Have I turned into a "gun nut"?
- Thread starter Pistoler0
- Start date
Pistoler0 said:
Everyone is nutty on some level. The trick is to respond appropriately. When we were just out of school, the lovely girl who would become our pediatrician heard that I'd been shooting and asked why I had guns. The pitch of the question implied an eye roll. She had tea cups and saucers displayed in frames all over her living room, so I asked what that was about and suggested that my hobby had a similar basis.
Those conversations are funny in that there may be another gun guy in the conversation whose wife had told him to not to talk about his favorite thing in front of her friends.
Keep it pleasant and you could change someone's mind. I can't recall anyone ever asking me how many. "Several" and "almost enough" seem serviceable.
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You're a 'beginning shooter'. - When you have 6 + calibers of ammo, for guns you don't OWN YET, - and you have 6+ sets of dies for calibers you don't own, or reload for, and you're storing ammo in different rooms of your house because you're worried about 'weight' on the floor joists, then you're on the threshold of becoming a 'gun nut'. - When you start taking day trips, for no other reason than searching for 'gun shops' on your GPS - you're on the right track. The largest collection I know of - a friend's, - is over 4,000 firearms. When gun nuts get organized, he will be King!
As others have said, probably everyone in America who has a hobby they are serious about is no less a “nut” over that hobby than you are over guns. Of course hobbies take various forms. Work, professional development, fishing, cooking, side businesses, wood working... the list goes on and on.
To those who don’t have a serious hobby, you could count their hobbies as screen time, partying, or other various mind numbing activities that people who generally have no drive to achieve something occupy themselves with.
And 10 firearms (BB doesn’t count) is really not THAT many. Definitely enough to call you an enthusiast. The ammo count is hurting a bit though.
To those who don’t have a serious hobby, you could count their hobbies as screen time, partying, or other various mind numbing activities that people who generally have no drive to achieve something occupy themselves with.
And 10 firearms (BB doesn’t count) is really not THAT many. Definitely enough to call you an enthusiast. The ammo count is hurting a bit though.
"Then, shalt thou count to three. No more. No less. Three shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, nor either count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. "
ballardw...
Looks like you need to add one Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch to your list.
ballardw...
Looks like you need to add one Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch to your list.
Carl the Floor Walker
Moderator
I was a gun and shooting nut. Unfortunately that is changing. For sure I will not be purchasing any more firearms and obviously no ammo. Hard to have a gun hobby without ammunition. And it will never come back to the point of having it as a shooting hobby. Like a golfer that has no balls to take to the course. Just collecting more clubs would not make sense.Unless the ammunition manufacturers step up to the plate and start to double or triple their production it will never happen. And they are not willing to make that investment.
They obviously feel too much uncertainty to do this. Laws and restrictions are tightening every day and it will get worse. They realize this.
In all seriousness, it I was a young man, I would leave the US. The powers in office now are going to take away all rights for citizens to own firearms. There is going to be more chaos and destruction by the same people that have been doing this for the past two years. And they will be the only one's with firearms. It is time to face the hard facts.
Honest voting, honest Judges etc are on the way out. It is a no win deal for the 2nd amendment.
They obviously feel too much uncertainty to do this. Laws and restrictions are tightening every day and it will get worse. They realize this.
In all seriousness, it I was a young man, I would leave the US. The powers in office now are going to take away all rights for citizens to own firearms. There is going to be more chaos and destruction by the same people that have been doing this for the past two years. And they will be the only one's with firearms. It is time to face the hard facts.
Honest voting, honest Judges etc are on the way out. It is a no win deal for the 2nd amendment.
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Good one ... as long as the wife has more pairs of shoes than me I’m good with acquiring more toys. Plus second marriage so we each do whatever the hell we want with our discretionary funds.
The amount of Guns you own matters not at all. As long as you own one, that you carry every day, whilst out in your vehicle. Or in your home.
In my case, a Gen 4 Glock 19. loaded, one in the breach, 15 in the magazine.
And any others locked into a steel Gun Safe.
And for those amongst us, who speak of moving out of America? I did that in reverse. Born in the UK, stayed for 30 years, Australia for 3.
Canada for 34 years, now in the US of A for 18. So at 85 years of age, I guess I am a Yank now! I get asked where I would sooner be? Well, I guess Florida is the answer to that.
