There's a fascist uprising in my country. Not only do I own multiple guns, I'm getting in shape and training with them.

Yes. I really can't understand why anyone watching the rise of fascists would still be anti gun.

Well, I've been shooting in one way or another damn near my entire life so far.

Air guns as a wee laddie, moving to small caliber rimfire, then eventually more sizable stuff as I aged into it, and showed responsibility.

Hand guns, long guns, and improvised guns of various sizes just because I wanted to see if I could.

I'm better with long guns overall, but better on iron sights with handguns. You give me a decent scope and time to dial it in, and I can hang in with low end pros most days. Not good enough to compete on a big scale, but I usually win local shoots, as long as my glasses are fairly new.

I've done training in various scenarios beyond sitting and putting holes in paper, though it's been years since I did any of that.

I've messed around with some cowboy shooting too, but it didn't stick. Dunno why, really, because I enjoy watching it, but trying it myself was just meh. I think it's harder to sink in and really get into the zone with that kind of thing, maybe. Didn't help that I was using borrowed gear tbh.

Despite that, I'm not really a "gun guy". I don't obsess over them, I don't memorize specs and details of everything. I have most of what I want already, and the only new purchases I plan to make are for stuff that's able to mount red dot optics. I'm past the point where it's fun to shoot with iron sights regularly, and I want lighter options for carry/home defense as well, so might as well shoot five birds with one bullet lol.

I've done some instruction, but I don't really like it. I'm supposedly decent at it, but I'm just repeating the stuff my grandfather taught me, so he's the one that's doing the job. But I'd rather not do it, if it isn't family. I keep getting suckered in though. Especially lately, but I'm on the injured list, so I've not been doing much of it.

Being real? I think it's something more people should try. Not because of any ideology or whatever, but because learning the basics is a really good way to develop patience, focus, and how to filter out what isn't important. The basics are a great way to make that happen because most people that haven't already tried it tend to take it pretty serious and not fuck around. So they treat it with more respect rather than as a hobby, or a chance to swing dick, both of which interfere with the mental side of shooting in the early stages.

I grew up in the American south and we had lots of guns when I was a kid. Me and my dad would go out target shooting on weekends and I always thought it was fun. As an adult I haven't really kept up with it. After my dad passed away I just kind of lost interest. I have a few of those old handguns and rifles still but they just stay locked up in a cabinet at the back of my closet now.

It was pretty much just always something fun I got to do with my dad.

I love shooting but it really sucks to burn like 400 bucks plinking so i usually just shoot air rifle

I'm ex-military and I used to hunt before I joined the military. I've fired lots of guns. I think they should be severely restricted. Civilians should be able to get certain guns for hunting but not handguns or military guns. A shotgun or a bolt action rifle is all you need for hunting and you can protect your house too. Ammo and guns should be required to be stored in separate locked safe boxes when not being used, to prevent thieves and children from getting them.

Yes. I think firearms safety should be taught in school. Along with the opportunity to actually fire a gun if you do well in the safety course.

Yes, the local gun range used to have a "ladies day" and we could get half off gun and lane rentals.

I used to be super anti-gun growing up, but here in Arizona and other red States specifically it seems like you're in a sort of arms race by default. The nutters aren't giving theirs up so it seems kinda naive not to have your own and know how to use them.

I was raised 50/50 between my anti-gun mother and my gun-collector father. Being simultaneously raised to believe that guns are evil and nobody should own them but also here's how you fire a pistol and handle firearms safely also here's the reasons you should own one.

I was a whole ass adult before I was given a chance to form my own opinions away from my parents.

I love guns, I don't want to own one, I'll be purchasing one soon, I never want to use it, but target shooting is important so you know you can when you must, I don't want to carry it, but I live in a city with a severe mental health and drug abuse problem and frankly I don't care if there's a nonlethal way to deal with an attacker (I read enders game at 14 and it was a formative experience).

I have an opinion formed from contradiction, but balanced out it seems the points all land on "if you're responsible, and aim to never use the device unless absolutely necessary, it is an objectively good thing to own a firearm, at least where I currently live."

Oh uhh, I guess I missed the OG question, yeah I've fired plenty of guns.

Favorite to fire: Makarov, small, simple, low kickback, very accurate. Least favorite to fire: Idk what it was but my dads 2xBarrel Shotgun was fun to shoot skeet with but I wouldn't want one off the range, too much care involved in making sure my grip is perfect to brace against my shoulder. I don't eat meat, so the use case for a firearm like this is literally just sport.

