inefficient design cause rounds to get improperly chambered a lot. It can get pretty dangerous sometimes. If you get a blown primer stuck in the chamber or in the barrel it can explode the gun. This is why I always step back when someone at the range starts pulling the trigger and smacking the gun when its jammed.
Yeah, the military buys bad shit for excessive prices. You can replace everything but the lower receiver, though, since that's where the Serial is. If you're willing to spend a fortune on aftermarket parts for a rifle you don't get to take with you when you get out. I didn't.
The only weapon I hated worse than the M4 was the M249, because my unit was lazy and made us use the magazine well instead of getting belt ammo for us, but they wouldn't give us spare magazines to double spring with. Since it's an open bolt machine gun, and has so high of a rate of fire, a magazine with a single spring feeds too slow, so you get a lot of misfeeds and chopped rounds that way. Like literally chopped in half rounds. Not something you really want going on.
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Great video of how not to pull a gun from your holster... lol for all the wrong reasons!
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^ thats too funny! The slow mo is so epic. Way to go cowboy.
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To those complaining about guns:
I've recently realized of how unprotected I am in the situation that a burglar or some kind of murderer was to break into my house and pose a critical threat to me and/or my family. I mean really, what can I do if I'm in my bed, and I hear some window breaking? Sure I could fight physically, but what kind of criminal would break into a house without a weapon? We could hide, but its not that hard to find 2+ people in a house in under 10 minutes, especially if those 2+ people are whimpering or crying. Therefore, I've realized that guns (or i guess some alternative weapon, preferably not melee-range) are the only way of defending myself and I plan on getting one when I can.
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if i wanted to get a gun for something in case of a emergency like a burglary what would you suggest? I have like no knowledge of guns, but I figure a pistol of some kind.
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On July 08 2011 11:15 Aeres wrote:This is my rifle. + Show Spoiler +There are many like it, but this one is mine.
Hahahahaha.
Before clicking on the spoiler, I thought "Aeres, really?"
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On July 12 2011 17:14 thisisSSK wrote:
To those complaining about guns:
I've recently realized of how unprotected I am in the situation that a burglar or some kind of murderer was to break into my house and pose a critical threat to me and/or my family. I mean really, what can I do if I'm in my bed, and I hear some window breaking? Sure I could fight physically, but what kind of criminal would break into a house without a weapon? We could hide, but its not that hard to find 2+ people in a house in under 10 minutes, especially if those 2+ people are whimpering or crying. Therefore, I've realized that guns (or i guess some alternative weapon, preferably not melee-range) are the only way of defending myself and I plan on getting one when I can.
Good points, and those (most ppl, inside and outside of the US) will try to scold you for what you just said and it is just insane. Most ppl live in la-la land and think "I am a good person, not a drug dealer, and dont have enemies so therefor I am safe" This is NOT true, random acts of violence occur all the time, and yes it is terrible and if we could do anything with it that would be great, however that is an impossible task. There ARE THOSE OUT THERE who will kill you for 5 bucks for drugs, and not ONLY in 'ghettos' do these ppl exist.
I understand there are ppl who are not comfortable/dont like guns, fine, dont own them, its better for the gun owning community that you dont own them until you understand them anyways as you will end up hurting yourself of a loved one due to your ignorance about how powerful they truely are, so educate yourself or stay away.
I own:
2 AR-15's, both custom built from a mix of BCM and RRA components, one with just no frills open sites, one with an aimpoint.
Kimber 1911 Govt Model
Remington 870 12-G shotgun
S&W M&p 9mm
Custom built Savage .308
I carry the 9 or .45 a lot, and keep the rest around the house for fun/hunting/defense.
To those who don't want/like/respect/appreciate firearms, live in your la-la land, that's fine, just dont bother us who want to RESPONSIBLY own and operate firearms. And PLEASE stay away/don't touch them if you are unfamiliar with them and do NOT let your buddies handle them carelessly, ridicule them for it as it may one day save their or someone elses life. They are NOT toys!
