Author Topic: Gun crazy Swiss (Read 6982 times)

Angus · « **Reply #45 on:** June 11, 2007, 06:27:02 AM »

LOL, nice point. Up here in Iceland you cannot buy a handgun or an automatic rifle bigger than .22 though.
Was going to mention Norway anyway ,- as a retired soldier or a member of the National Guard, you are allowed to keep you assault weapon or?

moot · « **Reply #46 on:** June 11, 2007, 07:11:32 AM »

I was replying specificaly regarding the Japanese paradox of allowing firearms, but disallowing their using them for the really important, fundamental need. So fundamental that it made politics happen, all the way back to the time of things like Hammurabi.

About the futility of standing with better odds rather than worse ones.. is that just the scandinavian cynicism showing thru or what?
Really, 'dying on your feet' isn't just a fancy saying. And should you prefer to die on your knees, why deny others the right to do otherwise? You (not you) are going to die/fail anyway, as you (you) say, so what's the difference, right?

And if you do allow people to own firearms, why would it be a stretch to let them carry them?
What is the difference between trusting a person with a firearm that's shot in the privacy of a home where no witness can attest to the ethics of its use (I presume such is the case in the countries you mentionned, like australia etc), and one that's more likely shot in the presence of other people (like in the US)?

Shuckins · « **Reply #47 on:** June 11, 2007, 07:40:23 AM »

I took the time to read the entire letter posted by the Japanese citizen about firearms ownership in Japan.

Total number of gun owners in Japan is around 50,000, if I'm interpreting his data correctly. That number includes those owning co2 pistols and rifles, target pistols, shotguns and centerfire rifles.

His English was a bit confusing at times. Some statements are quite revealing nonetheless: Ownership of "air pistols" is limited to 500 people; ownership of pistols for target shooting is limited to only 50 people (probably the Olympic team hopefuls.) Out of a nation of 80 million.

The amount of ammunition that can be owned is limited. There is a ton of paperwork involved in every step of gun and ammunition purchasing and ownership, much of it frivolous. In addition, he states that the owner must do two things on an annual basis: take his gun in to a police station for an inspection; give an account of each and every round he fired during the preceding year.

Lastly, he stated that guns cannot be owned for self-defense.

So, one can say that gun ownership is legal in Japan....but beyond that the analogy begins to break down.

Viking · « **Reply #48 on:** June 11, 2007, 07:56:19 AM »

I wasn't aware that there was an analogy at all.

Viking · « **Reply #49 on:** June 11, 2007, 08:00:33 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Angus
LOL, nice point. Up here in Iceland you cannot buy a handgun or an automatic rifle bigger than .22 though.
Was going to mention Norway anyway ,- as a retired soldier or a member of the National Guard, you are allowed to keep you assault weapon or?

Yes I have all my gear and my AG-3 at home with 100 rounds of ammo. In addition to my Mauser rifle and shotgun of course. I used to have an MP-5 submachinegun and a .45 pistol, but I sold them after only 7-8 months of use due to too little time to use them at the range to justify owning them. I was getting tired of blasting holes in paper anyways, hunting is so much more rewarding.

Angus · « **Reply #50 on:** June 11, 2007, 10:34:44 AM »

Out of curiousity, do you snipe birds for instance? And what do you use?

MrRiplEy[H] · « **Reply #51 on:** June 11, 2007, 11:10:23 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Viking
The motor-racing ban in Switzerland was lifted a week ago. There's speculation of F1 races being held there now.

I'm sure that's because armed militia revolted and overcame the government?

Toad · « **Reply #52 on:** June 11, 2007, 11:20:26 AM »

More likely the government wanted to tax the driver's profession.

Viking · « **Reply #53 on:** June 11, 2007, 11:45:12 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Angus
Out of curiousity, do you snipe birds for instance? And what do you use?

