Questions for gun owners

[iwillalwayswonderwhy]

I want to understand. This is not meant to flame, it's just meant for clarification purposes. I certainly do not have any answers or suggestions on how to stop gun violence. I'm simply curious about gun owners and based on some of the postings of gun owners there are more questions than answers.

1. Have you ever used a gun in self-defense or in defense of your family or home?

2. Are you a collector? If so, please tell me about your collection and your interest. What do you look for when adding to your collection?

3. Do you target practice? Is this a sport to you? How often?

4. Are there any gun owners who have never shot their gun or any gun?

5. Have you ever had a gun stolen?

6. Do you have children in your home? Do you teach them about gun safety? Are the guns locked up?

7. Have you ever been threatened by someone with a gun?

8. Do you live in a rural area or an urban area?

9. Do you carry a concealed gun? If so, why?

10. Did you grow up in a family that had guns? Were hunters?

11. Tell me about your first gun and why you purchased it?

[cgrindley]

1. Answers

1. no
2. no
3. yes, once per week, 200-300 rounds of .45 ACP at paper targets at an indoor range, it isn't a sport it's like brushing one's teeth. I am an infinitely better shot than any criminal.
4. I don't think you can get a purchase permit without having shot a gun in a training course first--at least in CT.
5. no
6. yes. yes. they go to the range with me. of course. it would be retarded to violate storage laws.
7. no
8. urban
9. I have permit to do so but do not carry. I have a concealed weapons permit to exercise my constitutional rights. No other reason. If we do not exercise our rights, they will be taken away from us.
10. yes. yes.
11. many many years ago. a .22 lr semi-automatic rifle. my brother still has it, but it doesn't shoot worth a damn

I am Canadian. I live in the US and have lived here since 2001. I believe that this country and the people who inhabit it are quite dangerous and I simply would not feel safe here in the US if I didn't have the ability to access firearms. This is a violent place. In Canada, it's completely different. Gun ownership here, is caught up in politics. In Canada, it is to a lesser extent. Guns are for killing animals. Deer, ducks, elk, moose, pheasants, quail, etc. In my mind, this is why guns should exist. To kill wild animals so that they may be eaten. It is depressing that a person needs to have access to them in the US, but you can't take chances in this country.

[iwillalwayswonderwhy]

3. Thank you for answering honestly

These are the very things I am curious about. Your answers to 4 and 6 - do you agree with these laws?

[cgrindley]

8. I'm basically a fan of intrusive government

so yeah. I agree with these laws.

[atreides1]

2. Here's you go

1. Have you ever used a gun in self-defense or in defense of your family or home? In self defense yes/ In my home, no

2. Are you a collector? If so, please tell me about your collection and your interest. What do you look for when adding to your collection? Not a collector

3. Do you target practice? Is this a sport to you? How often? Yes/No/When time permits

4. Are there any gun owners who have never shot their gun or any gun? Don't know

5. Have you ever had a gun stolen? No

6. Do you have children in your home? Do you teach them about gun safety? Are the guns locked up? No/NA/None of your business

7. Have you ever been threatened by someone with a gun? Yes

8. Do you live in a rural area or an urban area? No

9. Do you carry a concealed gun? If so, why? No, but I'm thinking about it

10. Did you grow up in a family that had guns? Were hunters? No/No

11. Tell me about your first gun and why you purchased it? I purchased my first gun after 9/11 mainly because of my ethnic look, and the fact that a white man in Phoenix went on a rampage and killed a Sikh convenience store worker and attempted to kill a Lebanese couple, blaming them for the 9/11 attacks. And now that racism and bigotry seemed to be coming back into vogue, not only against those of Muslim ethnicity but anyone who might look like an "illegal", I'm going to do more target practice with my weapon, because gun control means hitting what you aim at.

[Tyler Durden]

4. Hokay.

1. Have you ever used a gun in self-defense or in defense of your family or home?

Once: the Junkie boyfriend of a Junkie who robbed the store I worked at tried to break into the house.

2. Are you a collector? If so, please tell me about your collection and your interest. What do you look for when adding to your collection?

Not really.

3. Do you target practice? Is this a sport to you? How often?

Target as many times as practical


4. Are there any gun owners who have never shot their gun or any gun?

Not me.


5. Have you ever had a gun stolen?

Yes, but they were stored in a Frat house, and we know who took them, just can't prove it.


6. Do you have children in your home? Do you teach them about gun safety? Are the guns locked up?

Yes, Yes, and OF COURSE.


