|
|
Post by bernythedolt on Dec 28, 2023 10:23:21 GMT
Seconded. Firearms licence for a rifle, or shotgun certificate for a shotgun. Handguns are banned, of course (and I suspect michaelc may have been referring to those?). I own three shotguns and in my time have thoroughly enjoyed skeet, sporting, but predominantly trap shooting (over the hill now, but at my peak I was county champion several years and achieved three England caps). Competing in an England Team vest was one of the greatest honours of my life - an experience never to be forgotten. If you get the chance, do give clay pigeon shooting a try! I've enjoyed clay pigeon shooting on the occasions I have done it as an adult, and was actually fairly reasonable at it. I enjoyed rifle shooting when in the cadets, and also had the opportunity on a number of occasions get range time with a collection of handguns which a friend of mine at University was licenced for. I've occasionally felt the urge to go and join a club, maybe Bisley, but am not sufficiently motivated given other things I do. Bisley is worth a visit. I've shot there many times and it's like stepping back in time. You can just drive in and observe for a while, a Sunday probably best.
|
|
|
|
Post by bernythedolt on Dec 28, 2023 10:24:39 GMT
Seconded. Firearms licence for a rifle, or shotgun certificate for a shotgun. Handguns are banned, of course (and I suspect michaelc may have been referring to those?). I own three shotguns and in my time have thoroughly enjoyed skeet, sporting, but predominantly trap shooting (over the hill now, but at my peak I was county champion several years and achieved three England caps). Competing in an England Team vest was one of the greatest honours of my life - an experience never to be forgotten. If you get the chance, do give clay pigeon shooting a try! Ah, your forum name, presumably a play on Berny The Bolt from the Golden Shot, suddenly makes perfect sense. We'll done you. Spot on!
|
|
|
|
Post by bernythedolt on Dec 28, 2023 10:34:37 GMT
If I was so inclined to shoot things, it'd be things I could eat - or to stop them eating my things. PLENTY of squirrels here (despite psychobrowncat's best efforts - she's got through roughly one every other day of late). Shooting at plates thrown into the air? That's only a small step up from golf imho. Where do you stand on shooting golf clubs thrown into the air? Believe me there were times I could happily have disposed of mine that way. It's a frustrating game that I could never properly master!
|
|
|
|
Post by lotus_eater on Dec 28, 2023 11:29:46 GMT
if someone breaks into your house, they are 100% going to have a gun. The problem with gun ownership in US is that it is a self perpetuating downward spiral.
I worked a lifetime in the construction industry and have completed more risk assessments that you can shake a stick at. There is a hierarchy of measures that you take when carrying out the assessment and top of the list is remove the risk. Last on the list is allow the risk to occur and try and manage it. So if you are worried about an armed criminal breaking into your house, the answer is to tighten gun control laws so the intruder doesn't get a gun (as in UK).
Regarding your paranoid neighbour who is worried about living out of town, did you point out that you are far more likely to be shot while 'out and about in town' than in your own house. Also, does your neighbour own a car and is he worried about getting killed in a car crash.
In reality there are lots of risks in life, but the important thing is to assess the risk to see how likely it is to happen. No point worrying about something that is never goint to happen.
It's very easy to say "just tighten gun laws" and I think that's the big misconception that Europeans have generally. Just to be clear, I don't agree with gun ownership for people outside of the USA, and I do agree that all guns should be banned everywhere, including the USA (if it were possible). However in the USA it will never happen (just my opinion of course) because of the constitution and people are so scared of the government (& each other). As I mentioned previously, the attitude is "if guns are banned, then only criminals will have them". It's probably a bit silly, but that's the way it is. You simply have to spend time living out there to be able to understand it (not necessarily agree with it). Anyone who thinks the government could simply pass a gun control law and everything would be "as in the UK" is delusional. First you would need to amend the constitution (not a small task which would need to pass both the house and the senate) and then you would have to hope people complied with the law (which they wouldn't). It's not like the obedient UK out there, gun toting Yanks generally don't do as they are told by any government. My neighbor is the one that got broken in to and used his gun when threatened. Came out of it unscathed. It was me who was paranoid and had a gun, but I never had to use it for home defense. And if I moved back there again (which I won't) & lived out of town, I would own a gun again. You might not, and that's your choice but I really don't think you could make an educated decision without being in the situation. As an aside, just think about this; Democrats have been in power in the USA for 11 of the past 15 years. Democrats are as default "anti-gun" but how have they done with gun control over there? Not well...... Second, the worst State for gun crime is District of Columbia (as in Washington DC) where gun laws are quite strict (must be licensed to own one, background checks etc.).
