Ladies and gentlemen I submit to you a conversation I just had with an old friend.
Now my friend is not a classic "anti gun" person. He has plans to purchase his first handgun soon after he returns home from Germany.
The conversation went something like this:
"... and the Sigs are worth looking at too. You've got a lot of options and you're just going to have to get out there and try to hold some of them in your hand or if possible test fire them at a range."
"Awesome. This'll take care of any problem I may ever need a gun for."
"Actually, you really should have a longarm. If I could only have one gun I'd probably have a rifle."
"What do I need a long gun for? They're expensive."
"Not really. A lever action .30-30, an SKS, a 12 gauge pump shotgun or something along those lines costs less than the handguns you're considering. If nothing else get something in 7.62x39. It's a very cheap round."
And at that point he had to go, unconvinced he needed a long arm. Personally I have a few long guns and I want about 30 more. :tongue: I view them as far more important even though I have to admit I've been all about handguns this past year.
And I do have to admit we do live in the age of the handgun for most people. Rifles are tools for expensive sports a lot of people don't practice as are many shotguns that you see. I mean honestly what use does the average person have for a $1200+ 28 gauge over/under?
How do you explain to someone why it's important to possess and know how to use a real long arm, be it a 12 or 20 gauge shotgun or a rifle in a real caliber?
The thing that makes it important to me is that in any event, a long arm is a lot easier to use for me personally. I find them easier to use and much more powerful. In a real emergency it's what I'd want to have. Plus they're just so much more fun. As much as I like my revolvers, my Marlin model 60 beats them all. :biggrin: This is part of the reason I have to admit I don't understand paying so much for a handgun when rifles are so much better. But he remains unconvinced.
I then tried the argument that for the money, long guns offer a lot more return on your investment. You can get a really decent rifle for $250; good luck finding that kind of bargain on a handgun. For the $800 that SIG costs you can really get a heck of a rifle. No go.
I tried explaining that I feel like I could stop an aggressor with my .22 caliber rifle much more easily than I could with my handgun in the same caliber, but that didn't work either.
What would you say to this person?
Now my friend is not a classic "anti gun" person. He has plans to purchase his first handgun soon after he returns home from Germany.
The conversation went something like this:
"... and the Sigs are worth looking at too. You've got a lot of options and you're just going to have to get out there and try to hold some of them in your hand or if possible test fire them at a range."
"Awesome. This'll take care of any problem I may ever need a gun for."
"Actually, you really should have a longarm. If I could only have one gun I'd probably have a rifle."
"What do I need a long gun for? They're expensive."
"Not really. A lever action .30-30, an SKS, a 12 gauge pump shotgun or something along those lines costs less than the handguns you're considering. If nothing else get something in 7.62x39. It's a very cheap round."
And at that point he had to go, unconvinced he needed a long arm. Personally I have a few long guns and I want about 30 more. :tongue: I view them as far more important even though I have to admit I've been all about handguns this past year.
And I do have to admit we do live in the age of the handgun for most people. Rifles are tools for expensive sports a lot of people don't practice as are many shotguns that you see. I mean honestly what use does the average person have for a $1200+ 28 gauge over/under?
How do you explain to someone why it's important to possess and know how to use a real long arm, be it a 12 or 20 gauge shotgun or a rifle in a real caliber?
The thing that makes it important to me is that in any event, a long arm is a lot easier to use for me personally. I find them easier to use and much more powerful. In a real emergency it's what I'd want to have. Plus they're just so much more fun. As much as I like my revolvers, my Marlin model 60 beats them all. :biggrin: This is part of the reason I have to admit I don't understand paying so much for a handgun when rifles are so much better. But he remains unconvinced.
I then tried the argument that for the money, long guns offer a lot more return on your investment. You can get a really decent rifle for $250; good luck finding that kind of bargain on a handgun. For the $800 that SIG costs you can really get a heck of a rifle. No go.
I tried explaining that I feel like I could stop an aggressor with my .22 caliber rifle much more easily than I could with my handgun in the same caliber, but that didn't work either.
What would you say to this person?