How many guns is “too many”?

[cajunchefray]

Around me, it's simply a "gun culture" that doesn't even follow politics.

I have several liberal friends and they all own guns.

Interesting about your liberal friends. I am very curious.

Do they own guns, as the need for a firearm in rural areas, often are for hunting or varmint control?
Handguns for self-defense?

One of my liberal friends, very politically active, grew up in New Orleans, middle class. with only a pistol his Dad kept stored.

He now lives on a nice 11-acre plot of land in a semi-rural area. He owns a couple of pistols, Ruger .22 Target, and a S&W .357 given to him by a friend after her husband died.

He lets me shoot at his place anytime I make the drive. He said to me one day that he wanted some type of centerfire rifle, in a common caliber for ammo availability, to maybe take a deer, when they cross his property in the winter, and for any predator control. I gave him a Marlin 30-30 and some ammo; he was very happy.

In my experience, in South Louisiana, even politically left people, are pro- Second amendment, to an extent.
" How many guns does a Liberal need?"
In semi -rural Louisiana, probably 2 or 3.
He still doesn't understand why I "need" an AR-15.
I need to get him a shotgun.



My shooting buddy, a retired Colonel USAF, SAC, lives alone, no wife, kids.
He has 20 weapons (mostly pistols, some semi auto rifles), strategically placed around his small modest home.
His focus is on self-defense, and blunting home invasions (in NOLA, crime issues).
He is less than 3 seconds from any weapon, anywhere in his house.
15,000 rounds of ammo in house.

The circumstances, whether Conservative rural property owner, Liberal rural landowner, or inner-city US Military Veteran dictates the number.

My number of guns I own is down to 12, from 28.
Like many other folks, as I age, I "cost rationalize" my armory to enough guns to cover all hunting, practice shooting, and self-defense scenarios. Keep the inherited ones and maintain a practical sense of calibers and reloading tools that are minimized but used.


I know a guy, successful in the oilfield business and he bought in the Midwest, an old grain silo on farmland. It looks run down from the outside, just unremarkable driving down an old state highway.
Inside he owns possibly the most extensive collection, outside of Cody, Wyoming, of Winchester repeating rifle from 1866 onward. It is in the multiple hundreds. Electronic protection and counter measures inside.
You would never know, until you walked inside.

So, space to store and secure your personal armory is the important factor.
If costs were not an issue (dreaming here), then I would have a hardened large office (20' x 24' with 10' ceilings) filled floor to ceiling with guns, built to withstand hurricanes, fire, professional thieves, with a vault door.

The common denominator is that we are always thinking about that next gun.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

When SHTF happens, if acquaintances show up they better bring something or be of some value/help or they will have to leave. My insurance guy is a friend he owns 1 gun never practices, and says he's coming to my place when SHTF happens, I've told him pay me so much a month "premium" and he's welcome, so far no premiums, I don't think he believes me, hopefully we won't have to find out

At that point money likely has little to no value anymore. I’d rather not have to collect/purify an extra gallon of water a day per person, maintain that much larger of a shelter, forage/hunt/preserve that much more food. More people means more personalities and more opinions. Both those mean more problems.

 

[BryceM]

“… shall not be infringed” means it doesn’t need to be a topic of conversation.

AKA “noneya.” As in, noneya business.

AKA “As many as I want.”

 

[Flewis]

To be very clear, I have NO liberal friends. I know and work with many but I don’t trust them. They vote against everything American.

 

[cajunchefray]

When I get asked "why do you have some many guns" by a non-gun person I ask then "why do they have so many shoes" and that normally ends their questions.

In the past, when my wife has asked the proverbial "How many guns do you have now, and why you want to buy another one?"

The simple answer is "Remember, when we got married, you had 72 pairs of shoes?

 

[Safari Dave]

Most are hunters and have rifles and shotguns.

The women liberals have pistols for self defense.

 

[Randy F]

"Too many" is one more that what is practical.

"Practical" has as many definitions as there are gun owners.

 

[jruby]

The only time I question how many I own is when it comes time to cleaning them.

 

[Don458]

I’m sure most of you have had the pleasure of having a discussion on this topic with people who don’t use guns for hunting or sport. I certainly have. I’ve had it so often that I can anticipate most every angle that is presented.

However, I’ve never had a serious discussion on the topic with like-minded people.