7. Have you ever been threatened by someone with a gun?

Held up working at a convenience store three times. One, a junkie (female) CLAIMED to have a gun and made pocket moves like one. Never saw it. Two and three were both done by another person but both times by the same guy, BIG revolver. VERY friendly. The second time I helped him carry groceries to the car.


8. Do you live in a rural area or an urban area?

Small urban area.


9. Do you carry a concealed gun? If so, why?

Hell no.


10. Did you grow up in a family that had guns? Were hunters?

Nope.


11. Tell me about your first gun and why you purchased it?

Walther P-38 9mm. I don't know, I just liked it.

[SharkSquid]

5. Ok ill go

1. Yes and No. I have used my gun in the defense of my home but not fired it. All three times the perps dropped the loot and ran.

2. Yes, I collect mostly historical firearms (old shotguns, derringer pistols, a Kentucky long rifle) most of my old guns are long guns and very few are usable. I look for the unique or historically significant gun.

3. Yes, all the time, not really a sport to me. It is only to make sure that if I every have to use my gun that my skills stay fresh.

4. Yep, there shouldnt be. Everyone who owns a gun should have a clear appreciation for its power and proper use.

5. No, I take some strict precautions though, if I am not in the house the gun is locked up tighter than my birth certificate.

6. I have no kids of my own but anyone staying at my house for an extended period knows about the gun and what it is used for. My kids will know how to use the long guns when they are old enough (8-9) and the handgun as well (16-18) if I can determine that they are mature enough. I will control access to my guns at all times though, my wife is the only one with access to them besides me.

7. Out of combat situation, twice.

8. Suburban, like most of Jacksonville.

9. I used to, my permit has lapsed though on my last deployment and i have not renewed it therefore I do not carry right now. Why? self-defense and the defense of others, the only real reason to carry.

10. Yes, my father was a police officer, we are not a hunting family though. He taught me about alot of guns, the rest I learned in Boy Scouts.

11. My first gun was a .22 rifle I received when I was 12 because of my interest from the range and from Boy Scouts (thats what the scouts shoot with). My fisrt handgun came from my dad when I was 19 and living in a tough neighborhood while in college. It was his old .38 snub-nosed detective special.

[Wcross]

6. My answers;

1) Yes, although there was no need to fire the weapon.
2) No, I have firearms for personal defense. I do not collect.
3) Yes, I hit the range with all my firearms once a month. It is not a sport but rather a requirement to remain proficient.
4) No, I have fired all my guns.
5) No, I have a gun safe. I do leave a handgun & a shotgun out but the shotgun is well hidden and the handgun goes with me when I leave the house.
6) No children in the home. No children are allowed in my home because I don't enjoy their company. Guns are in a safe.
7) No.
8) Rural area.
9) Yes. I carry because a handgun is the most effective personal defense weapon available. There are people in our society who victimize others. I intend to have the ability to defend myself.
10) Yes we had guns but were not hunters.
11) I was 10 years old and my father bought me a .22 rifle for target shooting.

[Froward69]

7. ok

1. Yes
2.yes... Historical relivence ,age, rarity.
3.yes, not as often as i would like. no I havent sport shot since college.so
4. some in my collection I would not shoot simply because of their age 100+
5.yes, he killed himself with it.
6.used to,yes and yes.
7.yes once
8.urban, Denver.
9.yes about twice a month, I am a landlord I carry when rents come in.
10. no.
11. I was 18 and the Firearm was the right price. I had been mugged a month earlier when i was 17.
12. When I was in High school JROTC and football were all i cared about. football for the violence and JROTC for the rifle team. BOTH calmed me down and taught me life lessons that I use every Day. "Trigger control" Is really a breathing exorcise, that inherently calms one down. If done properly.

[zabet]

