A simple question: What do you love most about your guns?

[kentuck]

Is it the shiny steel barrel and the glint of sun reflecting off its beautiful curves?

Or maybe it is the classic pearl handles that stand out in the crowd?

Or maybe it is the thrill of the jolt in your arm when you pull the trigger?

Or is it a sense of power that the gun possesses?

Or maybe, if it is concealed, it makes you feel more balanced when you walk with it?

What specifically do you love most about your gun? Can you be specific?

[permatex]

1. I love the craftsmanship of a fine built tool

and how that tool works, which is all a firearm really is.

[kentuck]

2. Do you love your pipewrench also?

They are very well built.

[permatex]

10. Touche'

Let me re-phrase that, I admire the craftsmanship of a well built tool and how it operates. Thats all a firearm really is, a tool that can be used for good or bad.

[Trunk Monkey]

36. Actually yeah, I do

I used to be a machinist (before Rmoney sent my job to China) so when I look at a pipe wrench from the Ridge Tool company I kind like the fact that I can still identify the process used to make it and know that someone just like me put some T&E into getting it right.

Same thing with a weapon

[Surya Gayatri]

39. But, it's not as long and pointy! Bwaahaaa!

[roguevalley]

115. I own a flintlock rifle. it is a piece of art. It will never be fired and hopefully neither

will the state of alaska commemorative rifle my dad gave me as a work of art and gift that would appreciate as it became more rare. I love them as mementos of my dad and because they are different and beautiful in construction and ornamentation.

[Brickbat]

3. It's hard not to like a good tool.

A Henry .30/30, a great tool made in the USA, makes it easier to kill deer, which are tasty. A good target shoot that shows you're improving your skills is extremely satisfying. Knowing you have a tool that can stop someone from coming into your house is reassuring.

[kentuck]

5. Do we have a right to bear tools?

Stop! Or I'll use my tool!

[Brickbat]

7. I just bought a 50-foot pipe snake, and you'll have to pry it out of my cold, dead hands.

FIFTY FEET! But it worked. It was immensely satisfying when the water in that sink went down.

[kentuck]

11. Did you buy it at a pipe snake show?

And was everyone envious of your new purchase?

[-..__...]

17. They're coming for your Black and Decker "assault drill", too...

Unbeknownst to most Americans, a Danger lurks in our homes. As common as a clothespin but as deadly as a snake, many look directly at it without realizing the menace in their midst.

Yes, friends, we are talking about Full Auto Assault Tools. Studies have shown that the MAJORITY of American homes have at least ONE of these devices in them already, with more being added all the time, thanks to efforts by the Tool Lobby to promote their ownership. Power tools- in the hands of unskilled and unlicensed users- kill a tremendous number of people each year- maiming most, electrocuting the remainder. Many of the victims are children.

There are so many hazardous and dangerous tools out there that we had to split the web site up into several pages just to hold them all, and more come in every day. Hopefully, with your support, we can rid our country of the menace of unlicensed tools. Remember...

The tool that started it all- a .50 (1/2&quot high speed full auto assault drill. It is a model 7254 Type 2 manufactured by the famous International Death Merchant Black and Decker. This drill is an industrial accident waiting to happen. There is no need for a tool like this to be available to the average homeowner, yet you can go down to almost any hardware store in any town and purchase one. What's worse, is that you could send your ten year old daughter to buy it for you, and she could walk home with it that same day.

Why? Because there are no age limits and no waiting periods for assault drills. Originally developed for military use, these drills are now available to the public without permits of any kind; their ownership is not regulated by any agency of the Federal Government; their ownership is not regulated by any State Agency. Worse, there are hundreds of thousands of these "tools" in homes across America- probably in your own home! Note in the illustration above that these drills contained features only found in military hardware- large calibers, pistol grips, locks for constant, high-speed drilling, and drill bits capable of drilling through tank armour. Yet, with all these features, they can easily be plugged into a standard wall outlet and operated by a child of two!

