Are you a gun owner? If not, were you ever a gun owner?

[Renew Deal]

Poll question: Are you a gun owner? If not, were you ever a gun owner?

Another Zogby question:

"Are you a gun owner? If not, were you ever a gun owner?"

[Zynx]

1. Current gun owner.

No shame involved in it.

[Rhythm]

2. Not currently, but will likely be again

I miss competitive shooting...

[petronius]

3. Current gun owner. And for the record, I also have

a full-sized penis... ;)

[Renew Deal]

5. lol

Pre-emptive penis reference? :rofl:

[petronius]

18. It's just something I like to mention whenever possible...

:)

[safeinOhio]

9. Mine's bent

and can shoot around corners.

[bobburgster]

38. Thanks for the smile

:)

[chemenger]

40. The gun or the penis?

:shrug:

[northofdenali]

26. Damn. You do? I don't.

Of course, I'm female.

My mom took a rifle (.22) championship in Delaware in 1932!!

I also hunt (only for food, so don't completely trash me unless you're vegan).

I don't mind guns. I mind the idiots whose sole existance is guns:

http://newsminer.com/view/full_story/6550684/article-Leader-of-Fairbanks-2nd-Amendment-Task-Force-Schaeffer-Cox-choked-wife--court-documents-say?instance=home_news_window_left_bullets

[Autumn]

4. Current gun owner

Wouldn't be without them.

[riderinthestorm]

6. True story, I inherited a 22 rifle and have never fired it.

I posted the saga of this gun on DU in hte gun dungeon and I still own it (my grandfather willed it to me, and so I own it but have never fired it before, neither has my husband). In the past two decades, I've had the gun cleaned, serviced and regularly operated but none of my family has the slightest interest in it. Everyone who has ever handled the gun wants to buy it: it's old, heavy, my Norwegian grandfather was a tool and die guy at Bell Labs and outfitted the gun with gun sights and other modifications so it's just primo. Plus the gun is European so it's some kind of rarity on it's own. So fine. We own the damn thing.

My husband decides he's going to shoot the raccoons that regularly infest the barn in the early spring. He traps one. And then can't bear to shoot it. Now mind you, we probably have several by now: where's there's one, there's many in raccoon land.

My husband wants ME to put food and water in the trap for overnight for this fellah when his nerve fails him that day. I say no. One of our employees volunteers to shoot it that night, in the have-a-heart trap. I decide I must bear witness to this and my employee places 3 expert shots to the raccoons head and it doesn't die. So he shoots it in the heart.

4 shots. By someone who hunts regularly. To a racccon in a trap.

Sigh. I have at least 10 more in my barn and they are a menace to the livestock I have. My heart just quails.

[Statistical]

23. 22LR is good for punching paper targets. Not the best tool for raccons.

Prairie Dogs (or anything that size) sure.

[vadawg]

32. yup i use my 12 gauge for the racoons, mean buggers that they are ..

[Mugu]

27. Too small to be reliable unless absolutely sure about placement and penetration.

Otherwise that's what a properly aimed load of buckshot is for.



One must use the proper tool to minimize suffering. No matter how destructive/irritating they deserve at least that much consideration.

[riderinthestorm]

73. Yup, and now I know that. It's funny, we've joked for a long time about the rifle

and how we're only keeping it for shooting the raccoons (while in reality, I'm keeping it because it's clearly something my grandfather treasured and while I may not value it, perhaps someone in the next generation of my family will want it).

So we finally screw up the nerve to use the rifle to kill a raccoon and discover it's not sufficient for this purpose. And we couldn't have made the shot any easier. It was in the trap - the proverbial shooting-fish-in-a-barrel analogy works here.

The guy who shot the raccoon for us placed the three initial head shots very, very quickly and skillfully. But it was still moving!! So he rapidly shot it in the chest and it was instantly dead. I will never forget it.

And have learned the lesson. I placed the call to the nuisance animal trapper guy we've used in the past the very next day to get rid of the rest of the raccoons.

[PDJane]

7. Used to be, moved to the city,

no place nor reason for a gun.

