Have you shot or do you own a gun?

[Pryderi]

Poll question: Have you shot or do you own a gun?

[deutsey]

1. I don't own a rifle, but I've shot one before. n/t

[abluelady]

2. No, and I Never Plan To. n/t

[mikelgb]

3. Daisy Air Rifle, Cap Guns, Paintball

Does Laser Tag Count?

[Wickerman]

4. There is really no room for distinction, is there?

I mean, what if I own a gun or have never shot it? Or, whot if I've shot a gun but don't own one?


Sorry, may not be germane to your issue but I think you're going to get some pretty worthless data with these questions. Not unlike most internet polls!

[Pryderi]

5. I own my grandpa's shotgun but have never shot it.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

6. I don't own a rifle, but when I was in high school, I had a boyfriend who

took me target shooting.

I haven't done any shooting at all since we broke up over forty years ago. I'm just not interested, as odd as that may seem to residents of the Gun Dungeon, where I was once a mod.

[Pryderi]

7. I haven't shot either one in over 20 years, but I did like target shooting.

[X_Digger]

8. Last time this was asked in GD..

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[X_Digger]

17. Actually, that's pretty consistent..

.. with the same poll being posted in GD occasionally every couple of years.

About 45-55% of those responding are or were gun owners.

[xultar]

19. I had some crazy white guy chase me down in the dark in the most racist county in GA.

You are DAYUM fucking straight I'm getting a gun.
Not all gun owners are right wing.

You should be ashamed of yoursoelf. Basically you're one of thoee we all need to think and do alike. That sounds more right wing than being a gun owner.

[Deep13]

34. +1

You do what you need to do to take care of yourself, Xultar.

[terrell9584]

I know for a fact

That the tradition of gun ownership in the black community goes back to segregation times when they couldn't trust white authority to protect them.

[Dappleganger]

52. +10000

And hopefully that tradition is still held today.

[Statistical]

85. Sadly the "traditional of gun control" goes back to the same time period.

Klansman couldn't risk getting shot up when they terrorized a Black family.

Legislature passed gun control laws with specific procedures and requirements intended to be prohibitive.
They had Sheriff come by during the day, find the family non-compliant and take the firearms.

That night no risks to the Klan (including the sheriff now wearing white sheets).

[ProdigalJunkMail]

51. which county is that??? n/t

[old mark]

70. Actually, the early gun control laws were passed to keep black people

from owning guns. Most gun control organizations today were founded and are run by republicans, who blame Democrats for wanting to control guns.....
Funny, ain't it?

mark

[Statistical]

86. Well and other minorities.

Before the blacks it was the Italian immigrants who couldn't be "trusted" with guns. Of course then they also had no protection from anti-immigrant gangs in New York and other major cities (who of course had weapons).

Every early example of gun control involved racism and classism.

[old mark]

92. You are correct. I have seen old Hearst papers from the West urging

guns be kept from the drug crazed Chinese....Whoever was the minority of the time and place.

mark

[Statistical]

111. Gun Control is simply Control

Scared bigoted people will do anything for control.

Keeping same-sex couples from marrying or keeping minorities from getting guns.
It is all about control.

[hex29a]

20. Are you implying that all gun owners are rightwing NRA trolls?

??

[xultar]

23. Seems the purist on both the left and right have a lockstep or leave attitude.

Interesting.

[Caliman73]

80. Welcome to the world of the liberal gun owner.

We seem to be hated from the right because we simply exist. We seem to be hated from the left because we are secretly right wing, compensating for small penis, like killing babies and such, evil war mongering subhumans.

Did I leave anything out?

[Deep13]

29. I'm not a RW NRA type.

I don't see why I can't enjoy my hobby without getting sucked into far-right politics.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

40. I think there is a moderate gun organization out there...

I don't remember the name, but they're basically like a non-political version of the NRA. Pretty much what the NRA was before about 1970.

[Deep13]

41. Unfortunately, most shooting clubs require NRA membership.

I don't have access to a farm or vast stretches of wild areas, so I have to shoot at a rifle range and one has to be a club member to do so. I pay my absolute minimum dues and that covers the cost of that rag of a magazine they send me and not much else.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

60. Check the state parks....

I lived in Ohio for 20 years, and there was a range north of Columbus where we would go to shoot occasionally. It was in a state park and was operated by the DNR.