How often have your children played with your neighbor's kids? Quite often, I would imagine. Have you ever considered the fact that your neighbor may have- in a place easily accessed by children- one of these assault drills? The illustration on the right clearly shows how accessible the controls of this heinous device are- a simple push button to turn it on, and a simple switch to lock it on. We're not going to go into the horrible and disfiguring injuries a device like this could cause in the hands of a child; suffice to say they should be heavily regulated- now- before it's too late for someone you love.

You can learn more at "Moms Insisting on Licensed Tools"... http://www.allmax.com/MILT/

[Dystopian]

18. Please!

Do not bare your tool!
Thank you very much....


peace~

[dionysus]

4. i have a couple rifles i've never had the chance to shoot. i dont love them, they are inanimate

objects.

[TalkingDog]

6. I don't love inanimate objects. That's called Objectum Sexuality and it is a psychological condition

My guns hold the same importance to me as a fork, a toothbrush, a set of pruning shears, a tire jack, a pair of scissors.

If you want to hold them up as fetish objects, that's fine. Just don't project your own Shadow fears and rationals onto people who have a more balanced and practical view of the world.

[kentuck]

13. They are not a fetish for me.

I'm glad to see you have it in a healthy perspective. No need for a defensive personal attack about projection.

[TalkingDog]

19. Read what I said: If you want to hold them up as Fetish Objects, that's fine.

Are you holding them up as objects to Fetishize? Because that's what I took from your original post.

[kentuck]

23. Isn't it obvious?

Unrequited love. If not a fetish, a serious illness.

[Mojorabbit]

68. +1000 nt

[warrprayer]

8. Grace Slick has your answer

"Lawbreaker, you know it could be me, and if you had your way we'd all be down
under the face of a clock that's just too old to be wound
And you can see now, the old hands won't move around

One way or the other
pull card, brother
this could be
the first time

[Gregorian]

54. And Negativeland

[uppityperson]

9. Who says they "love" their guns?

[hack89]

12. I reserve love for humans and other living things that can return it.

I use my guns - they are tools.

[obamanut2012]

14. What do I love most about my washer and dryer?

They're frontloaders. I love how clean they get the clothes and how energy efficient they are, including how they conserve water.

What do YOU love most about your washer and dryer?

[kentuck]

40. I love the fact that they don't have much of a kick...

when I shoot the clothes out the front, and the fact that no one feels threatened by my washer and dryer.

[obamanut2012]

56. Then answer for me: what should I love about the guns I own

And then tell me why I have to justify and apologize for having them because I vote Democratic?

[kentuck]

58. Tell me why you feel you have to justify and apologize for having them?

Why are you so defensive? It was just a simple question.

[michreject]

108. What do YOU love most about your washer and dryer?

I love how my wife doesn't complain about being tired all of the time now.





I kid. I kid.

I do most of the laundry as the set is in the basement close to my drums.

[sarisataka]

15. I love...

the way it speaks to me at night when no one is around, how it tells me anyone of different skin tone is bad, money is just out there for the taking, be sure and give some of that money to the NRA, Obama wants to takes my precious, precious will deal with the Bagginses thats cuts me off with their nasty stinking carses...



excuses us, we have to takes our meds

[warrprayer]

25. The Devils Right Hand

"Mama said the pistol is the devils right hand"...

"I said to the judge
you got the wrong man
nothin' touched the trigger
but the devils right hand"

[TroglodyteScholar]

16. I love that I'm not paranoid enough to own any.

Actually saw someone on DU make the argument that the anti-gun crowd was "living in fear." I started to reply and tell the guy how ridiculous that was, but then figured someone who stockpiles weapons as a hobby probably wouldn't appreciate the irony of what he'd just said.

[DainBramaged]

24. "living in fear"

I see that A LOT too. I live in fear of one of them pulling when a car exhaust goes off and they shoot themselves in the foot......

[CTyankee]

76. dear god, that's funny...

but only because he didn't hurt himself. perhaps it was a "teachable moment."

