Aunt killed by gun...

[Joseph Hart]

My Aunt was murdered by her husband back in the early 80s. I was raised that guns kill. I always knew this was bull. This Weekend I will be purchasing my first gun. Reason for this thread, besides to show Im not affraid... GUNS DONT KILL, PEOPLE DO!

Oh and what kind of gun does everyone suggest? :P

[jasonjasonjason1]

aa

[amistybleu]

My Aunt was murdered by her husband back in the early 80s. I was raised that guns kill. I always knew this was bull. This Weekend I will be purchasing my first gun. Reason for this thread, besides to show Im not affraid... GUNS DONT KILL, PEOPLE DO!

Oh and what kind of gun does everyone suggest? :P

M-16 Assault Rifle :D And start a state militia.

[mokkan88]

RCP-90 or the Golden Gun. Depends on your budget, I think.

[r3volution]

good for you , make sure you take it to the range often and get familiar with it .
should have posted this in the second amendment section though ..

[jdmetz]

My wife was reading a book recently, and at one point said that she had just read that if your child goes to two friend's houses - one with a pool and the other with a gun, that your child is more likely to die from drowning in the pool than from being shot with the gun.

[Arklatex]

Just buy yourself a little .22 and some paper targets.

[Drknows]

Hey my dad died while drinking and driving. Well i faced my fear head on and got my first DUI a few years back!

No but seriously this thread is sort of creepy.:D

[Mandrik]

RCP-90 or the Golden Gun. Depends on your budget, I think.

LOL @ RCP-90. Man I played the crap out of Goldeneye for the N64. ;)

[Maverick]

RCP-90 or the Golden Gun. Depends on your budget, I think.

Just don't buy the klobb, whatever you do. You'd be lucky to hit the broad side of a barn with that thing.

[Dave39168]

I was raised on guns, I own several, I love to shoot, I support the second amendment 100%. However, I was taught from a young age how to properly handle a firearm. You are right, you should not fear guns, but they must be respected, for they do have the power to kill (intentionally or accidentally). To posses a firearm is a right, but with it comes a great deal of responsibility. One mishap could cause irreversable injury or death to yourself or a family member in a split second. If you have never owned a gun before and haven't had a lot of experience with guns, i recomend finding an experienced shooter (a friend) who can show you the ropes. He/she could also let you fire different guns and help recomend one that fits your needs. If no such firearm savvy friend is available, there are classes you can take to teach you how to safely handle firearms. I am glad you have decided to enter the wonderful world of shooting, the more of us the better! Just remember you shouldn't fear the gun, but you must respect it.

[Dave39168]

oh yeah on the klobb, the only way to make that game fair would have been to award 2 kills when you killed someone with the klobb. And also if you were killed with the klobb, that should amount to 2 deaths instead of one.:D

[jasonjasonjason1]

aa

[Matt Collins]

Freakonomics. Good book.To be balanced you should also read the sequel to that book: Freedomnomics
http://www.amazon.com/Freedomnomics-Market-Works-Half-Baked-Theories/dp/1596985062

[Matt Collins]

I would say that everyone has a right to a gun (with the exception of those who have committed multiple violent offenses). However that doesn't mean that everyone SHOULD have a gun.

If you have never handled one before, PLEASE put down the money to take a gun training course before you buy so you don't kill yourself or someone else. Guns are not toys, and they are nothing to play with.

Shooting for sport is a lot of fun. Hunting is probably a lot of fun (I've never done it), and of course sometimes firearms are necessary to protect oneself (pending where you live). But someone possessing a gun who doesn't know how to handle it is VERY dangerous. You wouldn't drive a semi-truck without some training would you?



Again, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of getting trained on the proper and safe handling of a gun if you have never owned one!



.

[youngbuck]

LOL, the Klobb! HAHAHAHA!

[tcindie]

M-16 Assault Rifle :D And start a state militia.

We really need to stop perpetuating the "assault rifle" title.. it's just a rifle. Nothing about it makes it any different than a hunting rifle -- other than it LOOKS meaner, and it's the rifle of choice for many branches of our military. ;)

I concur though.. the civilian version is the AR-15, and it's a GREAT rifle. awesome accuracy, easy to break down and clean. If you don't want to deal with extensive cleaning every time you use it though you would probably want to look into a gas piston conversion, which will keep the gas that causes the gun to cycle a new round out of the chamber and off the bolt.

I'm going to be purchasing an AR this coming month myself, and I'm debating whether or not to do the piston conversion.

