Is Firearms ownership just a hobby for you?

[Laufen]

Inspired by another thread, I decided to create a poll. For me the answer is a definite "no".

Firearms have been a part of my life since I was old enough to start creating memories. Playing with toy guns, and eventually graduating to an air rifle at age 4, and a real gun at age 8 (A Marlin model 60) guns were the cornerstone of all that was pure, good, innocent, and wonderful during my childhood. Before age 13 I walked hundreds of miled of river bottom with my dog and my .22, with my father and my .410 single shot chasing pheasants, and spent hours upon hours shooting every type of firearm imaginable at the pasture. As I grew and mature, so did my love of guns and shooting.

My tastes in firearms has evolved, as has my understanding of how important it is for the people to always have the right to defense against those bigger, stronger, or faster than them. I do not consider it a right, for the physically weaker to "get" to fistfight with someone intending to do them harm. I have also come to understand the broader, and more far reaching consequences of becoming a nation of limited private firearms ownership..look no further than the oppressed in North Africa. So anyway, I understand how some people have a less personal relationship to the second amendment, but I do not. I am unwilling to accept that the main reason for crafting this amendment can be, and will be ignored. We are not just hunters and collectors, we are citizens.

Your thoughts, opinions, stories?

HGUNHNTR

 

[jwinston]

I grew up with firearms in the house and I knew about firearm safety, but that was about the extent of it. It wasnt until I was later in my teens that even shot a gun on a regular basis. Then when I was 21 I bought my first handgun( 1st Gen sigma, god it was a piece of !@#$%). That got me hooked and then firearms became a hobby. Well I got married the first time then divorced and sold most of my guns to fund what I thought was going to be a costly divorce (it wasnt). I went without a gun for a few years.

Fast forward a few years and I bought another 9mm. Sadly that gun sat in my drawer for 8 years before I even shot it!! I had a gun in the house for 8 years for home protection and never even shot it!!! Damn man it would have been bad if something would have been wrong with it.

Well then I got remarried, Had a kid. So one day I decided I needed to get back to shooting and into the hobby I long left. I took that PT92 out and it ran like a sewing machine(lucky me, it was a Taurus after all). I was hooked again. I started shooting on a regular basis. We moved into a new neighborhood two years ago, my new nieghbor had the same "hobbies" I did. He rode a Harley and loved guns as well.

THEN the turning point started....My wife was having some trouble with a crazy client and her work wasnt really doing much for it. I mean this guy was starting to become somewhat of a threat. That and me finding the ODT happened at the same time. I was hooked on this place. Not just the classified section , but rather the whole site. I did some trading, buying and lots of reading about the passion most of you shared on here. It hit me, it was my right to have a firearm not only to enjoy, but to protect what is dear to me. It wasnt just a hobby in my eyes now. I joined Georgia Carry, I read the GA laws , I read the 2nd. I was soaking up all I could. I was hooked.

With the threat that I felt that was looming with this client at my wife's work place, I felt the need to carry. I got my permit. Then I started working on carry safety, and soaking up any tips, suggestions, and what not. I started spending more time at the range. I picked the gun that fit me best. I shot,shot and shot some more untill I knew that gun front, back,side to side. I trusted that gun with my life and I knew it would be ready if I ever needed it.

Well the day came where that crazy ass client was no longer an issue. I felt at ease that this nut job wasnt in the picture anymore. But now I was hooked into the firearm culture with full force. It was my right to carry, it was my right to protect my family and it was was right to ENJOY my firearms as well. What was a hobby early in my life as turned into a full force way of life.

 

[User170512]

I think it will truly be a hobby for everyone until you get thermal imaging and are on a slightly closer level of playing field of the potential "oppressor" that I keep hearing bandied about. That is the true intent of the 2nd amendment, but the firearm is now the lesser of the real powers. Yeah, full auto is heavy, but complete dominance in the dark? If anyone thinks that they have their "hero" on and are going out in a blaze of glory when someone "comes for their guns", they are right. It just won't be much of a blaze of glory, it will be a few well placed shots, in the dark, gun-nut prepper gone, weapons cache collected. The "take my guns from my dead cold fingers" bravado is just that. If you know anything at all about our military, you know that they strike quickly, have sat/air support and go at night. Local LEO all over are experimenting with drones over our cities and you better bet they will be FLIR'd up and tactically superior, just like our military.

This is not a slam on our military or LEO, just a heads-up for all you folks that think your AR puts you head to head on the 2nd amendment's real responsibility.

http://www.flir.com/cvs/americas/en/lawenforcement/view/?id=57065

http://www.flir.com/cvs/americas/en/lawenforcement/view/?id=50843

http://www.policeone.com/police-tec...118-Introducing-the-New-FLIR-H-Series-Camera/ (watch this, especially around 4:50 for the air support shot)

 

[oldmetlfan]

I think it will truly be a hobby for everyone until you get thermal imaging and are on a slightly closer level of playing field of the potential "oppressor" that I keep hearing bandied about. That is the true intent of the 2nd amendment, but the firearm is now the lesser of the real powers. Yeah, full auto is heavy, but complete dominance in the dark? If anyone thinks that they have their "hero" on and are going out in a blaze of glory when someone "comes for their guns", they are right. It just won't be much of a blaze of glory, it will be a few well placed shots, in the dark, gun-nut prepper gone, weapons cache collected. The "take my guns from my dead cold fingers" bravado is just that. If you know anything at all about our military, you know that they strike quickly, have sat/air support and go at night. Local LEO all over are experimenting with drones over our cities and you better bet they will be FLIR'd up and tactically superior, just like our military.

