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I was sitting around with my little gang of jerks I like to call friends the other day. We were talking about 40k, warmachine and black powder and so on. I told them about my rather bad first-time experience with a BP (black powder) rifle (it cooked off about 15 seconds after i pulled the trigger, and at the point had it pointed at the ground just in front of me), anyways,  out of 5 dudes, myself and only one other had EVER fired a gun. Is this true of most gamers out there???

According to the National Statistics of Gamers Associated (NSGA), 85% of gamers are unable to operate a firearm due to our stubby, sausagey fingers.

I've never touched a gun. Why on earth would I?

I know a couple people who are into firearms and shoot them, but the majority of the people I game with haven't touched a gun.

I'm going to avoid starting an argument here, so I'll just note that I'm happy to live in a country where the ownership of firearms is tightly restricted.

Was being in the Mech Inf 6 years and Artillery 2 count? The 8" Howitzer is the only thing considered to be a "gun" though...

Black Powder scares me. The first time I fired it the guy showing us showed us his scars from a flashback. He wore a beard because of it.

Not sure if this is news, or a rumour though.....

Nope, me neither. And I don't plan to do. Surprisingly, even though we gamers like to play with soldiers aren't that warlike in real life (my experience).

Greets
Schepp himself

I earned both Shotgun and Rifle shooting merit badges through the Boy Scouts, but I've had pretty limited experience outside of that. I'd imagine the results would be heavily skewed by geography: european (including british) gamers probobly have far less experience than American ones, and in the US there would be more experience in small towns than large cities, more in the south and west and less in the north east and california.

I may be way off base, but I'd guess the canucks and aussie would fall between the extremes of Europe and the American frontier.

I think wargaming and paintball teach us how much we would rather not be in a combat situation or firing guns at each other. It's rare that losses aren't incurred. It has also taught me how I would rather not be a leader of men, and have to deal with decisions that got people killed.

Being an armchair general is much, much better.

I've shot all kinds of guns. but I've also been in trouble with the law and I'm an M.C. I do Hiphop Shows and produce music. I beat my neighbor up last week for callin me a b!T(h. I also work as a bouncer sooo. we come in all shapes...If you see me in the Hobby shop you'd think..."who brought the Thug" or "Is he gonna rob the place?"

and I do say that I play wargames on my myspace. I had a guy say "don't say anything about the Minis Ok..?" I was like ok...but sh!t I'm a Sexy Monster so I could care less about what someone thinks
but this belongs in general discuss

Me

www.myspace.com/5deadly


don't forget
I love you all...Deeply

10 & 1/2 years in the US Marine Corps gave me plenty of opportunity to shoot pistols, rifles, machine guns (SAW), etc. Never handled anything "big" though, like artillery or such.

I am an avid target shooter and former Junior Small bore champion of Florida.(that was like almost 8 years ago). That being said, I am no in Colorado Springs which is were the Air Force academy is as well as an army base. Up here a good chunk of gamers are military so i would say the majority out here have shot a gun before.

Too bad about your Black Powder experiance. I find Black Powder to be the most fun. It has the same accuracy as a modern day rifle, but requires more care from the fireer. And its a lot cheaper to shoot too.

I've thrown a few rounds downrange in my day.

I own many firearms. I target shoot, do sporting clays (trap mostly), and hunt (mostly whitetail deer). I shot a 10 pointer last season, it should be on my wall very soon when the taxidermist is finished with working on it.

I did 22LR target rifle shooting at school in the 1970s. I don;t know if it's still legal in the UK.

There's probably a lot more wargamers have fired a gun than seen or touched a dead body.

Sorry for the double post.

I am trained and equipped to protect myself from tyranny, and generally bad people, yes. With a family, I am not sure how a man could not be, honestly.

I was brought up with them, trained to use them in defense, for sport, and hunting, like most others in the small town I am from.

I really don't see much of a crossover to tabletop wargames. Knowing how to defend your self against a more physically powerful foe, and basically mixing model railraod and Risk together seem quite different to me.