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On July 12 2011 17:24 Bizarro252 wrote:Show nested quote +On July 12 2011 17:14 thisisSSK wrote:
To those complaining about guns:
I've recently realized of how unprotected I am in the situation that a burglar or some kind of murderer was to break into my house and pose a critical threat to me and/or my family. I mean really, what can I do if I'm in my bed, and I hear some window breaking? Sure I could fight physically, but what kind of criminal would break into a house without a weapon? We could hide, but its not that hard to find 2+ people in a house in under 10 minutes, especially if those 2+ people are whimpering or crying. Therefore, I've realized that guns (or i guess some alternative weapon, preferably not melee-range) are the only way of defending myself and I plan on getting one when I can. Good points, and those (most ppl, inside and outside of the US) will try to scold you for what you just said and it is just insane. Most ppl live in la-la land and think "I am a good person, not a drug dealer, and dont have enemies so therefor I am safe" This is NOT true, random acts of violence occur all the time, and yes it is terrible and if we could do anything with it that would be great, however that is an impossible task. There ARE THOSE OUT THERE who will kill you for 5 bucks for drugs, and not ONLY in 'ghettos' do these ppl exist. I understand there are ppl who are not comfortable/dont like guns, fine, dont own them, its better for the gun owning community that you dont own them until you understand them anyways as you will end up hurting yourself of a loved one due to your ignorance about how powerful they truely are, so educate yourself or stay away. I own: 2 AR-15's, both custom built from a mix of BCM and RRA components, one with just no frills open sites, one with an aimpoint. Kimber 1911 Govt Model Remington 870 12-G shotgun S&W M&p 9mm I carry the 9 or .45 a lot, and keep the rest around the house for fun/hunting/defense. To those who don't want/like/respect/appreciate firearms, live in your la-la land, that's fine, just dont bother us who want to RESPONSIBLY own and operate firearms. And PLEASE stay away/don't touch them if you are unfamiliar with them and do NOT let your buddies handle them carelessly, ridicule them for it as it may one day save their or someone elses life. They are NOT toys!
Yes you understood me exactly. I'm scared of those "random events." Having a gun around significantly increases your chance of survival in those situations. Also, I have shot my friends rifle on the range and I find it fun as a competitive sport, trying to hit that bulls eye 
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On July 12 2011 17:22 oogieogie wrote:
if i wanted to get a gun for something in case of a emergency like a burglary what would you suggest? I have like no knowledge of guns, but I figure a pistol of some kind.
If you want something purely for home defense, get a shotgun. Preferably in 12-gauge. Pistols are better than nothing for home defense...but just barely. Much easier to accidentally shoot someone with a pistol, too.
Even the more powerful pistol cartridges aren't very reliable for killing other human beings immediately. Not compared to rifle rounds or buckshot. And it's not like portability or concealment are the highest priorities for firearm selection when someone breaks into your house...
If you're worried about collateral damage, use a shell that spews stuff smaller than buckshot. For even odds of having the transgressor survive, use less-lethal rounds (note: both of these actions will probably increase your chances of death or injury by some amount).
And weigh out the pros and cons of gun ownership before buying a firearm. I assume you've already done that. though, so that might be moot.
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Owning guns for the use of personal defence as a civilian has always been a bizarre thing for me. It seems as if this mentality of "i must own a gun to protect my house from bad d00ds with guns" Is only a problem because guns are available to the general populace in the first place.
I have always felt that a large part of the human race are incredibly unreliable or morally broken and are fairly stupid, allowing the widespread sale of lethal weapons is the last thing i think of as being sensible it should only take one mentally unstable person to walk into a public area and gun down 50 people for it to dawn on people that guns are probably not the best thing to release into civilian every day life. And its not even a case of just saying "well you have to get a gun license and have a psych stability test to be able to get a gun" because all that spinning top has to do is go to daddies locker and pull out his revolver and go to town.
I fully understand its a law or a right (constitution or something?) in a lot of countries. I also really like guns and think they are pretty sweet. But if you think about it, if guns are prohibited then you don't need a gun to protect your selves from another gun. It removes the whole Fight Fire With Fire situation.
