What Makes Guns so Awesome or Not Awesome to You?

[Zacharine]

Guns are awesome because they have leverage. Even if you don't use them, they can still end a fight.

I question this statement. Guns do not end fights, they escalate them into potential full-blown shootouts, into potential lethal wounds, splattered gore and walls painted red. Guns... blow apart whatever limits there were before. Guns ends fights in only two situations: they kill/incapacitate the other participant. Or they are not willing to break the few limits they might have had on violence in that situation.

But when they deide to follow you there and pull their own gun or continue regardless, bad stuff begins to happen to everyone involved.

Guns are a deterrent only in that they represent unchained, unbridled violence. When a gun gets pulled, its a sign to everyone involved that the s**t about to go down just got deadly serious.

The consequences of it being called a bluff and challenged are severe. The consequences of it not being a bluff are equally severe.

Pulling a gun is one of the worst things you can do, unless you are already backed into a corner with absolutely nothing left to lose.

 

[Macgyvercas]

They make big noises and the bullets break things. That's why they're awesome.

 

[Zacharine]

Guns can be awesome, sniper rifles give a feeling of fear and stealth like no other weapon.

Stealth? Only in that they are usually fired from almost a mile away, or from a position where the enemy can't get to. The moment somone fires off a rifle dedicated to sniping, everyone within two miles knows of it.

That is the cause of the fear you mentioned: the moment it is fired, everyone knows there is a sniper around. The stealth aspect some into play only before the shot is done and while extracting away from enemy forces. Because no-one likes an enemy sniper and getting caught is a death sentence or worse.

 

[twostripe]

Guns are awesome because they have leverage. Even if you don't use them, they can still end a fight.

I question this statement. Guns do not end fights, they escalate them into potential full-blown shootouts, into potential lethal wounds, splattered gore and walls painted red. Guns... blow apart whatever limits there were before. Guns ends fights in only two situations: they kill/incapacitate the other participant. Or they are not willing to break the few limits they might have had on violence in that situation.

But when they deide to follow you there and pull their own gun or continue regardless, bad stuff begins to happen to everyone involved.

Guns are a deterrent only in that they represent unchained, unbridled violence. When a gun gets pulled, its a sign to everyone involved that the s**t about to go down just got deadly serious.

The consequences of it being called a bluff and challenged are severe. The consequences of it not being a bluff are equally severe.

Pulling a gun is one of the worst things you can do, unless you are already backed into a corner with absolutely nothing left to lose.

you have a valid point but they are still the fastest means of solving any dispute, pacifist or not you can't say that's not true.
and back on topic something i also love about guns is just how many there are and how specialized they can be

 

[Zacharine]

you have a valid point but they are still the fastest means of solving any dispute

Fastest != Best
Fastest != Safest
Fastest != Morally correct
Fastest != Humane
'Fastest' might not even be legal.

I'm not saying guns aren't effective in killing people. That would be just absurd, because they are frighteningly efficient at it.

I'm simply questioning the choice of killing as a solution at all, much less as a first and preferred solution. "Keep shooting until all dissention has been eliminated' might work, but that doesn't mean we ought to choose it out of other, better, more humane solutions.

Because I believe we can be better than.

Not wanting to start a flame-war or anything, just wishing to tell you my take on things.

 

[Deadlock Radium]

what makes guns awesome?
when they have strings on them of course!

/thread.

Ontopic: I kinda like some guns because they look badass, or just because they're weird, but in use, I'd rather prefer a mighty broadsword anyday.

 

[esperandote]

Only useful for war and hunting, i dont do any of those.

edit, or to fight crime or be a criminal

 

[AlchemicalGod]

I personally pine for the days where battles were fought and won with blades and arrows. No cheap kills or lucky shots to end battle in seconds. These days are so cold, they have seem to have less and less soul with each age that arrives.

 

[Aeriath]

Sniper rifles with Fire/Corrosive damage, or maybe a good shotgu.....Oh, real life guns?