How does a country tightly restrict the ownership of guns from criminals?

Just wondering.

engine

lets not get in a heated debte here over our 2nd amendment rights.

Posted By Kilkrazy on 05/24/2007 9:29 AM
There's probably a lot more wargamers have fired a gun than seen or touched a dead body.

Depends on the nation, I suppose. I've seen at least a dozen dead bodies, and I'd say that was about average, depending on your age, family size (my family is really small) and religion (CofE). But I'd never even saw a gun in real life until I moved to the US.

That's a UK perspective, of course, which is why I said it depends on the nation.

I was raised in a fairly rural area in Georgia, so I have some amount of experience with long arms (no experience with pistols). I hope to become proficient with handguns sometime in the future.

For me, knowledge of the workings of firearms is kind of a "life skill." My reasoning is that it would be nice to know how to use one if I ever absolutely have to. Sorta like swimming. I haven't been swimming in over a decade, but I know how if I ever have to.

In other words, I'd rather I know how to use a firearm even if I never have to than not know how to use one when I do have to.

Sal.

I've shot rifles and pistols...I've also seen a dead body (not at a funeral, viewing, etc)...being ex-military has a bit to do with that though.

Rifles, Shotguns, Pistols.

120 mm and 155 mm tank main guns. (5 years as a cav officer with M1s and M551s)

Pistol team in college, hunted growing up.

Don't own any now but did for a long time.

Don't confuse shooting firearms with being warlike. They are not the same.
Having said that we're happy Canada has restricted ownership as well. Makes "liberation" that much easier buahahaha

Ditto's on Darkness's comment on blackpowder. Nothing like setting up next to some undertrained Rambo wannabe with overly expensive pistol. Pulling out the old civil war era hogleg and surprising everyone with a great plume of smoke.

American Civil War reenactment is what got me into table-top wargaming in the first place. It's hilarious great fun marching around a field, firing blanks at your buddies. And you can get your SO (significant other or senior officer, same thing) involved if she's into victorian era costume. I've spent quite a lot more on antique dresses than I have on tiny pewter miniatures.

That said, I own my civil war reenactment gear, including a period rifle. I also own a revolver I picked up at a flea-market a number of years ago. Both of them have been fired with live rounds.

Like every free man I own firearms and am well versed in their use.

Slaves and serfs aren't permitted weapons. And thank God for that.

I carry one for work on occasions, and it is a tremendous responsibility not to take lightly

I really don't want to start an discussion about guns and their legality, but I am downright shocked by the attitude of some users here.

But I think I was kind of naive to approach this topic without having in mind that dakka is a US/UK site. In Germany, guns simply aren't that widely spread.

Some of you will see me as a tool, but I refuse to arm myself just to defend my home or family. Just as I refuse to lock my car. I live in a rather small village and I just think that in this environment, I don't have to distrust anyone.

Anyway, highly interesting posts here.

Greets
Schepp himself

P.S. what are serfs?

"P.S. what are serfs"

Germans that think their government will protect them?

well then you ain't got guns in Germany, But in the good Ol' U.S. of A we have guns, lots of em' and we use em' on each other all the time...really it's horrible.

There is a reason they don't allow Germans to have guns Joking, joking, joking.

Go talk to the Swiss? Pretty much everyone has to own or handle a weapon there. They are all part of the army.

Servants of a feudal lord.

Such a highly emotional topic will get a lot of different answers.

M110 was interesting to fire. Basically a basilisk. 8" Howitzer that could hit a car from 27 miles. Sometimes you could feel them hit when the range was about 15 miles away.

QFT

Greets
Schepp himself

Schepp, I've lived in some small towns here in the US as well, and that sort of attitude isn't purely over in Europe. I knew plenty of people that didn't lock their doors...I lived with a family in New Jersey for a bit that didn't even lock the front door to their house. Being from Los Angeles, I thought that was crazy. All depends on your locale and upbringing, it seems.