AK's are MUCH simpler in their construction though, and don't generally require as much cleaning. They also use a little larger round than the AR... BUT, they're not nearly as accurate, and I believe they weigh more. Also with a larger round comes more weight, so you wouldn't be able to carry as much ammo with you as you could with an AR.

You might also want to consider an FAL. Again, not as accurate as an AR, but like the AK it's a simpler construction so cleaning should be easier, and they're generally cheaper. Also, I don't know if it's a standard feature, but the few I've seen have an adjustable gas system. This is a cool feature, as it was explained to me, you can start out on a low setting and as the bolt gets dirty you can just keep cranking the gas setting up higher to prevent jamming, etc..

That's my thoughts anyway. Ultimately though it depends on the purpose of the gun. Are you looking for home protection, hunting, etc... a rifle might be a bit unwieldy for most people for home protection in that they're well.. long. If that's your primary intent you might consider getting a handgun.

[Cowlesy]

Another good way to learn about firearm safety is contact your local hunting club or game commission and see if they have a hunter's safety course (most do).

In PA, you have to (or at least had to 14 years ago) take one to get a Junior license. I know we're anti-licensing/regulations, but reflecting back I think it was a great course and taught by several local volunteer hunters/marksmen.

[Dr.3D]

A while back, I was at the court house and asked the officer there what kind of pistol he had.
He told me and then ask if I was a gun enthusiast. I replied, "No more than a carpenter who owns a hammer is a hammer enthusiast."

[TruckinMike]

but the few I've seen have an adjustable gas system

yes, all FALS have an adjustable gas system.

But I would suggest a Ruger 10-22. Its a great little semi-auto 22 rimfire. Cheap to shoot, fun to plink with, and accurate. I have one and Love it. Wal-mart has them in stainless for around $225.

And if you get hungry, this little rifle along with some marksmanship skills, will do a fine job on varmints of all kind!:D

Recommendation:

Learn basic marksmanship from the Revolutionary War Veterans Association. They hold 2-day basic marksmanship clinics all across the country. Checkout their website for a Appleseed Shoot near you!

http://www.appleseedinfo.org/pics/banner.gif

http://www.appleseedinfo.org/



here are some comments about an "Appleseed Shoot":

What People Are Saying About Appleseed

"My son and I attended the Wabash Appleseed over the weekend and I just wanted to thank everyone involved with setting up and running this fine program. I was very impressed with the professionalism of the instructors (Fred and Guy) and the quality rifle training presented in just two short days.

"I am a US Army combat veteran who's been through the Army's Basic Rifle Marksmanship and Advanced Rifle Marksmanship programs not to mention various live fire couses and even jungle snap fire training courses in Panama. I have to say that this two day program is hands down the best rifle training I've ever received. Not to mention the added bonus of a Revolutionary War history lesson which I thoroughly enjoyed. I've just returned from the library where I checked out two books on the American Revolution. I'm ashamed that I didn't know more about the brave men who founded this country. You've opened my eyes to what needs to be done to turn this country around. I'm proud of my hard earned Rifleman badge and I'm proud to call myself a rifleman who's ready to defend freedom. Thank you for what your doing and God Bless you."

David J., Proud Rifleman
Middletown, Indiana

"...thank you for the excellent training, and for re-energizing my commitment to becoming a rifleman. I feel like I learned more in the first thirty shots on Saturday than I have in years prior! It was a real pleasure to have met everyone and worked together for the weekend, and I hope to see you again at a later date."

Dr.FrankenFAL
From the Forum

"Good morning! I attended the Appleseed in Ottawa last weekend, which was an outstanding experience, aside from the rain of course. This was the first firearm training in which I have ever participated and the quality of the instructors and the activities throughout the course are top notch! While I did not shoot “Rifleman”, I learned a great deal, improved my abilities and now have the tools needed to continue improving. I definitely plan in attending another session or sessions in the future, and will recommend it to everyone I know who is interested in learning a little more about our history and how to more accurately shoot a rifle.

Chris S.
Lindenhurst , IL


TMike,

Note: I've taken the course, and its unbelievably informative. You can't go wrong.