|
|
|
|
Post by bracknellboy on Dec 28, 2023 12:55:09 GMT
I've enjoyed clay pigeon shooting on the occasions I have done it as an adult, and was actually fairly reasonable at it. I enjoyed rifle shooting when in the cadets, and also had the opportunity on a number of occasions get range time with a collection of handguns which a friend of mine at University was licenced for. I've occasionally felt the urge to go and join a club, maybe Bisley, but am not sufficiently motivated given other things I do. Bisley is worth a visit. I've shot there many times and it's like stepping back in time. You can just drive in and observe for a while, a Sunday probably best. A friend of mine was a member for a few years. Stupidly I never took to the opportunity to go down there with him. He's one of those guys who has a habit of taking up a hobby and then getting bored of it. In this case, he got to the point where he felt he wasn't improving and would need to spend a lot more time to do so and hence dropped it. Thanks for the tip on just visiting.
|
|
michaelc
Member of DD Central
Say No To T.D.S.
Posts: 5,691 
Likes: 2,977
|
Post by michaelc on Dec 28, 2023 13:41:08 GMT
When I once pointed out to you that you often reply to almost all my posts it wasn't an invitation to reply twice to the same post  You can read from whatever source you like. The reality as I mentioned is that most people have guns and indeed carry them around. Those in the settlements can have whatever they like. Often on display (certainly at work folk would gave Glock pistols casually tucked into their back pocket/holster/I don't know visible while they were drawing diagrams on the whiteboard). In cafes you'd often get army folk arrive and dump their huge rifles on the floor behind their chairs when they ordered food. Nobody would bat an eyelid. Don't know what the rules were for civilians in genuine public spaces (i.e. not places of work) but as I say I think most of them were reservists anyhow. The sum total of all that is whatever you have read would appear to have zero bearing on what actually happens in practice.Private gun ownership per 100 head of population: US : 120.5 (1st) Israel: 6.7 (108th)<snip> No doubt if I declared that I am Israeli (I'm not) and told you that that figure grossly hides the reality (due to most everyone being reservists I _think_ ) and that weapons for defending settlements may also not be classed as "Private" (maybe) you still wouldn't believe me and would prefer to read dry figures than from someone's personal experience and accounts. So I'm out of this.
|
|
agent69
Member of DD Central
Posts: 6,038
Likes: 4,436
|
Post by agent69 on Dec 28, 2023 13:51:18 GMT
because of the constitution A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
The Second Amendment was approved in 1791 at a time when the main weapon was a flintlock musket allowing one shot at a time. The reloading took more time. A well-trained infantry man could load and fire four rounds per minute. I can't believe that when this ammendment was passed it was intended to allow people to take their Uzi sub-machine guns to Tesco during their weekly shop.
As I said earlier, it's a downward spiral and the US is way to far down the spiral to easily turn things around. If they all want to keep their guns then fine, but don't start moaning the next time some nutter with a gun kills a load of school kids.
|
|
merlin99
Member of DD Central
Posts: 129
Likes: 271
|
Post by merlin99 on Dec 28, 2023 14:48:02 GMT
Regarding "reservists" keeping guns at home I am afraid it all comes down to culture. It worked well for years in some European countries and Switzerland in particular. There reservists were required to keep their guns at home but there were remarkably few incidents where said firearm was misused. However the Swiss have a much more laid back attitude to life in general compared to the "gun hoe" or "cowboy" attitude of many Americans. So for the USA to get any sort of gun control laws in place first requires a huge change in the culture of the population and I fear pigs will fly freely there before that happens.
