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Post by dianachristensen on Nov 14, 2019 16:19:13 GMT
I can't tell if either everyone has, it hasn't come to mind for any of the people who posted in the "Common things you haven't done yet in your life" thread, or no one considers it a common thing to do. I have to say, in the U.S. it is an extremely common thing to have done, when looking at the entire population.
So have you?
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Post by kevin on Nov 14, 2019 16:34:07 GMT
No, I haven't and tbh I don't think anyone I directly know well enough (friends, family etc.) has ever shot a gun, only counting alive family members. Oh, except my uncle who has a gun he sometimes used for hunting a while ago. So tbh I think it's a very rare thing for someone to have done, at least in the Netherlands. So it's either really a US thing or really not a Dutch thing, probably both.
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Post by Feologild Oakes on Nov 14, 2019 16:35:38 GMT
Yes i have fired a gun
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Post by koskiewicz on Nov 14, 2019 16:46:18 GMT
I qualified as an expert with the M16-A1 assault rifle during the Vietnam War. Many pistols as well.
In Boot Camp, if you referred to your weapon as a gun, the Drill Instructor would make every one in the platoon recite the following:
This is my rifle (holding your rifle in the right hand) and this is my gun (gripping your crotch) This is for killing, and this is for fun.
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Post by Sulla on Nov 14, 2019 16:56:22 GMT
Yes, once or twice a year I still go to a range for practice.
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Post by TheOriginalPinky on Nov 14, 2019 17:03:27 GMT
Yes, I grew up with guns, and have fired several, from hand-guns, revolvers, to rifles, shotguns, to semi-automatic weapons - even a .44 magnum. Talk about a kick!! He also had a Luger taken in WWII. I loved breaking that thing down, cleaning it, and putting it back together. I never killed anything or hunted. It was all target practice. My father was ex-military, and had many in the house. We were never permitted to touch the guns when dad wasn't around. But we knew where they were kept. He even bought me a nice .22 revolver - 9 rounds. I gave them to the police when my father died. My sister, unknown to me, took the Luger, and held it for my brother. I gave it to him last year. We have fond memories of playing with that gun!
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Post by Nora on Nov 14, 2019 17:13:58 GMT
I attended a police academy in my younger years so as part of the studies I fired pretty much every type of gun there is to fire and learned how to assemble/disassamble most of them and use them under stresfull conditions (which was kinda fun, as they tested us to do ne able to do it in the dark and under 60 seconds and stuff like that) but it was a long time ago and if I didnt go to the academy I dont think I would have the experience of ever having fired a gun as in europe its very uncommon for civilians to do that.
Now here in the US even my landlord carries a gun, its almost crazy to see, after growing up in europe, it really takes some time to get used to the fact that civilians will commonly own/carry firearms here.
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Post by dianachristensen on Nov 14, 2019 17:23:07 GMT
No, I haven't and tbh I don't think anyone I directly know well enough (friends, family etc.) has ever shot a gun, only counting alive family members. Oh, except my uncle who has a gun he sometimes used for hunting a while ago. So tbh I think it's a very rare thing for someone to have done, at least in the Netherlands. So it's either really a US thing or really not a Dutch thing, probably both. Wow, is it ever a U.S. thing! Even moreso from the responses here than I'd thought.
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Post by dianachristensen on Nov 14, 2019 17:24:04 GMT
I qualified as an expert with the M16-A1 assault rifle during the Vietnam War. Many pistols as well. In Boot Camp, if you referred to your weapon as a gun, the Drill Instructor would make every one in the platoon recite the following: This is my rifle (holding your rifle in the right hand) and this is my gun (gripping your crotch) This is for killing, and this is for fun. Is a handgun a sidearm?
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Post by dianachristensen on Nov 14, 2019 17:27:04 GMT
Yes, once or twice a year I still go to a range for practice. I used to go to an outdoor rifle range with my family. When they were improving their handgun shooting range at the same establishment, the righthand third of the rifle range was temporarily for handgun shooting practice, and wow, before then I'd never known how loud they are.
