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Gun Ownership - NO politics, just "Do you or do you not own a firearm"

Do you legally own a firearm of any kind?

  • I own one or more firearms, and am an American

    Votes: 413 56.1%
  • I own NO firearms, and am an American

    Votes: 113 15.4%
  • I own one or more firearms, and am other than American (Feel free to specify Citizenship)

    Votes: 74 10.1%
  • I own NO firearms, and am other than American (Feel free to specify Citizenship)

    Votes: 110 14.9%
  • I am not legally able to own a firearm (Feel free to specify reason)

    Votes: 26 3.5%

  • Total voters
    736
Kinda glad we don't have these in the UK.

Americans seem to love shooting each other
You do realize that in the US you're more likely to be shot by a cop than an armed civilian, right?

Most crimes are done by gangbaners to other gangbangers with illegal firearms (such as illegally imported or stolen firearms) in large cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City.

And 2/3rds of the deaths by firearms here are suicides (not that anyone needs a gun to commit suicide.)

And the armed crimes in London prove my point, thank you very much.
 
You do realize that in the US you're more likely to be shot by a cop than an armed civilian, right?

Most crimes are done by gangbaners to other gangbangers with illegal firearms (such as illegally imported or stolen firearms) in large cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City.

And 2/3rds of the deaths by firearms here are suicides (not that anyone needs a gun to commit suicide.)

And the armed crimes in London prove my point, thank you very much.
no in the UK your more likely to be stabbed inside. And the deaths almost match in relation to firearms deaths. And yes in the US suicide is the major contribution to firearms related deaths
 
Actually, my favorite gun is my estate auction find, a Thompson Center Hawkins in .45. Has a fancy sight array on top (forgot the name). Frickin' dead on! Got it on Gunbrokers.com and restored it to gorgeousness. I just love that thing. My favorite gun probably next to my Weatherby SAS. So pretty, should be hanging on a wall. I've taken quite a few deer with it. And I like my kit-built Pennsylvania long rifles. Taken plenty of deer with those. Love blackpowder guns.

Then again, lot of folks don't consider muzzleloaders "real guns." I mean, you can buy them online without going through an FFL. So for those folks, my wife and I are permit-holding, daily-carry types. I usually have a compact Ruger in .40 on me. When I give that a rest I'm carrying same caliber in S&W compact M&P. And I have a first-generation Ruger Single Six (.22) I inherited from my father, deceased, and a Browning Buckmark competition pistol, a Beretta Bobcat in .25 ACP (fun little thing!). Not rare to be out and about with three pieces on my person, concealed. Why? Because I can! It's an "honor" my country bestows on me, proof of their confidence in me as a law-abiding, upstanding citizen. I don't think we'll have that "right" forever, so I'm exercising it while I can. (As all my fellow Americans should be doing!).

My wife has the Taurus Bobcat knockoff in .22, a 9mm S&W M&P Shield she carries in her purse, a Ruger compact LC9 in 9mm she used to carry, and the Ruger LCP .380, which she claims hurts her trigger finger but doesn't want to give it up. (And she's always looking at other pistols... next might be a revolver like the Lady Smith, aka Model 642).

My S&W 586 was stolen. I'm ashamed of that, but the cops here say it's probably at the bottom of the lake somewhere. It's where stolen guns usually end up when they're actively pursuing a likely suspect. Instead of replacing it I bought a huge-ass gun vault. In addition to the handguns, the vault is holding my 12 ga. Weatherby SAS shotgun, the four muzzleloader rifles, two .410s (a JC Higgins and a Stephens, my uncle's -- died in the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Stephens -- and my gramma's, the Higgins), a break-action 16 ga. I never use but used to use for hunting before the 12 ga. purchase), a Browning 20 ga shotgun.... Let's see. What else. A fleet of BB guns, of course, all Crossman. I'm leaving out something... Hmmm.... I might have to run down and check.

I used to shoot slow-fire pistol in county competitions but stopped after a few years.

Big-time handloader, and like to cast my own lead for muzzleloaders and .39 and 9mm from lead I get from the tire shop. Lost my source of zinc and the lead I pour now is too soft, too dirty.

