# Do you own a handgun ? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 26, 2010, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-handgun/558452 "2010-10-26T23:04:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-handgun/558452/41 "2010-10-27T12:23:29Z")
I have a CCW but don’t carry currently. I’m trying to decide if I want to renew the CCW or not. ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-handgun/558452/42 "2010-10-27T12:46:22Z")
This poll shows every indication of being constructed by a US citizen. In some European countries (amongst others, my home country), handguns are strongly controlled (while long guns – rifles or shotguns – are fairly easy to get a license for if you are a registered hunter or sports shooter). Writing “personal protection” on the application for a gun permit is a very good way of ensuring that you’ll never, ever be allowed to acquire said handgun. Sporting and/or hunting only for any gun permit, long or short. (Hand)gun-related violence is only allowed for police officers over here. Weirdly enough, the number of homicides per gun owner, or even per citizen, per year is way below US-American figures… ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-handgun/558452/43 "2010-10-27T12:51:18Z")
> [@The\_Surb](#): > > So…what ARE you going to do with it? Piss of liberals, most likely. Let’s see…before they were stolen by gypsys (who then promptly got in a boating accident) I had handguns in: .22 cal (2) .30 cal Carbine .32 cal (2) .357 cal .40 cal .44 cal Special .45 cal (2) 9X18mm 9mm Parabellum The favorite is probably the 9mm. I sleep with it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-handgun/558452/44 "2010-10-27T12:56:11Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > The favorite is probably the 9mm. I sleep with it. 😃 Personally, I prefer sleeping with wimmin’, but whatever rocks your boat. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-handgun/558452/45 "2010-10-27T12:58:09Z")
> [@The\_Surb](#): > > So…what ARE you going to do with it? Killing spree. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-handgun/558452/46 "2010-10-27T12:59:47Z")
American who owns several handguns for both protection and target use. ---
**Author:** ![tbook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@tbook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tbook)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-handgun/558452/47 "2010-10-27T13:05:04Z")
My Ruger Mark III, .22 cal, is for target shooting. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-handgun/558452/48 "2010-10-27T13:09:10Z")
Absolutely not. I take great pride in never having touched a gun. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-handgun/558452/49 "2010-10-27T13:09:12Z")
American. I own two. Ruger .22 and a Ruger .357. Target shooting and protection. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-handgun/558452/50 "2010-10-27T13:24:01Z")
““Other?” There are six billion of us.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-handgun/558452/51 "2010-10-27T13:55:43Z")
Don’t own a handgun - never fired one, in fact. If I need one, I’ll get one, but as my life stands now it isn’t worth the hassle. ---
**Author:** ![Cowgirl\_Jules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@Cowgirl\_Jules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowgirl_Jules)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-handgun/558452/52 "2010-10-27T14:37:22Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > I didn’t know. > > What do you hunt with a handgun ? It’s been answered, and correctly. I personally hunt squirrels with a .22LR pistol. I have a friend who hunts deer with a scoped .44 revolver. And we commonly shoot bears with any number of calibers. My husband finished one off with a .45 just the other weekend, after another hunter wounded it (with a rifle, I might add.) But I mostly have mine for personal protection. Works on bears \*and \*people. I mostly just target shoot with them for fun and practice. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-handgun/558452/53 "2010-10-27T14:40:25Z")
I love target shooting but do not own a handgun. I use friends handguns or rent one from the range. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-handgun/558452/54 "2010-10-27T15:16:15Z")
> [@Norse](#): > > This poll shows every indication of being constructed by a US citizen. The **OP** is Canadian. I’m sure he’s thrilled you think he’s a US citizen though. American, primary handgun use is target shooting. I’m in a league where we shoot 20 matches per year. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Surb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Surb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Surb)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-handgun/558452/55 "2010-10-27T18:14:33Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Killing spree. Meh…killing sprees are a dime a dozen. I was really hoping for something more exciting like: kidnap lover who jilted me, shoot off his toes, and then laugh at him for walking like a duck. But that’s just me. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-handgun/558452/56 "2010-10-27T18:22:18Z")
American. I own no guns. Not really interested in them. I’ve shot a couple of times … once a 357 something-or-another revolver dealio with a friend who was a cop, at a shooting range. And a few weeks ago I shot a shotgun, shooting skeet, at Team Building Excercise – THAT WAS TOTALLY NOT OBLIGATORY – but while the experiences were novel, they did not fill me with an urge to have one lying around the house. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-handgun/558452/57 "2010-10-27T18:43:45Z")
American. Self-preservation. I carry 1 or 2 every single day for 20+ years. I haven’t un-holstered a weapon at anyone in about 13-14 years until yesterday. Had I not been prepared or able to do so, my son and I would be victims of an enraged road-rage jerk who followed us home and jumped out to attack me/us in my driveway. He quickly saw the folly in bring a wrench to a gunfight. I’m not happy, I’m not proud. I’m simply glad I was able to de-escalate and end the situation with no one getting hurt. ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-handgun/558452/58 "2010-10-27T19:16:55Z")
American, a 20-gauge pump shotgun loaded and by the bed for home protection - nothing says ‘stop trying to break in thru my front door’ like racking a shell into the chamber 😛 (actually happened a few years ago) - and a .32 Browning automatic, unloaded. The Browning was my dad’s and is more of an antique than anything. I’d be reluctant to fire it without it being very carefully gone over by a reliable gunsmith first. The shotgun is an excellent choice for women and home protection. Not only is it intimidating as hell, ya don’t have to be an expert marksman to use one. Normally, I’m a good shot on the range, but in a panic situation (god forbid), all bets would be off. Added plus, the recoil won’t knock you off your feet even if you’re small. That said, I also have a permit to carry concealed and have for the last seven years, although I don’t actually carry a handgun around. I got it originally to take weapons to and from gun shows I used to work and have simply kept up the permit since those days. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-handgun/558452/59 "2010-10-27T19:17:01Z")
Canadian. I’m fascinated by handguns. An employer showed off his collection many years ago, and I was pumped with adrenaline. Never would I entertain the idea of having such an easy killing machine in my house. Never would I like to live in a society that is frought with individuals carrying handguns on their person. I have no problem with rifles, a vastly superior armament for hunting, but handguns represent an effective easy tool to be used on humans and that includes me. Given that I’m opposed to capital punishment, and that I have no reason to believe I will ever need a gun for self protection, I’m glad that my fellow Canadians feel the same way. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-handgun/558452/60 "2010-10-27T19:34:08Z")
Going to get a basic handgun or pump shotgun in the next few months, for under the bed home protection. I will practice just enough to become competent with it, but won’t shoot for pleasure. American. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-handgun/558452.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-handgun/558452.md?page=4)