The Basics

This Blog has a great bit on the basics of gun knowledge. I like it, and I suspect I’d pass any test he’d give. (Tho I’ll note I have very little time logged with black powder rifles, or lever action guns, mostly because those pieces don’t interest me much, I have a good idea how they work and I could figure them out in a few mins of inspection.

Oh he also has a great post on a basic armory, I got that in spades, and I totally agree with that lineup.

I would add ONE thing to the basic knowledge. Every gunnie should have a basic understanding of caliber, and muzzle energy. No I don’t expect you to be able to rattle-off the energy of even the common chamberings, or know exactly where say 10mm Auto sits in the power level between .40 S&W, .45 ACP, .357 magnum, and .44 Magnum. Just an understanding enough that when the news calls a .223 Rifle or a 7.62x39mm SKS a “High Powered Rifle”, or a .38 Special or a .380 Auto a “High powered handgun” your BS meter should go off, and when the guy at the gunshops says that .380 auto is “Basically 9mm” or .357 SIG is “Ballistically equivalent to .357 Magnum”, or that an SKS rifle is very similar to a .30-30 Lever gun, you can pick up a modern well-marked ammo box for all of them then figure out where the guy is right, wrong, and how far off he is.

Also this knowledge can help you get a good idea what you’re in for when you first pick up an uber-lightweight pistol like an LCP in a “Wimpy” caliber like .380 auto, that there might be a substantial kick, and that a “Manly” caliber like .357 Magnum fired from a Ruger GP100 that weighs as much as a Volkswagen might actually be quite controllable.

Also for the sake of gun safety, and to prevent the liar’s lobby from pushing fraudulent legislation, I think most of this information should be taught in public schools. Certainly all kids should know that repeating rifles and Pistols carry rounds in the chamber, so simply inserting a loaded magazine does not “load” them, nor does removing the magazine “unload” them. Of course the Four Rules, are a marvelous groundwork for respect and safe handling of firearms.

Of course handgun ownership and concealed carry are generally prohibited from people under the age of 21 (which is stupid since IMHO you’re either an adult under the law or you aren’t, and I don’t see a point to breaking adulthood to us lightly) but I think everybody should be knowledgeable about the 2nd Amendment and how to exercise it safely and responsibly.

Why, because we’re America!

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0 Responses to The Basics

  1. Matt says:

    “I don’t see a point to breaking adulthood to us lightly”

    And if we’re absolutely determined to do it anyway, we’re already doing it in a bass-ackwards way. Want to be sensible, while keeping the same arbitrary age numbers we have now? Try giving kids guns at 16, car keys at 18, and voter registration cards at 21. (Sorted by increasing likelihood of the user’s immature choices getting innocent people killed.)

    • Weerd Beard says:

      That’s a VERY good point.

      Frankly You’re either an adult or you aren’t. I’d just be willing to say that at 17 your a kid and have nothing unless your parents or guardian page it out to you, come 18, you’re on your own as much as you want. Get your CCW, go to war, have a beer, get a tattoo, get married, start signing contracts, smoke cigarettes, drive a car, etc.

      Tho no Driver’s license until 18 would put a cramp on summer jobs. Possibly a system where a minor could demonstrate proficiency and have an adult (preferably parent or guardian) “Sponsor” them, where all wrongdoings from the young driver are accepted also by the “Sponsor”.

      • bluesun says:

        Or maybe let 16 year olds have little mopeds to get them across town but not enough to do anything exciting…

        Though that sounds a little bit too Yoorohpeean to me, now that I think about it.

  2. Yes, but age of consent laws aren’t to protect any0ne, they are designed to show WHO HAS THE POWER and who doesn’t. I agree, adulthood is adulthood, but the trend is to push it upwards in terms of good things and lower in terms of punishments.

    • Weerd Beard says:

      Obviously for both athoritarian flavors of government Mommy and Daddy state they require children subjects to run the show.

      And pushing back majority strips rights from the people and adds them to the .gov.

      The scary thing is the people who so willingly give those rights away for various short-sighted reasons.

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