Anyone have guns?

[XJ-linux]

I recently went on a S&W revolver kick. I guess I count for two of those 2.3 million background checks performed by the FBI in October. To that end I now have a circa 1964 Model 28-2 Highway Patrolman in .357, and a circa 2000 Model 625-6 Mountain Gun in 45ACP. Love me some wheel gun goodness.

Just to freak out the controllers in the crowd... I bought them both on the internet!!!*

*Located them, paid for them, and arranged shipment of them on the internet - shipment to a FFL dealer that is, who ran me through the Federal NICS before I was legally allowed to take possession of them.

 

[ekkojelly7]

... "why do you own a handgun?".

Reasons:
1) Because I can.
2) It's better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it.
3) I can't carry a cop in my back pocket.
I am a competitive marksman in several disciplines and from what I have seen and heard at many ranges the level of marksmanship in both military and LE is not nearly as competent as most civilians believe, on average. If you train and practice with proper instruction there is no reason a civilian cannot be as or more competent as the average military or LE personnel.

 

[ekkojelly7]

That's exactly what member "baggss" was referring to. The best we can hope for is to keep the congress as it now as a buffer. That's probably not going to be 100% effective but at least it will help somewhat.

2A saved
SCOTUS 2A friendly for a generation (if he can appoint 2 justices)
Possible suppressor emancipation
Possible National Concealed Carry reciprocity

...forecast calls for sunny days and cool breezes.

 

[Pasquanel]

Just asking but how does any state have the right to deny you/me our 2nd amendment rights? You folks in the UK...well you let it happen!

 

[Sawday]

Perhaps it's because in the UK we have far more sense. Far more Americans are killed by fellow Americans with guns than by any foreigner or terrorist. In fact, far more Americans were killed by gun violence in 2013 alone (33,636) than all the Americans killed on U.S. soil by terrorists in the last 14 years, and that’s including 9/11. (2,977 Americans were killed on 9/11 and only 48 have been killed since by terrorism on U.S. soil.)

I guess it's you Yanks that are "letting it happen". And now you've got Trump. God help you.

 

[XJ-linux]

Perhaps it's because in the UK we have far more sense. Far more Americans are killed by fellow Americans with guns than by any foreigner or terrorist. In fact, far more Americans were killed by gun violence in 2013 alone (33,636) than all the Americans killed on U.S. soil by terrorists in the last 14 years, and that’s including 9/11. (2,977 Americans were killed on 9/11 and only 48 have been killed since by terrorism on U.S. soil.)

That's a bit of a non sequitur since no one mentioned terrorism in any posts since at least 2014. What's your point?

Anyhow, since you bring numbers up, about 30k die by the gun annually in the US. Of course, it isn't all cut and dry as that. About 20k Americans commit suicide using a gun. People have differing opinions on right to die, but it isn't legal most places here and people use what's most convenient and painless. Guns fit the bill.

Of the remaining 10k, about 500 are accidents. Stuff happens, and it's about the same as the number of recreational drownings not related to work or water transit. Go figure. Life is full of potential trouble and risk reward decisions. Stay away from guns and swimming pools if it helps.

Of the remaining 9500 deaths that aren't by choice or accident, they break down generally into incidental crimes, and crimes of passion. Nor argument there. They estimate 1400 people in Chicago along are responsible for about 80% of the murders. Personally, I'd say lock up the criminals if you want to decrease firearms murders, don't make me a criminal via some law.

Numbers are fun and all, but they don't mean much in apple to apple comparison when comparing nations due to differing accounting measures. UK and US are so different in this manner, it's really amazing to really dig into the FBI vs Home Office reporting and classification criteria. It's fun to compare and contrast differences, but when you have different basic definitions on what actually even gets reported as a murder, it makes it pretty tough to declare winning and losing policy.

Anyhow, I don't think you have far more sense in the UK. I think people are people wherever you go, and the US and UK are no exceptions. You may have a different perspective on some things, and that's fine by me. Allies don't have to be socially identical.

 

[Cr00zng]

I don't doubt the authenticity of your numbers XJ... Drawing conclusion about senses between different countries is, well, senseless, but...

One thing for certain is that wide availability of guns makes things easier for criminals and emotionally unstable people. While anything can be used as a weapon, firearms are more lethal than any other weapon. I don't pretend to know the answers for how to make things better, but something needs to done.

PS: I do have handguns and rifles, but like most lawful owners, I know how to handle and store them...

 

[XJ-linux]

I don't doubt the authenticity of your numbers XJ... Drawing conclusion about senses between different countries is, well, senseless, but...

One thing for certain is that wide availability of guns makes things easier for criminals and emotionally unstable people. While anything can be used as a weapon, firearms are more lethal than any other weapon. I don't pretend to know the answers for how to make things better, but something needs to done.

PS: I do have handguns and rifles, but like most lawful owners, I know how to handle and store them...

No disagreement in general principle from me on the idea that the wrong people ought not to get guns.

 

[Zoolook]

No disagreement in general principle from me on the idea that the wrong people ought not to get guns.

