Why I carry a handgun, 2024

[Captain Caveman]

before long you guys are going to have to butter your bread with a spoon

Rise in UK knife attacks leads to a crackdown and stokes public anxiety

Although the number of fatal stabbings has mostly held steady over the past 10 years, headline-grabbing attacks and an overall rise in knife crime have stoked anxieties.

apnews.com

Knife deaths US per 100,000 population - 0.6

Knife deaths UK per 100,000 population - 0.08

What were we saying about thinking?

Stabbing Deaths by Country 2025

worldpopulationreview.com

 

[progressive hunter]

Knife deaths US per 100,000 population - 0.6

Knife deaths UK per 100,000 population - 0.08

What were we saying about thinking?

Stabbing Deaths by Country 2025

worldpopulationreview.com

amd then when people kill each other with spoons you guys are fucked,,

 

[Captain Caveman]

amd then when people kill each other with spoons you guys are fucked,,

But, you guys will beat us on those stats too.

 

[progressive hunter]

But, you guys will beat us on those stats too.

O almost forgot about forks,,

you guys do have forks dont you??

 

[ozro]

Show them how the gun is locked in a secure cabinet when not in use with the ammo in a locked separate box. Then show them guns shouldn't be carried in public places and and pellets/bullets/shot must be contained within your own land, or the land where you were given permission to shoot. Don't let a minor hold a shell or bullet, loan the gun for them, one shell/bullet at a time. Gun safety is important.

Yeah, mostly good ideas. I live alone, and have over 220 acres. I have plenty of room for target shooting. So I normally lock up the guns except a couple shotguns and my everyday carry handguns.
As far as guns in public, even though it isn't required in my state, I hold a concealed carry permit. I helped my kids and grandkids get their training and permits.
12 years old is a good time to start gun safety training. I actually was given my first gun at 8 years old. I never allowed my kids to have a gun without supervision until they were 16. At 16 in my state they can hunt small game alone. At the same time, 18 is the age they could carry a weapon concealed in public.
Nobody in my family, or anyone I know actually, has ever had an accident.
Outside of military service, the only time I shot anyone was in self defense. That person was on my property at 2am, and pointed a weapon at me. I didn't kill them, but it was dark and my shot went in the shoulder instead of the brain. Lucky for them my sks wasn't loaded with hollow points that night.
Knocked them down, and I stopped the bleeding for the 90 minutes or so it took the sheriff to arrive.
I think you need to adjust your city slicker attitudes to allow different rules when you live like I do.

 

[Captain Caveman]

O almost forgot about forks,,

you guys do have forks dont you??

Yup, but you will just out-pace us on fork attacks too. Americans will be no. 1 at cutlery violence.

 

[Captain Caveman]

Yeah, mostly good ideas. I live alone, and have over 220 acres. I have plenty of room for target shooting. So I normally lock up the guns except a couple shotguns and my everyday carry handguns.
As far as guns in public, even though it isn't required in my state, I hold a concealed carry permit. I helped my kids and grandkids get their training and permits.
12 years old is a good time to start gun safety training. I actually was given my first gun at 8 years old. I never allowed my kids to have a gun without supervision until they were 16. At 16 in my state they can hunt small game alone. At the same time, 18 is the age they could carry a weapon concealed in public.
Nobody in my family, or anyone I know actually, has ever had an accident.
Outside of military service, the only time I shot anyone was in self defense. That person was on my property at 2am, and pointed a weapon at me. I didn't kill them, but it was dark and my shot went in the shoulder instead of the brain. Lucky for them my sks wasn't loaded with hollow points that night.
Knocked them down, and I stopped the bleeding for the 90 minutes or so it took the sheriff to arrive.
I think you need to adjust your city slicker attitudes to allow different rules when you live like I do.

In America, that's ok, the norm. In the UK, the safety level is not there in what you wrote, and definitely no guns in public. So as I would enjoy owning and using a gun here, your gun application would be declined. But that just reflects in the stats between the two countries. It's fine considering yourself and being gun safe, but your open gun system just allows far too many unsafe ones causing the problems. That's why there's such campaigns in America to have similar gun policies as other countries, too many spoil it for you.

 

[ozro]

In America, that's ok, the norm. In the UK, the safety level is not there in what you wrote, and definitely no guns in public. So as I would enjoy owning and using a gun here, your gun application would be declined. But that just reflects in the stats between the two countries. It's fine considering yourself and being gun safe, but your open gun system just allows far too many unsafe ones causing the problems. That's why there's such campaigns in America to have similar gun policies as other countries, too many spoil it for you.

Any idea how many legal vs illegal guns are in the UK? My own curiosity is all.

 

[Captain Caveman]

Any idea how many legal vs illegal guns are in the UK? My own curiosity is all.

No idea. Gun crime is so low, in over fifty odd years, never had the urge to find out. Unless you know, I can Google it, UK sites will probably appear at my end much more easily.

In fact, a few months ago, I found a shotgun cartridge in my mother's loft. Brother had a shotgun in his teens. I've even owned shotguns, and I honestly thought you needed a shotgun licence too cover the cartridges. I went to give it to a cop and he said, "I don't want it, you don't need a licence, what is someone gonna do, throw it at someone?". So I put it in the bin.

 

[Captain Caveman]

In over 200 years, our nation has never needed privately held firearms to defend our freedom
We have a more powerful weapon………Freedom of speech, a free press and the vote

The idea that private gun owners need AR15s to fight our government is offensive to freedom loving Americans

Apparently gun ownership varies around the 30% mark each years. Taking a handgun to a tank fight? I don't gun nuts have thought it through, especially when they say they need such high holding magazines because the accuracy is crap.