[TalkingDog]

26. Let me know how that rabid racoon attack works out for you

when you live someplace where it takes the sheriff 15 minutes to get to you.

You can call it paranoia if you like, but owning guns is a hell of a lot cheaper than a series of rabies vaccinations or losing your dogs, cats, or chickens.

http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/location/usa/surveillance/wild_animals.html

http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/resources/publications/2010-surveillance/rabid-raccoons.html

[DainBramaged]

31. Jesus give us a break

what's next, when a crazed hawk attacks you for being a rodent?

[obamanut2012]

37. I have shot rabid animals before

Do you really not know how it is to live in a rural area? Have you ever been charged by a feral pig while you've been hiking? Had coyotes stalk you? Have coyotes try to kill your animals?

How far is the police station from you? Mine is about 20-30 minutes away if there's no rain, sleet, or snow. Do you live in a suburban area? A metro area? How far is the hospital from you?

[DainBramaged]

49. I am living in a rural area right now

bears come and feed regularly from our dumpster, skunks, everywhere, feral cats in packs, hawks circling in pairs everywhere. A few coyote sightings and a dog grabbed by one recently.


I think I'm rural enough that when we notice a problem, animal control shows up eventually. But no one goes and gets a gun and shoots at everything that moves day or night.


We live a different lifestyle. We don't live in fear.

[obamanut2012]

60. I don't live in fear, and don't believe I ever said I did

And, if you have dumpsters, you don't live in a rural area. Animal control will only come out here if there's a rabid animal.

How far is the police station? the hospital? A grocery store? You never answered. I suspect what you think is "rural" is actually quite suburban.

You refuse to understand that not everyone lives in the same type of area you do, and that where many of us live, owning guns is as utilitarian as someone owning a boat is if you live and make your living on the water. You and other posters are making it into something it isn't. It isn't a political statement, and I don't need to justify it.

Many liberals are gun owners.

[DainBramaged]

61. (sigh) apartments in RURAL NJ ARE FUCKING RURAL

I don't fail to understand shit, be happy with your guns and life.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

64. For the east coast maybe...but not by western standards

Really, what off ramp are you off of...

[loli phabay]

118. i woulnt even say eastern standards not if you have trash collection

I got 10 miles of dirt roads give or take to my trash station and live in the mountains. Even then i would say we are barely rural as we have cell phone reception a d wifi.

[petronius]

77. Off topic, but please please please do something to keep the bears out

of your dumpster!

[DainBramaged]

79. We even weighted the lids down, sprayed them, increased pick ups to three times a week

the new dumpsters have counter-weighted lids and a front door/hopper to prevent bear intrusions.


5 AM when we're walking the dogs, we see them trying to get in. We've intruded into their habitat so badly they no longer fear us. And the game warden won't move them any more, too costly and no where to put them. Food is so available to them the state allowed bear hunts the last couple of years to cull the population, a population that is not to blame for their reproduction.

[petronius]

84. Damn. But, thank you for making such a thorough effort. (nt)

[TalkingDog]

106. I'm not Jesus and I won't give you (plural) a break

(although you may want to see a psychologist about that).

You do realize that those graphs are the REPORTED incidents of rabies, right? Not the actual incidents, which are much higher.

I've had 3 different animals attacked by coyotes in the past 2 years. "Luckily" they were only torn up and not severely wounded. We've gotten 3 call so far this year from the county warning of rabid animal reports in our area. So I don't think I'm out of line in suggesting that "shit happens". And I don't want to depend on the iffy quality of emergency response if there is something I could do about it.

I don't plan on shooting up the "neighborhood". There is no neighborhood to shoot up. I live on 10 acres with 300 acres of forest abutting my property. This is bounded by a river where critters congregate. And where people fish helpfully leaving their McDonalds leftovers for the racoons, foxes, coyotes and strays that people like to dump out our way for some reason.

Taking precautions is not the same thing as "living in fear". I wear a seatbelt and I'm an excellent driver. I don't plan on having a wreck, but, as suggested "shit happens." I'd like to be prepared when it does.

