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Have you ever fired a gun?

Started by STLmapboy, May 18, 2020, 11:40:23 PM

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Have you ever fired a gun?

Yes
32 (74.4%)
No
10 (23.3%)
N/A (specify)
1 (2.3%)

Total Members Voted: 43

7/8

No, the closest for me is shooting a BB gun at my friend's cottage :).

My older brother went to a shooting range for his friend's bachelor party. I think it would be cool to try.


bugo

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 19, 2020, 09:49:55 PM
Does a bb gun in boy scouts count?

No, and .22s don't count either.

bugo

I've fired a few guns including rifles, handguns, revolvers and shotguns. A few years ago, I fired both an AK-47 and an AR-15. I liked the Kalashnikov better.

kphoger

Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

Konza

I can't believe more people aren't citing military service here...
Main Line Interstates clinched:  2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 37, 39, 43, 44, 45, 55, 57, 59, 65, 68, 71, 72, 74 (IA-IL-IN-OH), 76 (OH-PA-NJ), 78, 80, 82, 86 (ID), 88 (IL)

MikieTimT

Quote from: Konza on June 05, 2020, 01:46:33 PM
I can't believe more people aren't citing military service here...

I can't believe there aren't more people from the South here?!?

J N Winkler

Quote from: Konza on June 05, 2020, 01:46:33 PMI can't believe more people aren't citing military service here...

I'm not surprised--we are now almost a full fifty years into the era of the all-volunteer military.  All four of my grandparents' sons/sons-in-law came of age during Vietnam and of them, three served.  They have had a total of seven male children (by both blood and marriage), of whom none has served.
"It is necessary to spend a hundred lire now to save a thousand lire later."--Piero Puricelli, explaining the need for a first-class road system to Benito Mussolini

Roadrunner75

Quote from: J N Winkler on June 05, 2020, 02:33:40 PM
Quote from: Konza on June 05, 2020, 01:46:33 PMI can't believe more people aren't citing military service here...

I'm not surprised--we are now almost a full fifty years into the era of the all-volunteer military.  All four of my grandparents' sons/sons-in-law came of age during Vietnam and of them, three served.  They have had a total of seven male children (by both blood and marriage), of whom none has served.
My dad was a WWII Army combat vet who fought in the South Pacific (and to the topic, he used a Browning Automatic) and both my brothers are retired military (Army and Air Force).

Duke87

On a few occasions, yes. Though only with rented guns at shooting ranges.

My funny story with this is that the very first round I ever fired hit a dead bullseye in the target. My dad burst out laughing and said "okay, stop there, your average will never improve". And indeed, my aim has not been as good with most subsequent rounds I've fired.

The most memorable weapon I've handled was a .50cal Desert Eagle handgun. That thing... that packs recoil. It's like hitting yourself in the palm with a mallet.

I've also gotten a chance to fire a couple of fully automatic rifles on one of these shooting range trips. What I will say to that is... it seems more fun in concept than it actually is in practice. Because y'know you don't actually get to stand there and fire the thing off Rambo style. To actually handle full auto properly you want to fire in short bursts, and firing 3-4 rounds in one trigger pull doesn't really feel that different from firing 1.
If you always take the same road, you will never see anything new.

golden eagle

A rifle, and I also fired a military weapon during an ROTC summer camp in high school.

qguy

Quote from: Konza on June 05, 2020, 01:46:33 PM
I can't believe more people aren't citing military service here...

If I must... when I was an Air Force officer, I qualified as an expert marksman on the M9 (a 9mm semi-automatic handgun), M15 (a Smith & Wesson .38 special revolver), and M16 (essentially a .22 caliber semi- and automatic rifle, or "machine gun" if you will, firing rounds with a larger charge than a standard .22). Fortnunately I never had to fire one in combat.

Quote from: MikieTimT on June 05, 2020, 02:27:58 PM
I can't believe there aren't more people from the South here?!?

What, ya think no one hunts up north? Where I live in Pennsylvania (between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, certainly not the backwoods), the schools all have off for the first day of deer season (the first Monday after Thanksgiving) because so many students take off school that teaching that day is a waste of time.