[xchrom]

8. No gun. Not ever. Nt

[bemildred]

10. "Are you, or were you ever, a communist?" nt

[Politicalboi]

11. Never have

Never will.

[supernova]

12. Couldn't have less desire for a gun if

I'd had a lobotomy.

[madrchsod]

13. used to but moved to the city and...

now i have a family of deer that visits my yard. they look for seeds i throw out for the birds. three days ago my neighbor saw them around 12 at night...must have been the walmart sugar cookies...

[cherokeeprogressive]

14. Owner and practiced marksman.

Love trap and skeet as well.

[Ozymanithrax]

15. The Weapons I've used were owned by my grandfather or the miltary...

I do not need one now.

[guitar man]

16. I own a few

And I am very, very proficient with them.

[Morning Dew]

17. Sold mine when I needed money for higher education back in '84.

won't rule out owning one again but there have been minors in the house for the last 18 years so, for me anyway, no gun with a minor in the house.

[Ron Green]

19. I got over them after 3 years in the Army.

They're useless to me now.

[Mz Pip]

20. How could

anyone be "not sure?'

[On the Road]

45. I Suspect the "Not Sure" Votes

were for a BB or pellet gun, and the poster wasn't sure whether that should be counted as a gun in the poll. Either that or someone just inherited a huge amount of stuff and didn't know what was in it yet.

[Mugu]

21. Cross the threshold of my home uninvited,

particularly during the hours of darkness and find out (after which I will cheerfully show you my penis.)

[Statistical]

22. So who is "not sure"? This is something I recommend everyone be "sure" about.

:)

[Hassin Bin Sober]

56. Sorry. I couldn't resist.

[old mark]

24. I also have a license to carry, so I guess I'm a "card carrying" gun owner. nt

[Kaleva]

25. Interesting poll results.

[GoCubsGo]

46. Not really.

The "Democrats/liberals hate guns" is a republican meme that has been repeated so often that it became the "truth." I know more Dems and left-leaning folks who pack heat than I do conservatives. I have never owned a gun, but that's not to say I will never own one. I just have no use for one right now. If I lived in the middle of nowhere, I would damn well have one.

[pipi_k]

51. Middle of nowhere person here...

I have to laugh sometimes when I tell my daughter about what animals I've seen out here. She gets all scared and nervous and fears that someday I'll be out sitting by my pond and get attacked by a bear or maybe an insane moose or something.

She lives in the city, and I tell her I feel safer here with the four-legged wildlife than I would in the city with the two-legged kind.


Which isn't to say that we don't have guns here, because we do. They come in handy when there IS a bear in the yard and you've got to scare it away so it doesn't get used to spending time around humans.

Neither I nor Mr Pip would shoot anything unless there were no other choice...



PS...the Republican meme...I agree. Actually I'm surprised by the results of this poll, as I never realized the percentage would be as large as it is.

[spin]

79. The poll shows why draconian gun control is a bad idea ...

for the Democratic Party.

If you own firearms and the Democratic Party attempts to register all firearms in the country, you fear the next step is confiscation. Many people enjoy shooting and have invested considerable time and money into the hobby. It's easy to see why they would desert the party and vote for a Republican who says he believes in RKBA. People WILL show up at the polls to vote when their hobby and investment is in danger.

On the other hand, if you oppose gun ownership but have no money invested in firearms, the issue isn't as important to you.

[pipi_k]

110. Not too long ago there was an attempt by my little rural town

to get residents to register all our firearms with the police dept.

Mr Pip said BULLSHIT.

He's got a license, and that's good enough. They don't need to know what kind, or how many, we have.

[spin]

115. Authorities love control...

unfortunately those in power often don't have our best interests at heart.

[Kablooie]

28. I used to have a Mattel Shootin' Shell gun. Does that count?

And I also had a special derringer that shot from your belt buckle. It was neat!

[Art_from_Ark]

113. I always wanted one of those "6th finger" mini-shootin' irons

I don't remember what it was actually like, since I never had one, but the commercials for it were pretty neat. Hide it in the palm of your hand-- looks like a regular finger-- then zap your friends (with plastic pellets) when they're not suspecting anything!