9. Ok...

1. Yes, in defense of the home. Just used as a
visible threat, not fired.
2. Not really, have a 9mm Camp rifle, a 9mm handgun,
2 berettas (.25 and .32 semi-auto pistols), a 38 police
special, a .22 semi-auto pistol, an antique damascus twisted
steel barrel double barreled shot-gun, an antique Victor
12 gauge, a Remington woodmaster pump, a Remington 1187
shotgun, a Stevens double barrel shotgun, 3 rifles -.22s,
Wow! I have more than I realized!
3. Yes, it is a sport. Do it 2 to 3 times a month. Gotta
know how to use them safely and that requires familiarity with
your weapons.
4. I have shot every one I have ever had.
5. Yes but, police came out, got the serial numbers from
my paperwork and the guns were recovered at a pawn shop in less
than a week's time.
6. No children in the home at this time. The guns have always
been locked up in a fireproof gun safe. Both my children were
taught gun safety from a very young age and they both are quite
the marksmen in their shooting abilities. Both have been to the
class and have gotten 'Carrying concealed' permits.
7. Nope
8. Rural
9. Rarely, only if where I am going dictates the need to.
10. Dad is a collector but, I know of 12 guns he has that have
never been fired since purchased new. Nobody in the home hunted
but, both my Grandpas were avid hunters.
11. Mossberg 12 gauge pump with a 32 inch ventilated rib barrel. I
bought this one because I wanted a Remington and could not afford
it. Mossberg used to built on an old Remington patent.

[RB TexLa]

10. mine

1 no

2 no

3 yes, not as often as I'd like.

4 don't understand your question.

5 no

6 I don't raise children

7 yes

8 urban

9 no

10 yes

11 my first gun was a 410 shotgun given to me by my grandfather it was used for duck hunting

[aikoaiko]

11. here are mine

1. Yes, a couple of times but firing the gun was not necessary.

2. Yes, an amateur collector. right now my collection focuses on function

3. Yes, I target shoot for practicing self-defense and recreation.

4. I don't know any.

5. No.

6. Yes, hand guns in quick access lock box and a shotgun hanging at 7 feet (kid is 2.5 y)

7. unclear as to what you mean

8. urban, smallish southern city

9. Yes, not always but when I can. I carry as an aid to self-defense.

10. No. No guns, no hunters.

11. I bought a 7 round .357 revolver mostly for self-defense and recreational purposes.

[Thothmes]

12. Questions & Answers

1. Yes, apprehended two young men after they broke into my house. One had a small caliber semi auto. Surprised them with a 12 gage shotgun. No shots
fired.
2. Yes, mostly Civil War infantry weapons.
3. Use to shoot in high power rifle competition, target shot with 30-06 military fire arms and a 45 ACP. Also was an avid member of the NSSA. Burned
up a lot of lead and black powder. No longer spend a lot of time at the range.
4. Yes, I know several that have firearms but have never fired them. Think that is a dangerous situation.
5. No
6. Did, Did, Yes.
7. Yes, see # 1.
8. Hampton, Virginia
9. No. I see no need to carry a concealed weapon in Virginia. Virginia law allows open carry. Which I do on occasion.
10. Dad had a 12 gage for protection. I have never hunted.
11. 1973 bought a 45 cal Colt automatic pistol. Wanted to improve my skill with the type of gun to get the the ships pistol team.

[MethuenProgressive]

13. No, no, yes, no, sure, no, yes, yes, yes, no, suburban, no, yes, yes, and

it was a hand-me-down single shot bolt action .22.
I've never purchased a gun. Only one's I've owned were hand downs.

[dmallind]

14. ooookayy...

With the sure knowledge this WILL be flamed, and recognizing (perhaps unintentionally, perhaps not) loaded questions....

1. Have you ever used a gun in self-defense or in defense of your family or home?

NOPE - has every homeowner had a catastrophic claim on their insurance? Is it a bad idea for them to continue to pay for it?

2. Are you a collector? If so, please tell me about your collection and your interest. What do you look for when adding to your collection?

MINOR WAY - I focus on 1911 handguns - the basic slab-sided standard sidearm, traditionally in .45ACP, for the military until the 80's. I look for well made examples of this basic platform.


3. Do you target practice? Is this a sport to you? How often?

YES, SORT OF, and VARIES. I shoot lots and lots of paper whenever I am in the mood. I also have done IDPA type matches (rather poorly I confess)

4. Are there any gun owners who have never shot their gun or any gun?

DUNNO - PROBABLY. I would imagine this would apply to those whose main focus is on historical firearms. Why you would have a functional mass production gun and not try to become more proficient with it (it's harder than it looks) I have no idea.

5. Have you ever had a gun stolen?

NOPE - They are in a safe when I'm not using them. It's possible the safe could be stolen. But then it's possible my car could be stolen by a drunk driver or my kitchen knives stolen by a Jason wannabe too.

6. Do you have children in your home? Do you teach them about gun safety? Are the guns locked up?

SORT OF - 17. Che already knew gun safety before I did from her biological dad, and has no interest at all in them. See above.

