My John Kerry Site

[kevincott]

I am happy to see other responsoble firearms owners admitting their past-times.

Sometimes I feel like I have to hide my owning firearms or the leftists will attack me like Rosie did to Tom Selleck.

[kevincott]

By the way, kudos on supporting your chosen candidate with as you have.

Whether or not I back Kerry (not), I respect a person that will invest time into his own beliefs in a responsible manner.

[cfitz]

cfitz, if I may, I'd like to make some recommendations:

Thanks Jamie. Your recommendations are very helpful. I'll take a look at those that you suggested. Is this the GunVault you recommend? I found it earlier while searching the web and thought it looked promising with some nice features at a reasonable price and in a reasonable size. (It sure fits my needs better than these $2000, half-ton behemoths) Anyway, although the GunVault looked promising to me, I didn't know if I was overlooking something due to my inexperience. Therefore, I am glad to get an experienced opinion like yours recommending it.

cfitz

[cfitz]

a small safe for the pistol and the rifle's bolt - that's a good idea.
that's what i used to do with my M16 when i was in the army

I'm leaning much more in that direction now with your recommendation and Jamie's. That is, of course, if I actually do decide to buy a gun.

cfitz

[cfitz]

I am happy to see other responsoble firearms owners admitting their past-times.

Sometimes I feel like I have to hide my owning firearms or the leftists will attack me like Rosie did to Tom Selleck.

While it is true that there are irresponsible gun owners, owning a gun does not make you irresponsible and isn't something you should feel that you have to apologize for.

I met a friend from Japan in Hawaii last year. While out strolling we passed one of the many "gun clubs" in Waikiki that cater to the Japanese tourists. These clubs offer a short lesson and then allow you to shoot several guns, tethered to the firing positions to ensure that the muzzles remain pointed downrage, for a fee. Or should I say for an outrageous fee that they can get away with charging because the Japanese tourists spend freely and can't fire guns in Japan.

Anyway, this particular club had an older asian women outside hawking the club, and when she spotted my friend she started speaking to her in Japanese to convince her to try it. My friend declined and we walked on. I could tell that she was actually curious but ashamed to admit it, so I talked about guns with her for a while and pointed out that although they are dangerous weapons and can be misused, they can also be used and enjoyed safely by responsible people. Then I told her that my father, uncle, brother-in-law, nephew and others of my family all own guns and that when I was younger my father took my sister and me target shooting.

After I de-demonized guns for her, she admitted that she really did want to try a few shots, so I said let's go and we went back to the club. I signed us up for the .22 caliber "course" since this was her first time shooting. Fortunately it was also the cheapest, not that you could really call it "cheap". She was a little nervous at first, but in the end she really enjoyed it. She said it was a lot fun, but that she was surprised that the guns kicked back at her when she fired them. I explained recoil and why I chose the .22 course.

When she returned home to Japan she took her target with her and proudly showed her co-workers, recommending the experience to a friend who was scheduled to take a trip to Hawaii the next week (the friend tried it also and shot very accurately).

One other amusing moment took place during the pre-shooting instruction. I was the only non-Japanese person there, so when the instructor ran out of Japanese-language instruction cards he asked me if I could read an English card. That's the first time anyone ever thought I could speak Japanese but not English.

cfitz

[JamieW]

That is exactly the vault I was speaking of. For like $20 more, get the double one. I keep both my bed side and my daily carry in there. It gives me quick access if need be and I can secure my stuff when company comes over (or unsecure it if unwanted company does). I keep any defensive weapon loaded, any target weapon unloaded. I have one gunvault bolted to the floor where I sleep, another one elsewhere, and I have a larger safe bolted to the wall and the floor for long guns. Gun safety boils down to three things:

1) Knowledge
2) Practice
3) Common damn sense

Take a class to learn the fundamentals. They will let you know what you don't know. An NRA First Steps course can be found in your area by going to the NRA website. It is an excellent course with a focus on safety as well as a good introduction to your local laws often.

[JamieW]

Oh, forgot to add that GunVault also makes a similar contraption for long guns. There are also other inexpensive solutions for long guns.