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Post by dianachristensen on Nov 14, 2019 17:34:20 GMT
Yes, I grew up with guns, and have fired several, from hand-guns, revolvers, to rifles, shotguns, to semi-automatic weapons - even a .44 magnum. Talk about a kick!! He also had a Luger taken in WWII. I loved breaking that thing down, cleaning it, and putting it back together. I never killed anything or hunted. It was all target practice. My father was ex-military, and had many in the house. We were never permitted to touch the guns when dad wasn't around. But we knew where they were kept. He even bought me a nice .22 revolver - 9 rounds. I gave them to the police when my father died. My sister, unknown to me, took the Luger, and held it for my brother. I gave it to him last year. We have fond memories of playing with that gun! Whoa, you moved on to serious firearms! As a kid, I started out with air guns, like the kind that are powered by pump action or CO2 cartridges that fire pellets (not BBs); two were revolvers and one was like a little pump action pellet rifle. Did you ever use anything like that? Then I moved on to .22 rifles and shotguns, no real (non-air) handguns.
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Post by dianachristensen on Nov 14, 2019 17:37:13 GMT
I attended a police academy in my younger years so as part of the studies I fired pretty much every type of gun there is to fire and learned how to assemble/disassamble most of them and use them under stresfull conditions (which was kinda fun, as they tested us to do ne able to do it in the dark and under 60 seconds and stuff like that) but it was a long time ago and if I didnt go to the academy I dont think I would have the experience of ever having fired a gun as in europe its very uncommon for civilians to do that. Now here in the US even my landlord carries a gun, its almost crazy to see, after growing up in europe, it really takes some time to get used to the fact that civilians will commonly own/carry firearms here. Wow, wow, wow!! I have no words! I'm so glad I asked this question; these replies are fascinating. I think it may be possible that more posters here have fired guns than have smoked cigarettes. You know?
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Post by Raimo47 on Nov 14, 2019 17:51:01 GMT
No. I was exempted from military service due to allergy/asthma.
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Post by Nora on Nov 14, 2019 17:58:07 GMT
I attended a police academy in my younger years so as part of the studies I fired pretty much every type of gun there is to fire and learned how to assemble/disassamble most of them and use them under stresfull conditions (which was kinda fun, as they tested us to do ne able to do it in the dark and under 60 seconds and stuff like that) but it was a long time ago and if I didnt go to the academy I dont think I would have the experience of ever having fired a gun as in europe its very uncommon for civilians to do that. Now here in the US even my landlord carries a gun, its almost crazy to see, after growing up in europe, it really takes some time to get used to the fact that civilians will commonly own/carry firearms here. Wow, wow, wow!! I have no words! I'm so glad I asked this question; these replies are fascinating. I think it may be possible that more posters here have fired guns than have smoked cigarettes. You know? it seems that way, yes... now it makes me think: which one is the more hazardous behaviour?
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njcardfan
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Post by njcardfan on Nov 14, 2019 18:02:58 GMT
I'm in law enforcement so yeah, I'm required to fire a gun. 2 different handguns: HK full size .40 cal but we're transitioning to the S&W MMP 9mm(big difference from a .40 cal). Then we qualify with the Mossberg 12 gauge tactical shotgun and a rifle who's name escapes me at the moment. My personal firearms are a Glock 19 9mm, Glock 27 .40 cal(my off duty weapon), Mossberg 12 gauge tactical shotgun, Mossberg 702 Plinkster .22, and a Hi-Point 9mm carbine rifle. Nothing fancy. The Plinkster is for fun. I plan on buying an AR-15 at some point. I don't hunt so hunting rifles and shotguns do not interest me and IMO are impractical for home defense.
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Post by dianachristensen on Nov 14, 2019 18:05:36 GMT
No. I was exempted from military service due to allergy/asthma. I have both, too. I got an early start firing air guns at age 6 because my parents had both been instructors at a summer camp they were counselors at together. That worked out because by the time I was 8, I went to a camp where they had riflery, and I was the best shot in the little camp. I preferred archery, though.