I mean in Australia guns are prohibited and no one fears someone mugging you at night with a gun or breaking into your house with a gun.
I mean its hard to look at it from both sides and i fully accept that your outlook is different but it just seems out of this world that you consider a shotgun necessary for HOME defence.
The one bright side to having guns is that if there is a zombie apocalypse you can kill alot of shit quick
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On July 12 2011 17:22 oogieogie wrote:
if i wanted to get a gun for something in case of a emergency like a burglary what would you suggest? I have like no knowledge of guns, but I figure a pistol of some kind.
There's really two main options, a shotgun or a pistol. Shotguns have much greater stopping power in the form of slugs and buckshot but also have the ability to shoot smaller buckshot or birdshot which minimizes the chance of hitting anybody on the street or through a wall as well as well as slugs that are designed not to over penetrate. Personally, I wouldn't recommend birdshot or less than lethal rounds for self defense. Their downside is that they are long and somewhat unwieldy in close quarters. Some people try to overcome this with a pistol grip but this makes it much harder to shoot. Another downside is that it isn't the most simple to shoot which could matter in the stressful situation of a home invasion. Many people won't store a round in the chamber which means you have to rack the slide once before you can shoot and in many models, a thumb tab has to be up before you can rack the slide. In my opinion, the Remington 870 and Mossberg 500 are the two best pump action shotguns and aren't all that expensive.
The second option is a pistol. Nowadays, with a good hollow point bullet they have very good stopping power. I would never use a jacketed hollow point as a self defense round, especially in a house where it could go through a person and out a window, or miss and go through a wall. Also, they don't have the stopping power to stop a man all of the time. A handgun is easier to maneuver with in close quarters but may require more training (Although a shotgun requires training too. It's not like in video games where all you have to do is shoot in the general direction of the target). A double action revolver is the simplest gun you can shoot which is important for stressful situations. Literally, all you have to do is point and shoot. The downside is that you only have 6-7 shots and it is slow to reload. A Glock, or similarly operation pistol, is also a good option as it has no external safety, high round capacity and are easy to reload but you have to cock the slide.
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+ Show Spoiler +On July 12 2011 18:32 Ledo wrote:
Owning guns for the use of personal defence as a civilian has always been a bizarre thing for me. It seems as if this mentality of "i must own a gun to protect my house from bad d00ds with guns" Is only a problem because guns are available to the general populace in the first place.
I have always felt that a large part of the human race are incredibly unreliable or morally broken and are fairly stupid, allowing the widespread sale of lethal weapons is the last thing i think of as being sensible it should only take one mentally unstable person to walk into a public area and gun down 50 people for it to dawn on people that guns are probably not the best thing to release into civilian every day life. And its not even a case of just saying "well you have to get a gun license and have a psych stability test to be able to get a gun" because all that spinning top has to do is go to daddies locker and pull out his revolver and go to town.
I fully understand its a law or a right (constitution or something?) in a lot of countries. I also really like guns and think they are pretty sweet. But if you think about it, if guns are prohibited then you don't need a gun to protect your selves from another gun. It removes the whole Fight Fire With Fire situation.
I mean in Australia guns are prohibited and no one fears someone mugging you at night with a gun or breaking into your house with a gun.
I mean its hard to look at it from both sides and i fully accept that your outlook is different but it just seems out of this world that you consider a shotgun necessary for HOME defence.
The one bright side to having guns is that if there is a zombie apocalypse you can kill alot of shit quick
One of the better posts I have seen around here and one I can fully agree with.
I wouldnt trust 99% of worlds population to use guns in a safe and responsible way. Most humans are not intelligent, they are highly emotional or have no moral compass whatsoever. Just look at the postings above, where someone wants the gun not to defend himself but to kill the perpetrator and discuss which kind of gun is best to instant kill ? This discussion alone is a sign that people lack the moral resonsibility for carrying guns.
If you have a gun the only thing that is for sure is that you, your children or your wife are more likely to die in a domestic violence.
