Apparently guns and ammo are flying off the shelves now --
It's good for Catholics to be well informed about this as well as any other topic.
Gun discussion thread
Yes, gun ownership is an issue with Catholics, even moreso now with the run on guns that began before Obama's election. As anyone who's been in the market will tell you, guns, gun parts and ammo is literally flying off the shelves. Getting a barrel from Bushmaster is a 2 month wait.
Here's a telling blurb from THIS SITE:
Stag Arms M4
SOLD OUT DUE TO OUR NEW PRESIDENT!
Our Price: $899.00
And this from ammoman.com:
Quote:
AMMOMAN.COM WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY NEW ORDERS FOR A DAY OR TWO WE ARE 2000 ORDERS BEHIND AND NEED TO CATCH UP. WE WILL NOT BE TAKING PHONE OR FAX ORDERS WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ANSWER THE PHONES IT MAY TAKE UP TO 3 DAYS OR MORE TO ANSWER YOUR E-MAILS PLEASE BE PATIENT AND WE WILL BE WORKING SATURDAY AND SUNDAY TO CATCH UP WE WERE GETTING UP TO 800 ORDERS A DAY AND THAT'S JUST TOO MUCH FOR US THANKS FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING
It stands to reason that there are a lot of Catholics out there - with varying degrees of experience and knowledge - buying guns. It is good that we discuss these matters here.
I had thought about starting a topic on this subject, but what finally prompted me finally post a thread was a private message I received from a member, who would like to remain anonymous. The PM read as follows:
Quote:
My husband has been working out of town and is expected to be gone for several more months, possibly even up to a year. I was thinking of going out to buy a gun, or some guns, but I know absolutely nothing about guns. I stopped into Walmart to look at their guns the other day while my daughter was in ballet class, but I felt very much like a fish out of water. Is there any advice you can give me that I should consider when purchasing guns? I know that is a very vague question, but even some of the basics would be helpful.
We do own one small hand gun already, but that is all that we have. We do not have any hunting guns, etc.
I kind of think we need to purchase a variety of guns. Our handgun is a little heavy for me, so I wanted a lighter one. I also kind of think we need to have a shot gun and or a rifle. I am not sure on budget, I guess taht depends. I looked at a Remington Remington Model 700, Caliber 30-06, at Walmart the other day for $467. The salesman said it was a good gun and that the price was reasonable. Not knowing guns, I don't know if that is good or not. I was kind of hoping to spend less on an individual gun, but maybe that expectation is not reasonable.
Before we begin, the very first thing is safety. If you are a gun owner and you don't have these rules drilled into your very being, you are proceeding irresponsibly.
The four rules of firearm safety
Courtesy of AR15.com
Rule 1
ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED
The only exception to this occurs when you have a firearm in your hands and you have personally unloaded it for checking. As soon as you put it down, Rule 1 applies again.
Rule 2
NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT PREPARED TO DESTROY
You may not wish to destroy it, but you must be clear in your mind that you are quite ready to if you let that muzzle cover the target. To allow a firearm to point at another human being is a deadly threat, and should always be treated as such.
Rule 3
KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET
This we call the Golden Rule because its violation is responsible for about 80 percent of the firearms disasters we read about.
Rule 4
BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET AND WHAT IS BEYOND IT
You never shoot at anything until you have positively identified it. You never fire at a shadow, or a sound, or a suspected presence. You shoot only when you know absolutely what you are shooting at and what is beyond it.
Also it is important to become familiar with gun laws in your country, state, locality. They don't allow guns in jail, so it doesn't seem to make sense to own one that will put you there.
To the lady who inquired about what type of gun to own, I'll throw in just a few cents and let others expound.
The Remmington 700 you're looking at is a fine piece. The .308 model is widely used by the military for sniper operations, so 700s have a reputation for being very accurate at long ranges. The 30-06 is a great round for hunting just about any big-game found in America. There are some drawbacks however.
For a lady, that 30-06 model will kick like a mule. You may want to try one out before buying to see if it's too much for you. If so, the 700 comes in a wide variety of calibers. Keep in mind that while something like a .223 it won't be as effective on big game and very long range shots.
Another drawback to long-guns like the 700 is that they aren't much for home defense. Most are too long and clumsy, and the larger calibers will penetrate walls - possibly your neighbor's.
Shotguns are good for all around use. Versatility for small and large game hunting in addition to home defense. You can keep slugs for large game, buckshot for large game and home defense, and smaller shot for small game and skeet. A 12 gauge kicks pretty hard, but my wife is only 5 feet tall and she handles my Mossberg 500 just fine.
As far as handguns go, for ladies and beginners many recommend revolvers (like .38s or similar) for its simplicity of use. Just pull the trigger and it goes. Semi-autos are good, but they're more mechanicallycomplicated, require more care, are less reliable (especially if not cared for) and are often less safe than a revolver.
Whatever gun one decides to purchase, he/she should become initmate familiar with it (breaking down, cleaning, quirks etc.) and above all...
BE SAFE
Perhaps others can weigh in with their 2-cents.
Topic: Gun discussion thread (Read 716 times)