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Post by dianachristensen on Nov 14, 2019 18:08:21 GMT
Wow, wow, wow!! I have no words! I'm so glad I asked this question; these replies are fascinating. I think it may be possible that more posters here have fired guns than have smoked cigarettes. You know? it seems that way, yes... now it makes me think: which one is the more hazardous behaviour? ;) Well, we're all still here to discuss firearms, so that must say something, right?
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Post by dianachristensen on Nov 14, 2019 18:14:18 GMT
I'm in law enforcement so yeah, I'm required to fire a gun. 2 different handguns: HK full size .40 cal but we're transitioning to the S&W MMP 9mm(big difference from a .40 cal). Then we qualify with the Mossberg 12 gauge tactical shotgun and a rifle who's name escapes me at the moment. My personal firearms are a Glock 19 9mm, Glock 27 .40 cal(my off duty weapon), Mossberg 12 gauge tactical shotgun, Mossberg 702 Plinkster .22, and a Hi-Point 9mm carbine rifle. Nothing fancy. The Plinkster is for fun. I plan on buying an AR-15 at some point. I don't hunt so hunting rifles and shotguns do not interest me and IMO are impractical for home defense. Which has been your favorite manufacturer? I have a 1969 Mossberg .22 rifle; I have better aim with it than anything, especially anything with a scope. I'm the opposite of you, not in which interest me, but more so just in that I've never had cause to use or try a handgun yet I've used rifles and shotguns for sport (not hunting just targets). What about a Desert Eagle? Are they all that and a bag of chips?
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njcardfan
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Post by njcardfan on Nov 14, 2019 18:18:33 GMT
Wow, wow, wow!! I have no words! I'm so glad I asked this question; these replies are fascinating. I think it may be possible that more posters here have fired guns than have smoked cigarettes. You know? it seems that way, yes... now it makes me think: which one is the more hazardous behaviour? Well, over 400,000 deaths per year due to smoking related causes as compared to 40,000 due to firearms(that's all manner of death with all manner of firearms). Hell, you're more likely to be killed due to medical malpractice(approximately 500,000 deaths per year) than being killed by a firearm(14,000 homicides). Now, even in that 14,000+ homicide number, not all are murders. Self defense is considered a homicide. Over 500,000 crimes a year are prevented by personal firearms. I live literally 2 blocks from my local police department. If a home invasion ever occurred in my house and I called the police the moment I heard a noise, it could be several minutes before the police responded. I'm not gambling with the lives of my children based on minutes so I'm shooting first and asking questions later.
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njcardfan
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Posts: 628
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Post by njcardfan on Nov 14, 2019 18:22:51 GMT
I'm in law enforcement so yeah, I'm required to fire a gun. 2 different handguns: HK full size .40 cal but we're transitioning to the S&W MMP 9mm(big difference from a .40 cal). Then we qualify with the Mossberg 12 gauge tactical shotgun and a rifle who's name escapes me at the moment. My personal firearms are a Glock 19 9mm, Glock 27 .40 cal(my off duty weapon), Mossberg 12 gauge tactical shotgun, Mossberg 702 Plinkster .22, and a Hi-Point 9mm carbine rifle. Nothing fancy. The Plinkster is for fun. I plan on buying an AR-15 at some point. I don't hunt so hunting rifles and shotguns do not interest me and IMO are impractical for home defense. Which has been your favorite manufacturer? I have a 1969 Mossberg .22 rifle; I have better aim with it than anything, especially anything with a scope. I'm the opposite of you, not in which interest me, but more so just in that I've never had cause to use or try a handgun yet I've used rifles and shotguns for sport (not hunting just targets). What about a Desert Eagle? Are they all that and a bag of chips? I'm big on practicality. Small but effective is the way I go. Sure I'd love to own a Judge but I don't see those as practical. I used to own a S&W .357 mag which was intimidating and fun to shoot but the recoil takes too much time to recover from in case I missed. I've never shot a Desert Eagle. I'm looking to buy a Glock 43 which is a single stack 9mm as my 27 is a tad too bulky for proper concealment.
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