If you want to broadbrush every gun owner, feel free to indulge your pre-judgement. It's no skin off my nose.

[DainBramaged]

109. So sad you perfect flower you

goodbye.


On edit, since you got away with telling me to see a shrink, fuck you, really, fuck you.

[TalkingDog]

111. Hooray!!! I WIN!!!!!

n/t

[TroglodyteScholar]

116. Yes, we all know that guns hold a special place in the hearts of rural America

Where I live, rabies vaccinations are required by law for my pets who will never encounter any rabid animals. Buying a gun would not satisfy that requirement, and the shots and boosters have never cost as much as a rifle would anyway. So forgive me if I have no sympathy on that point.

Say, are guns and ammo cheaper than just upgrading your animals' enclosures, too?

[TalkingDog]

120. Unless you've also got an inexepensive vaccine that drives off packs of coyotes

I'll still have to go with the guns and ammo.

See: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=1001604

And if you don't know anything about our friend coyote, they can climb fences and jump at least 5 or 6 feet (depending on the animal)

Here is the standard recommendation for keeping coyotes away from your animals: http://www.desertusa.com/june96/cycot_qa.html

What they fail to say and I've learned after losing 2 flocks of chickens (20 birds) is that you have to dig a trench down a foot or more to bury your fencing because they can and will dig under a fence. (Chickens I raised from biddies, so there was the cost of feeding them without them growing large enough to produce even 1 egg in addition to the heartbreak of knowing I hadn't kept up my part of the bargain to keep them safe.)

See, unlike people who evidently have lots of money to just throw at their problems and magically solve them; we don't. My spouse has held the only steady job in our house since 2008. I work part time when I can find it. Our cars are all over 8 years old and the oldest has over 350K miles. The "new" (used) car has a little over 100K and the farm truck over 250K We shop at thrift stores and bargain food stores. I dumpster dive if I have to. (and yes, I've had to) Fencing 10 acres to the degree that it would take to keep the wildlife out would cost more money that the value of our house and property combined.

So, feel free to sit there and pass judgement on the steps I take in managing my household and my life. If you think you can do it better, come on down. I could use the fucking break.

[loli phabay]

124. yup a gun is cheaper plus animals once they find food they dont give up

I spent thousands to keep groundhogs out and what do you a packet of guitar strings two spring kill traps a hundred dollar twenty two and ten bucks of ammo has done more to stop them and filled my and my neighbours freezer.

[Lizzie Poppet]

20. It's more shooting that I enjoy than the tools themselves.

I admire good craftsmanship, but that's a pretty generic thing. I admire my bamboo flyrod just as much...and the steampunk stuff a friend of mine makes simply blows me away.

It's more shooting itself that I really love. My favorite is the long-range stuff I do, sometimes in competition (although not so much of that these days...too busy). I do a bit of silhouette (steel animals get back up again...and I'm a pescatarian, so I've no interest in hunting), a bit of 1000-yard paper-punching. It's challenging and fun.

I also practice very regularly with my two defensive handguns, and I find that enjoyable. I'd do it even if I didn't though. It's a matter of responsibility: if you're going to have a firearm for defensive purposes, you owe it to everyone around you to become competent in its use. Besides, if you don't practice, and actually have to fire it in self-defense, you're probably going to miss (or freeze, etc.). If your life is really in danger, being able to hit what you're shooting at is kinda important.

[upaloopa]

21. I use to have a nickel plated Colt 45 single action revolver. I did not love that gun but I liked

it a lot. I did not fire it because that would lessen the value. I now have a Ruger single six .22 single action. I like single action pistols to shoot at targets.

I wanted a Winchester model 1893 I think that is what it's called. I would never buy a gun for protection and don't like the modern firearms. In Vietnam I shot a half dozen different weapons and didn't love any of them. I didn't even like them.

I think we need to distinguish between guns for sport or historical collection or just plain collection period.

