Ever wondered what some gun owners are thinking? I do.
Here is my full list of firearms:
Taurus Model 85 - 3" in 38 Special (Revolver)
Taurus PT-111 Millennium G2 in 9mm (Semi-Auto)
JM Stamped Marlin 336 in 30-30 Win (Lever Action)
Cheap ass Mossberg 12ga (Pump)
Ruger SR22, for my wife (Semi-Auto)
This is what I like to think of as a collection of guns. A very small collection at that. I keep wondering why people want to own an arsenal instead of a collection. I know several people that have an arsenal of 10+ guns in their home. I still don't really understand why they have so many. I also don't get why they won't admit that most of them are toys.
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Are you paranoid and think you're going to need to have a handgun in every single room of your home? Are you really planning on using that AR for home defense? Do you think zombies are real? Do you think an angry mob is coming after you for something? Are you seriously worried about needing to shoot someone at 300 yards? A shotgun for home defense?
Those seem like pretty dumb questions, right? I've heard all of those, except for the zombies, as excuses for owning way too many guns. My answer for all of these is people are ridiculous and idiotic. Are ya really thinking this stuff? Surely you're being sarcastic!
The Paranoid Guy:
This dude seems to think that he's going to get his home invaded, in the middle of the day, on a Saturday, while he's dozed off on the couch in the den. He also thinks he's going to get robbed at 2:30 in the morning, when he gets up for a piss. Or, maybe someone is going to come steal his pots and pans while his wife is making dinner. So, as a result of this, he has a gun hidden in every single room of the house, even in the bathroom.
This guy probably needs to be evaluated by a mental health professional. I say guy because I've never heard of a woman being this paranoid.
The AR Home Defense Guy/Girl:
This person really just seems to be trying to justify owning an AR-15 in 223, or 9mm pistol. He's the one that's been posting questions on forums about ammo that won't go through the walls of his apartment because he's gonna use his AR for home defense. He's not going to use his AR for home defense. He's going to take his AR to the range every chance he gets. He's also going to keep "moddin' it" every time he has any spare cash. He's never going to use this thing in a home invasion.
It's a toy, made to shoot at 50-100 yards.
The Angry Mob Guy:
Have you been a complete and total asshole to a very large group of violent people? Do you really think anyone cares enough about you to want to charge your house, out in the middle of fucking nowhere in Idaho? No matter how much of a douche you've been, they're not likely to send an army of people after you. I've never heard of a woman who thinks this one.
The 300 Yards Guy:
You don't need an AR-10, chambered in .308. You're never going to need to shoot someone at 300 yards. Just take that thing and use for deer and hog hunting. It's actually pretty capable there. You're probably never going to use it for that, you're just going to take it to the "MF'n range!" and show it off to your buddies while y'all have a circle jerk.
Admit that you're the proud owner of a really expensive, cool looking, toy.
Home Defense Shotgun:
Really now? Why do you think that you're going to be able to get your 12 gauge up to your shoulder, or even to your thigh, fast enough to shoot it? That's not going to happen. Then you think you're going to use Buckshot?!?! Buckshot is going to cause a ton of collateral damage! A slug would cause even more damage. Shotguns aren't for home defense, you fucking moron! . Please, please, please don't attempt to use this thing for home defense. You're going to seriously hurt a neighbor, roommate, spouse, or you own kid.
I've seen what a .410 will do versus a wall. It was a bird shot load, at about 3 or 4 feet. It went straight through the internal, and external wall of the house. You could see light through the hole. Imagine what a 12 gauge will do? A weapon like that is NOT intended for close range. This isn't a movie. Put your shotgun in the cabinet and don't even think about using it to defend your home.
Just tell the wife that you bought the shotgun to feel like a badass when you pump the action.
Mostly, I see these people as just trying to justify why they've spent thousands of dollars on toys.
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So, what are my guns actually for? I'll break them down.
The Taurus Model 85:
This was the first handgun I ever purchased. I honestly bought it because I'd moved from a smallish town to the city and was living in an area where people might get mugged, at least that the excuse I used. I really bought it because it looked like the revolver that Walker, Texas Ranger carried. No joke.
It's actually very capable. Having a 3" barrel means it's a little more accurate than the average .38 Snubby. I changed the grip on it to a nice Hogue, which decreased the recoil and made it easier for me to hold it. It's a revolver so, it's very much uncomplicated. No jams, FTE, etc. Taurus does lifetime warranty for all firearms they make. It can be concealed, but it's a little too big.
The Taurus PT-111 G2:
This is the second handgun I ever purchased. This thing was purchased because it was not actually possible to get your CHL in Texas with a 5 shot weapon. That changed right after I purchased it. I bought another Taurus because of the lifetime warranty, and the insanely good reviews of the G2. I also didn't want to spend Glock money.
This weapon is designed as an EDC. It's got really good sights on top. It holds 12+1. It's also the same size as a Glock 26/27, so it's very easy to carry. The grip feels good in the hand, think fine grit sandpaper. It's still heavy enough that it doesn't have a ton of recoil when you take it to the range.