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

29. Not Sure????

[geardaddy]

94. That's what I thought.

:wtf:

[Jax]

30. bleachers...

whatever.

Kick for bleachers.

Putting it out there still.

[Edweird]

31. Current Owner.

[vadawg]

33. i carry 24/7 and have both my handgun by my bed and 12 gauge handy as well

just in case...

[Roon]

34. My freeper Mother wants to take concealed carry classes.

she wants to start packing!

[spin]

74. Nothing wrong with that ...

and it's not limited to freepers. Plenty of Democrats have concealed carry permits. I just renewed mine for seven more years and my daughter and son in law also have permits. We all voted for Obama in the last election.

Chances are your mother will never have a reason to use her weapon if she gets the permit, but there is always a slim possibility that it might save her life. I would assume that if she was attacked, she had a means of self defense.

Women in many areas of the country are signing up for concealed carry classes.

Women in Tulsa, Oklahoma, are utilizing the Second Amendment more than ever. Frank Wiley of Tulsa’s Fox 23 news reports an increase of concealed carry licenses among women in Tulsa as a result of police layoffs.

Concealed weapons-carrying classes continue to fill up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but the majority of the students in the classes have changed from men to women. The enrollment of women in classes has tripled in the last 10 years. In consideration of the recent police layoffs at the Tulsa Police Department, women feel the need to acquire self-defense skills more than ever.

Fortunately for these women, the process is simple, requiring an eight-hour course that teaches the students how to use their guns. Once completed, the students may apply for a license that takes 90 days to be approved. Once received, licenses are valid for five years.
http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/usnews/politics/2886-women-in-tulsa-are-packing-heat

Even if your mother takes the class but decides against getting the carry permit, the training she receives will teach her basic handgun safety. The expense of the class is worth it merely for this reason.

[Roon]

81. Thanks for the post, spin!

I think my Mother should get a pink lady glock.

[spin]

88. My daughter liked the pink Glocks ...

she saw in a gun store recently.

It definitely would have been HER gun, if she had bought one. She likes revolvers more and still thinks her carry gun is pretty.



Model 351PD Revolver - HIVIZ® in 22 magnum

She also just got a tiny 22 LR revolver for her birthday. She calls it her "Get away from me" gun.


NAA .22 Long Rifle Mini-Revolver

Her car gun is a S&W Model 64 .38 special.

[Roon]

118. Very nice!

I don't own any guns,I am too much of a klutz and would shoot myself in the foot. I do like shooting other people's guns though.

[Raine]

35. Yes, I have several guns

of all types. :thumbsup:

[Behind the Aegis]

36. Wow. The first "other."

I have never owned a gun, but we have a gun in the house. Under LA law, I can fire the weapon in my home despite my not owning it. I do think I "own" it as it is my partner's and is in our home; this is why I said "other." I am not an offical "owner," but I kind of do 'own' it. I know how to fire a weapon. Clean it. Load it. I also have no issue using it if need be.

[Statistical]

43. I think if the OP had made that a choice it would be a larger %.

Should have had a choice like "No but I have access to firearms owned by family member".

Most people likely just picked "owner". Gun ownership is about 25%-30% of the population however gun "households" are right around 50%.

Unless there are a lot higher % of gun owners on DU then the general population many of the "gun owners" in the poll are in a similar situation as yours.

[Biker13]

37. I am a gun owner.

nt

[jannyk]

39. Have never even seen one up close - unless BB guns count nt

[era veteran]

41. Broken action H&R 12 g that was so dangerous I took the firing pin out

Pretty cool shotgun w/rear sight for slugs. Crossman wood stock pellet gun for scaring starlings and keeping my shooting eye. I owned first rifle @ about 8 years old. Nothing as fun as a 152mm rifled tank cannon. That spoiled me for the thrill of shooting.I carried a .45 for several years. Weapons have their place. Are there too many irresponsible gun owners? YES

[MattBaggins]

42. Other: NOYB

[Renew Deal]

57. OK, thanks

:crazy:

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

66. Of course no one would know if you participated in the poll.

[michreject]

44. Enough to shoot every day for two months

and not shoot the same one twice. :)

[Dappleganger]

50. Awesome!

:fistbump:

[Bettie]

47. We do have a few guns

They are all black powder muzzle loaders.

