The idle musings of a former military man, former computer geek, medically retired pastor and now full-time writer. Contents guaranteed to offend the politically correct and anal-retentive from time to time. My approach to life is that it should be taken with a large helping of laughter, and sufficient firepower to keep it tamed!
Friday, August 14, 2015
A contrast in gun trades and attitudes
I made a couple of gun trades over the past few days, both of which made me smile for different reasons.
In the first, I traded a Glock 22 in .40 S&W for a Taurus M44 6½"-barrel revolver in .44 Magnum. I didn't need the G22 any more, and I know a young person who likes recoil, is about to turn 21, and would dearly love a .44 Magnum. The used values of the guns were virtually identical, so the owner of the Taurus and I did a straight swap. He went away happy, and someone else is going to be very much that way in the not too distant future. I have a goodly supply of Federal 300gr. CastCore loads that should make the revolver hum right along. I daresay some of them will accompany it when I hand it over.
The second was amusing, because the person with whom I dealt had recently moved to Tennessee from a much more restrictive New England state. He was really worried about the legalities and pitfalls of private firearms transactions. Would I agree to do a background check at a gun dealer? (No.) What about a bill of sale? (Sure, if that makes you happy.) Eventually I sent him an e-mail pointing out that I understood all his concerns, because I'd dealt with other gun owners and sellers who'd made a similar transition. They've come out of an environment where guns are anathematized and those owning, shooting, selling or buying them are objects of suspicion. Here, they're in civilization - or, as I put it to him, "you've left occupied territory and are now in a free state". It was actually quite amusing to see him slowly getting used to the concept that it was OK to make a private sale, and that the cops aren't going to descend upon him, demanding to know how he could be so irresponsible.
I bought a small pocket pistol from him, to back up one of the same model that I already have (on the ancient and time-honored principle that "two is one and one is none"). He's going to use the money from the sale to look for something a little larger, in a bigger caliber. I've invited him to come shooting with me, and sample a selection of my handguns to give him some practical, hands-on experience with what's out there. (That also startled him - the thought that a brand-new acquaintance would be so forthcoming with his guns. What is it in the water up north, that so many people are brainwashed into thinking all gun-owners are eeeeee-billl?)
It's odd to realize yet again that to some of us, firearms are just a normal, natural part of our daily existence; nothing to be frightened of, just tools to be used for any legitimate purpose that comes to hand. On the other hand, there appear to be at least as many people who recoil from firearms (you should pardon the expression), regarding them as evil in and of themselves, just lurking until they can arrange carnage and destruction. There really are two Americas out there . . . and I don't know how (or even whether) the two can be reconciled.
Peter
I highly doubt that any reconciliation is possible. the Lefties and SJWs are pure Stalinists who lust for power over their fellow men. I fear that the split will only be resolve by force of arms.
ReplyDeleteNah, people can change. I dated a girl who was completely and totally opposed to even the idea of firearms when we started. Very liberal in that regard, and very much a SJW in others. But over time, as I talked about guns as casually as someone would talk about kitchen utensils, she got exposed to the truth. She'd get into a fluff and I'd just state what was real, very calmly, without any animosity, almost bemused.
ReplyDeleteIn the end, it came down to 'Hey, if you marry me, and one night somebody hopped up on PCP breaks into our house and tries to kill us, guess who's going to live through it? You. And my babies. And me. Guess who isn't? *wink* You're safe with me. And you're hella safer with me when I'm armed.'
There wasn't really an argument for that. And this woman loved to argue, and we argued about a lot, but she knew the truth when she heard it. Anti-gun propaganda is held up by a thin, thin thread.
We went our separate ways eventually, but she went away understanding that there are good and honest people who carry and like guns, and do so because they love their families, and that guns aren't scary, and can actually increase your sense of well-being and security, when treated with respect and with the right attitude behind them. We still like each other quite a bit, and correspond occasionally.
I'm not saying that everyone is going to change. There are a lot of people out there who won't. I'm not even saying that this girl I dated really changed, because she already wanted the truth to begin with and had thought she'd found it. She just got new information and realized there was more to it than she knew.
The truth, stated calmly, candidly, and without rancor, will sway the ones who really want the truth. Reconciliation? Yeah, probably not. But there are good people on the other side of that particular fence who will hop it when they hear what's real.
