My dad was an angler and a hunter, and some of the best times of my childhood were spent outdoors. The sport, the hunting and the fishing, was just an excuse to get outside really, and I have a lot of fond memories of those days. I'll never forget how clean the air was as we tramped through a cut cornfield in autumn morning sunshine, frost on the ground, pheasants running ahead through the stubble. I'll never forget the hushed anticipation of a duck blind in the grey hour before dawn, wet and freezing but completely in the moment, watching as a flight of teal set their wings before dropping in to the decoys. I'll never forget kicking brushpiles and hedgerows, waiting for a covey of quail to rise up in an explosion from under my feet, knowing I'll only have a second or two to aim and fire before they're gone. These things are a part of who I am, and I count myself lucky for that.
I don't hunt anymore though. I'm not philosophically opposed to it, but twenty years or so ago I came to the realization that killing things isn't my cup of tea. As sort of a hangover from those days however - and it's possibly something I may have had even without a background of hunting - I love firearms. I love the smell of steel about them, and of gun oil, and the acrid tang of burnt powder. I love guns aesthetically, as objects, and I love the idea of them, and the history. There's something about their power, similar to the power of a really fast motorcycle, or a good chainsaw, which is transcendent.
Does all this make me a gun nut? There are some who'd label me as such, and that's OK I guess. The thing is though, I don't see guns as a political thing. The nearest I come to politicizing the issue is my belief that I don't want to live in a country where only cops and criminals have guns. That aside, to hell with the militias, and the Tea Partiers who pack AR15s to public events, and the people who wail that Obama is going to take our guns away. That's all nonsense. I own firearms because I like them; it's as simple as that.
My guns. No longer being a hunter, I'm more into military style weapons these days, though the Mossberg and the SKS in this pic would double nicely for hunting. The MPA30, not so much; it's for target shooting.
After months of being too broke for it, I recently made a little spare money, allowing me to go out to a shooting range for some target shooting. Below is a vid of my nephew (known in OS as TrigX) and I, wasting ammo for the hell of it. If you watch it, turn the sound down a little; it's loud.
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I've never been to a gun range with a dress code. Are ties optional?
{[R]}
But, yeah, I grew up around rifles, shotguns and handguns (my dad was born in the North Woods -- so how not?). Fired everything from Second World War Lee-Enfields, Brens and Stens to what was then state-of-the-art (in Canada) military semi- and full-automatic FNs.
I don't hunt and I don't have any weapons, and am unlikely to, but I remember it all with affection.
Anyway, who am I to judge, being a f0rmer gun and ammo runner and all?
And Larry; you obviously know well the ways of sportsmen:P
I had the same childhood. When I was about 10, my father took money out of my college fund to buy me a Browning lever-action .22. Hunter safety was a mandatory class in junior high, and when I passed (60 kids got to shoot at three clays each, and out of the whole class, we hit exactly one‚ my grandmother gave me the .410 my grandfather had given her for a wedding present. When I graduated from 8th grade, Dad bought me a Ruger Bearcat. I don't think I've shot any of them for 30 years, but when some rabid NRA member starts talking about "you people," I can say, "I own guns, and I think you'd be surprised how well I can shoot them. I just don't live in fear like you do."
And Cindy, thanks for visiting my blog. I've had similar experiences with the cable guy, and other visitors. People just react really emotionally to the sight of a firearm; it puzzles me.
And Lady M; sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't:P
X had a great time too btw with you the other day.
I have no interest in owning any though until they invent 'crazy proof' combination locks. ;)
And Julie, good point. The person who invents the truly crazy-proof lock will be a rich person indeed.
And Sandy, I bet it would be a riot.
heh heh Sorry. That was terrible.
I want one of those scary, sharp lookin multiple shooters, plus an air blow darty kind of thingie. They'll never see those coming.
ouch. That was even painful to me. I don't really have a right to bare arms anyway. I have really unattractive elbows.
You're going to hurt me, aren't you?
Odette, for the love of Christ, please put your puns back in their holsters before someone gets hurt:P
And Henry; you sound like a sensible person!
!!!
How odd. You all sound Australian to me. That littler gun looks like a toy.