And kevin, let the leftists attack, we are better armed.

[wicked1]

I own 8 pistols at the moment and plan on purchasing at least 6 more before the year is up. They are hidden throughout the house via false bottom drawers and a nice lift up floor plate. 1 stays in the glovebox of my car. Never liked the idea of a safe when a little inginuity can make it where no one knows you have anything to protect.

[Ian]

It sure fits my needs better than these $2000, half-ton behemoths

lol.. my pops has one of those. It's bigger than most college dorm rooms.

[jase]

Just been looking through this thread, and it occurs to me that I've never even seen a live gun of any kind. I wouldn't know the difference between a real gun and a toy....

Are they really so necessary that people have them next to their beds? I thought that only happened in the movies

[dodecahedron]

Just been looking through this thread, and it occurs to me that I've never even seen a live gun of any kind. I wouldn't know the difference between a real gun and a toy....

consider yourself lucky.

i've handled guns in my military service...would gladly forego that experience.

[JamieW]

Jase, it may not be necessary. But tell me what happens if you're wrong and you find it is necessary? It's a risk vs reward situation kind of like a seatbelt. We don't wear it for the times we are not in an accident, we wear it in case we are.

P.S. Guns are not "live." Common misconception by the Brady Bunch and so on. They actually do not behave on their own.

[jase]

Jase, it may not be necessary. But tell me what happens if you're wrong and you find it is necessary? It's a risk vs reward situation kind of like a seatbelt. We don't wear it for the times we are not in an accident, we wear it in case we are.

P.S. Guns are not "live." Common misconception by the Brady Bunch and so on. They actually do not behave on their own.

Use of the word "live" was for want of a better word. Read "real" gun or whatever correct word is used for a real gun as opposed to a toy one or whatever -- I have no idea what that word would be.

Here, private use of firearms is pretty much illegal full stop. I have never owned a gun, I don't know anyone who owns a gun (apart from the odd farmer with an air-rifle I guess), I've never come into contact with one and I don't know of anyone who has been shot (yes you hear of it in the news of course). It amazes me, as a member of a culture where firearms just aren't in common use that they're so routine in another.

Even in Northern Ireland, where the fear of attack from terrorist thugs was ever-present, I still don't remember anyone owning a gun -- and in the 70s and 80s there was surely far more of a threat there than there ever would be in some leafy suburb of Miami.....

[dodecahedron]

don't you guys there have/use guns for hunting? (foxes come to mind) skits?

[jase]

Oh yes, I'm not saying that firearms don't exist, but they are very strictly licensed and handguns, of the type being discussed here, are explicitly banned (since the aftermath of the Dunblane killings when a nutcase went on the rampage one day). But as I say, the average Joe on the street never really had them. The police are not armed either (except for a select few). An ordinary "cop"/constable has his baton and that's it.

But yes, rifles are legal, and still used in hunting exercises -- although hunting with dogs is due to be criminalised eventually as well (not before time, the practice sickens me) -- it's gone through the lower house in Parliament twice now but been blocked by the upper house, it's only a matter of time. After that shooting the foxes I guess will be the only option.

So what I'd like to know now is, which is more normal? Do most countries allow their civilians to arm themselves to the hilt, or is Britain more typical?

[dodecahedron]

But as I say, the average Joe on the street never really had them. The police are not armed either (except for a select few). An ordinary "cop"/constable has his baton and that's it.

incredible.
seems very strange to me.
my culture:
armed police and military are an everyday thing.
almost everyone gets to "play" with guns (rifles etc.) once they're 18. that's including the girls - they shoot Uzis in their boot-camp.
and here, almost everyone who's been an officer in the army (and there are many of them) gets to have a gun permit, so there are quite a few civilians with sidearms too.
what with the situation here, whenever you enter a public building/shooping mall/restaurant, the security guard checks you up, your bag etc. and automatically asks you (if you are a man) if you have a gun.

and the TV culture well that's AMERICA so were all very well brainwashed with lots of guns/shooting etc.