Weirdest thing I do is reload .25 cartridges. But it's worth it -- since .25 is awfully expensive off the shelf. Don't do that often, though. It's a fun caliber for the kids. A "step up" round from the .22s we let them shoot.
 
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Kinda glad we don't have these in the UK.

Americans seem to love shooting each other
Yes. We call it "recreational murder." Sooo dangerous here. So very dangerous. OMG! We're dropping like flies here (Better stay away!) :devilish: It's why no one tries to come here illegally. Ain't no one crossing *these* borders. Because it's so scary here. We don't have ANY problem with illegal aliens. No, not us. They're all trying to sneak into England.
 
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Actually, my favorite gun is my estate auction find, a Thompson Center Hawkins in .45. Has a fancy sight array on top (forgot the name). Frickin' dead on! Got it on Gunbrokers.com and restored it to gorgeousness. I just love that thing. My favorite gun probably next to my Weatherby SAS. So pretty, should be hanging on a wall. I've taken quite a few deer with it. And I like my kit-built Pennsylvania long rifles. Taken plenty of deer with those. Love blackpowder guns.

Then again, lot of folks don't consider muzzleloaders "real guns." I mean, you can buy them online without going through an FFL. So for those folks, my wife and I are permit-holding, daily-carry types. I usually have a compact Ruger in .40 on me. When I give that a rest I'm carrying same caliber in S&W compact M&P. And I have a first-generation Ruger Single Six (.22) I inherited from my father, deceased, and a Browning Buckmark competition pistol, a Beretta Bobcat in .25 ACP (fun little thing!). Not rare to be out and about with three pieces on my person, concealed. Why? Because I can! It's an "honor" my country bestows on me, proof of their confidence in me as a law-abiding, upstanding citizen. I don't think we'll have that "right" forever, so I'm exercising it while I can. (As all my fellow Americans should be doing!).

My wife has the Taurus Bobcat knockoff in .22, a 9mm S&W M&P Shield she carries in her purse, a Ruger compact LC9 in 9mm she used to carry, and the Ruger LCP .380, which she claims hurts her trigger finger but doesn't want to give it up. (And she's always looking at other pistols... next might be a revolver like the Lady Smith, aka Model 642).

My S&W 586 was stolen. I'm ashamed of that, but the cops here say it's probably at the bottom of the lake somewhere. It's where stolen guns usually end up when they're actively pursuing a likely suspect. Instead of replacing it I bought a huge-ass gun vault. In addition to the handguns, the vault is holding my 12 ga. Weatherby SAS shotgun, the four muzzleloader rifles, two .410s (a JC Higgins and a Savage), a break-action 16 ga. I never use but used to use for hunting before the 12 ga. purchase), a Browning 20 ga shotgun.... Let's see. What else. A fleet of BB guns, of course, all Crossman. I'm leaving out something... Hmmm.... I might have to run down and check.

I used to shoot slow-fire pistol in county competitions but stopped after a few years. Big-time handloader, and like to cast my own lead for muzzleloaders and .39 and 9mm from lead I get from the tire shop. Lost my source of zinc and the lead I pour now is too soft, too dirty.

Weirdest thing I do is reload .25 cartridges. But it's worth it -- since .25 is awfully expensive off the shelf. Don't do that often, though. It's a fun caliber for the kids. A "step up" round from the .22s we let them shoot.
I have a feeling we would get along.
.22s are still my favorite but big bore is my long time abusive lover.
 
Yes. We call it "recreational murder." Sooo dangerous here. So very dangerous. OMG! We're dropping like flies here (Better stay away!) :devilish: It's why no one tries to come here illegally. Ain't no one crossing *these* borders. Because it's so scary here. We don't have ANY problem with illegal aliens. No, not us. They're all trying to sneak into England.

If it's tourist season, why can't we shoot 'em?
-- Severely frowned-upon bumper sticker in northern Michigan
 
Kinda glad we don't have these in the UK.

Americans seem to love shooting each other
You might also want to research some statistics. Real statistics that include crimes with knives, bats, sticks, hammers, clubs, rocks, swords, pencils, twigs, towels, pillows, shoes, ect ect. Lots of ways to hurt someone without using a gun.
 
