In reaching a historic agreement on prohibition of weapons, we made a mighty contribution to delivering a safer and more secure Australian society. — John Howard
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Tag Archives: handgun
I’m concerned about how accessible guns are. — Stevie Wonder
A shooting at a sawmill in Nanaimo, British Columbia on April 30, 2014, has left two men dead and two in the hospital recovering from gunshot wounds. The gunman, a 47-year-old former employee, is in custody. The murder weapon is a shotgun. I will not be surprised if prohibitionists use this tragedy to step up their complaints that it is the “availability of guns,” that it is too easy to get a gun, as to what is to blame for such incidents. “Availability” or “access to guns” is commonly held as a problem in the ranks of prohibitionists who tirelessly assert this claim. Researchers have tried to test this theory that there is a causal link between the availability of guns and deaths and injuries by gun. The difficulty for researchers studying this theory is in generating data that can be tested using scientific research methods. However, their inability to find a causal link between the availability of guns and deaths and injuries by gun has not stopped prohibitionists from advancing their belief that such a relationship exists. Continue reading
Nothing we’re going to do is going to fundamentally alter or eliminate the possibility of another mass shooting… ― Joe Biden
How often am I confronted with the assertion that “a gun is for killing?” Invariably this assertion is used by prohibitionists in debates and discussions over gun ownership. It is intended to end the debate or discussion in putting those who argue in favour of gun ownership on the defensive. The expectation is you will have to reply with “yeah, but…” This expectation is nonsensical, of course; it is a common fallacy, the argument from ignorance. Those who put forth the assertion “a gun is for killing” insist it must be true as it has yet to be proven false. Is this assertion true? Are guns for killing? If this question demands a yes or no answer, then the answer is no, guns are not for killing. In short, a gun is a device that fires a single projectile or with a shotgun, many smaller sub-projectiles, or one large projectile. However, the answer to that question is not that simple; it requires a more nuanced response. Continue reading
Home on the range
As a gun owner and hunter, I am familiar with the range of attitudes toward my hobby. I have a modest collection of sporting guns, shotguns and rifles designed for use in hunting. As I am left-handed I prefer break action shotguns and bolt-action rifles. I have two pump action shotguns in my collection and no semi-automatic firearms. I have no pistols in my collection either as these are not lawful for use in hunting in Canada. I spend time on the skeet range throughout the year to practice mounting and swinging my shotgun and go to the rifle range to make certain my deer rifle is sighted in before taking to the field. I am not really a gun enthusiast. I know enough about the guns in my collection to give them basic maintenance to see they work as they should. For more detailed maintenance I rely on my hunting buddy Jason or a professional gun smith. Continue reading
Geoffrey & Mika 