mozg wrote:Ian wrote:Woodbutcher wrote:Gun thread continued, I think one or two people haven't been insulted yet!
I own a S&W .40 semi-automatic handgun. I've had it for five years. I keep it in a keypad-activated safe in my bedroom, and only my wife and I know the combination. I bought it brand new, and it has never been fired.
That should be enough information for me to draw criticism from people on
both sides of this debate.

Yep, you're going to get some criticism here.
If you're going to own a gun for the purposes of protection, you have a responsibility to be familiar with that gun. Leaving it in a safe unfired for five years doesn't indicate that you are familiar with its workings, that you practice marksmanship so that you can actually hit your target, or that you have any reasonable certainty that the gun is in good working order.
You should be practicing target shooting at least once a month, and disassembling, cleaning and lubricating that often as well. If you're not willing to put in that time and effort, maybe firearm ownership isn't for you.
I own my guns for fun.
I take the semi out nearly everyday just to handle it and play with it and practice aiming.
I go through my whole make-sure-it's-safe routine each time I take it out.
It rests beside me while I am at the desk.
It is possible that someone looking in my windows would find this unsettling--but then they shouldn't be looking in my windows.
I don't carry it around outside because I don't have my concealed carry permit yet although it is legal to open carry.
When I go to the range all guns are transported in their cases and in the trunk just because it is handy to do it that way and because it protects them.
When we return from the gun range we clean them all first thing.
The presence of guns is quite common around here, and I have found in conversing with a variety of people in a variety of situations, [rough stats] 3 out of five own guns, one out of seven have or have had carry permits and 4.5 out of five don't find any of this remarkable. These groups include men and women and it was a woman who first coached and advised me when I had questions about concealed carry.
I think we tend to be a lot less formal than many other parts of the country. We are rural and our gun ranges are mostly outdoor. People still have rifle racks in their trucks.
There are shooting sports and an archery club for kids.