7. Have you ever been threatened by someone with a gun?

YEP - dunno how serious he was though. He was threatening to shoot my dog. I made it very clear he would have to shoot me first and he'd better not miss. I was unarmed at the time and he was probably more of a blowhard than a real threat.

8. Do you live in a rural area or an urban area?

IN BETWEEN - exurb of a city. Does crime happen in only one?

9. Do you carry a concealed gun? If so, why?

NOT NOW BUT USED TO. May again - living in NY state makes it a bit harder, and haven't got around to navigating the paperwork yet since only just got here. Why? Same reason I wear a seat belt, have home insurance, and turn the computer off in thunderstorms. Do people have to experience the results of not doing these things, or have a high probability of needing them for it to be OK for them to do so?

10. Did you grow up in a family that had guns? Were hunters?

Not at all. I grew up in the UK. I never even saw a handgun in real life until I was 22. I did some rifle shooting in the CCF - a vague analog to the ROTC - though.

11. Tell me about your first gun and why you purchased it?

A Glock 19 - before I became enamored with the 1911 (no great nostalgia BTW - I just shoot them better because of the ergonomics and trigger). Bought it because of reputation as very reliable, simple and functional gun - all of which is true incidentally. Why a gun at all? To be honest it was because of the rise of the jingoistic right wing in the last decade or so. When people are beaten to death for being gay or refusing to stand up for a Country and Western song, the idea of self-protection became quite appealing.

[iwillalwayswonderwhy]

16. Nope, no judgements and answers to your questions

1. has every homeowner had a catastrophic claim on their insurance? Is it a bad idea for them to continue to pay for it? That's a different question - it's been my experience with insurance companies that no matter what happens, it's suddenly not covered. Sometimes I DO think it's a bad idea to carry it.

4. Are there any gun owners who have never shot their gun or any gun? I asked this because of my own experience, my dad bought me a gun and insisted I should have it in the home. After a year I realized that I a)did not know how to shoot it, load it, or anything and b)I realized I would not be able to use it if necessary and whoever was threatening me would just take it off me.


8. Do you live in a rural area or an urban area?

IN BETWEEN - exurb of a city. Does crime happen in only one? Nope, just statistics.

9. Do people have to experience the results of not doing these things, or have a high probability of needing them for it to be OK for them to do so? Nope, no judgements here as to whether it is okay or not.



Truly, I appreciate the honest answers. If the questions were loaded, they weren't intentionally loaded.

[dmallind]

19. Fair enough - and followup

Insurance? you may have a point there, but assuming insurance actually offered help it would be a valid analogy.

Not using/practicing? For the love of all the gods get thee to a range right away - either with a sane and competent shooting friend or with a couple of paid lessons to begin with. Shooting is not rocket science in practicality but it takes a lot of practice to be anything other than awful at it. Every slight little misalignment of a 3-5" barrel gets magnified many many times at the traditional "shooting distance" of 21' and it gets worse from out there - simple math obviously. At first I couldn't even keep a magazine load on one sheet of paper let alone group worth a damn. It gets better quickly but to be GOOD takes a lot. I'm still no Leatham but I can usually keep them all within 2" at that distance and 3.5" or so at 50'. Get much beyond that and handguns aren't the right tool for most of us. These results are not great but I Am at least safe that I can competently hit a reasonable target at a reasonable distance if necessary. Even with the adrenalin and fear of a real life need (and there are ways to somewhat recreate that in practice) I doubt I'm going to miss too many human-sized targets. Hitting ONLY what you need to shoot at is a pretty big deal.

HOWEVER your fears of guns being taken away is as much Hollywood-driven as the idea that any human can shoot a handgun to "knock the gun out of the hand" of a criminal 50 feet away. I've honestly heard that suggested by critics of cops. It's fricking impossible trust me. To fear the "take away" you have to posit a criminal fearless enough to try it - HE doesn't know you can't shoot worth a damn - AND a situation where he's close enough to do so (don't be stupid) AND he's bigger and faster and stronger than you AND you don't have the presence of mind to think "hey I can't shoot for beans and maybe the gun isn't even loaded but hmm it's still a couple of pounds of steel at the end of my arm - maybe I can do something with that instead" It just doesn't happen. The antis would have a field day trumpeting it from the rooftops if that happened more than one time in a million. In 98% of defensive gun uses you don't even fire the thing. Criminals are venal but they're not morons - why take on an armed victim when you can run away and take easier prey instead? Any sign of a gun and only a pro whose intent is to kill you specifically is likely not to crap himself and run like hell.

