On Dec 20, 6:58*am, tutall > wrote:
> On Dec 19, 8:33*pm, Dave Smith > wrote:
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> > On 19/12/2012 9:00 PM, graham wrote:
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> > >>> Am a lifelong hunter, own 2 rifles, 6 shotguns, no pistols.
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> > >> You're not one of those I'm worried about.
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> > > Why not?
> > > Why the hell does he need 2 rifles and 6 shotguns? He's only got one pair of
> > > hands!
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> > Maybe they are upgrades. I have two shotguns. One is an old single
> > barrel that I got when I was a kid. The other is a nice double barrel
> > that I go years later. *I have a cheap semiautomatic .22 that I bought
> > for plinking and when my brother got depressed he had a nice .22 target
> > rifle. I had .303 that my parents gave me when I was 16. The extractor
> > spring keep breaking and they are getting harder to replace so I recenly
> > pickup up a nice Russian made surplus semi auto that costs about half as
> > much to shoot and is more accurate.
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> > About 20 years ago I tookup handguns target shooting and started with a
> > .22. I upgraded to a 9mm, but that thing is not very accurate and I
> > recently picked up a new one that is highly rated for target shooting.
> > It's not like I am stocking up for Armageddon or to fight the
> > government. *They aren't worth much to sell, so I hold on to them... all
> > in a locked steel cabinet. *Who is it hurting?
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> That's pretty much how it works, they just accumulate over time,
> inherited from relatives, maybe an upgrade or two and such. How many
> screwdrivers do most people have? A lot more than needed I bet. Have
> known guys who are by no means gun nuts or even collectors, and have
> 20+ weapons. These guys tend to like a wider variety of hunting; deer,
> elk, boar, duck, dove and pheasant. It's not as if one gun can be used
> for them all. Though one shotgun with multiple barrells might come
> close. For hunters like this guns are a tool. Not a symbol of
> patriotism or freedumb from somed imaginary tyranny any crap like
> that. Just tools, like fishing rods, but hunters can see what they're
> after. Big reason I never took much to fishing; can't see the damn
> things.
> Good excuse to sit around drinking beer though.
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> They're not a PC or TV, these are machined steel tools with a long
> life.
> People don't hear too much from the normal hunters and gun owners
> though. It's the loudmouth extremists that get all the attention.
> Seems like these vocal minorities (often funded by not so nice people)
> are running the US in many ways these days.
> Or at least framing the discussions and leading them.

Best to pay attention and make sure your voice is heard. After the
Port Arthur massacre ("social misfit" shot up a public place),
autoloading rifles and shotguns were banned and confiscated (in
exchange for cash). Even pump shotguns were outlawed.