What I don't like is the idea that there is nothing we can or should do about mass killings. I don't like the thought that so many people around me are carrying loaded guns. I think that is a sign that we are de-evolving.

[NightWatcher]

22. What do you love about your refrigerator?

Both are tools that serve a function. How you use it is up to you. You can keep veggies crisp or the heads of your victims

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

27. Whatever romance I had with guns was lost while toting 2 BAR's on a march.

And, my M1 and an ammo can.

One should not take a swing at annoying squad leaders.

[ileus]

28. The best thing is the family time spent shooting.

My Daughter, Son, and wonderful wife....the family time we spend shooting.

My wife loves shooting the target pistols and her AR (that she picked out and bought when I was out of town)

My daughter loves plinking with the 22's most, she likes the AR's but they're a little loud for her. She doesn't like any of the larger caliber rifles at all. I'm think maybe a suppressor for the AR would warm her up to shooting the "louder" AR.

My son loves his 7mm-08 and 22's the best, he's becoming a great shot offhand pistol wise also. Problem is football season is going to get in the way of shooting here in a few weeks.

Me I love seeing the family having fun after a day of fun on the trails (hiking or biking) or in the pool we'll wait until the sun sets and the evening is getting cooler before heading out to plink some before going in for the evening.

I suppose to answer the question, What I love most is the quality family time our firearms afford us.

[DainBramaged]

34. Really.......

I spent my family time playing softball, billiards, miniature golf, going to the races, helping at the battered women's shelter (lot of gun violence there from angry men with guns) playing computer games, reading. I think my kid turned out great and she was never exposed to guns. She's going into social services soon to HELP people. I think that's pretty admirable.


Shooting? Uh no. Quality time shooting? Wow.

[obamanut2012]

38. What is wrong with that?

[DainBramaged]

44. My life is 180 degrees from that lifestyle period

and I am sure there are a lot of us. Theres nothing wrong for them....

[obamanut2012]

41. Question: how can there be "lots of gun violence...." if your gun laws are so strict?

And, you don't need a gun in your area because it's so safe? How did these criminals, and they are criminals, get gins? No way in hell could they get a gun here.

Seriously, not snarking, I am just curious.

[DainBramaged]

45. Nationwide

almost 10,000 people died in the US from gun violence in 2010. Less than 100 in England. I would tend to think that makes us a pretty violent country..........

[ileus]

50. We just finished up softball and baseball season...

3 softball games a week and 1-2 practices. 2 baseball games and 2 practices. After a schedule like that we are happy to go shooting.

We're heading out right now for a few hours of swimming. My wife has a grant to write and I had to work at the hospital yesterday so we haven't made time to shoot this weekend. She'll have her grant submitted middle of the week and we plan to take a half day (maybe a whole day) and go and pick up her a new revolver.

Hopefully we'll all get in some quality family time shooting Friday or Saturday evening. We're supposed to hit the creeper trail on Saturday.

http://www.vacreepertrail.us/

[DainBramaged]

59. I am happy you are happy with your shooting time......

enjoy

[permatex]

52. So

good for you, my kids all learned firearm safety by age 7 and were all shooting by age 8. We used to go out to the desert outside of Phoenix and fire off hundreds of rounds, kids turned out just fine and it was a great bonding experience.

[Marrah_G]

74. Everybody has choices as to how to spend their time

Just because you like different things, does not somehow make you superior.

And no, I do not own, nor have I ever fired a weapon.

[DainBramaged]

85. Never said I was superior nor implied, I just chose not to include guns in my daughter's upbringing

sorry that's hard for you to comprehend. So sad that we must abide by the gun code here now, so sad.

[Posteritatis]

89. Uh, the implication that you were was oozing out of every pore of that post. (nt)

[DainBramaged]

90. Oh well......

[Marrah_G]

91. Yes, yes you did

[DainBramaged]

93. Here, I'm not going to bother arguing with you

you're right, give yourself a medal.

[Skittles]

75. this is a joke, right?