[iwillalwayswonderwhy]

22. No need to learn, sold the gun

Not using/practicing? For the love of all the gods get thee to a range right away - either with a sane and competent shooting friend or with a couple of paid lessons to begin with.

I had an incident when my kids were small. My husband was out of town, and I heard noises coming from the kitchen. I tiptoed to the kitchen in the dark, looked out the back door that ran off the kitchen, and saw a hand almost silenting lifting panes of glass on the jalousy door. I went to my room to get the gun, realized I was too frightened to use it, and came roaring back into the kitchen turning on lights and making noise. Whoever it was, ran away. I called the police. Replaced the door and got a dog.

[slackmaster]

15. OK

1. Have you ever used a gun in self-defense or in defense of your family or home?

Yes, and I would prefer not to divulge any details on this forum for privacy reasons.

2. Are you a collector? If so, please tell me about your collection and your interest. What do you look for when adding to your collection?

Yes, federally licensed collector of curios and relics. I look for historically accurate, complete firearms from World War II and earlier.

3. Do you target practice? Is this a sport to you? How often?

Occasionally. It's a casual sport, and also a vehicle for teaching firearm safety. I go out about 3-4 times per year, and try to take as many people who are unfamiliar with firearms as possible.

4. Are there any gun owners who have never shot their gun or any gun?

Probably. I own a few "safe queens" that I have never fired because they are too valuable.

5. Have you ever had a gun stolen?

No. I keep them securely locked up. Theft is very unlikely.

6. Do you have children in your home? Do you teach them about gun safety? Are the guns locked up?

No, but I used to. Yes, I taught my stepson gun safety. Yes, I always kept them locked up.

7. Have you ever been threatened by someone with a gun?

Not intentionally.

8. Do you live in a rural area or an urban area?

Suburban.

9. Do you carry a concealed gun? If so, why?

No, it is very difficult to get a permit in most parts of California. Sometimes I carry one openly in the back country.

10. Did you grow up in a family that had guns? Were hunters?

Yes. My stepfather was a World War II veteran. His family relied on subsistence hunting when he was a child. In the Navy he became an expert marksman and taught rifle school after the war. He taught my brother and me gun safety when we were children. Neither of us has ever had a problem with a firearm.

11. Tell me about your first gun and why you purchased it?

Ruger 10/22 semiautomatic rifle. Good inexpensive reliable plinking weapon, also potentially useful for small varmint hunting.

[Squatch]

17. Answers

1. Yes
2. Yes (2 rifles, 3 shotguns, 2 pistols...looking to add an AK variant)
3. Yes (IPSC, sporting clays, etc. at least twice a month)
4. No
5. No
6. Yes. Yes. Yes
7. Yes. (I'm in the Army and people like to threaten soldiers with weapons, especially in places like Iraq.)
8. Suburban
9. Yes. Because it's my right to.
10. Yes. Yes.
11. Remington 870 12 gauge. To hunt ducks and pheasants.

[Lance_Boyle]

18. OK

1) No.
2) No.
3) Yes. More of a hobby than a sport. Rarely - ammunition is expensive.
4) I'm sure there are, but not this one.
5) No.
6) No. N/A. Yes.
7) No.
8) Rural.
9) No. Although I did take the concealed carry permit course, it was more for education than obtaining the permit. I don't want or need the responsibility of carrying a weapon on my person at all times.
10) Yes. No.
11) 9mm semi-auto. So I could target shoot with my dad and uncle.

[I work for workers]

20. My answers:

1. No.
2. I'd like to be, but it's an expensive hobby.
3.Yes, I like to target shoot. I wouldn't call it a sport for me, because I don't do it competitively, but it is certainly a pass time. I shoot every month or so.
4. I'm sure there are, but I don't know any.
5. No.
6. I don't have kids, but I was taught gun safety at an early age and would do so for my children. Any friend I bring shooting has to hear my gun safety lecture and demonstrate they know what I'm talking about first.
7. No.
8. Rural, not far from urban areas though. Some friends used to live in a bad urban area. They kept guns for protection.
9. No, because I've yet to file for a permit. As soon as I do, I will.
10. Yes. Yes.
11. I was always semi-indifferent to guns until I did a research project on gun control my senior year of college. I was shocked to find that many of my standard liberal assumptions about gun control, assault weapons, gun crime, and the affects of guns on society were entirely false. Since then I've become a strict supporter of our Second Amendment rights. I bought my first gun, a 20 gauge breech loading shotgun, as soon as I was living off school grounds and could.