Canadian with a lotta guns. Many people think Canadians are quite restricted when it comes to firearms, but other than a lot of weird and quirky restrictions, it's one of the least restrictive countries when it comes to firearm ownership.
Personally I have:

- Ruger Mini-14
- 1964 Tula SKS
- 1934 Mosin
- Kodiak Defense WK180 (AR platform)
- Marlin 30-30 lever action
- Mossberg Patriot 30-06
- Remington 7mm
- Traditions .50 Cal Flintlock
- Mossberg Cruiser 12 gauge (my home defense shotty)
- Old rusty double barrel 12 gauge I got from my pops
- Ruger 10/22
- BR-99 mag fed semi-auto shotgun on an AR platform


Unfortunately earlier this year my Norinco M-14 blew up on me at the range when it fired out of battery... cut my face up a bit in the process.

Not all of them are in the picture but here's a sample
246gx95.jpg
 
Canadian with a lotta guns. Many people think Canadians are quite restricted when it comes to firearms, but other than a lot of weird and quirky restrictions, it's one of the least restrictive countries when it comes to firearm ownership.
Personally I have:

- Ruger Mini-14
- 1964 Tula SKS
- 1934 Mosin
- Kodiak Defense WK180 (AR platform)
- Marlin 30-30 lever action
- Mossberg Patriot 30-06
- Remington 7mm
- Traditions .50 Cal Flintlock
- Mossberg Cruiser 12 gauge (my home defense shotty)
- Old rusty double barrel 12 gauge I got from my pops
- Ruger 10/22
- BR-99 mag fed semi-auto shotgun on an AR platform


Unfortunately earlier this year my Norinco M-14 blew up on me at the range when it fired out of battery... cut my face up a bit in the process.

Not all of them are in the picture but here's a sample
View attachment 55858
Your collection would put some Americans to shame. I'm sure with a collection like that some people mistake you for an American.
 
You might also want to research some statistics. Real statistics that include crimes with knives, bats, sticks, hammers, clubs, rocks, swords, pencils, twigs, towels, pillows, shoes, ect ect. Lots of ways to hurt someone without using a gun.
Old stats but... UK citizens are twice as afraid to be out at night as Americans. Assault and rape are twice the rate of the U.S. Crime in general is more than a third higher. And "hot burglaries" -- burglaries while the residents are *home* -- are almost unheard of in the U.S. (because... you can get SHOT doing that here), but they're pretty routine for burglaries in the U.K. ...

And as for politeness? U.K. isn't known for that. As our friend Ted Nugent says, "An armed society is a very polite society." Yep.

When the U.K. voted to leave Europe, Europe threw a huge celebration -- the U.K. has long had the reputation as the most violent country in the EU. And have you looked at the competition? That's SAYING something!

So... if you're from the U.K.? Please don't come here. You'll lower property values here.

(Oh, but, yes -- homicides by gun are lower in the UK. That's true. You got us there.)
 
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Old stats but... UK citizens are twice as afraid to be out at night as Americans. Assault and rape are twice the rate of the U.S. Crime in general is more than a third higher. And "hot burglaries" -- burglaries while the residents are *home* -- are almost unheard of in the U.S. (because... you can get SHOT doing that here), but they're pretty routine for burglaries in the U.K. ...

And as for politeness? U.K. isn't known for that. As our friend Ted Nugent says, "An armed society is a very polite society." Yep.

When the U.K. voted to leave Europe, Europe threw a huge celebration -- the U.K. has long had the reputation as the most violent country in the EU. And have you looked at the competition? That's SAYING something!

So... if you're from the U.K.? Please don't come here. You'll lower property values here.

(Oh, but, yes -- homicides by gun are lower. That's true. You got us there.)
I think it's a cultural issue. Switzerland has about as many guns per capita as the US does and yet it has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. But then again, as the old saying goes... guns (or weapons) don't kill people, people do. Sure, weapons are designed for the purpose of taking life, but it takes someone to pull the trigger, just as much as it takes someone to smash somebody with a hammer or a ball bat. If someone assaults somebody with a baseball bat, do you blame the bat or the assailant?
 