"It's not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to pool tables or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them"
Barack Obama
And Natalie; I like to think of Aussies as honorary Americans. Please don't hit me for saying that.
::cough::
I completely love the idea that, for someone, I have an Australian accent. Even though I actually sound like a conglomeration of accents that start as a cross between a California accent (both 'duuude' and no accent at all) with an occasional 'y'all' thrown in for good measure.
My father has this great pistol that repeats when you hold the trigger down. He shot my mother's end table to pieces with it once. And nearly killed the cat, who was standing next to the end table. Word of advice to anyone unfamiliar with guns .... when you hold one, don't put your finger on the trigger. Just hold the index out beside the gun. Or, you too could end up explaining to your wife/husband why the end table is in smithereens. Gun safety is very important, she said sanctimoniously.
Nana, if you are mistaking me for a teabagger, you should know me better than that by now. I just don't think 5 billion is going to be enough money- that makes me left of you, not right of you.
And what are your views on plagiarism? Is it an existential threat to Open, or just the controversy du jour, a chance for people to draw up sides and fling poo at each other? I lean towards the latter view;)
~shrieking now: YOU AREN'T ALLOWED TO NOT SAY SOMETHING ABOUT PLAGIARISM!!!!!
I don't think that having fun at the shooting range makes one a gun nut.
This guy is a gun nut.
we planted squills here at a small library garden i designed (a volunteer/friend had two bulbs), and they sprouted but never bloomed. not cold enough here, unlike siberia. or kansas/missouri. ;
post a pic of that, would you?
As far as the video, any excuse to size a grown man up from a view of his backside, works for me.
(Constructive criticism: Wear tighter jeans next time.)
It is hard to explain to those that don't shoot what the fascination is with shooting. I have been a shooter and hunter since the age of 9. It's true 22s are the gateway drug to larger calibers.
Maybe it is the craftsmanship of forming and fitting metal and wood that makes them so darn fascinating. Add to this the skill needed to hit a target and those who shoot understand the total artistry of shooting.
Like it our not guns and shooting are part of our history and culture. So important that the founders in this country included the right to bare arms as important as freedom of speech, religion and the right to assemble.
I think my wife and I will hit the range this weekend. Thanks for the post.
And you guys too. Jeanette, Patricia, Candace, Pantomime, Tai, M Todd, Ninjasloth; thanks for reading. I agree; TrigX has a stronger fashion sense than most people you see at the range, and I promise Sharon that next time I'll wear jeans that don't hang so low.
And Demigoddess; I'm shocked you'd flirt with me so brazenly, and on a post that's right here on the cover. Thanks and big smoochies, but I'm already in a committed relationship:(
Gun toting progressive liberals unite!
Teeheehee!! I kid. I snorted all the cocaine.
Again, congrats!!
**wanders off**
And Mark; damn straight!
We've been teaching the girls how to shoot. We'll have to go out next time we're back home. K?
You ever try black powder? It's messy as hell, but you really are inside of the process, kinda.
And Connie, we definitely must do that. Regarding black powder, I used to have a cap-and-ball .50 cal. Hawken gun. I loved it; it kicked like a Missouri mule, but was dead accurate, and would stop a Buick in its tracks. My next firearm purchase is most likely going to be something black powder; sometimes the old ways are the best ways.
Sometimes you just want to blow the hell out of something.
The reason the NRA is batfuck crazy is because they're against universal registration. If they would push a bill through that would let private citizens buy anything they wanted: full auto up to .50 caliber or whatever they're making nowadays, silencers, whatever, but require that everything you buy or own be registered, then it would really be impossible for anyone to logically outlaw any weapons.
If we did that, then police could simply enforce the law by realizing that, If you have it, but it's not registered to you, then you're a criminal and should be thrown in jail and have your weapon confiscated. Gun show loophole neatly closed. You want to sell it, go to a gun shop with your buyer and transfer the registration, otherwise it's an unlawful sale.
Also, I can't ever join the national guard due to health reasons, but I'd certainly take gun training under the title of Militia training in order to comply with the second amendment. I wouldn't be that useful if deployed to Afghanistan, but I'll certainly defend my street and follow orders if Canada ever attacks. Why not let those of us that just like our guns take some training and get some perks on what we can buy, as well as the added responsibility that goes with it?