How do you know who the 'wrong' people are? I think the wrong people should not be able to drive, or own pets, or have kids, or live next door to me...

The whole point of the Constitution is to ensure everyone is treated the same way under the law... ahem, well OK it took a while for that to be extended to women, blacks, homosexuals... and it was forgotten during Japanese internment, and during the communist witch hunts, and after 9/11... but dammit, the Constitution is worth defending, especially when there's money to be made!

 

[XJ-linux]

How do you know who the 'wrong' people are? I think the wrong people should not be able to drive, or own pets, or have kids, or live next door to me...

The whole point of the Constitution is to ensure everyone is treated the same way under the law... ahem, well OK it took a while for that to be extended to women, blacks, homosexuals... and it was forgotten during Japanese internment, and during the communist witch hunts, and after 9/11... but dammit, the Constitution is worth defending, especially when there's money to be made!

You sort of lost me somewhere in your rant.

 

[Zoolook]

You sort of lost me somewhere in your rant.

I'm sure, it was a little dry.

Good to see you're still here, how's things?

 

[XJ-linux]

I'm sure, it was a little dry.

Good to see you're still here, how's things?

Going well here. Made the jump to a lower-end Samsung 4k TV for Christmas and am playing around with settings and whatnot. Was happy my Apple TV was a zero-config proposition to control with the TV's remote - less stuff to lose!

How's life with you?

 

[Slydude]

@Xj-linux Don't want to take the thread off track but are you using the Apple TV 3 or 4?

 

[Rod]

I was wondering if I was still reading Mac Forums when I read the 23 pages devoted to this topic.
Being an Australian my view on this topic is obviously skewed by our rather strict gun laws but I find most arguments for personal ownership of a firearm especially a concealed one to be no more than justification based on a "he's got one so I should have one too." This is the same argument used to justify nuclear weapons but unlike nuclear weapons it does not work as a disincentive.
Consider this statement, "Even though it has half the population of the other 22 nations combined, the United States accounted for 82 percent of all gun deaths. The United States also accounted for 90 percent of all women killed by guns, the study found. Ninety-one percent of children under 14 who died by gun violence were in the United States."
This article from the New York Times, June 2016: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/14/u...ates-the-us-is-in-a-different-world.html?_r=0 Sums it up pretty well.
This phenomenon also leads to a level of desensitisation and familiarisation such that many if not most Americans could envisage shooting someone if the situation warranted it.
To me and I think most Australians the thought of shooting another human being is abhorrent, extreme and unimaginable. Very few of us would know how and even if we did the acquisition of a firearm legally is extremely difficult.
I'm not saying there is no violence in Australia, what I am saying is that if I have an argument with my neighbour I am not likely to go get the handgun out of my desk and threaten him with it.


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[XJ-linux]

@Xj-linux Don't want to take the thread off track but are you using the Apple TV 3 or 4?

I'm running an ATV3 on a Samsung UHD UN43KU7000 on HMDI port #2. The remote/integration works very well! Only gripe is the much of the content I'm watching on ATV3 was encoded with Handbrake using the default settings. As such, there is quite a lot of judder, blotchy blacks, etc... I'm going to try some higher quality encodes and see if that improves things as ATV3 is suppose to be technically capable of outputting fairly decent resolution. That gripe is on me, not the TV or ATV though.

 

[Slydude]

I'm using the ATV 3 as well with similar encoding I'll watch some stuff later and see if I get similar issues.

 

[XJ-linux]

To me and I think most Australians the thought of shooting another human being is abhorrent, extreme and unimaginable. Very few of us would know how and even if we did the acquisition of a firearm legally is extremely difficult.
I'm not saying there is no violence in Australia, what I am saying is that if I have an argument with my neighbour I am not likely to go get the handgun out of my desk and threaten him with it.

Excellent analysis. Keep in mind though that Australia had a very low homicide rate even before the restrictions that were adopted after Port Arthur. The homicide rate didn't really change that much after the restrictions, from it's already low levels. The gross percentages do look impressive but border on statistically irrelevant as applied to the homicide rate. You folks just seem to be more mellow that us, armed or not. Not a bad way to be.

 

[Zoolook]

Going well here. Made the jump to a lower-end Samsung 4k TV for Christmas and am playing around with settings and whatnot. Was happy my Apple TV was a zero-config proposition to control with the TV's remote - less stuff to lose!

How's life with you?

Yes doing OK, funny that you're happy your ATV works with your TV's remote. I'm happy my TV works with my ATV remote (ATV 4)!

 

[XJ-linux]

Yes doing OK, funny that you're happy your ATV works with your TV's remote. I'm happy my TV works with my ATV remote (ATV 4)!

LOL. Can't say it enough these days. Life is funny.

 

[harryb2448]

What calibre are these ATV things. I have used .32 Webley Scott, 7.6mm Browning and Beretta, 9mm Glock, .375 Magnum, .38 Smith & Wesson, .45 Colt automatic pistols and revolvers, but NEVER an ATV. What am I missing out on?