I love the "arming themselves for when the zombies come" take.
I have been a gun owner and target shooter for 30 years.
Most people around here are very much into hunting and target shooting, and many pass that on to the next generation.
The great thing about being a firearm owner in America is that you can use if for self protection if/when the time comes, but you had better be proficient (hunting/target shooting) with it long before that time comes.
One of the guys in my squad is a 5 time national target champion.
You will find a lot of black powder guys around here as well. Black powder deer season is VERY popular.
BTW: If you don't see the coming civil unrest that is building in our country---then WHO is living in the fantasy world? Evidently some people never turn on the evening news.
First of all, owning a firearm in
America is not a protected right. Perhaps you are talking about the country United States of America?
"Arming yourselves for when the zombies come" isn't something I just made up, its exact terminology I see coming from some extremist. Its also a reoccurring theme or mentality I notice from many of the pro assault-rifle-for-home-defense types, even if not a direct thought it is a underlying force for the pro gun nuts. Unfortunately these types are usually the most outspoken type of pro gun people, as exemplified by this thread.
You make a valid point that I agree with, most gun owners are responsible and have a good grasp of reality. However so far most of the pro-gun views posted in this thread are NOT from those types of people.
Civil unrest is not going to lead you to protecting yourself with hand guns and assault rifles. I'm sorry but that is simply not going to happen. Do you even understand what situations an assault rifle is designed to be used in? Hint: its NOT for protecting yourself
inside your house. If you think you're going to need it to drop tangos at mid to long ranges in the open public streets, the way it was designed to be used, then you are living in a fantasy.
I come from a long line of gun ownership too. My step father is a past Olympic team member and national champion for trap and target respectively. My biological dad was LEO. My mom blew away a skunk with a .357 when I was -1 month old, still in her womb. You get the picture. I love collecting and shooting all types of guns, especially high powered rifles. At no point in my history have I been taught that these types of long range high powered guns would be used against people. Even with all the gun exposure in my family we all have a good grasp of reality and understand these tools are not to be used as defense, that is what a simple pump action shotgun is for.
If you are talking about using these types of guns towards other people, you are no longer in the realm of home defense. I'm not sure exactly what you think the world is coming too, but I don't think you will ever need to use an assault rifle to insure the well being of your family. If civil unrest really lead to major rioting and crime in the streets, the national guard and military would be mobilized, temporary restrictions would be in place, and if you pulled out your assault rifle for protection you'd probably be viewed as a combatant and be shot on the spot.