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On July 12 2011 18:32 Ledo wrote:
Owning guns for the use of personal defence as a civilian has always been a bizarre thing for me. It seems as if this mentality of "i must own a gun to protect my house from bad d00ds with guns" Is only a problem because guns are available to the general populace in the first place.
I have always felt that a large part of the human race are incredibly unreliable or morally broken and are fairly stupid, allowing the widespread sale of lethal weapons is the last thing i think of as being sensible it should only take one mentally unstable person to walk into a public area and gun down 50 people for it to dawn on people that guns are probably not the best thing to release into civilian every day life. And its not even a case of just saying "well you have to get a gun license and have a psych stability test to be able to get a gun" because all that spinning top has to do is go to daddies locker and pull out his revolver and go to town.
I fully understand its a law or a right (constitution or something?) in a lot of countries. I also really like guns and think they are pretty sweet. But if you think about it, if guns are prohibited then you don't need a gun to protect your selves from another gun. It removes the whole Fight Fire With Fire situation.
I mean in Australia guns are prohibited and no one fears someone mugging you at night with a gun or breaking into your house with a gun.
I mean its hard to look at it from both sides and i fully accept that your outlook is different but it just seems out of this world that you consider a shotgun necessary for HOME defence.
The one bright side to having guns is that if there is a zombie apocalypse you can kill alot of shit quick
Check this out then:
http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=1933
I quote:
Since Australia's gun ban, armed robberies increase 45%
In the Australian state of Victoria, gun homicides have climbed 300 percent;
and also:
Moreover, a black market allegedly has developed in the country. The report said about 1 million Chinese-made semi-automatics, "one type of gun specifically targeted by the new law," have been imported and sold throughout the country
another quote from that article, altho it's about guns in US:
Lott's research indicates the criminal element has been successful in obtaining weapons despite widespread bans and gun control laws, while HCI continues to push for more laws that further restrict, license or eliminate handguns and long guns.
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On July 12 2011 07:00 susySquark wrote:Show nested quote +On July 12 2011 06:54 JingleHell wrote:On July 12 2011 06:46 PlaGuE_R wrote:On July 12 2011 06:35 JingleHell wrote:On July 12 2011 06:07 PlaGuE_R wrote:
I'd love to have an M4, just to stroke it, gaze at it, and sometimes shoot it at a range :D
Why? M4's are atrocious. I mean, they still make the stupid things with a forward assist and the rather pitiful charging handle. They double feed and jam something fierce. They're a pain to maintain... i dont give a damn. I'm not a gun nut. I don't like guns. I just think the M4 is pretty so i dont care if other guns are better, i dont care if its outdated, i dont care if its got forward assist, whatever that is. it's like an Alfa Romeo, its beautiful, but u will end up in a cloud of smoke on the motorway staring forlornly at your engine. The forward assist is basically a little mechanical button thing on the side you have to hit with your hand after you chamber the first round to make sure the bolt went all the way forward, because the design is shit and they slapped a band-aid on it instead of giving the US military something that works instead. Maybe I'm just bitter about having basically the least reliable weapon known to man be the primary infantry weapon of the US Army... Use one a few times, and you learn to despise them. I've used a Colt HBAR AR15 for 15 years, and have used the forward assist a total of zero times. It's there as a backup for when shit goes wrong, not for using every reload. I've put thousands of rounds through it, and jammed maybe twice, due to my own failure when reloading that ammunition. Most feed problems are actually due to magazines... which has nothing to do with the rifle's design. They also make newer rifles based on the AR15 platform with a gas-piston operation if you're that picky about it. But honestly, if you keep your gun well maintained and lubed, it will keep shooting for many many years.
Also, keep in mind that you can use the forward assist to stealth chamber a round, so in that way it's pretty useful to have.
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On July 08 2011 11:15 Aeres wrote:This is my rifle. + Show Spoiler +There are many like it, but this one is mine.
Boss gun,
give it to me.
