Why the gun industry secretly loves Obama

[garbon]

The USA .

So why do so many of you have military fire arms ?

Sounds really sad that need dictates your consumption.

[DGuller]

The USA .

So why do so many of you have military fire arms ?

Because 6 inches is just the average, there is significant variance.

[Habbaku]

I think I'm winning the race in terms of number owned, by the way.  I don't recall off-hand what all I have but some are as follows :

Ruger LCP (.380)
Swedish Mauser from 1902
Lee-Enfield .303 from the '50s.
Korean War-era M1 Garand
Japanese Arisaka (and sword bayonet)
AK-47 (WASR-10, Romanian)
Nagant revolver (.32 and .38)
1934 Beretta 9MM
MAS 49/56

[Habbaku]

Throughout the course of an American's lifetime who often or what are the percentage chances that the individual will need to defend themselves with a firearm ?

Incredibly low, depending on where one lives .  Why do you ask ?

[mongers]

Throughout the course of an American's lifetime who often or what are the percentage chances that the individual will need to defend themselves with a firearm ?

Incredibly low, depending on where one lives .  Why do you ask ?

See your previous post.

[Razgovory]

Why not?



You're just as unlikely to need a gun as you are a seatbelt, but I bet that doesn't stop you from buckling up. 

I think you are much more likely to need a seatbelt then a gun.  I've been in several car accidents and no gun fights or home invasions.  That said, I don't really have any problem with people owning guns.

[mongers]

The USA .

So why do so many of you have military fire arms ?

Sounds really sad that need dictates your consumption.

Yeah, I can see your point; it's time the federal government stop restricting peoples access to poisons, if they want to collect them.

[frunk]

Why not?



You're just as unlikely to need a gun as you are a seatbelt, but I bet that doesn't stop you from buckling up. 

I think you are quite a bit more likely to need a seatbelt than a gun.  There might be just as many deaths from car accidents as from firearms, but that's a very different matter and doesn't measure the efficacy of seatbelts at preventing death in a car accident.  Not to mention the largest part of gun deaths in the US are from suicide, with a much, much smaller number of vehicular deaths from the same.

[garbon]

Yeah, I can see your point; it's time the federal government stop restricting peoples access to poisons, if they want to collect them.

As far as I know, there are hundreds of poisons that one can buy without any sort of restriction.  Clorox sells all sorts of dangerous chemicals.

[MadImmortalMan]

Why not?



You're just as unlikely to need a gun as you are a seatbelt, but I bet that doesn't stop you from buckling up. 

I think you are quite a bit more likely to need a seatbelt than a gun.  There might be just as many deaths from car accidents as from firearms, but that's a very different matter and doesn't measure the efficacy of seatbelts at preventing death in a car accident.  Not to mention the largest part of gun deaths in the US are from suicide, with a much, much smaller number of vehicular deaths from the same.

True. The point is that just because it's really unlikely doesn't make us not take the precautions.

[The Minsky Moment]

I'd suggest you're trying to compare apples and oranges hand grenades.

Apples with those little MI6 spy cameras inside.

[The Minsky Moment]

I think I'm winning the race in terms of number owned, by the way.  I don't recall off-hand what all I have but some are as follows :

Ruger LCP (.380)
Swedish Mauser from 1902
Lee-Enfield .303 from the '50s.
Korean War-era M1 Garand
Japanese Arisaka (and sword bayonet)
AK-47 (WASR-10, Romanian)
Nagant revolver (.32 and .38)
1934 Beretta 9MM
MAS 49/56

Habs meanwhile is all set to film a Van Johnson war pic.

[DGuller]

Yeah, I can see your point; it's time the federal government stop restricting peoples access to poisons, if they want to collect them.

As far as I know, there are hundreds of poisons that one can buy without any sort of restriction.  Clorox sells all sorts of dangerous chemicals.

Of course, the difference between Clorox and cars on one hand, and guns on the other hand, is that death is a side-effect rather than the main function of those items.

[frunk]

True. The point is that just because it's really unlikely doesn't make us not take the precautions.

Point taken, but I think these two items have wildly different likelihoods so may not make for the best of comparisons.  I'm willing to bet that just about everyone on this board has been in at least one car accident at some point, with most of them in multiple.  I would be very surprised, apart from those in military service, police work or other work situations where violence is likely, if more than a quarter of the board members had ever been in a situation where having a gun would have been an asset.  I myself have been in 7 car accidents, and in all but one of them wearing a seatbelt saved me from injury or death.  I've never had an encounter that would have gone better if I was carrying a firearm.

[MadImmortalMan]

Of course, the difference between Clorox and cars on one hand, and guns on the other hand, is that death is a side-effect rather than the main function of those items.

When a gun is used in self-defense, there are two side effects: death to the bad guy and lack of death to you.