 

[ozro]

Yeah that's why I was asking. Search results seem to be influenced by location. But I am guessing that the numbers of illegal guns is low, as well as legal guns. Here in the US, most crimes involving guns are committed by prohibited (illegal) possessors. I'm not saying legal guns owners don't use them illegally, but typically it's the illegal owners. Most of the times I have needed to use a gun at my home is to chase off predators, mountain lions, bobcats, wolves, rattlers,ect. Still, I try to chase them off rather than shoot them. I like animals,. I let game and fish use a portion of my land up by the rim as a rehabilitation location for wounded animals. Last week they had a lion escape while they were loading him up to turn loose in another location. They let me know, I was on alert, but he hasn't caused a problem so far.
As an aside note, the guy I shot was a criminal that was not allowed the gun he had, and he was out here because he was on the run. Still, I will be very very happy if I don't have to go through that again.

No idea. Gun crime is so low, in over fifty odd years, never had the urge to find out. Unless you know, I can Google it, UK sites will probably appear at my end much more easily.

 

[progressive hunter]

Yup, but you will just out-pace us on fork attacks too. Americans will be no. 1 at cutlery violence.

we have to catch up to you to outdo you on ways to kill people,,

 

[Captain Caveman]

ozro

Some reading here -

https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/what-we-do/crime-threats/firearms

Some states here -

Firearm Crime Statistics: England & Wales - House of Commons Library

This briefing looks at statistics on gun crime in England and Wales. It uses police recorded crime data to evaluate trends over time and to compare crime between police force areas, with a section focussing specifically on gun crime in London. Type of offence and type of weapon used are also...

commonslibrary.parliament.uk

I'll see if I can find an estimated number and update this post.

If we had mountain lions, bears, rattle snakes, bob cats etc.. and I stated that was my reason for a firearm, then would be a valid reason. Bit tricky if you live in the middle of London and you want a gun to shoot immigrants.

 

[Captain Caveman]

we have to catch up to you to outdo you on ways to kill people,,

Maybe we've had more deaths by tea pots and tea cups?

 

[ozro]

ozro

Some reading here -

https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/what-we-do/crime-threats/firearms

Some states here -

Firearm Crime Statistics: England & Wales - House of Commons Library

This briefing looks at statistics on gun crime in England and Wales. It uses police recorded crime data to evaluate trends over time and to compare crime between police force areas, with a section focussing specifically on gun crime in London. Type of offence and type of weapon used are also...

commonslibrary.parliament.uk

I'll see if I can find an estimated number and update this post.

If we had mountain lions, bears, rattle snakes, bob cats etc.. and I stated that was my reason for a firearm, then would be a valid reason. Bit tricky if you live in the middle of London and you want a gun to shoot immigrants.

Thanks, I'll read that link. I have had a few illegal immigrants come through, but only a few that crossed my fences. The ones that I encountered, I never thought about shooting them as they were not threatening me. Same with other trespassers, I just ask them to leave.

 

[Captain Caveman]

ozro as of march 2023 there were 615,627 legally owned firearms, 57% being rifles.

 

[ozro]

ozro as of march 2023 there were 615,627 legally owned firearms, 57% being rifles.

I read your links, still following the auxiliary links. But it does say at both links the most shootings are committed by criminals and gangster. I honestly don't know what the answer to that is. It appears that even that type of crime is much much lower in UK than here. But if you ever get to Arizona, let me know. I'll let you shoot on my private range as much as you like.

 

[Captain Caveman]

I read your links, still following the auxiliary links. But it does say at both links the most shootings are committed by criminals and gangster. I honestly don't know what the answer to that is. It appears that even that type of crime is much much lower in UK than here. But if you ever get to Arizona, let me know. I'll let you shoot on my private range as much as you like.

Yeah, the majority seems to between criminals, one gang on another. If I ever pop to the US, it'll be to see relatives in Kenley, NC. So it depends on commuting time from there !!

 

[Captain Caveman]

ozro the estimated number of illegal firearms in the UK is unknown, it's thought not to be many. I Googled everywhere and the nearest thing I got was -

How many unlicensed firearms are in the UK?

Answer (1 of 5): The short answer is, nobody knows, because they aren’t registered or counted. Beyond that, it’s quite obviously “not zero” because criminals do manage to get hold of firearms. On the other hand, because firearms are relatively scarce and expensive and the same weapons circulate ...

www.quora.com

The other thing is, gun crime is creeping up, the obvious reason being immigration. Some 70% of crime is down to immigrants, and most of that is between immigrants. And who picks up the police bill for these shithole scallywags? The tax payer.

 

[ozro]

ozro the estimated number of illegal firearms in the UK is unknown, it's thought not to be many. I Googled everywhere and the nearest thing I got was -

How many unlicensed firearms are in the UK?

Answer (1 of 5): The short answer is, nobody knows, because they aren’t registered or counted. Beyond that, it’s quite obviously “not zero” because criminals do manage to get hold of firearms. On the other hand, because firearms are relatively scarce and expensive and the same weapons circulate ...

www.quora.com

The other thing is, gun crime is creeping up, the obvious reason being immigration. Some 70% of crime is down to immigrants, and most of that is between immigrants. And who picks up the police bill for these shithole scallywags? The tax payer.

The taxpayers foot the bill for everything. That's been true at least since the Roman empire and likely before that.
I imagine in the UK there aren't many illegal guns, because there aren't many legal ones. I am just guessing on that. There is something to be said for the logic of, less guns=less people shot. But here in the USA, that horse has left the barn.
It is proven out in the fact that there are very few, probably none, anti-aircraft gun owners around here. So I haven't ever heard of an airplane being shot down in my area.