I’m sure there are a range of reasonable answers and they may vary depending on where you’re from.

I know that in the United States gun owners generally subscribe to the notion of no limits, and this has also been my view to date.

But this may not be the view more broadly.

I am curious to hear well reasoned arguments for any limitations that you may believe should be in place.

I may or may not ultimately agree, but I would appreciate hearing well reasoned positions contrary to mine.

This certainly is an emotional topic in the United States, but my hope is that we can have a civil discussion here.

Therefore, to start it on a light note, I am posting the comedian Jim Jeffries view on gun ownership in the US:

According to the state of NY - 1

 

[Rocked and Loaded]

One gun in the hand of a maniac is more dangerous than a hundred in the hands of a good citizen. So numerical limits don’t come into it in my mind. I recently served on the jury for an attempted murder trial and the suspect’s cheap, liquor store, folding knife has caused more harm to humans than any firearm I own (I own a number of milsurp rifles so at least in my lifetime).

So the limit should be what you can afford and desire which varies a lot from person to person. For me it’s “just one more.” I have guns I use and guns I simply enjoy owning. I have overlap and redundancy but I’ve never really had a burning desire to part with anything just because I don’t “need” it.

 

[franzfmdavis]

When I get asked "why do you have some many guns" by a non-gun person I ask then "why do they have so many shoes" and that normally ends their questions.

I’ve used that response before as well, usually with female friends. The conversation goes something like this:

Her: Why do you have so many guns?

Me: The same reason you have so many shoes.

Her: But guns are for killing people. Do you need more than one gun to protect yourself from a person?

Me: The same applies to shoes; they are only meant for protecting your feet from the rain, so why do you need more than one pair of boots?

Her: Thats not true! I need shoes for running, for going to the office, for going out, for different outfits, for biking and a million things other than just to protect my feet from rain.

Me: I’m just going to let you imagine how I’m going to respond next.

They then look at my wife in a semi disgusted look, and she says: don’t look at me, I’m the one that got him into guns!

 

[Nyati]

I believe you should have as many as you want, and can afford.

Unfortunately in most of the world (except the US), there are laws which restrict gun ownership.

In my own country we don´t have a problem with hunting guns, but handguns are very restricted, unless you are a competion shooter, and are allowed up to 10 handguns.

Not good when you have a soft spot for S&W revolvers, there are so many models and calibers

 

[RLD]

I have been told there is a mathematical model that describes the correct number of firearms one should own. Apparently it is expressed as follows:

C=x+1 or y-1

Where C is the correct number of firearms

X is your current number of guns

Y is the number of guns that will cause your spouse to leave you

 

[coreydb]

There are no well reasoned arguments for limiting guns if not used for shooting or hunting. That's the purpose for having them. Limiting? nah.....just ran out of money

 

[dlmac]

This made me think of how many I have, how many do I need, how many I REALLy need? The only reason to down size is so that you can buy more ammo, instead of just have a few thousand for each firearm.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

This made me think of how many I have, how many do I need, how many I REALLy need? The only reason to down size is so that you can buy more ammo, instead of just have a few thousand for each firearm.

Downsizing has paid for some hunts for me, and allowed me to step up into some much more valuable and collectible pieces

 

[ChrisPy]

If you have more than me, that’s not fair. If you have less than me, what’s your problem.

 

[40inarow]

If you have more than me, that’s not fair. If you have less than me, what’s your problem.

When I am asked how many guns do I own,
My response is “I have the required amount.”

 

[sureshot375]

What kind of nonsense is this??? Have you been talking with my wife?

I don’t know how many guns I have. I damn sure can’t count them on all my fingers and toes.

I’m pretty sure I could shoot a different shotgun every day of the month.

Restrictions on the numbers of firearms someone can own is a worthless political stunt with no meaningful impact on anything in regards to criminals.

Every American should have:

A dozen .22 rifles and 50k plus rounds of ammo.

Several Ar 15’s and 10k rounds of ammo.

At least 5 handguns: .22, compact, revolver, full size in various calibers.

Bolt rifles in .223, 308, .300 mag of choice. Plus whatever other caliber strikes your fancy.

12 ga semi auto, o/u in a variety of gauges.

DG rifles or whatever else you are into.

A 50 bmg.

 

[Sabre]

When I am asked how many guns do I own,
My response is “I have the required amount.”

I usually say, "Why do you want to know? Who are you working for?"