There may be others around the state -- if they didn't get eliminated in the budget cutting.

[Deep13]

66. I'll check around. nt

[barbiegeek]

64. It's the American Hunter & shooters Assoc. they endorse Obama

too

[Statistical]

83. They are an astroturf gun control group.

They are not a moderate gun rights organization.

[old mark]

120. Who the hell voted "Not Sure"? nt

[slackmaster]

9. Federally licensed collector of curio and relic firearms

I can acquire and dispose of them through interstate commerce without having to dick around with pointless restrictions like my state's ridiculous 10-day wait, one-handgun-per-month law, or high sales taxes.

[ecstatic]

10. No. I feel a lot safer now that I activated my alarm system

I have a stun gun though...

[Statistical]

87. Alarm: from Latin arme = to arms.

"Oh crap alarm is going off. I need to get to my arms. WTF? I don't have any arms." :)

Alarm without arms doesn't do much good. I guess in a pinch a stun gun is a form of arms.

[anarch]

11. shooting at stuff is fun

I don't own a gun, though. I don't really need one, and can't afford much of anything I'd particularly want.

[Iggo]

91. It is. I swear to god it is.

I've never owned a gun, but I enjoy shooting them every chance that I get.

[xultar]

12. Need a Not Yet option.

[Pryderi]

14. done.

[xultar]

22. Thanks.

[Brickbat]

18. Crap, I would have liked that option -- I voted too quickly.

[Pryderi]

38. Sorry.

[Brickbat]

42. No problem. Interesting poll.

[mrs_p]

15. i studied wildlife biology

it is useful to know how to shoot if tranquilizing a large animal is in your future...

[xultar]

21. According to some in this thread you are a NRA right winger and you've made DU suck

[tosh]

16. Yes, but I feel no need

to flaunt it, am not afraid of registering it, do not feel that it is a "right" that is or has been under threat, and would gladly submit to having it regulated.

Edited to add: Nevertheless, I have been called a "GRABBER" more than once in the gungeon.:rofl:

[Deep13]

24. Own, often shoot rifles and handguns. ...

If I'm ever attacked by a stationary paper bulls-eye in a well-lit room, I'll know what to do!

[951-Riverside]

25. Society is against me! People show me little respect! I have an axe to grind! I beat women!

...of course I own a gun

Edit: ...and I drive a 4x4 ford excursion.

[Blue-Jay]

26. I can out-shoot my sharpshooter cop brother.

With a rifle or a pistol. That always pisses him off for some reason.

[arbusto_baboso]

27. Own and fire both AND...

Have "expert" badges from the US Army for both rifle and pistol.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

28. Yes. Plus machine gun, flame-thrower, rocket launcher, in the Marine Crotch.

Which pretty much cured me of my adolescent admiration of such devices.

I haven't owned or fired any sort of gun since, nor do I have a desire to.

[Ernesto]

50. Marine Crotch!

Hey, I resemble that remark!

And yes after the Vietnam thing, I don't exactly get hard-ons from touching guns.

[caraher]

30. I think there are holes in the Venn diagram encompassed by these choices

I own no firearms, nor do I plan to acquire any. I have shot a rifle.

[Pryderi]

32. *sigh* I only have 10 options.

[Statistical]

88. +1 for using "Venn diagram" in a non-statistical forum.

[lumberjack_jeff]

94. ... and several concentric circles. n/t

[SidDithers]

31. I've done some skeet shooting...

on a friend's apple farm. He also had a .22 rifle with a scope that we used to shoot at cans.

I've never shot at anything living.

Sid

[Pryderi]

33. I haven't shot skeet, but I enjoy the challenge of target shooting. I've not shot at

any living thing either

[Deep13]

35. Same here. Critters are too cute to shoot at.

I blame Disney for that. :evilgrin:

[immoderate]

123. I hunt pastrami.

Pastramis are small and quick but .22LR is the ideal round. It'll bring 'em down without wasting valuable meat, and you know we're talking about some mighty good eatin' here.

Otherwise I like to shoot at fruit, and other thing that splatter.

--imm

[MattBaggins]

49. Skeet? But white people don't know what skeet is.

[Arkansas Granny]

36. I have fired a rifle (once) and a handgun (once). I have never owned

a firearm of any kind and don't plan on owning one. However, I have no problem with responsible gun ownership (with the emphasis on responsible).