[cherokeeprogressive]

81. Ever play "darts"? You know, the game where missiles are propelled at targets?

The Moose Lodge I belong to has a blow-dart board, where tubes are used to propel missiles at targets. Great fun!

No joke.

Projectiles propelled toward targets. When I was young there were countless Sundays when my family would go to the desert near Palm Springs and spend the day plinking.

No joke.

[Skittles]

112. I WILL KICK PLINKING CHEROKEEPROGRESSIVE ASS

OMG

[DainBramaged]

86. Did you get that Ozzie and Harriet feeling too?

I played PC games and the second Diablo with my kid 12 years ago where we killed evil spirits on the computer. It never translated to her asking if I would buy her a gun to shoot at targets on Sunday.

[Skittles]

113. I actually like shooting targets

but - family fun? OMG

[Edweird]

29. It's a mechanical device. A tool. I don't see how it's possible to 'love' it.

I have all kinds of tools. I'm not linked romantically with any of them.

[hfojvt]

30. the way it makes my girlfriend sing

[kentuck]

33. Good one!

[DrDan]

32. their absence from my house

[Posteritatis]

35. I love the straw men they cause to sprout wherever they go. (nt)

[Rex]

42. Nothing, I hate my gun. I hate everything it stands for

and the fact that if someone broke into my house and tried to assault me, I would be forced to take their life. I HATE all firearms.

[Tikki]

43. The 'gun lock' my husband put on it....

The bullets stored in the safe...
Why do we have a gun then, you ask...
He bought it many, many years ago when he used to use it for target practice..
If he should pass before me...it's out of here.


Tikki

[DisgustipatedinCA]

46. Excellent posts. Let these deviants know they're aberrant societal outcasts.

Heartily recommended.

[TalkingDog]

110. Which ones are the deviants?

And how do you know?

[DisgustipatedinCA]

114. There's a clear, bright line. It's easy to see, really, unless one's on the other side of it.

[TalkingDog]

119. Great way to say: Yay! I can just post vapid, jingoistic bullshit and not have to defend it!

Good on you for failing to contribute anything helpful or substantial to the discussion. You'd do well in the Republican Party.

[lumberjack_jeff]

47. I love my car. I hate my gun.

Or rather, I hate the perceived need for a tool for that purpose. Admittedly, the device itself is a rather elegant piece of mechanical engineering, but I'm extremely ambivalent about it conceptually.

My wife was the one who really pushed me to buy it, but she doesn't want to know how it works.

Psychology; it's a funny thing.

I think it's prudent to own it. It's in a box, locked in a safe. I think it is, anyway, because I haven't actually opened the box this year.

It's unlikely that I'll ever need to use it beyond that which is required for training/familiarizing. At least, that's my hope.

[pinboy3niner]

48. That I don't have any. :)

[ohheckyeah]

51. Actually, I don't love my gun.

My gun is nothing but a tool. I seldom look at it or think about it except when the anti-gun people go all ballistic about guns.

[slackmaster]

53. Every firearm is an example of some of the best metallurgy and manufacturing technology of its time

I find them to be fascinating windows into history.

They're also a lot of fun to collect and shoot.

[kentuck]

55. including Saturday Night Specials?

I never thought of them that way. But you can kill people by sticking firecrackers up their nose and lighting the fuse. Same principle.

[slackmaster]

57. Inexpensive mass-produced handguns made it possible for poor people to own guns

There's nothing wrong with that.

Personally I don't own any cheap weapons, but I have no problem with other people being able to buy them on a tight budget.

[kentuck]

62. Yep.

Nothing like spending the last few dollars on a cheap Saturday Night special when there are no groceries in the house...Then you get in the argument with the wife and before you know it, you are drinking and slinging it around like it was a yo-yo. But, not to worry, the kids may be hungry but you got your gun....

[slackmaster]

65. Wow, you really have a negative opinion of poor people

Nothing like spending the last few dollars on a cheap Saturday Night special when there are no groceries in the house...Then you get in the argument with the wife and before you know it, you are drinking and slinging it around like it was a yo-yo. But, not to worry, the kids may be hungry but you got your gun....

