Is it responsible to RAFFLE a gun?

A post on Mundane Pointless Stuff mentions winning a gun in a raffle in the United States. I’m shocked. I live in the West Indies where people can carry guns lawfully - but I’ve never heard of one being raffled here. Is it responsible behaviour to do so?

Why not? Anybody who wins is subject to the criminal background check, so it’s not as though a hood is getting it.

Of course it is. The win would have to be conditional on meeting the requirements for lawful gun ownership, which vary by state, and that would need to be clearly specified wherever raffle tickets were sold. Other than that, there’s no real problem with it.

A gun is just a machine. In this context, it is not all that different from a car or a chainsaw. All three could be misused, and criminal liability would attach. All three also have perfectly legitimate, lawful uses, and the majority of owners employ them thusly.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with it. I have noticed that the raffles tend to wind up the local anti-gun activists, who would like to see all guns banned. That might explain why the raffles are so popular, sort of the gun owner’s version of “We’re here. We’re queer. Get used to it.”

How is raffling off a firearm any different from raffling off a car, or a meat tray, or a case of beer/wine/spirits, or any of the other things that are commonly raffled off as fundraisers?

How is raffling off a firearm any different from raffling off a car, or a meat tray, or a case of beer/wine/spirits, or any of the other things that are commonly raffled off as fundraisers?

How is raffling off a firearm any different from raffling off a car, or a meat tray, or a case of beer/wine/spirits, or any of the other things that are commonly raffled off as fundraisers?

Do you need a background check for the other items mentioned? Or a safe to put them in?

You need a licence to drive a car, and in some places you can’t get insurance unless you’ve got a garage… and if you have kids in the house, it’s often considered prudent to keep your liquor under lock and key as well.

If you think about it, you do need a proficiency check to operate a motor vehicle. That’s what licensing is all about. And you do need to show valid ID to buy alcohol as the drinking age here is 21. Both are forms of legal verification, and misuse of both can kill you and others. The difference is really in your head: you have a (irrational, IMO) fear of guns, whereas you have gotten over your fear of the others.

Also, you don’t need a safe, strictly speaking. You just need a way to keep the guns away from children. If you don’t have any children what do you need a safe for? I have two handguns and a child and I don’t have a safe. I do have a place to put them where he cannot access them, however.

I don’t see much of a problem with it. They have them here all the time. I actually won a shotgun many years ago. I participate in chili cookoffs and BBQ’s where it’s commonplace to raffles off a few guns.
It’s not like the criminal element is arming themselves by winning gun raffles. :wink:

BTW no waiting period or big legal issues on non-handguns. There’s always a sheriff a constable or some law enforcement around to check ID,s and transfer/register the weapon. Hey it’s a BBQ w/ free guns, free food AND free beer… you know there’s gonna be a cop around somewhere. :smiley:

and yeah I live in Texas

Not just away from children surely, but burglers too. I’m not afraid of guns, alcohol, cars or trays of meat. It’s the raffling of a weapon that troubles me. It’s true that alcohol, cars and trays of meat can be dangerous too in the wrong hands but their primary function is not that of a gun. I understand that the user of the weapon is what causes the danger - therefore even with background checks - is it reasonable to raffle a gun?
I took and passed a driving test in Florida - the test proved that I could drive around the block - I wasn’t impressed by the proficiency check at all.

What is it you find unreasonable about raffling a gun?
I jest about it myself but it is really taken seriously whenever I been involved. As I said, there’s always some law enforcement present. The raffle’s are always for a good cause. The winners have to submit their Id and in some cases wait for a background check and pick up the gun at a later date.
All paperwork is done by the book. The winners pictures are usually printed in the local newspaper. The guns are almost always hunting weapons ie: (deer rifles and/or shotguns). I’ve NEVER seen a handgun or assault type rifle in a raffle. Not to say it hasn’t happened.
Also, the winners are almost always some local boy that everyone knows.

These raffles can earn thousands of dollars for charity and the guns are usually donated by a local merchant.

or do you just not approve of guns?

How is raffling a gun any different from selling one at a gun store, or at a gun show? Any way you slice it, the new gun owner is going to be someone lawfully entitled to own the weapon. If they didn’t win one, they could certainly buy one or more.

Seems to me your objection is really to private ownership of guns…

“How is raffling a gun any different from selling one at a gun store, or at a gun show?” Because it’s being given away rather than sold.

I’m not opposed to private ownership of guns - it’s the raffling business that gets me.

I have a hard time thinking of a gun being an appropriate item to raffle.

Why? If you really do not oppose private ownership of guns, then why does it matter if the gun is raffled, sold, or given as a gift? The end result is the same…a person lawfully entitled to own the weapon now owns it. Society as a whole is no more or less safe than it would be if the gun was acquired any other lawful way.

  1. It’s not really being GIVEN away it’s being raffled. The gun will be “sold” to a large number of people who PAY many times more than what the gun is worth for a chance that they will receive the gun. There is defintely money changing hands. Also it’s done for a good cause I might add. One in which everyone agrees to the terms and usually has a good time to boot.

  2. The raffling gets you? It’s about money, like all raffles. A gun worth a few hundred bucks that is usually a donation to raise money will often sell a couple of thousand dollars worth of tickets. A few guns will raise a lot of money. We raised enough money one time to rebuild a family’s house.

  3. The idea of a GUN is not appropriate to you I supppose is due to the lack of a gun “culture” where you live. Just like it probably would seem strange to me if we were to raffle off or dowry one of my daughters. But in some societies that may not seem so strange.

All in all it makes a lot of sense to me and is no cause for concern. I could use a few extra bucks, maybe I’ll raffle off a few of my guns. Nope, not legally anyway. There’s quite a bit more to it than that. You can get your ass in the penn real quick that way.

later~JB

I’d object, too, if bullets were being given as door prizes. :smiley:

Not very loudly, I hope…:smiley:

Come on now Boo You should’ve told us the gun was raffled during a gun show at a gun range among a gun owners and gun club members.
What the hell do you expect them to raffle at a gun club… tupperware?

It’s not like the Klan was handing out uzis at a shopping mall.