[tammywammy]

37. I've never shot nor owned a gun, but I'm contemplating getting one. n/t

[AsahinaKimi]

39. I once fired a 22 cal. rifle once..

But I don't own any fire arms. I prefer the old ways..

[Deep13]

43. How about these?

[AsahinaKimi]

56. Those are nice but...

These I actually own:
http://twitpic.com/14wmq4

[Deep13]

58. Yeah, you've posted them before. That one on the bottom...

...with the really long handle is pretty unusual, isn't it?

[AsahinaKimi]

59. its called a Naginata

The wives of Samurai often trained with these, and learned to protect their households.

There is still some today who train with this kind of weapon in Japan.

[Deep13]

65. O-o-o-h! It's a pole-arm.

Very interesting. Japanese weapons all seem to imply a fluidity of movement that is absent in most of their European counterparts. One would have to be highly practiced to use an edged weapon at the end of a pole. I suppose the pole was bamboo which would have been lighter and more flexible than a European hardwood pole. European swords, pole arms, bludgeons and even archery somehow seem very direct and brutal in the literal sense of that word. That's how it was for the Greeks and the Romans.

[AsahinaKimi]

77. Most Katana's were a bit heavy

However Japanese women were skilled with the Naginata. It was longer then most Katana and could keep the enemy at their distance. The use of the Tanto could be used if necessary as well. The Tanto is a bit longer then a normal size knife. Here you can see a Tanto on the bottom.


While Samurai were required to carry the Katana and Wakizashi, the Tanto often stayed at home, for the Wife to use incase she failed to protect the home with the Naginata.

The Tanto was often used in Seppuku, (Ritual Suicide) which the women would do if it looked like they would be captured or taken by the enemy.


*interesting side note: The historic figure, Miyamoto Musashi often used both the Katana and the Wakiszashi in combat. This meant one for each hand. The Katana was heavy and meant for two handed combat, so Musashi must have been very strong to engage the enemy with both swords.

[proteus_lives]

72. Once the greatest things about guns.

They enabled peasants to defeat nobles.

A relatively untrained man can defeat the greatest samurai in the world.

[Robb]

44. I've never fired anything that wasn't propelled by a cord or air

...But I perhaps paradoxically wholeheartedly support those who do.

And if they want to drop off a little elk meat from time to time, well, I won't stop that either. :D

[bamacrat]

45. I don't own one currently but will probably get one in the years to come.

I have shot everything to shoot. Handguns, rifles, shotguns, potato guns etc.

[PufPuf23]

46. Own 17 rifles, shotguns, and hand guns

The oldest is circa 1880 and the newest circa 1960. Five were hand me down gifts from my childhood and the others belonged to my father. One handgun is a silver adorned German Officer's Luger and holster my Dad brought home from WWII. My maternal grandparents owned and operated a hunting and fishing lodge from 1921 to 1959 (my only purchase ever from Ebay was President Hoover fly fishing in the Klamath River riffle adjacent to their resort shortly before he became POTUS). The resort is where I first lived.

I last killed game or shot for recreation at 17 when realized that I did not like to shoot for fun nor kill. My Dad thought I was a pacifist hippy. He was usually right. Since then I have only shot guns twice. I sighted in a .243 deer rifle in 1979 to go hunting with my Dad the year my mother passed away; the only time I purchased a hunting license since childhood and had no intention of actually shooting anything. Between 1981 and 1985, I used a shotgun occasionally to knock various species of pine and Douglas-fir cones from trees for scientific research (cone insects).

I own no ammo.

There is an old shotgun -- my attitude gun -- in the foyer of my home for decor and a Winchester pump .22 circa 1920s (that was my Mom's as a child and a gift for my 11th birthday) also an adornment in my office. The other guns are either hidden and locked away or in the process of being restored by a friend of my Dad's. Cleo is in his 90s and has been doing a gun a year for the last decade. The old firearms are on a list to go to a local museum in my will.

Some gun users and hunters bug the hell out of me and I dislike the sound and smell of gun fire but eat meat including wild game. I do not consider guns a useful defensive tool in our society but have no philosophical differences with those that hunt, shoot for recreation, or collect guns responsibly. I believe it better that an individual is familiar with guns than ignorant. I had no choice because of culture and am better for this fact.