|
|
adrianc
Member of DD Central
Posts: 9,993
Likes: 5,134
Member is Online
|
Post by adrianc on Dec 28, 2023 14:55:45 GMT
If I was so inclined to shoot things, it'd be things I could eat - or to stop them eating my things. PLENTY of squirrels here (despite psychobrowncat's best efforts - she's got through roughly one every other day of late). Shooting at plates thrown into the air? That's only a small step up from golf imho. Where do you stand on shooting golf clubs? Well, I don't generally advocate massacres, but...
|
|
|
|
Post by lotus_eater on Dec 28, 2023 17:12:19 GMT
because of the constitution A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
The Second Amendment was approved in 1791 at a time when the main weapon was a flintlock musket allowing one shot at a time. The reloading took more time. A well-trained infantry man could load and fire four rounds per minute. I can't believe that when this ammendment was passed it was intended to allow people to take their Uzi sub-machine guns to Tesco during their weekly shop.
As I said earlier, it's a downward spiral and the US is way to far down the spiral to easily turn things around. If they all want to keep their guns then fine, but don't start moaning the next time some nutter with a gun kills a load of school kids.
I agree (about the constitution, the downward spiral, and the nutters). I would still want a gun again if I lived there though, just my preference after 25 years of experience living there. If you wouldn't then good on ya, you're very brave & I salute you :-) As I've said several times, you guys are arguing with the wrong person because I agree with most of what you're saying, I'm not a gun advocate at all (read back my posts). I'm just telling you how it is there based on living there for 25 years, not arguing "for" guns. However, until they figure out how to confiscate them all, if I'm living in the US, there'll be a gun in a safe under my bed, and that's it.
|
|
travolta
Member of DD Central
Posts: 1,506
Likes: 1,214
|
Post by travolta on Dec 28, 2023 18:20:46 GMT
I have a shotgun and rifle,both licenced . Oh, deer. There is a Muntjac munching my roses first thing in the morning.
Can I book a contract?
MW
Me too,thats why .
|
|
|
|
Post by captainconfident on Dec 28, 2023 21:14:20 GMT
When I went to America, I'd never seen a gun except on TV and didn't really think about it until I got a lift with a plumber who stopped his truck and plucked me from the curb side. After a couple of minutes, he said "Hey, see this?", and got a small silver gun out of his pocket. I nearly cacked my pants, what now, was I his prisoner who he could drive to the desert and bury?
Well, he wanted to explain that as a plumber of the sort you could call out from the yellow pages, you never knew what, so when he rang the doorbell and someone opened the door, he would be covering them with the gun hidden in the pocket of his coat.
Made me think, I'm glad that I'm not in a country where even the postman or Jehovahs Witnesses might actually be pointing a hidden gun at you in case you make any moves they think funny.
|
|
travolta
Member of DD Central
Posts: 1,506
Likes: 1,214
|
Post by travolta on Dec 29, 2023 16:43:31 GMT
Legalizing handguns certainly screw your outlook on life.
Never in the UK IMO. Never.
Thank God I'm english.
|
|
|
|
Post by wiseclerk on Dec 29, 2023 17:19:57 GMT
When we visited Hoover dam, everyone was required to take a bus. You could not just walk. At the beginning after everybody got on board, the bus driver got up and said, that for security reasons no guns are allowed, and there are lockers provided, so now is the time to get off and dispose them. About a third of the people got up and went out, including some very old, nice looking grannies.
That's the kind of happenings which are totally unexpected if you are a European.
|
|
keitha
Member of DD Central
2024, hopefully the year I get out of P2P
Posts: 4,587
Likes: 2,620
|
Post by keitha on Dec 29, 2023 23:12:52 GMT
there are nearly as many guns in the US as people, but only 1 in 3 owns a gun, and I'm told the majority of gun owners only have one, this leaves the small minority ( possibly 10% with 5 or 6 ) Oh, no - it's far loopier than that... 42% of households have one or more guns, according to a 2021 survey. 393m guns, in a country of 331m people. Average of 2.6 people/household, so 127.3m households... ...which means the 63.65m gun-owning households each have an average of 6.17 guns... The UK has about 1.6m guns owned by 540,000 firearms and shotgun certificate holders, so about 3 each on average. I have friend who hunts, he has shotgun for vermin, Rifle he uses for bigger game, and a captive bolt gun
|
|