Nope I do not snipe birds if by that you mean shooting them with a scoped small-game rifle like a .22 LR. I have thought about it though, but for now I only hunt with the shotgun (old Russian side-by-side I bought off my dad). The Mauser is an M98 "heimeværnsmauser". It’s a K98 re-chambered to the .30-06 round and used by the Norwegian army after WWII. I haven’t gotten around to scoping it yet, but I have to if I'm going to hunt seals this autumn.

lazs2 · « **Reply #54 on:** June 12, 2007, 08:38:21 AM »

Ok then... I have no problem with your-0-peeean gun control so long as I am able to carry concealed any type of handgun I want. and.. every other adult who is not insane can too.

And why not? In the US there are no problems with concealed carry holders. Why would anyone want to restrict them?

If your-0-peeans are so much smarter and fairer and better than Americans then they should trust their fellow citizens even more with firearms.

beetl...errr.. "ferndale" I can take a picture of any US city and you will not see firearms in the crowd.. there will be firearms.. you just won't see em.

When there is a riot you will see em.. when a concealed carry holder or citizen uses em the 1-3 million times a year to stop crimes you will see em but... not in a random picture unless you are very lucky.

you euro girls are so funny... with your womanly gun control and socialist governments... your secularist panic over death... why not just crawl back into the womb?

lazs

Shuckins · « **Reply #55 on:** June 12, 2007, 08:56:30 AM »

Objectively, one must wonder about the sexual predilictions of some of the Euro-posters on these boards, for they're always talking about grabbing our "guns."

MrRiplEy[H] · « **Reply #56 on:** June 12, 2007, 09:35:21 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Shuckins
Objectively, one must wonder about the sexual predilictions of some of the Euro-posters on these boards, for they're always talking about grabbing our "guns."

Objectively speaking that parallelism is entirely in your mind. Now what does that tell us?

Squire · « **Reply #57 on:** June 12, 2007, 09:39:59 AM »

Sounds like the Japanese gun laws exist to foster Olympic shooting sports only, judging from those stats, and the particulars quoted.

Its "effectively" a ban, any other definition is grasping at semantics.

You can say the old Soviet Union didnt have a ban on guns because of "civilian" Olympic shooting teams too I guess, but it don't float. Its a ban.

Less so in Australia, they can at least own hunting rifles.

Shuckins · « **Reply #58 on:** June 12, 2007, 09:48:36 AM »

MrRipley....what I'm saying is that you guys need to grab your own guns.

Oh...wait...you're already doing that....

My bad. Pray....DO carry on.

Regards, Shuckins

Viking · « **Reply #59 on:** June 12, 2007, 09:57:05 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Shuckins
Objectively, one must wonder about the sexual predilictions of some of the Euro-posters on these boards, for they're always talking about grabbing our "guns."

How many gun threads have been started by European posters? The truth of the matter is that it is American posters that whine about how other Americans want to take away their guns. Then some express ignorant views about gun control in other countries, European countries in particular. The European posters then usually enter the fray.

Quote

Originally posted by MrRiplEy[H]
Objectively speaking that parallelism is entirely in your mind. Now what does that tell us?

Yes, but then again sometimes a gun is just a gun, like Freud would have said.

Quote

Originally posted by Squire
Sounds like the Japanese gun laws exist to foster Olympic shooting sports only, judging from those stats, and the particulars quoted.

In the case of handguns that is obviously true. The Japanese gun owner even said so.

Quote

Originally posted by Squire
Its "effectively" a ban, any other definition is grasping at semantics.

On handguns yes.

Quote

Originally posted by Squire
You can say the old Soviet Union didnt have a ban on guns because of "civilian" Olympic shooting teams too I guess, but it don't float. Its a ban.

The citizens of the USSR were allowed to own hunting rifles and shotguns. Military buffs should be aware of this since it is common knowledge (even made the movies) that the famous Soviet sniper Vasily Grigoryevich Zaytsev learned to shoot as a child.

Quote

Originally posted by Squire
Less so in Australia, they can at least own hunting rifles.

So can the Japanese. Did you even read what the Japanese gun owner wrote?