Toddler Shoots and Kills Mother

[Imperializt Russia]

You can use anything as a weapon. You can only use a gun as a weapon. Therein lies the difference between a gun and most other items. It really isn't difficult.

I don't know. The slide on a Hi Point pistol is so relatively heavy, you could probably use it to drive nails, crack lobster/crab shells, etc.

Hail mother Russia.

[Occupied Deutschland]

You can use anything as a weapon. You can only use a gun as a weapon. Therein lies the difference between a gun and most other items. It really isn't difficult.

I don't know. The slide on a Hi Point pistol is so relatively heavy, you could probably use it to drive nails, crack lobster/crab shells, etc.

The number of times I've used the butt of a hunting rifle to drive tent-stakes into the ground because some damned-fool forget to bring a hammer (Dave) is too damn high.

[Galloism]

I don't know. The slide on a Hi Point pistol is so relatively heavy, you could probably use it to drive nails, crack lobster/crab shells, etc.

The number of times I've used the butt of a hunting rifle to drive tent-stakes into the ground because some damned-fool forget to bring a hammer (Dave) is too damn high.

I *do* hope you check that it's empty at least three times first.

... shit, I wouldn't even do that with an empty gun. I might damage it.

[Gun Manufacturers]

So guns don't cause death? Again, what else are they designed for?

Opening beer cans and changing channels obviously.

[Occupied Deutschland]

The number of times I've used the butt of a hunting rifle to drive tent-stakes into the ground because some damned-fool forget to bring a hammer (Dave) is too damn high.

I *do* hope you check that it's empty at least three times first.

... shit, I wouldn't even do that with an empty gun. I might damage it.

Usually pull the bolt out and pop the magazine-spring loose.

Of course, that was mainly humorous exaggeration. Only ever had to do that once or twice.

[Gun Manufacturers]

How ignorant.

The nuclear device has dozens of potential peaceful uses. As does the firearm.

When was the last time a hydrogen bomb used to supply neighborhood power?

Well, not neighborhood power, but ....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peaceful_nuclear_explosion

[Gun Manufacturers]

A quick observation:
Australia has significant dangerous wildlife and some of the strictest gun control laws in the world, yet somehow we haven't been overrrun by crocodiles? Or criminals for that matter...

A gun wouldn't have prevented Steve Irwin from being killed by a stingray. (SPF40 would have, because it protects from harmful rays! )

Also the creep responsible for the "Sydney siege" a couple of weeks ago was armed with a shotgun (though I'm having a hard time finding any specific info on model), but it appeared to be a manual-loaded double barrel.
In other words, capable of holding two rounds before needing a manual reload.

How many people did he manage to kill when shit went down? That's right, two. Then police killed him.

Imagine if he'd been able to get his hands on an AR15.

Gun control laws saved lives.

I do agree that it seems odd to me that an AR15 would be used for personal defense, and I can't see a legitimate reason for an average citizen to own one. I can see a handgun for personal defense (at least in the current climate), I can see a shotgun or hunting rifle for the purposes of hunting and vermin control, but I can't see the legitimate purpose in an AR15, or at least one that outweighs the dangers of having these weapons in circulation.

An AR15 is a very good target rifle (accurate, quickly configurable for different calibers and ranges, lightweight, low recoil), and can be configured for hunting as well (it's excellent for social and pack animals, like prairie dogs and coyotes, can be configured in calibers for larger game such as deer, and allows for a quick followup shot in case of a miss or poor hit).

[Glamour]

You can use anything as a weapon. You can only use a gun as a weapon. Therein lies the difference between a gun and most other items. It really isn't difficult.

I don't know. The slide on a Hi Point pistol is so relatively heavy, you could probably use it to drive nails, crack lobster/crab shells, etc.

Or you could use it to pistol whip someone and use a hammer/nutcracker for those things. Or whatever is specifically designed to perform that task. Just like you would use a gun to shoot.

[The Carlisle]

I don't know. The slide on a Hi Point pistol is so relatively heavy, you could probably use it to drive nails, crack lobster/crab shells, etc.

Or you could use it to pistol whip someone and use a hammer/nutcracker for those things. Or whatever is specifically designed to perform that task. Just like you would use a gun to shoot.

Well, this Dave person could do with a pistol whipping seeing as they forgot the damn hammer.

And yeah, I shoot. Targets. Love to shoot clays. Sadly, haven't done it in years and I don't own a gun myself. Need to find a range to do so.

[Gun Manufacturers]

Or you could use it to pistol whip someone and use a hammer/nutcracker for those things. Or whatever is specifically designed to perform that task. Just like you would use a gun to shoot.

Well, this Dave person could do with a pistol whipping seeing as they forgot the damn hammer.

And yeah, I shoot. Targets. Love to shoot clays. Sadly, haven't done it in years and I don't own a gun myself. Need to find a range to do so.

I haven't shot clays too much, and as a result I'm pretty bad at it.

[United Marxist Nations]

Well, this Dave person could do with a pistol whipping seeing as they forgot the damn hammer.

And yeah, I shoot. Targets. Love to shoot clays. Sadly, haven't done it in years and I don't own a gun myself. Need to find a range to do so.

I haven't shot clays too much, and as a result I'm pretty bad at it.

I'm absolute garbage at it. I'd prefer something more like long-range target shooting.

[The Carlisle]

I haven't shot clays too much, and as a result I'm pretty bad at it.

I'm absolute garbage at it. I'd prefer something more like long-range target shooting.

I'm the opposite. I find a moving target much challenging and funner to shoot.

[Salandriagado]

Anytime a person comments on a large debatable sociopolitical issue and says "it's that simple", one should be immensely skeptical.

This part of the conversation was particularly about the design of guns as deadly weapons with no other real function. When they are shot at inanimate objects you could argue they're not deadly. But neither are they when someone with bad aim misses a person they're shooting at. Their design is not altered by where one chooses to aim them.

Not all guns. Not one of the many air rifles that I've used to teach many more children target shooting was designed to kill anything, for example. They could do, if horribly misused, but that certainly isn't the design intention. Many guns are designed to kill (many of them to kill animals, some to kill humans), but not all.

A quick observation:
Australia has significant dangerous wildlife and some of the strictest gun control laws in the world, yet somehow they haven't been overrrun by crocodiles? Or criminals for that matter....

Clearly the criminals and crocodiles are all busy fighting each other.