[CountryboyRonPaul]

I was raised on guns, I own several, I love to shoot, I support the second amendment 100%. However, I was taught from a young age how to properly handle a firearm. You are right, you should not fear guns, but they must be respected, for they do have the power to kill (intentionally or accidentally). To posses a firearm is a right, but with it comes a great deal of responsibility. One mishap could cause irreversable injury or death to yourself or a family member in a split second. If you have never owned a gun before and haven't had a lot of experience with guns, i recomend finding an experienced shooter (a friend) who can show you the ropes. He/she could also let you fire different guns and help recomend one that fits your needs. If no such firearm savvy friend is available, there are classes you can take to teach you how to safely handle firearms. I am glad you have decided to enter the wonderful world of shooting, the more of us the better! Just remember you shouldn't fear the gun, but you must respect it.

QFT, guns aren't toys, I learned to shoot and respect guns at 4 years old, and I've never had any problems.

You need to take every precaution while learning to handle a firearm properly. Never keep your finger on the trigger until your ready to pull it. Never keep a loaded gun around the house. Never keep a loaded gun with the safety off until your ready to fire. When you get handed a gun, or you pick up yours, always check to see if it's loaded.

And, the number one rule, Never point Any Gun at Anybody, loaded or not.

Oh yeah, and learn proper maintenance.

A Hunter's safety course isn't a bad idea.

[forsmant]

A saturday night special

[youngbuck]

Yea I highly recommend you take a hunter's safety course. Regardless whether you plan to hunt or not, you'll learn all the necessary safety fundamentals to be a completely responsible firearms owner, and part of the unorganized militia ;-).

ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction
ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger (outside the trigger guard) until you are completely ready to fire
When picking up a firearm, ALWAYS verify 100% whether or not it's loaded.

Edit: Yea, basically just repeating what countryboyronpaul said....

[1000-points-of-fright]

Remember, there is really no such thing as accidental shootings. They should really be called negligent shootings. Guns very rarely malfunction and go off by themselves. 99.99% of the time it's the user being careless.

[dorinda]

Go to the gun range and try them out. No matter how great the gun is for someone else, if it doesn't fit your hand or it has to much kick, you will not like shooting it. That will cause you to not practice and........... well you get the picture. As long as you don't buy a crap brand gun, they all shoot and are almost all very reliable. It's all in the eye or hand of the beholder.

[piotr1]

i would recommend you start with a .22 rifle and work your way up.

[Rattlehead]

If you're you're looking for a home-defense type weapon, you can't go wrong with a 12ga shotgun. Something with and 18" barrel. I personally use 00 Buck shot in the shotty closest to my bed.

For a pistol, check out Springfield Armory's line. I'm a .45 kind of guy and my go-to pistol is my XD 45ACP compact with 4" barrel. Holds 13 rounds in the mag plus 1 in the chamber of 45ACP ammo.

Best thing I ever did was go out with a buddy of mine who was a gun "enthusiast" ... I tried many different pistols, revolvers, rifles, etc. and found what I like the best.

[CountryboyRonPaul]

Edit: Yea, basically just repeating what countryboyronpaul said....

It can never be stressed enough. ;)

People who do commit these "accidental shootings" or "negligent shootings" as 1000-points-of-fright points out, are almost always inexperienced, and non-respectful of guns. Either that or they're simply a Neo-Con Vice President.

Either way, it's often someone who has no experience with guns that gives gun owners a bad name. That is why my father taught me how to handle a gun at the same time as I was learning to read and write.

Edit: PS. HUNTERS SAFETY COURSE!!!

And I also agree with Piotr, you can't go wrong starting out with a cheap .22 rifle. It was my first gun, and I spent about 6 years with that popping off cans, Robins, Squirrels, and Rabbits.
Marlin makes a cheap .22, and if you don't mind spending a little bit more, the Ruger 10/22 is probably the most accessorizable rifle on the market.

[Dequeant]

Well, my "homeland defense" weapons are an XD .45 ACP w/5 inch barrel and a Stag 5L 6.8SPC AR15.

My "arm up the neighbors" arsenal is a different story......AK....SKS....Shotguns....and the collection is growing by the day.

[Dave39168]

It can never be stressed enough. ;)

People who do commit these "accidental shootings" or "negligent shootings" ... are almost always inexperienced, and non-respectful of guns. Either that or they're simply a Neo-Con Vice President.

ROFL, i know its not really funny but...:D

[Doktor_Jeep]

When I saw "Aunt killed by gun" it scared me. I have heard of some cases where guns escaped from their lockers, loaded themselves, and then floated around 3' off the ground looking for live targets. I never believed that but titles such as this thread made me think it really happened.

And what is an "assault rifle"? I have yet to see a rifle assault anybody.