My hunting rifle is an 8mm Mauser (pronounced MOW-zer, rhymes with HOW-zer, for the uninitiated). Produced in post-WWII Germany (1948), it has a wood stock and an attached open-sight scope. It can fit four rounds, one in the chamber and three in the internal magazine (although a decent hunter should not need that many). When fired it provides a substantial and satisfying kick in the shoulder. I harvested an 8-point with it many years ago.

SEWIGuy

#36
Quote from: Konza on June 05, 2020, 01:46:33 PM
I can't believe more people aren't citing military service here...

Less than 10% of the US adult population have served in the military.

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/11/10/the-changing-face-of-americas-veteran-population/#:~:text=There%20were%20around%2020.4%20million,how%20this%20population%20is%20changing.

EDIT:  I have not shot one, nor have I even held one.

Roadgeekteen

Quote from: qguy on June 08, 2020, 03:29:43 PM
Quote from: Konza on June 05, 2020, 01:46:33 PM
I can't believe more people aren't citing military service here...

If I must... when I was an Air Force officer, I qualified as an expert marksman on the M9 (a 9mm semi-automatic handgun), M15 (a Smith & Wesson .38 special revolver), and M16 (essentially a .22 caliber semi- and automatic rifle, or "machine gun" if you will, firing rounds with a larger charge than a standard .22). Fortnunately I never had to fire one in combat.

Quote from: MikieTimT on June 05, 2020, 02:27:58 PM
I can't believe there aren't more people from the South here?!?

What, ya think no one hunts up north? Where I live in Pennsylvania (between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, certainly not the backwoods), the schools all have off for the first day of deer season (the first Monday after Thanksgiving) because so many students take off school that teaching that day is a waste of time.

My hunting rifle is an 8mm Mauser (pronounced MOW-zer, rhymes with HOW-zer, for the uninitiated). Produced in post-WWII Germany (1948), it has a wood stock and an attached open-sight scope. It can fit four rounds, one in the chamber and three in the internal magazine (although a decent hunter should not need that many). When fired it provides a substantial and satisfying kick in the shoulder. I harvested an 8-point with it many years ago.
Off day for hunting season? They would literally murder anyone who supported that around here.
God-emperor of Alanland, king of all the goats and goat-like creatures

Current Interstate map I am making:

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GaryV

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on June 08, 2020, 04:20:50 PM
Quote from: qguy on June 08, 2020, 03:29:43 PM
Quote from: Konza on June 05, 2020, 01:46:33 PM
I can't believe more people aren't citing military service here...

If I must... when I was an Air Force officer, I qualified as an expert marksman on the M9 (a 9mm semi-automatic handgun), M15 (a Smith & Wesson .38 special revolver), and M16 (essentially a .22 caliber semi- and automatic rifle, or "machine gun" if you will, firing rounds with a larger charge than a standard .22). Fortnunately I never had to fire one in combat.

Quote from: MikieTimT on June 05, 2020, 02:27:58 PM
I can't believe there aren't more people from the South here?!?

What, ya think no one hunts up north? Where I live in Pennsylvania (between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, certainly not the backwoods), the schools all have off for the first day of deer season (the first Monday after Thanksgiving) because so many students take off school that teaching that day is a waste of time.

My hunting rifle is an 8mm Mauser (pronounced MOW-zer, rhymes with HOW-zer, for the uninitiated). Produced in post-WWII Germany (1948), it has a wood stock and an attached open-sight scope. It can fit four rounds, one in the chamber and three in the internal magazine (although a decent hunter should not need that many). When fired it provides a substantial and satisfying kick in the shoulder. I harvested an 8-point with it many years ago.
Off day for hunting season? They would literally murder anyone who supported that around here.
Oh, the irony.

SEWIGuy

In Wisconsin, if you measure hunting by the number of permits sold duing the 9-day gun hunting season, it has dropped off considerably.

The number of permits peaked at 670,000 in 1985 when the population was about 4.7 million.  Last year, 564,000 licenses were sold and the population is 5.8 million.  (Note that licenses are sold to out of state residents but it shows how hunting has dropped off here over the last 30+ years.)