Canadian with a lotta guns. Many people think Canadians are quite restricted when it comes to firearms, but other than a lot of weird and quirky restrictions, it's one of the least restrictive countries when it comes to firearm ownership.
Personally I have:

- Ruger Mini-14
- 1964 Tula SKS
- 1934 Mosin
- Kodiak Defense WK180 (AR platform)
- Marlin 30-30 lever action
- Mossberg Patriot 30-06
- Remington 7mm
- Traditions .50 Cal Flintlock
- Mossberg Cruiser 12 gauge (my home defense shotty)
- Old rusty double barrel 12 gauge I got from my pops
- Ruger 10/22
- BR-99 mag fed semi-auto shotgun on an AR platform


Unfortunately earlier this year my Norinco M-14 blew up on me at the range when it fired out of battery... cut my face up a bit in the process.

Not all of them are in the picture but here's a sample
View attachment 55858
I'll vouch for Canada and liberty. Past 10 years, I've spent a lot of time there on the job and found so much more "freedom" than in the U.S. We brag about it. They *live* it.

So during the ammo shortage, when I couldn't get 9mm, .40, .38 or even .22 -- I "bulked up" in Ontario. I came back with a bunch in my suitcase from Sudbury, bunch more on a trip to Timmins. Then Canada caught on (saw it on the news one evening, how U.S. was crossing the border and pilfering Canada's ammo supply. They didn't even *know* we had a crisis down here).

So, since my state is on the Canadian border and there's a "hole" in our boundaries, I get along pretty good, and my accent is just a little off from most of theirs. Was in Timmins and, for the first time, a clerk asked me for my gun purchase permit at checkout.

My what?

Turns out, Canadian law, at least as *this* guy explained it, you have to show that you have authorization to own a gun in order to buy ammo for it. I mean, makes sense, I guess. But no one asked me that before.

I told him, I ain't got a Canadian purchase permit. I'm from the U.S. He said he was sorry, but, nope, he couldn't sell ammo to me.

I added, "But... I do have a Minnesota carry permit, and, c'mon, now, we're neighbors, doncha know." I showed it to him. He looked at it for a minute, then he grabbed a pen and started writing down the number in a ledger. "Ah, for fuck's sake. Who gives a shit. No one looks at these books anyway." And he sold me a bunch of .22 bricks, a case of 9mm and a case of .40

I likes Canadians! (They's my buddies... After all, we have a hole in our state. There's no real boundary no how between Minnesota and our neighbors to the north). :)

(The story of why Minnesota humps up like that? It's a surveying error. Pretty sure alcohol was involved.)
 
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I think it's a cultural issue. Switzerland has about as many guns per capita as the US does and yet it has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. But then again, as the old saying goes... guns (or weapons) don't kill people, people do. Sure, weapons are designed for the purpose of taking life, but it takes someone to pull the trigger, just as much as it takes someone to smash somebody with a hammer or a ball bat. If someone assaults somebody with a baseball bat, do you blame the bat or the assailant?
It's definitely a cultural issue. Other "civilized" countries, you piss someone off, they'll fuck you up. Ask you to step outside a moment. But in the U.S., you take someone's gym bag and the owner believes he has the right to take your life. You diss someone's girlfriend, he has the right to kill you.

Where the HELL did that murderous attitude come from? It didn't come from inanimate objects, like guns. Guns don't make the holder want to kill. MILLIONS upon millions love shooting sports and never think of "offing" people with them. And states and venues that prohibit them don't take away that cultural thirst for blood.

Where does *that* come from? Look past the gun. Why do people here want to use one to kill people? (That's something in the water here, something in the culture. Other cultures (often cited, Switzerland) have tons of guns without our gun murder rate. And countries with much more intolerant gun control laws (Mexico) make our society look like Utopia for our comparatively low gun-related homocide rates.

The U.S. *does* have a lethal mentality that goes way past guns, though. ... But that's in "us." Not all of us. But a significantly higher number of us than other countries. Why?

Stop focusing on the metal thing and focus on the mental thing. Europe keeps saying if we just prohibit gun ownership it will "cure" us. I hate to suggest this as the experiment, but go ahead, take away the guns. It won't change anything but *how* young folk kill each other. I think that experiment is coming. And until then, I'm packing heat -- just because I can yet, not because I really think I need to. Eventually we'll squirt oil on the squeaky wheel, only to learn that it wasn't that wheel that was grinding).

