Should you buy a gun or not?

ErikE said:
Wow, how quickly a thread can go off the rails. :eek:
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So I'll try to bring it back on the rails. I went to a handgun class the other day. Last time I shot, dinosours roamed the earth and we did it outside. Have to say I did pretty good, but my eyesight is shot. Was difficult to aim without my glasses on. Didn't expect that one.

I did pick up a PCC late last year. Fun for plinking, but unfortuately around here there aren't places to go outside and shoot. Not so much fun being stuck in a concrete bunker. The good old days where when my Grandfather out in western Mass would take us out to the back woods and we'd shoot away -- cans, bottles, and such.
 
Golfman25 said:
So I'll try to bring it back on the rails. I went to a handgun class the other day. Last time I shot, dinosours roamed the earth and we did it outside. Have to say I did pretty good, but my eyesight is shot. Was difficult to aim without my glasses on. Didn't expect that one.

I did pick up a PCC late last year. Fun for plinking, but unfortuately around here there aren't places to go outside and shoot. Not so much fun being stuck in a concrete bunker. The good old days where when my Grandfather out in western Mass would take us out to the back woods and we'd shoot away -- cans, bottles, and such.
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Nothing like plinking in the back property!

And a BBQ after of course
 

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I have been shooting guns since I was about 6 or 7 years old (1975-ish). I owned a bar back in the early to mid 90's and had 2 guys come in one night a few minutes after close but I still had a few regulars in there. I was familiar with the one but he had no idea who I was. They weren't real happy when I told them I couldn't sell them any beer and started getting a little aggressive. One of the regulars left and called the police from the pay phone up the street. So police escort them out and 30 minutes or so later I leave and walk around back to the alley and there they were. Now I had had a few years of Tae Kwon Do training at that point but had heard the one guy was a black belt, and aside from that I was outnumbered. While I'm confident in my abilities I'm also not dumb. Probably wouldn't have ended well for me. Lucky for me the police came around the corner at the right time and we all left. A few days later I bought my first handgun and got my first CCW. About 5 years later I got certified in armed security then a few years later was elected to Constable and went through the whole training so I have been carrying for about 30 years now. The only time I 'needed' it was when a guy tried to break into my house while we were home. I didn't have to pull it from my holster but felt comfortable knowing my chances of waking up the next day were pretty high. The judge actually told him he was lucky he didn't leave in a body bag. I have 4 kids and all have CCW (except the oldest who is a police officer so doesn't need one) and they all carry. All have been through pretty heavy training by both me and my oldest. My daughter owns rental properties and a couple are in shady areas. One night she was at one of them when something went down at the neighbors and there was alot of fighting and it was a known drug house. Luckily my daughter was able to get in her rental and lock the doors so didn't need to use hers.
A guy at our marina was doing the Uber thing and picked up a guy that wanted to go to the projects. As they were heading there the younger kid asked him if he is worried that so many have guns and could shoot him. He said 'well some of us also have guns and shoot back'. He thinks that response saved him that night.
 
Cdillerud said:
How would they help me? I spend ample amounts of time in downtown Minneapolis. Never felt the need to have one. Why is that? Am I a total outlier?
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Your question is fair and very valid, in my opinion. Good discussion. However, your question only applies to you. Stats are irrelevant to the personal choice. A person should not use stats to make this decision.

It is great you have never felt the need to have a gun with you. That is the goal of a modern, civilized society.
However, many of us don’t want to depend on others to protect ourselves or the ones we love. Recall the Boston Marathon Bombers who were running around the Boston Suburbs? The homeowners in those neighborhoods without the ability to defend themselves were completely dependent on the local police for protection.
Recall the riot in LA following the Rodney King incident? Those residents who we’re unarmed had no capacity to defend their families.
Do I walk around looking for trouble? Hell no. I plan my trips to avoid trouble. I have an alarm in my home. I tell my neighbors to watch for burglars when I leave town. I don’t want my wife or me to come into a house with a burglar inside.
Possessing a firearm for self defense is part of a plan of reality. Is only one part, the final part, of a holistic plan of personal responsibility for your own safety.

I recall the video from New York City where a man driving his family in the minivan cut off a motorcycle rider in traffic. Unfortunately for him the rider was part of a large group of riders who began harassing him on the road. Eventually, the riders forced him to stop in traffic, pulled him out of the van and beat him up on the road.