[Squatch]

21. Interesting choice of shotgun. Are breech-loading guns common?

:rofl:

[I work for workers]

23. Yes, you can get them at any sporting goods store.

I had two reasons for choosing it:

First, it was cheap. I was pretty broke my senior year of college, and a $98 gun was about as much as I could afford. I got it new, looking back I probably could have bought a more modern used gun for around the same price.

Second, I liked it. I could have bought a .22 rifle new for the same price, but one of the first guns I ever fired was a breech loading shotgun, so it had some sentimental value.

[Squatch]

24. I think you missed the reason why I found your post funny.

The VAST majority of firearms made today are breech-loading.

Now, if you said that you bought a 20 ga muzzle-loading shotgun, now *that* would have been unique.

[I work for workers]

25. LOL. I missed that,

I probably should have been more specific. It breaks open for loading, as opposed to having a tube magazine and pump.

[ManiacJoe]

28. .

[ManiacJoe]

30. Very common for shotguns.

Over-unders and side-by-side. Probably more common for competition than hunting.

[AuntPatsy]

26. Here is my answers.....

1. I didn't exactly use it but I had it in my hand and called out that through the door that I was ready and willing to use it when I heard someone trying to get in through my front door, meanwhile I had a call into the police and all turned out well. I have seen the misuse of guns many times but to be honest my real fear is someone holding a knife or the equivalent of a sharp blade instrument.

2. My whole family collects guns, we personally do not have any automatic weapons but my brother in law does, our interests range more towards hunting weapons such as rifles and shotguns but we do have a few small hand guns.

3. Actually my husband likes to target practice at the local gun club, he goes with his brother or my sons, I haven't gone since I was much younger but I do plan on taking it up again as soon as I get the one I have been looking at lately.

4. Yes, I know of a few who simply buy them and have never used them, collectors I guess.

5. Yes we did a couple of times, once a small hand gun hidden under the mattress years ago but our house was burglarized by someone who knew it was there, found this out later. And stupidly we left one in the closet and came home from being gone over night and found out that my kids had had some friends over and one had gotten it and took it, he left the house and got stopped by the police, the gun was found, I did try to get it back but the judge would not allow me, it was an old colt 45, in mint condition but frankly I felt we lost it justified, should have been locked up with our other ones, all of them now are firmly locked away where no one can get to them hopefully and the keys remain on my person and well as my husbands, no keys left around the house for anyone else to get to.

6. Yes we have children in the home and not only our children but our grandchildren have been taught from day one the dangers of guns and how to be careful but with any dangerous item, you can never teach safety enough, it pays to constantly talk about it and not leave it to chance they they will remember what they were told.

7. Yes and frankly as I stated above, I have feared someone holding a sharp bladed instrument more, not sure why which also happened.

8. We have lived in both areas.

9. I used to early on before the laws changed for protection since I was on the road for long trips with my family when my husband worked far away, I have to get my permit now to be able to do so again and I plan on doing it sometime this year or early next.

10. My father had not guns whatsoever and was not a hunter but both my father's and mother's family's in rural PA were and so I did grow up around gun owners to an extent.

11. My first gun was bought by a boyfriend in high school who was an avid hunter, it was a rifle but one I used only for skeet shooting, I never could kill anything so though I don't personally hunt I don't mind those that do as long as they don't just kill for the fun of it, he was one of those who were extremely safety conscience as is my husband and never shot anything that he didn't plan to eat as did my extended family members, though my mother never owned guns nor did my father hunt, she loved wild meat and loved cooking up wild game that anyone gave to her, in her early years sometimes that is all her family was able to eat, what my grandfather shot for them, she could make a mean rabbit pot pie but she excelled on cooking venison, not everyone can and I have tried some that I had to spit out because if you don't cook it right it can be horrid.

[benEzra]

27. Good questions...

I want to understand. This is not meant to flame, it's just meant for clarification purposes. I certainly do not have any answers or suggestions on how to stop gun violence. I'm simply curious about gun owners and based on some of the postings of gun owners there are more questions than answers.

1. Have you ever used a gun in self-defense or in defense of your family or home?

Not personally, and I don't expect to have to. My father did have a "save" via a lawfully carried gun in the mid-1970's, when I was a child, though. No shots fired; like most such incidents, his would-be attackers saw the gun, changed their minds, and left.

2. Are you a collector? If so, please tell me about your collection and your interest. What do you look for when adding to your collection?