[MattBaggins]

47. Other: NOYB

Whether or not one owns any firearms is best kept to oneself.

[Romulox]

48. I've shot a few different weapons, but never owned one. nt

[jefflrrp]

53. I own 7

and have two concealed carry permits (VA, NH) which allows me to carry in 31 states. I rarely carry anymore, though, unless I am with a large group of friends out at night, at which time I feel it is kinda on me to ensure their safety (as most of them have no more situational awareness than a sack of potatoes). When its just me, I prefer to get by with my wits, skills and what I have in my pockets,

McGuyver style.

[Dappleganger]

54. Kubaton?

Pen, small flashlight, what else?

[Touchdown]

55. I did when I was in the Army. Never wanted or needed one after that.

Guns just never gave me a boner. Oh' well.

[eShirl]

57. yes; a member of our high school D&D club was a Civil War reenacter and gun collector

and we would sometimes shoot targets (plastic detergent bottles) out in his back field

he used to make some of his own ammunition - I remember him melting and pouring lead in molds, measuring out gunpowder


edited to add: Civil War reenacter on the WINNING side!

[daggahead]

61. I had a Smith & Wesson Model 6 .357 Magnum.

I sold it when my daughter was born.

I used to shoot rifles with my dad when I was in my teens. I shot trap a few years back. That was fun for a little while.

[EFerrari]

62. I did some target shooting with my dad a few years ago.

And loved it. But I don't own a gun and could never shot at anything that has a pulse.

[benld74]

63. My grandfathers. NEVER USED IT

[supernova]

67. Have shot and do not own

I have shot rifles and BB guns, never handguns

But I do not own guns now and am not interested in owning them. My SO has shot guns at the range and enjoyed it, but is equally not interested in owning them.

[calico1]

68. Don't have one, don't want one, don't want one near me. n/t

[old mark]

69. All three, for about 45 years. I have yet to commit my first felony with any of them.

But some of these right wingers are looking pretty tempting.....
(joke)

Carry a handgun most of the time, have been licensed to do so for over 15 years.
I am a lifelong very left Democrat, former Union Steward, and Army veteran, learned to shoot in that terrible organization, the Cub Scouts, at age 10.

mark

[Iggo]

71. Don't own, never have. Shot many many times.

Not on your list.

[NYC_SKP]

73. All three. Farm Boy here. No handguns growing up, little use for them on a farm.

Got a couple handguns later in life, sold one, still have a Browning semi-auto 22 plinker.

I intend to get another shotgun, one of these day, probably something like this:

[LoKnLoD]

74. Do video games count?

:spank:

[Bucky]

102. Don't self spank. My first thought was what about paint ball guns? I've shot plenty of men that way.

The waters ran magenta with death...

[proReality]

75. Have them.

Hate them.

But I can defend myself with them if the need ever crops up.

[Edweird]

76. Yes.

[superduperfarleft]

78. Owned a shotgun for home defense, never fired it. Sold it a few years ago.

I do plan to own a handgun in the future, but I plan to make sure I'm properly trained before I do.

[madamesilverspurs]

79. No.

I've been shot at, that's the closest I've ever been to a gun. There is no desire to get any closer.

--

[Kablooie]

81. Do staple guns count?

[branders seine]

82. Have you been shot by your own gun?

[Orsino]

84. Expert, M-16

Your tax dollars at play.

[hunter]

89. I fired off the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs.

That's how Jupiter's Red Spot and Saturn's Rings happened too.

The Solar System was my shooting gallery.

Man, I do miss that gun. It had one hell of a kick.

[TheMightyFavog]

90. Earned my Shotgun merit badge at Camp Gardner Dam in Boy Scouts.

I remember the camp's shotgun. A piece of shit Savage break action 20 gauge with a wonky firing pin. About 1 out of every 8 times the damn thing would misfire. Talk about a momentum breaker. You're on a roll, dusting clays left and right, then the fucking thing misfires, and then you're hit and miss for the next few clays.

[Brother Buzz]

93. Just a dumb draftee proud to earn my bolo badge with the lowest passing score

I was even prouder of my buddies on either side of me at the range that earned sharpshooter with a score that exceeded 100%. We had magic bullets back in those days.