If you don’t feel the need for a firearm. Fine. I don’t feel the need to blast you with a bunch of stats to prove that you should carry one. I am glad you feel safe. While the stakes are a lot lower, how many times have you had a flat tire? Considering the number of cars on the highway and the number of tires that go flat, statistically it is a very low probability you would have a flat on your car, but most cars still carry a spare tire.

Just remember this: if trouble comes to your family and the boogeyman is banging on your door, and the police are preoccupied with some major incident somewhere, there will be a significant delay in the response to your home. Have a backup plan. I do. And I assure you it is not to lay on the floor and beg for mercy!
 
DWABoat said:
Your question is fair and very valid, in my opinion. Good discussion. However, your question only applies to you. Stats are irrelevant to the personal choice. A person should not use stats to make this decision.

It is great you have never felt the need to have a gun with you. That is the goal of a modern, civilized society.
However, many of us don’t want to depend on others to protect ourselves or the ones we love. Recall the Boston Marathon Bombers who were running around the Boston Suburbs? The homeowners in those neighborhoods without the ability to defend themselves were completely dependent on the local police for protection.
Recall the riot in LA following the Rodney King incident? Those residents who we’re unarmed had no capacity to defend their families.
Do I walk around looking for trouble? Hell no. I plan my trips to avoid trouble. I have an alarm in my home. I tell my neighbors to watch for burglars when I leave town. I don’t want my wife or me to come into a house with a burglar inside.
Possessing a firearm for self defense is part of a plan of reality. Is only one part, the final part, of a holistic plan of personal responsibility for your own safety.

I recall the video from New York City where a man driving his family in the minivan cut off a motorcycle rider in traffic. Unfortunately for him the rider was part of a large group of riders who began harassing him on the road. Eventually, the riders forced him to stop in traffic, pulled him out of the van and beat him up on the road.

If you don’t feel the need for a firearm. Fine. I don’t feel the need to blast you with a bunch of stats to prove that you should carry one. I am glad you feel safe. While the stakes are a lot lower, how many times have you had a flat tire? Considering the number of cars on the highway and the number of tires that go flat, statistically it is a very low probability you would have a flat on your car, but most cars still carry a spare tire.

Just remember this: if trouble comes to your family and the boogeyman is banging on your door, and the police are preoccupied with some major incident somewhere, there will be a significant delay in the response to your home. Have a backup plan. I do. And I assure you it is not to lay on the floor and beg for mercy!
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There was an incident in an adjacent town. Something happened between two drivers on the express way. Guy exited and drove about two miles to a large gas station. Other guy followed him. Proceeded to beat the crap out of him right there at the gas station. Spent a couple days in the hospital and eventually died. This happened essentially across the street from the police station. Had he or someone had a gun things may have turned out differently. But it’s a sleepy little town — who needs a gun.
 
Golfman25 said:
There was an incident in an adjacent town. Something happened between two drivers on the express way. Guy exited and drove about two miles to a large gas station. Other guy followed him. Proceeded to beat the crap out of him right there at the gas station. Spent a couple days in the hospital and eventually died. This happened essentially across the street from the police station. Had he or someone had a gun things may have turned out differently. But it’s a sleepy little town — who needs a gun.
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"An armed society is a polite society..."
 
firecadet613 said:
"An armed society is a polite society..."
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Even a less than polite society also understands "f*** around and find out"

If half the people around you are likely to pull out a pistol, and you don't know who, who are you going to rob?
 
@Cdillerud, I wonder; do you not wear a seat belt when in a car? How about a helmet when on a motorcycle? I'll defend your right to not do so, however, if you were to get into an accident where the seat belt/helmet would have protected you, well then, your fault for not taking advantage of the protection they provide.
Expecting the police to be right there when you need them is no different than trying to put your seat belt on when you find yourself careening into another vehicle. It's too late at that point.
 
Halfhitch said:
Ha Ha Ha.....you wish. It's like looking at little bricks of bullion now days.
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I’m going on a search today for some. Like Easter egg hunting, but for adults. Will probably end up at a Mom & Pop gun store, seems the big boxes dont have them.
 
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