[kentuck]

71. No. I only read the statistics.

More people die from guns in poor areas than wealthy areas. It doesn't take Einstein to figure that out.

[Paladin]

66. There Have Actually Been Propsals In The DU Gungeon......

....for government subsidies to cover firearms for poor people. Hey, you can't make up shit like that.....

[slackmaster]

73. The "Arm the Homeless" campaign was a hoax

http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/archive/permalink/arm_the_homeless/

[aquart]

63. Anyone who is nothing without a gun is nothing with one.

[Egalitarian Thug]

67. I don't love any of my weapons any more than I love my socket set.

Love is for beings, not objects. I might say I love my car, but I would sell if it If I felt I needed to or somebody made me a ridiculous offer for it. I love my family, I love my dogs, horses, goats, & my friends. I don't love guns, I just enjoy getting better at using them.

[rrneck]

69. I dont love inanimate objects.

Bit it's kinda fun to know they put you lot in a swivet.

[kentuck]

72. "put you lot in a swivet."

What the hell does that mean??

[rrneck]

78. swivet

http://m.dictionary.com/d/?q=swivet&o=0&l=dir

. 1 result for: swivet swiv·et- noun 1.  state of nervous excitement, haste, or anxiety; flutter Source: Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabrid

A gun is just an object like any other. It acquires more symbolic value than most others because of its function. That value has the interesting ability to draw literalists and authoritarians screaming from the woodwork. In a swivet.

[kentuck]

95. I hate to put a damper on your moment...

But it doesn't put me in a "swivet" at all. Sorry if that disappoints you.

[rrneck]

96. Sure.

And you posted this flamebait to satisfy your intellectual curiosity.

[kentuck]

97. No.

I was just seeing which fish would bite.

[rrneck]

98. FlameBAIT. nt

[kentuck]

99. Look out!

It's hotter than a two-dollar pistol! As the old saying goes...

[rrneck]

100. Swivet. nt

[YoungDemCA]

70. It's the false sense of macho confidence that it provides people...

...who are scared.

Not the case for all gun owners in America, but it's the case for far too many of them.

[smirkymonkey]

105. +1000

Truer words have never been spoken.

[cherokeeprogressive]

80. What do you love about beating your husband/wife/lover?

Is it the feeling of power it gives you?

[Bryn]

82. I love my two big black guns because...

they're loyal to me, protect me, are effective against break-ins, and are very affectionate. I do take them out for a ride, a walk, I play with them, they love to lick my face and give me a hug. I bathe them to keep them shiny. I don't hide them.

[rufus dog]

83. Good work at attempting to open discussion

I personally don't own a gun. (except for a pellet gun)

Have been skeet shooting a few times, target shooting a couple of times. It was o.k., just not my idea of fun. Would rather go the the beach, golf, bike, etc for fun, but I am fine with people who have a great time skeet or target shooting, or hunting.

I think what the OP is after is "what is the absolute love" some (not all) people have for guns. In my life I have played a lot of softball and golf. At times certain equipment is regulated. The elimination of the availability of certain equipment never lessened the fun I had playing using officially sanctioned equipment. Also it never became a huge issue if a bat type or grooves in a club were deemed unacceptable.

That is where I get lost in some of the responses that say you can't discuss anything that regulates the gun industry.

[Autumn]

87. Nothing to love about my guns. They are a tool, just like my shovel, or my pitch fork.

I have livestock and live in the country, I consider my guns to be nothing more than any other tool. I use them when I need them.

[freethought]

88. I wouldn't call it "love" per se, But I have two guns that do have sentimental value

One is a 30-06 scoped hunting rifle. I used to use it for the rifle seasons for white-tailed deer in Maine and Vermont when I lived in New England and would participate in the rifle season. It's a rather run-of-the mill rifle. Nothing about it stands out. It's rather plain when you compare it to higher end rifles that are made by companies like Weatherby, Sako, and others. My father was the original purchaser of the rifle. He had bought it some time before my birth in 1967. Despite it's age, it's a tack driver in practiced hands out to considerable range.