They are kinda scary. Impressive from an engineering standpoint, but much like police officers I get nervous around them in real life for some reason.

 

[derdeutschmachine]

Since I own 5 guns I'm safe to say that I find them awesome. The art and skill of shooting is very calming and relaxing to me. People who believe that guns are the source of death are clearly lacking critical thinking skills. I could put a loaded gun cocked and ready to fire on the table and nothing would ever happen... EVER. However, the ability for unsuitable people to aquire guns, now that is where the failiure is. In the hands of a responsible and knowledgeable person (i.e. myself and those like me) Who've gotten carry permits and lead relatively peacefully, a gun is nothing more than a tool for rereactional enjoyment or hunting.
There will always be people who will use whatever means they can aquire to kill people. If you try hard enough, you can kill someone with a paper clip so should we hate them too?

Moving on... people who only know guns from a videogame standpoint, have very little say in this matter. Games shamefully display guns actual reaction when being fired, how to maintain and even how to properly reload. As I said, I own 5 guns. a .45 h&k USP compact, .45 springfeild 1911, a 454 casull Taurus Raging Bull, a single shot eastern arms 12 gauge and a winchester 12 gauge pump. All of them, I've overhauled, repaired. cleaned and dissasembled. There isn't a game on the market that would go into such detail about working on or maintaining your gun.

Anyone who wants to learn about guns, fire a real gun or own a real gun then fine have your say. But if you come here to lump the bad with the good of firearms, get lost. Guns may have been designed for the perpose of killing, but it is the people who make them kill.

And a final note to all you sword and hand to hand people. In a real fight it isn't about the look or the glory or the art of fighting. It's about winning and I'm pretty sure my hardware could kill you before your sword even got close.

 

[The Brewin]

Im willing to accept this is absolute jargon, but I find gun nuts a bit freudian (look it up kids!)...lets analyse

1. well, that long protruding barrel...penis
2. You apply pressure to it, and it fires...penis
3. You get guys comparing potency and size of guns 'mine can take down a helicopter!'...well you see where this is going now

To me, guns are a peculiar device, they seem to have a fixation on them for some intangible quality. Is it a power thing? My only experience of guns comes from painball (which is fun soley to hurt your friends), and Metal Gear...ohhhh Ocelet, you and those dreadedly handsome Colt SAA's *shudder*

 

[Trowl]

They are like small cannons, what isn't awesome about that?

Though I'm in Australia and can't own a gun .

I am from Canada (Long live the Common Wealth) But why can't you own a gun? You have almost the same gun laws as us? Unless of course you are under 16 or have a criminal record. And what is the general feeling on gun laws in your country? There are not very many legal gun owners in your country I have noticed.

 

[MattyDienhoff]

Guns are awesome because they have leverage. Even if you don't use them, they can still end a fight.

I question this statement. Guns do not end fights, they escalate them into potential full-blown shootouts, into potential lethal wounds, splattered gore and walls painted red.

Sure, because every confrontation is a mob war just waiting to happen. >_>

Guns... blow apart whatever limits there were before. Guns ends fights in only two situations: they kill/incapacitate the other participant. Or they are not willing to break the few limits they might have had on violence in that situation.

I honestly have no idea what you're trying to say or where you're going with this. The only discernable meaning of the above sentence seems to be "guns are scary".

But when they deide to follow you there and pull their own gun or continue regardless, bad stuff begins to happen to everyone involved.

If by "bad stuff begins to happen" you mean "they force you to shoot them to defend yourself", then yes. However unfortunate that may be, I think we can agree that this is a more favorable outcome than allowing your assailant to continue on whatever course of action caused you to draw your weapon on them in the first place, such as trying to kill you, for instance...

Pulling a gun is one of the worst things you can do, unless you are already backed into a corner with absolutely nothing left to lose.

Way to boil down a billion different possible situations into one. There's a world of difference between, say, pulling a gun on a dozen assailants all of whom already have you at gunpoint (a suicidal choice, to be sure), and pulling a gun on a lone assailant armed with a knife who isn't yet within striking distance (a perfectly logical choice).

