GUNS MILITARY vs SPORTS
GUNS
MILITARY vs SPORTING
By
Fay E.A. Reid
Guns have been around for a very long time. Gun powder, the means of making explosive propulsion has been around since at least 1044, in China. Cannons were invented around the same time.
In warfare the use of the cannon as a thrower of projectiles “improved” warfare in the sense that they were more powerful and did more damage than trebuchets.
Over the centuries firearms got more portable. Muskets with smooth bore (like a pipe) fired large balls at low velocity - which meant you had to be pretty close to whatever animal you were trying to kill. Finally they learned to rifle meaning twisted grooves on the inside ‘bore’ which increased the velocity and the range of the bullet making it much more deadly and also you didn’t need to be as close to the animal you were trying to kill.
Hand guns weren’t that much used until the 18th century. They existed before but were pretty awkward. It wasn’t until the 19th century that hand guns became a popular weapon for men to carry.
So much for brief history. My real topic is there are presently two distinct categories of weapons. Those used by the military which in general are used to kill only one species - Homo sapiens. These are efficient killing machines. They can shoot many bullets in a very short period of time - like seconds, they hold a large number of bullets in a cartridge and are fast and easy to reload.
These weapons are of little use in sports. When hunting a deer for instance the idea is to make a clean kill with one shot. After all you want to eat the animal you have killed - not bury it. Even if you are a trophy hunter, you don’t want your animal decimated, just dead.
Sports weapons are used in harmless ways, skeet shooting: clay ‘pigeons’ feel no pain. Target shooting: being able to place all your shots in a very tight circle takes a great deal of skill and concentration. Sports that cause no harm involve shotguns, rifles and hand guns. Most are accuracy and precision competitions.
The other sports are hunting birds (ducks, turkeys, doves, quail, pheasants) or game (deer rabbits moose, bears or exotic game in Africa.
While hunting may seem cruel to some of us, mostly the hunters eat what they kill or use the pelts.
Military weapons on the other hand are used solely and only to kill other human beings. Sometimes it is necessary, even for peace loving people to go to war to protect others. But usually there are good people - like the Ukranians and bad people like Putin - and it’s fairly obvious who normal people would want to protect.
On the other hand there are occasionally wars where both sides starting the war are bad and the only innocents are the victims - like the current war between Hamas (bad) and Netanyahu (bad)
The other use for weapons I haven’t mentioned are collectors. First an admission, I do not like guns, I have never owned a gun. I find most of them smelly, dirty and loud I’m not an advocate of loud noises. But I will admit some of the antique weapons were lovingly produced with beautifully detailed stocks and engraved barrels. While I’ve never desired one for myself, I can understand others who enjoy collecting them.
My first husband was a gun nut, not an enthusiast, just a nut. He had to have more than one weapon. He wasn’t really a hunter - he went hunting once. He wasn’t a great marksman, or a fast draw contestant - like his younger brother. He liked to go out at midnight on New Year’s eve and shoot his pistol into the air - just for the noise.
But in a nearby city another gun nut fired his pistol in the air but the bullet killed a 2 year old child on it’s return to earth. I was able to prevent husband number one from ever doing this again.
But, in the 20th century gun manufacturers got greedy. They wanted to be millionaires like other industrialists. There were only so many hunters and target shooters. And the military were in between wars so they weren’t buying enough. So, there isn’t a large enough market for shotguns, hunting rifles and target pistols - tough patooties. Be satisfied with what you have or find another business.
The point is until we (all Homo sapiens) can figure out how to ensure peaceful decent behavior amongst all people we will continue to have a need for military weapons. BUT and this is a big but, there is NO logical reason for anyone who is not in the military to own a military weapon. And I do not personally see why the government at any level cannot simply pass a law to prevent the sale of any weapon invented for use by the military to anyone who is not in one of the armed forces, and then only while on active duty. Allowing the sale of military weapons to non-military only helps the weapons manufacturers get wealthier - sorry I’m not sympathetic to your penury,.
Wow, Fay, thank you for this very knowledgeable treatise on firearms. The less guns in civilian hands the better. Keep on ranting, my dear.
I grew up in a region (southern Oregon) where there was a lot of hunting. My Dad did not hunt; the families down the street did. I took Hunter Safety classes with them; my Dad wanted me to know about guns that were in the houses I would visit. I never knew where either family kept the guns; they were in a cabinet in some location under lock and key. In high school, I went target shooting with a friend, once. Did OK. Didn't find it particularly enjoyable.
Professionally, I was a cop.. Spent 35 years in uniform; 28 full time and 7 part time. I owned a back-up gun (a small .22 pistol) which was more trouble than it was worth to carry; the last 20 years full time I never carried it. I always qualified, with pistol and shotgun, and later the AR15 (when I was issued one). For me, they were the tools I needed to safely do my job. I never shot anyone. I probably deployed my weapon(s) 10 times a year in that 26 years of patrol.
As a retiree, I own 3 handguns. Two for concealed carry (a 9mm and a .45; both small pistols), and my "retirement gun" a full size 9mm. I shoot probably 4 times a year to maintain my proficiency for the annual qualification required for nationwide concealed carry privileges. I can count the times I've carried concealed on both hands.
With respect to the AR-15: It is a weapon that is designed to kill people. Period. It is as fun as heck to shoot, it is easy to shoot, and with the right optics, very easy to deliver accurate fire at 50+ yards. It does not belong in the civilian world, except under very specific circumstances...
I think that firearms regulation would be a darn good idea. Codify the NRA safety rules, and pair them with the vehicle code with respect to licensing, insurance, and registration. Pair the "incidents" that happen with firearms with vehicles regulations with respect to property damage, personal injury, and intentional injury.