Does that count?

[supernova]

52. You're good for 1776, then

:patriot:

[Bettie]

54. Yes, we are

We used to do some shooting at Rendezvous, but since we've had the kids, we don't.

As to handguns, we wouldn't have one in the house with kids.

[Arkansas Granny]

48. I've never owned a gun. I'm not opposed to ownership of firearms by responsible individuals,

but I've never had a need or desire to own one myself.

[Dappleganger]

49. Yes and have my ccw.

Our city has become less safe for women every year, unfortunately.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

53. A bunch, but then again I am an instructor with my own range

I live way the hell out in the sticks. I host teaching events, mostly for women and GLBTQ people. My license plate holder says it all " Armed Women and Gays don't get bashed"

[Dappleganger]

90. Love it! nt

[Vidar]

55. Never was, & unless there;s a revolution never will be.

[slackmaster]

58. Phased plasma rifle in the 40-Watt range

[NM_hemilover]

64. Just what you see on the wall pal.

[Statistical]

71. You know what also pissed me off about that line?

Doesn't James Cameron have any light bulbs in his house. Didn't he happen to notice they are 60, 100, 120 watts.
A 40 watt Plasma Rifle? What are you going to use it for? A hand warmer?

Now 40 Kilowatt Plasma Rifle I could accept as "real".

I know I am weird, it doesn't need to be said.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

59. Used to be

Then I asked myself an obvious question "Why do I have these?" Sold em.

[AngryAmish]

60. I drink, I sleepwalk and I have a 2 year old in the house

I think people should be able to have guns but for me? No way. Too dangerous.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

62. All that being said....

If you owned a weapon that was stored securely (i.e., a handgun locked in a case with a trigger guard), you would be perfectly safe in owning a gun. The problem is that many gun owners don't (or won't) do that.

[AngryAmish]

63. I thought about that but on balance I think not

I do a lot of crazy stuff while sleepwalking. Made phone calls, etc. And if the purpose is home defense it might take too long.

I live in a safe neighborhood. I won't risk it.

[spin]

75. Wise decision. You have to know yourself and your limitations ...

before you decide to own a firearm.

[Edweird]

102. You're ok in my book.

[JerseygirlCT]

61. Have never been, will never be, don't want them in my home or around

my children.

[asdjrocky]

65. I own 4 guns. A 22 rifle which is my gun of choice, there is not much I can't hit with it.

A Mossberg 500 and two pistols.

The 22 was my fathers gun, and I treasure it.

[OhioChick]

67. Current gun owner n/t

[OswegoAtheist]

68. Guns cost money, so not right now.

I used them in the Army, and I've no problem with them.

Oswego "I went to one of those 'Toys for Guns' trade-ins at the precinct with a bucket-full of Legos, but apparently the trades only go one way" Atheist

[spin]

80. LOL. That was funny.

[alfredo]

69. Guns are too impersonal. They are for the person who is

too fucking lazy to get involved personally in murdering someone. Knives and clubs are superior because you have to be committed to the act to do the job well. Guns make it too easy.

Guns are a sign of a society that has lost the personal touch.

[spin]

77. Yes, but they are excellent self defense against an individual ...

who has a knife or a club when he attacks you and is "committed to the act to do the job well".

You surely don't believe that those who own or carry a firearm are just lazy murderers, do you? The absolute last thing a responsible gun owner ever wants to do is to shoot someone. Nor does he want to knife or club someone to death.

[alfredo]

91. I guess I should have put a smiley in my reply.

[spin]

93. It helps ...

On this sub forum there are people who would make a comment like that and be entirely serious.

Sad.

[alfredo]

105. The gun is just another example of the predator in us. If you

look at other predators they make sure they have a huge advantage. It does little good if the leopard is injured during the acquisition of a meal. So they developed a strategy that lessens their risk.

Our arms race is not much different than what other predators did.