This is not a slam on our military or LEO, just a heads-up for all you folks that think your AR puts you head to head on the 2nd amendment's real responsibility.

http://www.flir.com/cvs/americas/en/lawenforcement/view/?id=57065

http://www.flir.com/cvs/americas/en/lawenforcement/view/?id=50843

http://www.policeone.com/police-tec...118-Introducing-the-New-FLIR-H-Series-Camera/ (watch this, especially around 4:50 for the air support shot)

I guess they should have used all that stuff in Afghanistan. They could have been home in a week....

 

[jwinston]

I see all this bravado about not taking guns. Im sorry I have a family to support. I would never die to protect my right to bear arms. But I didnt say I would give them up either. To take something you gotta find'em first. Thats the beauty of the private sale right now

 

[nSquared]

I'm really surprised that there aren't more replies to this thread.

I never grew up around guns. I shot my first gun at age 13, which was a .22 revolver. I remember admiring the rifle my grandfather brought back from the Korean war but, never saw it off the wall. I do like to shoot but, can't always find the time so, I never stock more ammo than i need to protect my home. Home Defense is the main reason I have a gun these days. I use to have several but, traded a bulk of what I had for a bike. The rest got sold eventually due to financial troubles.

I have one left. That's my AR. It's my HD weapon because, I purchased the lower prior to the upper due to money restraints at the time. I really didn't plan to but, happened to walk into a GunShow and couldn't help myself. I do look at owning a firearm as a right an not a privilege. Not everyone has the "privilege" of running from an assailant. We as individuals are responsible for our own protection. This seems to have been forgotten and, I don't understand it. Police emblems may state "To Protect and Serve" however, they are "First Responders". Only in certain environments and situations are Police actual protectors or crime deterrents.

Another thing that many Americans do not realize that if some radical change does come to our 2nd Amendment or others, there's no going back. It sets a precedents that basically states that we will endure what the Government has to give. The cost of taking back those liberty's would be catastrophic. Local and state gov's can already seize personal property for particular crimes, as well as land if they feel a roadway is needed. Now, we are going to allow them to our personal property only because we own it? What would be next, a monetary cap? If the Government is able to succeed in taking our right to arms than everything else is on the table. It will only get worse.

 

[User170512]

I guess they should have used all that stuff in Afghanistan. They could have been home in a week....

Don't we all wish they came back in a week, safe and sound.
Look at the numbers of Haji dead though compared to US losses.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TNsjpN6RVA (don't know where the better quality vid went)

 

[timbgtm]

I also grew up with firearms mainly as a young hunter.I remember going hunting with my father not old enough to carry the gun but dad would let me shoot (with his help".

My dad loved dove hunting,back then we would drive around the back roads looking for doves in the fields.Then we new our neighbors in my grandparents area and thet didn't mind us in there fields.

The older I got I wanted to deer hunt.I bought my first deer rifle at 16 years old.Back then you could buy from dealers if your parents new them.I think this was around 1980.So then I became obsessed with getting my first deer.

Back then there wasn't as many deer as now,heck I remember going a entire season with seeing a deer in the woods.On my second season of hunting on my own I took my first deer,a doe.There were only a couple of either sex days in the Northern zone.That day was the proudest day of my life,but I was clueless on how too gut the deer and process it.It's a good thing my uncle was close by.

So yes I'm a hunter and firearms are loved and respected by me and my family.I do have my safe queens but they will always get used eventually whether just target shooting or hunting.

 

[Laufen]

I think it will truly be a hobby for everyone until you get thermal imaging and are on a slightly closer level of playing field of the potential "oppressor" that I keep hearing bandied about. That is the true intent of the 2nd amendment, but the firearm is now the lesser of the real powers. Yeah, full auto is heavy, but complete dominance in the dark? If anyone thinks that they have their "hero" on and are going out in a blaze of glory when someone "comes for their guns", they are right. It just won't be much of a blaze of glory, it will be a few well placed shots, in the dark, gun-nut prepper gone, weapons cache collected. The "take my guns from my dead cold fingers" bravado is just that. If you know anything at all about our military, you know that they strike quickly, have sat/air support and go at night. Local LEO all over are experimenting with drones over our cities and you better bet they will be FLIR'd up and tactically superior, just like our military.

This is not a slam on our military or LEO, just a heads-up for all you folks that think your AR puts you head to head on the 2nd amendment's real responsibility.

http://www.flir.com/cvs/americas/en/lawenforcement/view/?id=57065

http://www.flir.com/cvs/americas/en/lawenforcement/view/?id=50843

http://www.policeone.com/police-tec...118-Introducing-the-New-FLIR-H-Series-Camera/ (watch this, especially around 4:50 for the air support shot)

I do understand your opinion, but it is a false dichotomy. There are varying degrees of effectiveness, not effective or ineffective. How quickly did the Soviets with their superior technology and firepower overrun the Afgans in the 80's?

 

[Antman157]

It's a hobby for me .. I own them for a while and then trade them off .. I like trying out different kinds

I do have a couple that I won't trade