I've seriously put thousands of rounds through it. It's eaten, and spit out, every single shell I've ever given it, except for a single FTE. I think that FTE was my own limp wrist. One complaint is that my wife's hands are a little too small for it. This is the most reliable handgun I've ever heard of. I've recommended the newer G2c and G3c to lots of people. I even recommended the full-size G3 to someone in Police Academy so he didn't have to spend Glock money.
The Marlin 30-30:
This is the only gun I've purchased in the last three years. We bought it from an online auction. It's for hunting, that's all. My reason for buying it is that I'm left-eye dominant and a lever action is easy for a lefty to shoot. It's very hard to find an affordable left-handed hunting rifle. I also managed to get a really good deal because I bought it in the Spring instead of Fall, so there was very little demand.
This weapon certainly wasn't new. I looked up the SN and found that it's a 1997 model, and was made by before Remington purchased Marlin (hence the JM stamp). I didn't know anything about Remington buying Marlin when I bought it. It was just a good deal. The only changes I've made are replacing the super cheap 2X scope with a 3-9x50 Bushnell and putting a nice leather carry strap. It's very accurate, and perfect for hunting anything up to a Moose. I'm most likely going to hunt White Tail Deer and Wild Hogs.
Mossberg 8000 12ga:
This is the first firearm I ever personally owned. I think it's the cheapest pump action shotgun that Mossberg makes. I paid $100, in a private sale. It's a synthetic stock. Again, I'm a lefty and a pump is easier for me to shoot. Again, lefty shotguns are very hard to find, without spending a ton of money.
So, I bought this thing strictly for the purpose of clay shooting. It's done lots of that since 2010. I've even used it to dove hunt 2-3 times. The only change I made was putting a green dot sight on the front. That didn't seem to really matter. I'm pretty good at clay shooting. The best I've managed was an 85/100 in manual trap. I've never tried auto trap. This gun is completely worn out. It's had the pins that hold the pump handle on replaced twice. It's started having difficulty ejecting due to the little ejector pin thingy being worn down some. Someday, I'll replace it, probably with another Mossberg 8000.
Ruger SR22:
This is actually my wife's. She paid for it. She did the FFL transfer, in her name. The SR22 is a plinking pistol. We bought it because she doesn't like shooting my 9mm, or 38, but she wanted to go have fun at the range sometimes.
Any mods?
Nope. No reason to mod a plinker.
Is it reliable?
Nope, it's a 22LR. 22 ammo is some of the dirtiest ammo you can find. The weapon misfires a lot. It also has a lot of FTE and FTF. This is all normal for a 22LR pistol.
Is it fun to shoot?
Very much so. It has almost no recoil. It's not all that loud. It's extremely accurate. Both of us really enjoy plinking with it. I'd definitely use it to introduce someone to firing a handgun.
Does she like it?
Yup. She loves it.
Is this for self-defense?
Certainly not. A 22LR is way too small of a bullet to be effective in a self-defense situation. The only real effect it would have is scaring someone off. She's probably not going to be able to shoot someone in the eye with the thing so, the round is going to hit the first bone it sees and stop.
Would I ever want her to carry it?
Hell no. We've discussed this at length. If she ever decided to get an LTC, she'd be getting a .380, probably a Taurus Spectrum.
Notice that all of these have a purpose? I don't see the point in owning a gun that doesn't have a purpose, even if that purpose is just for fun. I'll admit that the 12ga and SR22 are just for range fun.
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Do I plan to buy more guns?
At some point, I'll replace my 12ga due to it being tired. As stated, I'd probably buy the same make and model that I currently have, since it's just a range toy. I might replace it next year, if I could find a place to bird hunt. I don't have time/money to clay shoot very often anymore.
I've thought about buying a lever action 22LR, just because it sounds like it would be fun. I'd probably justify it as a good way to introduce my son to guns, when he's older. I'd probably also have to explain to my wife that it's a range toy. If I had some property, I'd say something like "It's for scaring off the coyotes..."
I've thought about buying a .410 lever action, but I'll probably never buy it. My 30-30 can do everything I've thought I'd use the .410 for. It would be for deer hunting.
I'll probably never buy/build an AR. I think they're dumb.
I'll probably never spend the money for something like an Remington 700 ADL and really fancy scope. My 30-30 is more than capable.
I might buy a .25-06 someday. I'd need to be going hunting in a situation where I'll be making more than 100-150 yard shot. I don't like the ballistic data on the .30-06.
I'll buy my kid a hunting rifle, when he gets old enough. Probably a 30-30, maybe a 243. That kind of depends on whether or not he's a lefty. He's not old enough to tell yet. He's still not likely to get a super fancy scope.
I don't like the risk of a bad hit with .22-250, .223, etc. I've killed a deer with a .22-250. I actually managed to do it perfectly. It hit just behind the shoulder. So, the round went through both lungs and didn't really cause any meat damage. He ran in about a 20 foot circle then fell over. I waited about a minute before walking up on him. I'm very surprised that I was able to hold steady enough to do that.
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I guess the point here is this: If you're going to own a bunch of guns, just admit that you're obsessed and they're toys, just like buying a bunch of model trains. That doesn't mean you should buy a new gun instead of buying groceries for your family.