The other is a 50 Caliber Thompson Center caplock Muzzleloader with open sites. It is a Hawken-style gun, just less flashy than other Hawken styles available on the market. Again, I used it during the primitive firearms seasons in Maine and Vermont. It's actually pretty heavy given it has this long, hexagonal, heavy steel barrel. Toting it around in the woods all day can make for some sore arms.

For the record, I was never a successful deer hunter and have not done any for several years and don't intend to in the future. I used to hunt with my late father, but when he reached a certain age where sitting on a deer stand in the chilling cold of a Maine or Vermont winter became difficult and unappealing. When he lost interest in hunting, so did I.

If one wonders why I keep them, it is largely for sentimental value given that my father handed the 30-06 to me and said it was mine to keep. The muzzleloader was a Christmas gift that my father had given to me. My dad was often pretty clueless when choosing gifts for people on birthdays or Christmas but this was one year he got it right on the mark. Right now, both of these guns are sitting in cases buried back in some closet. Chances are that I will not fire a shot through either of them ever again. Despite that however, I am reluctant to sell or get rid of them given their sentimental value. My dad died in 2005. That's the reason I keep them.

Like I said, it's not really "love" per se. Rather, they are sort of a reminder. My father would not have given me either of the guns if he thought I was not mature enough to handle them responsibly. One might call it a symbol of "coming of age". This may baffle some people, but to people who knew my father's character, they would definitely get it.

I did at one time own 3 handguns(two nine millimeter pistols and a 22 caliber pistol) This was at a time when law enforcement was a distinct possibility as a career. I did not follow that career path but kept the pistols as a hobby/sport interest. I would find out that pistol shooting can be an expensive sport(ammo, club fees, range fees, all these add up) and there were other activities I enjoyed more. I no longer pistol shoot and don't own any handguns.

[Shrek]

94. That I can use them to shoot pheasants

Which are very tasty and never available at the local grocery.

Same with quail and doves.

[Turbineguy]

101. When I hold my gun......

I forget the smallness of my penis.

[kentuck]

102. Happiness is a warm gun..

Enjoy!

[razorman]

103. The fact that they are mine.

[Evoman]

104. I only have a gun that shoots foam darts. But I love stroking its barrel while contemplating using

it on all the dart gun grabbers out there. You'll take my green foam dart gun out of my cold hands. I'd rather not be dead when you take it though.

[Marinedem]

107. Well...

I guess what I love the most is how they put neurotic fear mongers in a tizzy, while providing me with afternoon after afternoon of safe, clean, relaxing fun. Nothing like practicing self discipline and excellence in accuracy while the Tali-banners froth away.

Guns are inanimate objects. It appears that the grabbers are the ones doing the fetishizing.

[loli phabay]

117. food that they provide.

[warrprayer]

121. Cows With Guns

Mooo!!!

[loli phabay]

123. lol i need a firepower upgrade.

[spin]

122. I enjoy the challenge of target shooting handguns. ...

It's a difficult skill to master.

[raouldukelives]

125. The guns I've always liked the most were my grandfathers.

Flintlocks and old lever action Winchesters. Must be the combination of a well made and well used tool combined with the history & knowledge of my dad & grandfathers resting it against their cheek just as I do.
I haven't shot for game in years but occasionally enjoy target shooting at cans and such.
I can't say I've even been tempted to purchase a gun. A few rifles passed down work just as well. But if someone offered me a nice Weatherby it would be hard to turn down.

On the flip side I've never really understood the fascination with pistols. I can understand having a sidearm in case you run across a crazed bear but the massive proliferation of them is our biggest problem IMHO. Even more so than an "assault rifle" these are designed only for stopping people. I've heard of people hunting with them but I frown on that as much as bow hunters. If you must kill something, please make sure the chances of its suffering are minimized to the maximum.