DandyDan

Did once as a kid. My uncle has a farm where they will shoot various animals that stray onto their property. They also have a practice range I got to shoot at. First and last time (at least I hope it's the last time).
MORE FUN THAN HUMANLY THOUGHT POSSIBLE

hbelkins

When I was in Breezewood Thanksgiving weekend before last for the meet, the place where I stayed was filling up for Sunday night (I left Monday morning early) because of hunting season. I was surprised to hear that schools were out.

That late in November seems awfully late for deer season to be opening. It's earlier in the month here, but we have so many seasons (primitive weapons, bow and arrow, antlered/antlerless, etc.) that I can't keep track of them, not being a hunter.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

J3ebrules

Quote from: kphoger on May 20, 2020, 04:15:11 PM
By the way, what can "N/A" possibly mean in this context?

They reject the premise entirely?  :-P
Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike - they’ve all come to look for America! (Simon & Garfunkel)

J N Winkler

Quote from: hbelkins on June 09, 2020, 04:47:47 PMThat late in November seems awfully late for deer season to be opening. It's earlier in the month here, but we have so many seasons (primitive weapons, bow and arrow, antlered/antlerless, etc.) that I can't keep track of them, not being a hunter.

I am not a hunter either, but I have long been under the impression that hunting seasons are generally much shorter for guns than for bows, crossbows, etc., because they are higher-yield weapons, and tend to be somewhat longer in Southern states than elsewhere in the country.
"It is necessary to spend a hundred lire now to save a thousand lire later."--Piero Puricelli, explaining the need for a first-class road system to Benito Mussolini

qguy

Quote from: J N Winkler on June 10, 2020, 12:02:33 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on June 09, 2020, 04:47:47 PMThat late in November seems awfully late for deer season to be opening. It's earlier in the month here, but we have so many seasons (primitive weapons, bow and arrow, antlered/antlerless, etc.) that I can't keep track of them, not being a hunter.
I am not a hunter either, but I have long been under the impression that hunting seasons are generally much shorter for guns than for bows, crossbows, etc., because they are higher-yield weapons, and tend to be somewhat longer in Southern states than elsewhere in the country.

In Pennsylvania, deer rifle is the two weeks following Thanksgiving. Deer bow & arrow is from the beginning of Oct to mid-Nov and from the day after Christmas to late-mid Jan. Deer muzzleloader is a week in late Oct. Deer flintlock is the same as the second part of bow and arrow. (I think I have that right.)

But what I'm sure everyone is dying to know is that porcupine season is mid-Oct to the end of Jan, daily limit of 3, season limit of 10. (Order now before they're all gone.)

Which reminds me (not the porcupines), I've also fired a flintlock muzzleloader a few times. Really different. With an ordinary rifle, trigger squeeze and firing are nearly simultaneous, although my brain seems to significantly protract my time perception when I'm firing. With a flintlock there's a noticeable time delay between the trigger squeeze and the firing.

A rifle goes squeeze-boom. A flintlock seems to go squeeze...  clap...  ka-BOOM. You need to keep it steady longer. And since they're heavier than rifles that can be tricky.

I've also fired larger rifles and .45 and .45 magnum handguns. Don't know why I'm only remembering that now.

I don't know, for me there's something very... satisfying about firing a weapon. Perhaps part of it is the ability to extend one's physical reach a great distance. I'm sure part of it is that the weapon feels like an extension of my body (much like the sense of satisfaction I receive when I'm driving, especially a stick-shift, and the car feels like an extension of my arms and legs). I don't fire weapons very often but I enjoy it very much.

MikeTheActuary

I know that I'm late to respond, but....

Quote from: kphoger on May 20, 2020, 04:15:11 PM
By the way, what can "N/A" possibly mean in this context?

One possibility:  Every time (the only time?) I pulled a trigger, I had a squib load.

thspfc

Does paintball count? In other words, no, and I don't plan on ever doing so.

tolbs17

Yeah! When I was a 10 year old, my other brother let me fire his BB gun.

noelbotevera

I've fired bubble guns and water guns, because actual firearms bore me.

MikeTheActuary

Quote from: noelbotevera on June 12, 2020, 08:22:02 PM
I've fired bubble guns and water guns, because actual firearms bore me.

But how much do they bore you?  0.22 inches in diameter?   9mm?   0.336 inches?   :)



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