Let me posit a scenario in which a gun might be used to prevent a crime and/or end a confrontation peacefully. You're at home in bed in the middle of the night, you hear a noise inside the house and suspect someone has broken in, you retrieve a handgun and a flashlight and go to investigate. You locate the burglar, who hasn't noticed you. Your life isn't exactly on the line at this point -- you're not backed into a corner with absolutely nothing left to lose -- so what do you do? You could avoid them and call the police, but then what? In the best case scenario help is probably still several minutes away (worst case scenario, 30 minutes to an hour), and in that time the intruder could do any number of things. Most likely they would ransack your house for valuables, and flee at the first sign of trouble, but who's to say they won't violently attack you or other occupants of the house?

Sure, it's unlikely, but there's no way of knowing an intruder's intentions, and I for one have no faith in random criminals' characters. Instead, it seems to me that the most logical option is to flick the flashlight on and shine it in the intruder's eyes to temporarily blind them, while announcing that you have them at gunpoint and ordering them not to move. I foresee three possible outcomes in such a situation.

A: The intruder, having been caught off guard, submits and you detain them until police arrive.
B: The intruder flees.
C: The intruder attempts to draw a weapon or otherwise attack you, leaving you with no choice but to shoot them.

Only one of these outcomes involves the use of force, and by any sane standard it's the least likely one. For the intruder to pull a weapon on you when you already have them at gunpoint is a ridiculous gamble on their part that would most likely get them killed, and for what? To avoid an attempted burglary charge? If they did choose to call your bluff, they'd most likely do so in the way that's less likely to get them killed, by simply fleeing rather than trying to jump an armed opponent.

Obviously, introducing a firearm to a confrontation can radically change the situation. It could set the status quo in your favor or it could simply escalate an already volatile situation and make it even more dangerous. It depends on the circumstances, and honestly, if you're caught in a situation in which you have no choice but to defend yourself with force (or at least the threat of it) what would you rather use if not a gun? Martial arts? Too bad if you're disabled, or injured, or simply haven't trained enough and lack the ability to use such methods effectively.

 

[gsf1200]

I love guns. They are the great equalizer. A 90 yr old grandma in a wheelchair can chase off a gang if she has a gun. I can never understand why liberals are so against guns. They say they are for the poor and weak, yet try to outlaw their best means of defense.

 

[Ekonk]

Well, they kill people. That's pretty unawesome.

But the revolver, for example, has this air of romance about it which is kind of awesome again.

 

[Eggsnham]

Im willing to accept this is absolute jargon, but I find gun nuts a bit freudian (look it up kids!)...lets analyse

1. well, that long protruding barrel...penis
2. You apply pressure to it, and it fires...penis
3. You get guys comparing potency and size of guns 'mine can take down a helicopter!'...well you see where this is going now

To me, guns are a peculiar device, they seem to have a fixation on them for some intangible quality. Is it a power thing? My only experience of guns comes from painball (which is fun soley to hurt your friends), and Metal Gear...ohhhh Ocelet, you and those dreadedly handsome Colt SAA's *shudder*

So.. You're saying gun nuts are penis lovers? Also, technically any gun can take down a chopper if you know what you're doing.

And yes, paintball is fun

 

[Lonely Swordsman]

I still think melee weapons are much more fun. A gun really minimises the effort (not saying that shooting a gun doesn't take skill) and I'm very partial to the most visceral side of combat. The recoil of a firearm and seeing someone sprinkling some blood before just falling over from afar will NEVER have the same effect as feeling the impact going up your arm, getting an up-close look at your enemy's face as he draws his last breath...

To paraphrase an underated pulp fantasy author: Shooting someone is one thing, but clubbing someone to death eye to eye, that's personal.

 

[Ironic Pirate]

I love guns, but shouldn't ever have any, as I wouldn't be able to resist the urge to go kill someone. I can barely restrain myself with a pencil and my fists.

 

[DeathChairOfHell]

something that can cause instant death on long range. sweet.