I haven't fired even ten rounds since those days but I have a finne collection of long guns that average about 95 years of age. All are serviceable and all smokeless power except my 1858 Model 1855 musket rifle.

[Love Bug]

95. No, with an exception

When I was in bootcamp (USN) I learned how to shoot a 22 rifle and a 45 handgun. I have no desire to keep or own a gun.

[lonestarnot]

96. Now why would I answer a question like that here?

[Bucky]

100. Because everyone else is.

And because you were asked politely.

[lonestarnot]

103. Oh, I see.

:crazy:

[Political Heretic]

108. What, are the black copters going to come for you if you answer?

[lonestarnot]

109. hmmmmmf.

[Political Heretic]

110. hahaha just messing with ya :)

[pampango]

97. Haven't owned a gun ever, but used a shotgun of my father once when I was a teenager. n/t

[Artie Bucco]

98. Yup, two rifles

Let's just say I am acquainted with two fine Russian ladies.

[Scurrilous]

99. Never owned a gun.

Don't plan on ever buying one.

[Vinca]

101. I was a cop about 25 years ago and owned a gun.

It sat in its original box for years and years and years after I left the police department and I finally sold it to a gun dealer who I knew would do a background check on a buyer. Guess I should have kept the thing to protect us from the wingnuts.

[LWolf]

104. I have never owned a gun. I shot one once,

when my ex wanted to "teach" me. It was some kind of shot gun, I pulled the trigger twice, pointed at some target that I didn't come anywhere close to, and politely declined any more lessons.

That was 30 years ago.

[uppityperson]

105. There is a big difference between "have you shot" and "do you own" a gun

and not enough choices. It would be nice to see 2 separate polls instead since those are very different things.

[county worker]

106. Let's see, Colt 22 single action, Colt 45 both single and automatic,

Winchester model 12 both regular and sawed off barrel, M-60, M-50, M-72 LAW, M-79, M-14, M-15 that I can remember. Currently only own a Ruger 22 single action.

Once fired a round from a M-48 Patton tank.

[Political Heretic]

107. Shot guns before, don't currently own, plan to own a shotgun

[MrSlayer]

112. I have guns but locked them up and bought a dog when I had kids.

Every once in a while I'll go to the range with my dad and shoot. He's still a dead on shot.

[demtenjeep]

113. we have several guns in our home

a Charter 38 Pink Lady for the lady of the house

3 hand guns and 2 shot guns

[ZombieHorde]

114. I owned a .30-.30 when I was a kid. I took hunters safety, but I was not really into hunting.

My parents sold my rifle since I showed little interest.

[Qanisqineq]

115. I shot a gun once

An ex-boyfriend's friend had just bought a handgun and they were out shooting at pop cans. I wanted to see what the big deal was. It freaked me out when I shot it and I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. Never did it again.

[Rhythm]

116. I used to shoot competitively

I have never hunted, but i have shot competitively in the past.

We don't currently own firearms, but are looking into getting something in the future, most likely a reasonably-handleable shotgun or rifle.

[NightHawk63]

117. Used to own a Beretta 92FS, but sold it several months back.

Now with the teabaggers getting froggy, I'm starting to regret it. I may have to get a new one.

[Shell Beau]

118. I've shot a gun once to practice my attempt at skeet.

Hated it so much that I didn't end up shooting skeet. Just not for me. Grew up around guns but always hated it. However, if I lived alone, I'd probably get a gun. So, there you go.

[mrtjbrown]

119. I think a 22, once...

...but listen, folks...I really think it's important for the
maniac fat ass Tea Party crowd that we can defend ourselves as
well.  No...I'm not a shill for the gun industry, but the 2nd
Amendment protects the gun ownership rights of every American.
 

There is some history behind this.  Here's a link to an
interesting documentary on a early chapter of the civil rights
movement:

This one is about Rob Williams...
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/negroeswithguns/rob.html

The number of forums on this otherwise great website should be
reduced to one, and only one: ACTIVISM.  We bitch, whine,
complain, moan, and let the right trample us.  

Do I advocate violence?  Absolutely not.  The danger of the
far right is that they will provoke the far left.  Do liberals
and progs have a right to defend themselves.  Hell, yes!

[quaker bill]

121. Have shot, but don't and will not own

Target shooting and a couple of hunts back in the day.

[Fruittree]

122. Why are we asking this?