[spin]

114. Ah, but hunting would not be as popular ...

if some deer could shoot back.

[alfredo]

116. True, and a lion would be less likely to try to eat a creature that stood a

good chance of killing him first.

[Edweird]

96. Knives are a personal touch, no doubt.

Quiet, too.

[alfredo]

111. When I was in high school I was standing in the hall with

a friend. He lurched forward. A guy was on his back repeatedly stabbing him. He had eighteen stab wounds, but survived. The knife slid in the assailant's hand so the wounds weren't deep enough to kill him.

[Edweird]

119. Wow, tough crowd.

Lucky for your friend that guy didn't know what he was doing.

[alfredo]

121. He didn't mind, it got him out of school early. I saw him standing

on the corner as our bus passed by. He smiled and waved.

He had beaten up the assailant's big brother, so it was score settling time.

[flvegan]

70. I have 3 guns.

.22 rifle
Mossberg 500, 18" barrel, twin pistol grips, slugs
.45 Colt Officer's Compact, loaded with Black Talons

Bring on the zombie apocalypse!

[proteus_lives]

92. Get a machete too.

Remember what Max Brooks said: "Blades don't need reloading." and "Use your head, cut off theirs."

[flvegan]

95. You make an excellent point

[Blue_In_AK]

72. I have never owned a gun.

My brother accidentally shot himself in the head in a hunting accident when I was seven, and I've had a strong aversion to guns since.

[LanternWaste]

76. Never had one.

Never had one. It's a useful tool for something I'd rather not be involved with.

[spin]

78. Hopefully this poll will remain in GD for a while ...

when it moves to the Gungeon the favorite hang out of those who support RKBA, the results will be distorted.

It's interesting to find out just how many members of DU own or did own firearms.

[Renew Deal]

117. I think you're missing the point

The gungeon dwellers come out of their cave for GD gun threads which happen to be more interesting than some of the stuff there. They are already represented in the numbers.

The point is that this explains why DU is a very pro-gun site. Most of the people either own or have owned weapons. And it's not a new thing here. DU has been relativly pro-gun, anti-restriction, pro-2nd amendment for as long as DU has been around.

[a la izquierda]

82. Never had a gun

I have no real interest in them. I grew up around them. I live in a safe area and if someone were dumb enough to break into my house (with the beware of dogs sign prominently posted), they'll have to get through 3 dogs, in the dark, before they get to me. I keep a Louisville slugger next to my bed and I know my house in the dark-crooks don't.
But if others want to own them, I'm not stopping anyone.

[county worker]

83. I've owned guns ever since my dad took me hunting as a kid.

I did not kill anything but I liked to fire the shotgun. We joined a gun club and shot at clay birds instead. Good fun. I target practice with a Ruger 22, also good fun. I'm a good shot too. I never want to kill a living thing though.

[Jokerman]

84. Dad bought me a shotgun when I was 10.

He thought that father-son hunting trips would help heal the rift that was already forming between us.

I shot a couple of rabbits and a pheasant but when I told him that I didn't like killing and wouldn't do it anymore, he got mad.

I did some skeet shooting in high school but after that the gun got put in the back of a closet and forgotten about for the next 20 years.

After dad died and the gun made its way back to me, I found out it was a some kind of limited special edition and very valuable so I sold it.

[shanti]

85. never

and don't ever intend to.

[Flaneur]

86. Sold my last pistol in the 1980s. Have never felt a need to pack heat.

[EFerrari]

87. I've owned a glue gun, a cookie gun and a water gun.

[tekisui]

89. Gun owner.

[AlinPA]

97. Moved to town, got rid of it. Can't shoot here. nt

[MrCoffee]

98. Got rid of my little .22 rifle when LittleCoffee was born.

[Shell Beau]

99. I have never owned a gun. I hope to never own a gun, but you never know.

[moondust]

100. Carried and fired lots of guns in the army.

Wouldn't own one myself. Like most of the "developed world," I am mature enough to know that guns are a menace to society, that nobody was born a "criminal," and that 30,000 gun-related deaths every year is unacceptable but unavoidable when you mix lots of guns with lots of emotionally and/or mentally and/or economically unstable people.