The one I want: still deciding on brand but I'm planning on a hammer-less. 357+p

A couple years ago I visited my buddy in Virginia and we decided to get out of the city to a trap shooting range. Neither of us had ever shot clay pigeons and we were surrounded by southern gun nuts. It was a trip.

Anyway, that was the first time I shot a gun. I've always been fascinated by guns but I've also held the belief that society would be better off without them. But society has been going down the shitter lately and I feel the need to prepare for the worst. I'll be buying my first gun once I find the time to go shopping for one.

Yes, target shooting with rifles (which I liked) and skeet shooting with a shotgun (which I didn't care for).

yeah as kid I regret that I stopped going to ranges with my dad

Yes, fired a gun. Not really my thing but I can understand the appeal.

What really took me away from it is the finality that taking a life brings to it. I was 13 and was shooting around at birds and clipped one to the point it flopped around the ground. My babysitter (I have two younger sisters) at the time didn’t want it to suffer and blew its brains out, of which some landed on me. It taught me a valuable lesson that day. Don’t shoot at something living unless you intend to kill.

In a way, I wish everyone who enjoys guns had a similar experience, I think they’d have a lot more respect for them.

I've fired an M-16 and M-60 in training. Also a couple of pistols. But I haven't held a gun in at least ten years. It's just a tool to me and one I've never had any use for. I can appreciate a nice gun just like I can appreciate a tablesaw, but I only have use for the latter.

Yes and yes, but I don't own a gun at the moment.

Sure. Maybe one day. But not in a rush. Once I move out more into the country.

Yes. When I was a kid and early adult I was pretty heavily involved in Boy Scouts and fired guns a lot through that. My dad also took me hunting a couple of times. I haven't fired a gun in probably close to 20 years, though.

I would fire a gun if I had a need to, but I have 0 interest in doing so for recreation. I don't own a gun, and don't really have any interest in one.

Yes, on my uncle’s land. I’d like to do more but don’t feel like I have the time or money

I've never fired a real gun. I would not mind going to a range to feel it, nor would I mind shooting at ranges for recreation. Various other target practice seems fine too. I don't trust myself to own one. I'm not suicidal, but I can be a bit reckless playing with dangerous stuff: fire, knives, swords. I've opened a quick release knife into my thigh to see if the safety mechanism worked(after testing successfully on cardboard) and I've cut a very safe part of my forearm as kinda a.... what's it feel like? experiment before while drunk.

I know the dangers and I seldom actually do that stuff(those were years apart), but seldom doesn't mean never. In all honesty I probably wouldn't hurt myself, but I don't feel like risking it yet.

No, cause I'm french and the only time I see guns is where there are military or police on patrol.

However, I did some air rifle when I was younger and it happen the club I was in had an ex olympic champion as member. He let me tried its olympic air rifle. Smth like this:

Such beautiful piece of machining ! But I didn't shoot better with it 😂

Yep, all the time. I'm one of Those People.

Yes and yes.

I own about 20 rifles and hand guns, mostly gifted. So 1. Yes, and 2. Sure, so long as you're a safe shooter.

I've shot a lot of guns in the Scouts. A few times afterwards, but I don't own my own gun. The last time I had a chance to shoot a gun, I actually turned it down since the dude said the bullets were like $20/round and I was like "Dude, I don't wanna cost you $300."

I grew up rurally in the south, so I was raised around guns by default. The adult men in my family had at least 3 or 4 guns each, and I’m probably low balling. I got a BB gun around 7 or 8 years old, I loved shooting cans and got really accurate. I kind of got bored of it over time, I don’t own any guns now and haven’t shot anything larger than a BB gun in decades.

Most of my family does hunt, though. It’s a nice break on the grocery bill if you have the patience for it and a good place to do it. A truck isn’t necessary but it’s definitely a lot easier than shoving a dead deer in a car trunk.

Yeah, I shot a lot of BB and pellet guns as a kid and fhen shot actual gunpowder funs a few times as an adult.

Ut is really, relly fun. Like fireworks, or a a small engine, it is harnessed explosions and just a barrel of fun. Never went hunting or anything, just target shooting. Would do it more if I chose it over other hobbies but the nutball conservatives that run the shooting ranges around here is a big turnoff.