We ain't Europe. We have no desire to be a "parented" society, dependent on our government for adult supervision, asking permission of a government to do this or that. We have been, and I hope continue to be, a libertarian society. I don't need my government to tell me when to wipe my butt, wear a helmut, stop using a hair dryer in the shower. We make fun of that. We only need a government to sustain a system protecting our freedom to live as we please.

The "American Dream" (btw, Mexicans and Indians, it's not called the American "Promise"; you don't get it just because you crossed the border) is that I can manage, through my own hard work, to have a tiny plot of land with a house whose roof doesn't leak, and the heater works, where I can grill on Saturday nights and drink myself stupid till Sunday. Then drag my ass to work on Monday and start the week again. AND... AND... do this without hearing a PEEP from my government. I don't want Trump at the baptism reception. I don't want cops at my daughters' quinceañeras (though they'll PROBABLY have to be called in anyway, since that's what they're really for :) Oh, and yes, my step kids are all Mexican).

I'm not American because of who I vote for. I'm American in that I don't give a shit who's president. I just want them to do their job and keep the government out of my pocket and away from my backyard.

We hiss at suggestions our government can decide what we "need" when it comes to anything, even which gun we may own. We require our government to prove beyond a doubt that we shouldn't *have* want we want. Not kiss their butt to gain "permission" to have it.

This is America. We aim to keep it that way. If we wanted to live like Europeans, our ancestors who came from there would not have left it.
 
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It's definitely a cultural issue. Other "civilized" countries, you piss someone off, they'll fuck you up. Ask you to step outside a moment. But in the U.S., you take someone's gym bag and the owner believes he has the right to take your life. You diss someone's girlfriend, he has the right to kill you.

Where the HELL did that murderous attitude come from? It didn't come from inanimate objects, like guns. Guns don't make the holder want to kill. MILLIONS upon millions love shooting sports and never think of "offing" people with them. And states and venues that prohibit them don't take away that cultural thirst for blood.

Where does *that* come from? Look past the gun. Why do people here want to use one to kill people? (That's something in the water here, something in the culture. Other cultures (often cited, Switzerland) have tons of guns without our gun murder rate. And guns with much more intolerant gun control laws (Mexico) make our society look like Nirvana for its comparatively low gun-homocide rates.

The U.S. *does* have a lethal mentality that goes way past guns, though. ... But that's in "us." Not all of us. But a significantly higher number of us than other countries. Why?

Stop focusing on the metal thing and focus on the mental thing. Europe keeps saying if they take away the guns it will "cure" us. I hate to suggest this as the experiment, but go ahead, take away the guns. It won't change anything but *how* young folk kill each other. I think that experiment is coming. And until then, I'm packing heat -- just because I can yet, not because I really think I need to. Eventually we'll squirt oil on the squeaky wheel, only to learn that it wasn't that wheel that was grinding).
Preaching to the choir. But too many people (usually hoplophobes) would prefer to blame the tool rather than the user. Because the mafia never used cement and brass knuckles as weapons before either *rolls eyes*, and knives are apparently "less lethal" than firearms to some of these folks.

Realistically speaking, gunshot wounds are usually just as fatal as knife wounds. There was an article floating around somewhere on the net highlighting this.
 
I have. According to the law, I can’t have short-barreled weapons, only official, you can’t carry them freely. Forced to be formally considered a hunter. Before buying a rifle, you must have a smooth barrel for five years. Another stupidity of this country. =)
Thus, the SVD is 7.62 * 54. 240mm (forbidden but easy to recover from a hunting rifle tiger-9), svt-40, vz.54, Tsv-1.
 
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Preaching to the choir. But too many people (usually hoplophobes) would prefer to blame the tool rather than the user. Because the mafia never used cement and brass knuckles as weapons before either *rolls eyes*, and knives are apparently "less lethal" than firearms to some of these folks.