Not a serious collector, but I do have a couple of interesting antiques. The most noteworthy is probably this one, which is 105 years old this year, and likely saw action in World War I, the Bolshevik Revolution and/or Finnish war for independence, the Winter War of 1939-1940 (on the Finn side), the Continuation War, and helped kick the Nazis out of Finland in 1945.

3. Do you target practice? Is this a sport to you? How often?

Yes, for recreation, for the zen of it, and for skill improvement. As often as I can, given how busy I am (dad to a special-needs kid), but I try to go at least once a month, more often if possible. I also compete in IPSC/USPSA matches when I can, both rifle and pistol.

This is my primary competition rifle:



That's a non-automatic civilian rifle, not an actual Title 2/Class III restricted AK-47; the optic is a Russian Kobra.

4. Are there any gun owners who have never shot their gun or any gun?

Probably some, but I would imagine they are a small minority.

5. Have you ever had a gun stolen?

No, and I take precautions against that, including a safe.

6. Do you have children in your home? Do you teach them about gun safety? Are the guns locked up?

Yes (ages 8 and 6).

Yes; started teaching gun safety using toy guns (the kind that shoot suction cups), which I made them treat with the same care as a real gun--muzzle always in a safe direction, finger off the trigger unless on target and ready to shoot, etc,. and kept out of reach. They are now at the BB gun stage and doing well; my daughter is almost ready for a .22, I think.

Yes, they are secured when not in use, in a safe. Generally, one carbine in the safe will be chamber empty, magazine loaded. Both our 9mm's (mine and my wife's) are loaded and accessible to us, but not to the kids.

7. Have you ever been threatened by someone with a gun?

No.

8. Do you live in a rural area or an urban area?

Suburban.

9. Do you carry a concealed gun? If so, why?

Yes, because I choose to; not all the time (NC is quirky about where you're allowed to carry). I don't expect to need it, any more than I expect to need the fire extinguisher in my car's trunk, but the possibility exists. And in many states, you need a CHL even to have a gun in the passenger compartment of your car.

My wife got her CHL when we lived in a remote area, I often worked very late, and we had prowlers on occasion.

10. Did you grow up in a family that had guns? Were hunters?

Yes. My parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents owned guns (one of my great-grandparents' wedding presents in 1900 was a matched set of his-and-hers defensive revolvers intended for defensive carry).

I learned to shoot as a child, studied marksmanship while still shooting a BB gun, graduated to firearms as a young teenager (with supervision), and bought my first rifle at age 18.

I have extended family who are hunters, but my immediate family were nonhunters, like most gun owners.

11. Tell me about your first gun and why you purchased it?

Ruger mini-14 Ranch Rifle.



It was a small-caliber (.223) centerfire autoloading rifle, one of those eeee-villll "assault weapons" that Sarah Brady wants you to be so scared of. Suitable for small-game hunting (groundhogs, prairie dogs, maybe coyotes), but I'm not a hunter; I chose it because it was a simple-to-operate first rifle, it was fun to shoot, didn't kick much, and was a decent defensive carbine as well. I kept it for 18 years, put a more ergonomic stock on it, but finally sold it a couple months ago because it wasn't as accurate as I wanted, and set the money aside for an AR-15.

[ManiacJoe]

29. Good questions; my answers...

1. Have you ever used a gun in self-defense or in defense of your family or home?
Thankfully, no.

2. Are you a collector? If so, please tell me about your collection and your interest. What do you look for when adding to your collection?
I collect what I like to shoot, for rifles mostly military-style.

3. Do you target practice? Is this a sport to you? How often?
At least once a month. I have thought about joining local competitions, but have not done so yet.

4. Are there any gun owners who have never shot their gun or any gun?
I am sure there are, but I shoot all the ones I own.

5. Have you ever had a gun stolen?
No, nor anything else stolen.

6. Do you have children in your home? Do you teach them about gun safety? Are the guns locked up?
No kids. Would teach them if there were. Of course, locked up in a big safe.

7. Have you ever been threatened by someone with a gun?
Thankfully, no.

8. Do you live in a rural area or an urban area?
Urban, city of Seattle.

9. Do you carry a concealed gun? If so, why?
Yes, for self defense should the need arise. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

10. Did you grow up in a family that had guns? Were hunters?
Yes (immediate and extended), most were hunters.

11. Tell me about your first gun and why you purchased it?
First gun I owned (gift) was an M1 Carbine for target shooting and hunting. First gun I purchased was a Beretta 92fs for target practice and self defense.