I've had the same experience here in Texas. After buying guns in CA (and never mind NY), buying guns here feels like pushing on a door that wasn't fully closed to begin with.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds of how it was in Georgia when I was at Benning. "Here! Have some!"
J Ramirez:
ReplyDeleteVery well said. I've been amazed over the years how folks can alter their views when they're faced with REALITY.
Sadly, nothing seems to sway those who are political purists except for coming face-to-face with the Reaper. Then the tune does a 180.
And good on ya, BRM, for shining the light.
Goatroper
Co.in at you from occupied territory -- the chair is behind the door. John has a long mustache. . .It sucks to be a freedom-minded person by behind the lines, here in Md., all private sales must go thru a licensed dealer (right), one gun a month, a roster boaard that decides what's too evil to sell mere mortals... CCWs that are "may-issue", not " shall issue", and hope you know a senior state cop, etc. It ain't NY, but they tried. Building 80% ARs now, screw em....
ReplyDeleteHave faith, the truth does indeed set people free. I have seen people move from anti-gun to pro-gun, the converse doesn't happen much if at all, in my experience.
ReplyDeleteMy wife was from New Jersey and anti-gun, but shifted her viewpoint radically during our marriage. The fact that gun laws disarm the law-abiding citizen, not the criminal, had never been brought to her attention. I took her shooting, she enrolled in a couple NRA courses, and 'the journey to the dark side was complete'.
I bought my first revolver right out of a policeman's holster.
ReplyDeleteI was in a gun shop looking for a revolver, and the owner told me that the policeman right next to me was swapping his one-year-old probationary period revolver for a semi-auto. Turns out they knew each other, so I'm sure both of them kinda sized me up before mentioning the deal. Fine SW-686 that I had for years until I sold it in a fit of stupid.
In the 1970s, we had an anti forest fire TV commercial whose tagline was "Matches don't start fires, people do". Same situation with guns and criminals.
After living in a gun-unfriendly county, and a college where photos of guns caused a scare (someone reported my NRA calendar as "a stash of firearms." Thanks be the Dean had been a competitive shooter in her college days.) I'm glad to live in a place where you can look around the choir room and be safe assuming half the ladies are carrying, and probably several of the guys. Now, if only the local stores could get in more ammo (I've given up hoping for lower prices.)
ReplyDeleteLittleRed1
Always remember that the ultimate goal of their "few sensible gun laws" is the sort of total ban on all handguns and most long arms that we now see in Great Britain.
ReplyDeleteThen remind yourself that per the United Nations crime statistics for 2010 GB with one fifth the population of the United States has roughly the same number of violent crimes on record.
Let me rephrase that. In Great Britain you are five times more likely to be the victim of a violent crime that here in gun crazy America. The Bradys and their ilk will try to argue that the definitions of violent crime differ between countries, but the shear magnitude of the numbers is never in question.
Regarding those 300 grain .44 magnum loads, something similar was what caused me to have to rebuild the crane of a S&W M29. The extractor rod shot loose under recoil, the user (not me) failed to notice, so under further firing managed to strip the threads of the rod until the cylinder locked up. A new rod from Numrich and some judicious adjustment and the old piece was good to go. I managed to get it cheap in non shootable condition, then fixed it. I mostly shoot .44 special target loads, the occasional .44 mag, but never heavy 300 grain loads. Those I save for use in my .44 Marlin lever gun.
The thing is, you got to get the conversation off the tools and onto rights. The question to ask is if the individual has the inherent right to defend themselves.
ReplyDeleteThe Left tends to hang onto the old, Hobbesian ideal that only the State has the right to legitimate use of violence/force. The State may allow a privileged few to carry defensive tools, but the rest of the peasants must not resist, ie, Great Britain.
If they do believe in the Right to defend yourself, the rest is just talk about tools.
Here in the wilds of north Pennsylvania, I got to admit that when I read that some Southern writer disparages northern or easterners as not being gun friendly I get a little prickly. We Pennswooders are Obummers original bitter clingers even if Philadelphia managed to swing the state his way by voting 200% for him. When NJ instituded it's assault gun ban in the nineties, the campground down the road on Sunday afternoons started to sound like a military firing range because the Jersey boys left their guns here in their camp trailers rather than turn them in back in the Garden State.
ReplyDelete