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On July 12 2011 17:24 Bizarro252 wrote:Show nested quote +On July 12 2011 17:14 thisisSSK wrote:
To those complaining about guns:
I've recently realized of how unprotected I am in the situation that a burglar or some kind of murderer was to break into my house and pose a critical threat to me and/or my family. I mean really, what can I do if I'm in my bed, and I hear some window breaking? Sure I could fight physically, but what kind of criminal would break into a house without a weapon? We could hide, but its not that hard to find 2+ people in a house in under 10 minutes, especially if those 2+ people are whimpering or crying. Therefore, I've realized that guns (or i guess some alternative weapon, preferably not melee-range) are the only way of defending myself and I plan on getting one when I can. Good points, and those (most ppl, inside and outside of the US) will try to scold you for what you just said and it is just insane. Most ppl live in la-la land and think "I am a good person, not a drug dealer, and dont have enemies so therefor I am safe" This is NOT true, random acts of violence occur all the time, and yes it is terrible and if we could do anything with it that would be great, however that is an impossible task. There ARE THOSE OUT THERE who will kill you for 5 bucks for drugs, and not ONLY in 'ghettos' do these ppl exist. I understand there are ppl who are not comfortable/dont like guns, fine, dont own them, its better for the gun owning community that you dont own them until you understand them anyways as you will end up hurting yourself of a loved one due to your ignorance about how powerful they truely are, so educate yourself or stay away. I own: 2 AR-15's, both custom built from a mix of BCM and RRA components, one with just no frills open sites, one with an aimpoint. Kimber 1911 Govt Model Remington 870 12-G shotgun S&W M&p 9mm Custom built Savage .308 I carry the 9 or .45 a lot, and keep the rest around the house for fun/hunting/defense. To those who don't want/like/respect/appreciate firearms, live in your la-la land, that's fine, just dont bother us who want to RESPONSIBLY own and operate firearms. And PLEASE stay away/don't touch them if you are unfamiliar with them and do NOT let your buddies handle them carelessly, ridicule them for it as it may one day save their or someone elses life. They are NOT toys!
While I can understand that kind of standpoint from someone who lives in the US or North America in general, most people in my area, western europe, would probably have a higher chance statistically to harm themselves or others with their firearm than successfully fight of an invader in their home that would kill them if they didnt have a firearm.
Secondly I think I've come to realize that the situation in the US is vastly different concerning firearms, not only the mentality towards them, but also from an economic and logistical standpoint. Weapons industries, from what I've seen are huge on the north american continent, so logically they saturate the market a lot more than they would in most of western europe. Which of course makes it easier for your typical thug to get a firearm and use it for his not so honorable deeds. At this point trying to disarm the population at large is not the right thing to do, this would have to be done over a longer timeframe than just a few years. I would guess at least 50 years still wouldnt be enough to do this safely.
In most of western europe this problem from what i have experienced does not exist to this extent. Firearms arent widely available for just anyone who wants one, you actually have to work the system quite a bit if you want to illegaly import something more than a .22 peashooter (this is just my personal observation though). So while in the US you actually have reason from a statistical and maybe economic standpoint to own guns, in western europe most people just dont feel threatened enough by the odd random act of violence to own a gun or have one at their home.
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Zurich15353 Posts
Can both sides please stop talking gun politics?
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On July 12 2011 19:09 fuzzy_panda wrote:Show nested quote +On July 12 2011 18:32 Ledo wrote:
Owning guns for the use of personal defence as a civilian has always been a bizarre thing for me. It seems as if this mentality of "i must own a gun to protect my house from bad d00ds with guns" Is only a problem because guns are available to the general populace in the first place.
I have always felt that a large part of the human race are incredibly unreliable or morally broken and are fairly stupid, allowing the widespread sale of lethal weapons is the last thing i think of as being sensible it should only take one mentally unstable person to walk into a public area and gun down 50 people for it to dawn on people that guns are probably not the best thing to release into civilian every day life. And its not even a case of just saying "well you have to get a gun license and have a psych stability test to be able to get a gun" because all that spinning top has to do is go to daddies locker and pull out his revolver and go to town.