If you prove you're not a threat through background checks and training, and you take all the necessary precautions as required by some sort of agreement you might sign to be part of a non-crazy-ass militia, and the government knows what you have anyway, why should they care if you're a gun nut?
And Sunnie, good to see you! Yes, people who've never been around guns often react emotionally to them, even the IDEA of them. As I said in the post, I'm no rabid NRA type, but I do know I don't want to live in a country where only cops and criminals have guns.
Once upon a time, my collection ran to more than 40 guns, including all the classics....everything from a Browning Hi-power to a Glock 19....but I stupidly sold off my collection when I needed money to move to Florida.
I miss them terribly, especially the Hi-Standard Citation and the Browning Medalist....two really good target pistols.
These days, I have to content myself with my .32 magnum revolver and a .25 caliber Baby Browning hideaway.
I used to spend a day a week at the range, usually blowing off around a thousand rounds of ammo, and the last time I qualified for my Massachusetts carry permit, I out-shot all of the cops who were at the range that day.
To my way of thinking, the Second Amendment is crucial to the maintenance of our freedoms. Look at it this way: are you sure you want the tea party fanatics to be the only ones who are armed. Liberals -get armed before it's too late.
Sagemerlin mention a gun he owns, I've never seen a .32 magnum revolver. Just wondering, who manufactures them?
I wouldn't live on a farm without a shotgun.
I wouldn't want to live in a city where I felt I needed to be armed. In fact, I don't want to be anywhere that being armed is the best survival strategy.
You seem like a good gun guy.
But the extremes make me nervous. Like WTF is an individual doing with a 50 caliber weapon? Or armor piercing bullets. I don't want to set the rules.
I would rather the cops and the NRA and people that really know and love guns set some fucking boundaries that make sense. Maybe one for the country and one for cities.
I think it would be smart to do something not extreme that makes most people not too unhappy and maybe our society a bit safer.
I like the Swiss. They have universal health insurance and everyone has a rifle in case someone wants to attack. They have managed to remain neutral for a long time. Maybe we could outsource all this shit to the Swiss.
Cover and EP.
Those editors must have finally gotten a clue.
First time I shot a gun was there - and I loved target practice. I was pretty good. I try not to get into the politics of it too much. I can also say I could live without them completely, but that's only after having the experience and knowing what damage they can really do. But, I'd never want that if it wasn't "across the board" - meaning no one has them. Glad you got an EP for this!
An Editor's Pick! The editors woke up! Next thing you know, they will be quoting you.
Sagemerlin says: " are you sure you want the tea party fanatics to be the only ones who are armed" If there's one thing I'm sure of Sage, it's that I don't. I said in the post that I try not to politicize guns, but it grates on my nerves when I hear those people making their threats, especially when the threats are made light of, treated as empty rhetoric. If someone says they're going to do something bad to me or my country, I've got no choice but to take it seriously.
Thanks Larry. The .32 magnum is a real round, sort of like a regular .32 on steroids.
Nick; I get what you're saying. I don't think there's any need for regular citizens to be owning fully automatic weapons, and armor piercing rounds are designed to penetrate body armor, so they're cop-killing rounds, pure and simple. In other words, they're of no possible use to anyone but a criminal. While I was at the range, there was a guy there with a Steyr .5o cal. sniper rifle; it looked like a small cannon on a bipod. Though I'm sure it's fun to shoot, I don't feel the need to own anything like that myself.
Sparking, thanks, and I think if more people, from both sides of the debate, had some real world familiarity with firearms and what they can do, instead of just demonizing or idolizing them from an ideological perspective, the whole discussion would be more productive.
And thank you too Sirenita. I'm hoping the editors have indeed seen the light, and they have my permission to plagiarize my personal motto and put it beneath their logo on the cover:
"Peace love and understanding, or I'll cap your ass."
"Peace love and understanding, or I'll cap your ass."
Indeed.
{Wait. Did I already comment earlier? Whatever...}
And Connie, I made that comment in an off-the-cuff kind of way, but I've been thinking since that I may try to turn it into some kind of a graphic, suitable for printing on stickers and t-shirts and what not. And exclamation points are fun!!!!!