[quaker bill]

101. No and quite unlikely I ever will

generally don't believe in it for myself. Might consider a hunting weapon under the right circumstances, but even that is doubtful. The last time I went on a hunt, many, many years ago, it was too crowded and some of the hunters far to buzzed to be safe.

I prefer fishing, the accidents, when they happen, are generally less lethal.

[spin]

103. Kick (n/t)

[mvd]

104. Never have been one

:hi:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

106. Just never been interested...

...and yes, I've fired a gun. I once had a boyfriend who used to go target shooting, and I'd go along. But I found it pretty boring.

[DefenseLawyer]

107. Not a gun owner

but grew up in an arsenal.

[LWolf]

108. No, and no, not ever, but

both of my ex spouses were gun owners. One was irresponsible with them, one quite responsible.

So was my father, who kept a loaded hand gun within reach of his bed, whether he was home or not, and whether or not the place was peopled by hostile teenagers while he was gone. Which I discovered the one time I went to visit him out of state as a teen.

[tammywammy]

109. I've never had a gun

I grew up in a house with one, it was my dad's. I only knew where it was because he showed it to me once, maybe when I was 5 or 6 and said something along the lines of he beat me silly if he ever saw me messing with it. I wasn't even spanked as a child, but I knew he meant business. Later on when I was in high school, probably a senior, after my mom had moved out I was looking in what was her dressing area in the drawers for something and it was there. Freaked me out, I still didn't want my dad catching me even looking at it. lol

I've thought about getting one. I have quite a few friends with them and they've offered to take me to a gun range.

[SteveG]

112. Gun Owner

and looking to buy a better one. Why, how the hell else can I defend myself form these idiot right wing radicals. They have guns that they are willing to use against me, I will have a gun to use against them, if they choose to "bring it on".

[MissMarple]

120. Current. They are locked up.

[Ikonoklast]

122. Yes, of many and various types.

Over my fireplace is an 1863 Colt Rifled Musket from the Springfield, Mass. Armory, that was a Civil War issued weapon.

Long guns; semi-automatic gas-operated, bolt action, pump action, lever action, single shot.
Shotguns; same as above, no lever action though.
Handguns; semi-automatic, wheel guns, single shot.

My father has had firearms his entire life, and I was taught how to properly handle a weapon at a very early age.

[wolfgangmo]

123. I ussed to be an expert ranked marksman.

And I support gun limit laws. There is no reason to have an sub machine or machine gun, or any concealed weapon. Concealed weapons are only for those who want to hide what they are going to do.

As for those who think that a handgun is a good home defence weapon, my experience on a swat team and statistics refute that - a shotgun is a much better weapon for in close use ESPECIALLY if you are not an expert in handgun use.

So hunting rifles and shotguns for personal use, handguns and target guns for recreational use, and everything else reserved for the military or police. Of course that assumes that I am talking about a civilized country ... which we aren't.

Just sayin.

[spin]

124. No, we are a country that believes more in individual freedom ...

than the "civilized" countries that you mention.

And many of those "civilized" countries have a higher violent crime rate than we do.

Britain's violent crime record is worse than any other country in the European union, it has been revealed.

Official crime figures show the UK also has a worse rate for all types of violence than the U.S. and even South Africa - widely considered one of the world's most dangerous countries.




The U.S. has a violence rate of 466 crimes per 100,000 residents, Canada 935, Australia 92 and South Africa 1,609.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1196941/The-violent-country-Europe-Britain-worse-South-Africa-U-S.html#ixzz0hKZispz2

Interestingly enough the crime rate in the U.S. has been dropping steadily since 1993. In that time frame the number of firearms in our country increased dramatically and "shall issue" concealed carry passed in many states.





After peaking in 1993, the number of gun crimes reported to police declined and then stabilized at levels last seen in 1988.


Nonfatal firearm crime rates have been declining since 1994, before increasing in 2005.


Note: the three above graphs and many more can be viewed at The Bureau of Justice Website at:
http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=kftp&tid=3