Do You Own A Gun ?

[Beer can]

I live in upstate NY, homes with guns here are about as common as
homes having a vacuum cleaner, might be a few still just using a broom.
Gun crimes or violence is pretty much non-existent here.
Hearing gun shots here is pretty normal, there's always someone on the weekends having target practice with family and friends, we don't go to gun ranges, use our backyards. Though pretty much every town has a 'gun club' skeet/clay pigeon shooting competitions etc.
During small game and big game hunting seasons you hear a random shot here or there from September to February.

Being in NY I know how dumb gun laws can get. Our governor a few yrs ago passed what we call the un'Safe Act'. Part of it he wanted to limit magazines to seven bullets ("no one needs ten boolets to kill a deeya") no one makes seven round mags... that part got struck down by supreme court anyway.
Our law enforcement, the Sheriff's association's, over 360 Sheriff's last time I checked were publicly opposed to his un'Safe Act'.
Our county Sheriff and under Sheriff and many others were speaking at gun rallies accross the state in opposition to the law, they know it will do no good and only hurt and restrict the rights of good law abiding citizens.
Our governor held a meeting with them, he didn't want to hear from those who deal with criminals and gun violence/crimes, he pretty much told them they better shut up...
Part of the law was registering so called 'assault' rifles, ANY semi auto with two 'military' cosmetic features, a wood stock hunting rifle with a thumbhole stock and a muzzle break recoil compensator is considered a 'assault' rifle . Out of an estimated one million in NY Only 45,000 have registered.
I just got the 45,000 number reading a article in The Daily News also read this;

"In fact, several local police departments and county sheriffs, mostly in pockets of upstate New York where hunting is popular, have been accused of not enforcing parts of the SAFE Act and refusing to encourage local residents to register their assault weapons because their officers were opposed to the law.
According to The New York Times, several upstate towns and villages have even passed resolutions denouncing the law"

It's more like every town has 'passed resolutions denouncing the law'
I know mine has and every town around us.

 

[ejcrist]

I have a few guns, .22, two .308, .243, .45 inline muzzle loader, couple 12 gauges and a .410, I've had others, including one classified as a 'assault rifle' Russian SKS...all used for hunting.
Currently my favorite is a crossman g1 extreme air pellet rifle, been knocking down red squirrels and got a couple vegan predators (woodchucks) in my garden with it. Going to use it for small game hunting this fall.

That's interesting. I bought a FX PCP two years ago and it gets more use around the property than all my powder burners combined. It's great for ground squirrels and jackrabbits caught in the garden. The only thing, now that Sport Chalet is closing their doors I might have to get a 4500 PSI compressor to fill my carbon fiber tank. I have a hand pump for just filling the rifle tank itself but I prefer to just turn a knob on the tank to fill it. I don't know if dive shops can fill to 4500; I think they're only good for 3,000. But anyway, airguns have certainly come a long way since the 60's haven't they? I'm seriously thinking about getting the FX Boss 30 caliber. I'd actually be comfortable taking that pig hunting.

 

[Athaid]

No I don't, no one but farmers and police officers own guns here. But there was an old shotgun in our shed when we moved into our new house a few days ago. It's totally rusted now though so harmless. Gun laws need to be stricter in America, and they need to do better background checks.

 

[ejcrist]

No I don't, no one but farmers and police officers own guns here. But there was an old shotgun in our shed when we moved into our new house a few days ago. It's totally rusted now though so harmless. Gun laws need to be stricter in America, and they need to do better background checks.

I appreciate your opinion. It's good to hear from someone living in a different environment to get their perspective. I understand where you're coming from and agree it would be good if there were a full-proof background check that could deny firearms to those intent on doing harm, but unfortunately I don't know how that could be accomplished. There will always be people with bad intentions and you can't flag them for anything from knives to firearms to baseball bats and pressure cookers. Being able to purchase firearms for sporting and defense purposes is an important right and freedom we have here. Personally I am not willing to trade my rights and freedoms for any promise of protection no matter how assured it appears. My family's safety is just too important. When only the government has firearms you have to hope they'll always be benevolent but of course throughout history there have been many cases where that has not occurred, and especially in Europe. I don't agree with your opinion but nonetheless I appreciate getting your perspective because there are a lot of things that Europeans do that I've learned from such as small scale intensive farming and related equipment. Europeans are the masters in that area in my opinion. So anyway thanks for sharing even if we disagree.

 

[Arrakis]

What does everyone think about the handful of states who recently changed the laws allowing residents to conceal carry without a permit?

 

[ejcrist]

What does everyone think about the handful of states who recently changed the laws allowing residents to conceal carry without a permit?

I'm not opposed to requiring permits in general as long as it's a "shall issue" system and not a "may issue if you have reason" system. Requiring permits and/or basic training means individuals going through the process should get basic safety training and learn of the basic rules for carrying in his/her state. The only problem with a permitting system in my opinion is the state has discretion on how much training to require, and like in just about every case, if the leaders are against carrying they'll make the permitting system onerous so no one will be able to, or can afford to get the permit. I'm in favor of not requiring a permit but strongly encouraging citizens to take a standard safety/law course pertaining to concealed carry. The state could even incentivise it in some way. So in short I think it's better not to require a permit than to require it, but if they don't require it they should encourage taking a safety course and offer incentives for doing so.

 

[Beer can]

NY state requires background checks. You go to the counter, they take your drivers licence, make a phone call to the data base, you walk out with the gun you purchased, takes but a few minutes. You can buy a muzzle loader, no background check.

Concealed carry permits, I think there should be a permit, but not NY style where it takes six months to a year to get one and the judge that issues them if anti-gun can deny issue for something as minor as a 20yr ago domestic dispute, speeding ticket, was on anti-anxiety medication once etc. etc.

 

[Beer can]

Little perspective on what we usually here when this issue comes up on how much safer countries with strict gun control are;
https://www.google.com/url?q=http:/...fHaBwQ&usg=AFQjCNE4oUUweDQZHLIcPqFt39S4L5uCfQ

 

[Athaid]

My point is you shouldn't just be able to walk into a gun shop and come out with an assault rifle ten minutes later. It's just crazy.

 

[Athaid]

Little perspective on what we usually here when this issue comes up on how much safer countries with strict gun control are;
https://www.google.com/url?q=http:/...fHaBwQ&usg=AFQjCNE4oUUweDQZHLIcPqFt39S4L5uCfQ

I can't access that site on my wifi, can someone copy paste the info for me?