In my case, a Gen 4 Glock 19. loaded, one in the breach, 15 in the magazine.
And any others locked into a steel Gun Safe.
And for those amongst us, who speak of moving out of America? I did that in reverse. Born in the UK, stayed for 30 years, Australia for 3.
Canada for 34 years, now in the US of A for 18. So at 85 years of age, I guess I am a Yank now! I get asked where I would sooner be? Well, I guess Florida is the answer to that.
Jim Watson
New member
Your real problem is posting on a gun related internet site.
Our leaders may cut that off first, before banning the hardware.
Our leaders may cut that off first, before banning the hardware.
ha ha ha, seriously?
ligonierbill
New member
In talking with friends, even gun-friendly friends, I don't mention numbers. Anyone who knows me knows I am a "hobbyist", that I enjoy firearms and shooting. I just leave it at that. It's an unfortunate sign of the times, but your buddy tells his bar mate at the VFW, who tells his wife and is overheard by his teenager, who mentions it to the local drug retailer, and you're on the target list. Plus it's a debate you can't win.
I don't tell anyone how many guns I have and like a lot of us I have more then I can quickly calculate off the top of my head . It's not because I have a problem with how many I have or even what others would think . It's that nobody in todays climate should know how many or what type of guns you have .
As to the second bold part , I love answering that question and it's not the age old why do you need two cars or what ever "our" common reply is .
If it's a woman ( yes stereotyping ) I ask how many shoes do you have and they usually roll there eyes . I then say no-no please this is not a gotcha question , seriously how many and why so many how come a pair of tennis shoes and a pair of heels is not enough ? They often will start the well some heels don't work with these types of clothes and this shoe doesn't go with shorts then open toe this to type of heel that . Then there's colors that don't match the purse etc etc etc .
I then say I see your point completely and go about explaining to a firearms enthusiast it's very much the same idea . A hunting rifle for large game will often be different then for smaller game . I start talking weight if you need to carry it long distances , type of plinking guns ( long range or short ) maybe a couple in differnt calibers because of cost of ammo in one is much less , barrel twist , stocks , materials used , self defense weapons and how they are often much different then basic hunting rifles etc etc . Then the same basic issue with handguns and pretty soon you have 30 or 40 guns with out even realizing it very much like your shoes . Most of the reasonable ones , the lightbulb goes on but some actually say " I still don't see why you need so many"
The same thing if talking with men ( yep I'm doing it again ) this time I talk golf or fishing . Why do you need 5 bass poles 3 trout poles a couple bluegill poles not to mention all those salt water poles hanging there on the wall . They then say if you're going deep sea fishing you can't bring your fresh water trout pole because it can't handle the strength of salt water fish ."me" Ok fine you need different poles but surely you can just move the reel from pole to pole right ??? They then go on happily about size strength and capacity of the reels and line you put on each etc etc . I say oh I completely understand now and start to explain .......
This is all done none combative and in a let them dazzle me kind of way with there expertise and knowledge of there topic to then use that as a way for them to understand that thinking a gun is a gun is the same as thinking a shoe is a shoe or a fishing pole is ..... well you get it lol
That 100%
I have a few friends that tell me they would NEVER tell anyone anything about "my" gun . This is while they are telling me about all the guns and ammo there other friends have
Over the decades I've learned there are very few people you can trust with sensitive information .
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FireForged
New member
I have never taken "gun nut" be contingent upon owning many guns. I think you can have one gun and be considered a gun-nut. I have always considered the term to be reflective of a persons obsessiveness regarding the gun. Many traits can be indicative of an obsession or obsessiveness.
Ignition Override
New member
Being retired, and living 12 min. From a private gun club makes it worse.
Possibly the stronger influence is the vast info plus YouTube videos.
Subconscious undercurrents can develop.
Example: if the Sig 551 cost were around $1,000 (vs. over $4,300), I would save for “the Swiss AK-47”.
And gun Bug never bit until age 52? Imagine explaining that to a wife and friends.
Possibly the stronger influence is the vast info plus YouTube videos.
Subconscious undercurrents can develop.
Example: if the Sig 551 cost were around $1,000 (vs. over $4,300), I would save for “the Swiss AK-47”.
And gun Bug never bit until age 52? Imagine explaining that to a wife and friends.
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