[iwillalwayswonderwhy]

31. This was very informative

Thank you all for taking the time to answer my questions.

[distantearlywarning]

32. My answers:

1. Have you ever used a gun in self-defense or in defense of your family or home?

No. Thank goodness. There is a first time for everything, however. Both my husband and I have been assaulted outside the home at least once in our lives, and the previous owner of our house was burgarized a few years ago.

2. Are you a collector? If so, please tell me about your collection and your interest. What do you look for when adding to your collection?

I am not a collector of guns, and only own one handgun. However, as medieval history buffs, my husband and I do collect other weapons.

3. Do you target practice? Is this a sport to you? How often?

I have done enough target practice to learn how to handle my weapon. It is not a sport I partake in regularly.

4. Are there any gun owners who have never shot their gun or any gun?

I have shot my gun, and other guns.

5. Have you ever had a gun stolen?

No.

6. Do you have children in your home? Do you teach them about gun safety? Are the guns locked up?

We do not have children and do not plan on having children. Other people's children do not regularly visit our home.

7. Have you ever been threatened by someone with a gun?

No.

8. Do you live in a rural area or an urban area?

We live in an urban area, in a hip but "transitional" neighborhood. The worst neighborhood in town is about 6 blocks from us across a set of train tracks.

9. Do you carry a concealed gun? If so, why?

I do not have a concealed carry permit at the current time. If I felt that my neighborhood was getting rougher or that I was in danger going back and forth from work every day I would consider carrying concealed. On the other hand, I might just carry a concealed knife instead, because I feel that I am more competent with a knife than a gun (from years of martial arts training).

10. Did you grow up in a family that had guns? Were hunters?

I grew up in an military family - both father and grandfather served time as officers. When I was very little, my family was quite poor, we lived way out in the country, and my dad supplemented our meager grocery budget with hunting. I remember eating venison and rabbit as a little girl. After our financial situation improved, my father kept the rifles, but stopped hunting. It wasn't pleasure for him. He told me once that he hated killing animals even though he knew it was necessary. It was made clear to me from a very young age that the guns were dangerous and not to be touched without permission. When I was 10 or so, my dad took me out in the woods and let me fire at a few tin cans, and taught me some gun safety basics. I don't remember being very curious about them other than that.

11. Tell me about your first gun and why you purchased it?

Although I had been out target shooting with friends many times, I didn't purchase my own gun until 2005. This was as a response to watching the events of Katrina unfolding on TV - I live in a big city with strange topography, where it would be very difficult to leave in the event of a natural disaster, or for federal help to get in right away. I wanted to have a fighting chance if society went to hell in a handbasket like that, for whatever reason (flood, hurricane, government loses control of society, whatever). I guess the short answer is because I don't trust my government to keep me safe from assholes who would murder and rape me and steal all my stuff if things went south.

[flvegan]

33. My answers:

1. Have you ever used a gun in self-defense or in defense of your family or home?

No.

2. Are you a collector? If so, please tell me about your collection and your interest. What do you look for when adding to your collection?

No

3. Do you target practice? Is this a sport to you? How often?

I go to the range once every so often.

4. Are there any gun owners who have never shot their gun or any gun?

Dunno. I've shot mine.

5. Have you ever had a gun stolen?

No.

6. Do you have children in your home? Do you teach them about gun safety? Are the guns locked up?

No children. Guns are not locked up.

7. Have you ever been threatened by someone with a gun?

No.

8. Do you live in a rural area or an urban area?

Urban

9. Do you carry a concealed gun? If so, why?

No. Mine's for home defense only.

10. Did you grow up in a family that had guns? Were hunters?

Yes. My father had an extensive collection of guns.

11. Tell me about your first gun and why you purchased it?

My first gun is/was a Mossberg 500 12 ga shotgun, 18.5" barrel, pistol grip. Purchased strictly for home defense. Still have it.

[NeedleCast]

34. My answers

1. Yes

2. Not really. I have one piece that could be considered collectible. It it my grandfathers World-War II revolver. It is more sentimental then collectible.

3. Yes. Yes, but not in an organized fashion. Monthly, on average.

4. I know at least one.

5. No.

6. No children in the home. If I did, I would teach them about gun safety and the guns would be inaccessible to them.

7. Yes, but it was the Taliban, so that doesn't really count.

8. Urban.

9. Sometimes, generally for protection.

10. Yes and yes

11. I purchased a rifle and shotgun when I was about 20 for hunting and target shooting.