I fully understand its a law or a right (constitution or something?) in a lot of countries. I also really like guns and think they are pretty sweet. But if you think about it, if guns are prohibited then you don't need a gun to protect your selves from another gun. It removes the whole Fight Fire With Fire situation.
I mean in Australia guns are prohibited and no one fears someone mugging you at night with a gun or breaking into your house with a gun.
I mean its hard to look at it from both sides and i fully accept that your outlook is different but it just seems out of this world that you consider a shotgun necessary for HOME defence.
The one bright side to having guns is that if there is a zombie apocalypse you can kill alot of shit quick
Check this out then: http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=1933I quote: Show nested quote +
Since Australia's gun ban, armed robberies increase 45%
In the Australian state of Victoria, gun homicides have climbed 300 percent;
and also: Show nested quote +Moreover, a black market allegedly has developed in the country. The report said about 1 million Chinese-made semi-automatics, "one type of gun specifically targeted by the new law," have been imported and sold throughout the country
another quote from that article, altho it's about guns in US: Show nested quote +Lott's research indicates the criminal element has been successful in obtaining weapons despite widespread bans and gun control laws, while HCI continues to push for more laws that further restrict, license or eliminate handguns and long guns.
I don't know how to do that spoiler thing so bear with me.
That article was from 2000 4 years after the removal of guns, of course crime is going to fluctuate after such a massive change. Of course by now its pretty safe to expect that people have adapted a fair bit more. I have never personally read of any homicides involving two regular Joes or any sort of trespassing homicides involving a gun. The only people afaik or have heard about are the underworld characters knocking eachother off.
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On July 12 2011 19:29 SpeaKEaSY wrote:Show nested quote +On July 12 2011 07:00 susySquark wrote:On July 12 2011 06:54 JingleHell wrote:On July 12 2011 06:46 PlaGuE_R wrote:On July 12 2011 06:35 JingleHell wrote:On July 12 2011 06:07 PlaGuE_R wrote:
I'd love to have an M4, just to stroke it, gaze at it, and sometimes shoot it at a range :D
Why? M4's are atrocious. I mean, they still make the stupid things with a forward assist and the rather pitiful charging handle. They double feed and jam something fierce. They're a pain to maintain... i dont give a damn. I'm not a gun nut. I don't like guns. I just think the M4 is pretty so i dont care if other guns are better, i dont care if its outdated, i dont care if its got forward assist, whatever that is. it's like an Alfa Romeo, its beautiful, but u will end up in a cloud of smoke on the motorway staring forlornly at your engine. The forward assist is basically a little mechanical button thing on the side you have to hit with your hand after you chamber the first round to make sure the bolt went all the way forward, because the design is shit and they slapped a band-aid on it instead of giving the US military something that works instead. Maybe I'm just bitter about having basically the least reliable weapon known to man be the primary infantry weapon of the US Army... Use one a few times, and you learn to despise them. I've used a Colt HBAR AR15 for 15 years, and have used the forward assist a total of zero times. It's there as a backup for when shit goes wrong, not for using every reload. I've put thousands of rounds through it, and jammed maybe twice, due to my own failure when reloading that ammunition. Most feed problems are actually due to magazines... which has nothing to do with the rifle's design. They also make newer rifles based on the AR15 platform with a gas-piston operation if you're that picky about it. But honestly, if you keep your gun well maintained and lubed, it will keep shooting for many many years. Also, keep in mind that you can use the forward assist to stealth chamber a round, so in that way it's pretty useful to have.
No, it's a band-aid on a problem that exists due to shit design. Smacking it around still makes a decent amount of noise, and there's almost no situation where you should need to use it for that anyways. The few I could think of, the noise would still be enough to get someones attention, but without the convenience of making them wet their pants.
If you're intending to use it, there should be a round chambered already, and if you're using it for home defense, odds are the house is quiet enough that they'll hear you slapping the forward assist. It takes a fair amount of oomph to get a round chambered quietly that way.
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EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/oSA10.jpg)
