# Do you own a gun? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 19, 2009, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-gun/518111 "2009-11-19T02:46:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Stoneburg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Stoneburg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoneburg)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-gun/518111/161 "2009-12-02T17:31:37Z")
How about: I don’t own one because it is illegal here, I want it to be illegal to own guns but if it was legal I would own one even though I am against other people owning guns whether legal or not. There should definitely be an option for that. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-gun/518111/162 "2009-12-03T00:10:31Z")
> [@Stoneburg](#): > > How about: I don’t own one because it is illegal here, I want it to be illegal to own guns but if it was legal I would own one even though I am against other people owning guns whether legal or not. > > There should definitely be an option for that. Where are you living besides China that it’s completely illegal under all circumstances for someone to own a firearm? ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-gun/518111/163 "2009-12-03T03:48:17Z")
I don’t currently own any guns, though my dad has several that are ‘mine’, in theory at least. I decided when my wife and I started having kids that I’d be more comfortable without any guns in the house (I gave up my two motor cycles as well…damn kids! ;)). -XT ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-gun/518111/164 "2009-12-03T04:06:32Z")
I use to have several, of different calibers. Now I’m down to one 22 rifle and I don’t even bother to take that to the range anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-gun/518111/165 "2009-12-03T19:14:54Z")
> [@Stoneburg](#): > > How about: I don’t own one because it is illegal here, I want it to be illegal to own guns but if it was legal I would own one even though I am against other people owning guns whether legal or not. Aren’t you from Sweden? It’s legal to own guns in Sweden, although there are restrictions (You have to be 18, no criminal record, and be a member of a shooting club), and according to figures [here](http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/files/sas/publications/year_b_pdf/2007/CH2%20Stockpiles.pdf), there are anywhere between 23-40 guns per 100 Swedes. ---
**Author:** ![WhyWhyWhy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whywhywhy/32/7539_2.png) [@WhyWhyWhy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyWhyWhy)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-gun/518111/166 "2009-12-10T03:51:20Z")
Nope, don’t own a gun. But my lake is well stocked.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Beltane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@Beltane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beltane)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-gun/518111/167 "2009-12-10T17:58:09Z")
I think I’ve mentioned this on this board before… but I technically own a gun. It is a .22 rifle. It is at my father’s house, and has been for decades. Me and my sister were both given matching rifles (for squirrel hunting) when we were in our teens. My sister committed suicide with hers 9 years ago. I have no interest in retaking possession of mine. ---
**Author:** ![akwally1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akwally1/32/3220_2.png) [@akwally1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akwally1)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-gun/518111/168 "2009-12-13T03:26:13Z")
I don’t own a gun, primarily because my wife hates them. If she were to leave me or have a boating accident, I would probably own a pistol and rifle for target practice. > [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > I’m not a big fan of looking to firearms for home defense as I think the vast majoriy of people overestimate their marksmanship abilities under pressure as well as their capacity to open fire on another human being. > > And for the record, I consider myself a flaming left-winger and STILL think gun-safety should be part of high-school curriculum. I suppose stereotyping leftists as being advocates of gun bans makes about as much sense as suggesting righties are all religious nutjobs. Also, I completely agree with **Inigo** on his statement here. My concern about people using a handgun for self defense is that in neighborhoods like mine where my back wall is about 10 feet from the neighbors, it wouldn’t take much of a load to go through their wall into mine. I know that there are bullets that fragment easily so they don’t go through walls, but I really doubt the intelligence of the average person to purchase them. (Note I said average PERSON, not average gun-owning person.) I also am a very liberal guy and think gun safety classes should be mandatory in school as well. At least the book-study portion as I wouldn’t want to force folks to shoot if they are dead set against it. So not all left-wingers are rabid anti-gun folks. Try to keep that in mind when stereotyping us. Thankyouverymuch. Mark ---
**Author:** ![ajb867](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@ajb867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ajb867)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-gun/518111/169 "2009-12-13T04:12:50Z")
I’m surprised how close the numbers are in the poll as well. I do not own a gun. ---
**Author:** ![Cullain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cullain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cullain)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-gun/518111/170 "2009-12-13T11:36:57Z")
Gun ownership is around 35 percent of US population, and they’re much much more likely to vote in a poll like this. So no surprise the poll is tight. Personally, I don’t own any, nor have much desire. But I am a pretty decent shot, whenever I get to the range. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-gun/518111/171 "2009-12-13T14:49:11Z")
A large number of Dopers seem to be either 1) lower income, 2) living with their parents or relatives, and/or 3) in college. Add to this the Dopers who live in other countries where guns are typically outlawed and/or there are cultural biases against owning them, and I’d say that the poll shows more gun ownership than I would have expected. ---
**Author:** ![BF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5ac83/32.png) [@BF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BF)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-gun/518111/172 "2009-12-13T21:19:48Z")
Yes, I own quite a few. ---
**Author:** ![Whambulance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@Whambulance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whambulance)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-gun/518111/173 "2009-12-14T07:17:59Z")
Yes - Actually, Mr. Lennon, I CAN imagine a world with no hate, religion, war, or violence. I can also imagine attacking such a world, because they would never see it coming. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-gun/518111/174 "2009-12-14T07:24:49Z")
No, but I’d like to. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-gun/518111/175 "2009-12-15T14:58:08Z")
Don’t own one, though I have no opposition to it. The gun control rules here make it a ridiculous schlep to legally acquire one, I’m not going to be illegally armed, and my estimate of net risk-benefit as things stand doesn’t make it worthwhile. I can just go to the club and rent one if I feel like shooting targets. ---
**Author:** ![groo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecd19e/32.png) [@groo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-gun/518111/176 "2009-12-15T16:36:30Z")
No gun, but I support the second amendment. I don’t think people need to justify gun ownership by referencing “hunting.” ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-gun/518111/177 "2009-12-16T01:11:25Z")
I don’t own a gun and my only interest in them is the occasional fleeting desire to learn how to target shoot. I expect I’ll inherit some of my parents’ guns someday, though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-gun/518111.md?page=8)