Realistically speaking, gunshot wounds are usually just as fatal as knife wounds. There was an article floating around somewhere on the net highlighting this.
Preaching to the choir???? LOL

(I call it, "drunk posting." This is going to hurt tomorrow.)

:sick:
 
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Canadian with a lotta guns. Many people think Canadians are quite restricted when it comes to firearms, but other than a lot of weird and quirky restrictions, it's one of the least restrictive countries when it comes to firearm ownership.
Personally I have:

- Ruger Mini-14
- 1964 Tula SKS
- 1934 Mosin
- Kodiak Defense WK180 (AR platform)
- Marlin 30-30 lever action
- Mossberg Patriot 30-06
- Remington 7mm
- Traditions .50 Cal Flintlock
- Mossberg Cruiser 12 gauge (my home defense shotty)
- Old rusty double barrel 12 gauge I got from my pops
- Ruger 10/22
- BR-99 mag fed semi-auto shotgun on an AR platform


Unfortunately earlier this year my Norinco M-14 blew up on me at the range when it fired out of battery... cut my face up a bit in the process.

Not all of them are in the picture but here's a sample
View attachment 55858
Nice. What are your handgun laws like? You have some big animals there, I wouldn’t want to have a run in with nothing on my hip.
 
Nice. What are your handgun laws like? You have some big animals there, I wouldn’t want to have a run in with nothing on my hip.

Pretty lame. They are considered "restricted" firearms. You can only travel with them if you are going to the range, and they can only be fired on a sanctioned range. So cant carry for self defense against man or beast.
 
Pretty lame. They are considered "restricted" firearms. You can only travel with them if you are going to the range, and they can only be fired on a sanctioned range. So cant carry for self defense against man or beast.

I've caught commentary in the past that suggests to me there's also a "permit to own" and "permit to purchase" requirement for handguns and ammo that fits them up there in the Great White North. Never bothered to follow up and find out for sure, since I'm not there. Truth, bullshit, or misunderstood fragments of overheard conversation? Or am I just getting things crossed up with the requirements of some other country - (probably England - Or New Jersey, where I'm led to believe it takes something close to an act of god to legally own ANY gun, and having a live .22LR round stuck in your car's floor mat or under your back seat can get you a nice long stay in their state prison)
 
I've caught commentary in the past that suggests to me there's also a "permit to own" and "permit to purchase" requirement for handguns and ammo that fits them up there in the Great White North. Never bothered to follow up and find out for sure, since I'm not there. Truth, bullshit, or misunderstood fragments of overheard conversation? Or am I just getting things crossed up with the requirements of some other country - (probably England - Or New Jersey, where I'm led to believe it takes something close to an act of god to legally own ANY gun, and having a live .22LR round stuck in your car's floor mat or under your back seat can get you a nice long stay in their state prison)
Well in my shity state of NJ muzzleloaders and air guns are considered firearms and you have to be 21 and have a valid permit to buy handgun ammo.
 
I've caught commentary in the past that suggests to me there's also a "permit to own" and "permit to purchase" requirement for handguns and ammo that fits them up there in the Great White North. Never bothered to follow up and find out for sure, since I'm not there. Truth, bullshit, or misunderstood fragments of overheard conversation? Or am I just getting things crossed up with the requirements of some other country - (probably England - Or New Jersey, where I'm led to believe it takes something close to an act of god to legally own ANY gun, and having a live .22LR round stuck in your car's floor mat or under your back seat can get you a nice long stay in their state prison)

There are no such permits. There is however a 2 tiered system of licenses, Restricted Possession & Acquisition license (RPAL), and a regular PAL. The restricted license allows you to purchase restricted firearms (pistols and scary black rifles) that are only allowed to be used on a range and transported too and from the range.
How they decide which rifles are restricted is a brain dead system that makes no sense. There are AR platforms that are restricted, and some that aren't. There is a large list of modern combat rifles that are unrestricted, such as the Tarvor-21, M-14, Mini-14, Kel-Tec RFB/RDB and many more...all rifles capable of doing just as much or more damage than an AR-15.
 
I love my ARs but I’m dead set on my lever guns and pump action rifles.

I agree. I baby my modular rifles and spend good coin on them. But there's something about old manual action firearms that makes them my focus on the range
 
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