I've carried since my 18th birthday, been a Gun Salesman and amateur Gunsmith since that day too.
Here in Vermont we don't even need permits.
I took my love of Firearms to the "Can I really use it if I need to?" level by joining the Army and invading Iraq, which whether you agree with it or not is consequential, as I don't care, but just needed to see if I could do it, and then hone my skill set.
I went there to serve my fellow countryman and exact vengeance against anyone who dares smite our American Ideals and belief in Freedom of choice, sure, but really I just wanted to prove myself on the field of battle and live up to the ethics and codes I'de learned in Boy Scouts.
It's horrifying shooting people, but I was just a Mechanic, so I ONLY shot in self defense.
I was not there hunting Humans.
I hate to even weigh in on this thread, but it keeps popping up, and since I can speak from experience, I can affirm to you that if I was a member of a club and someone showed up a shootin', I'de step right into the fray like I did in Iraq in 03-04' and instinct and training just takes over, even while the life you've lived flashes before your eyes.
Speed and violence of action wins the day.
I've had to answer to my CO when ever I struck per-emptively, so I can carry the weight of doing exactly what needs to be done.
"Rules Of Engagement" NEVER apply to the actions I took defending my fellow soldiers and myself.
It's pretty much "The Quick and the Dead" nowadays, as nearly anyone can get all sorts of virtual training fromn research on Youtube and the like.
I'm even using some of the materials I've learned to work with here to build myself firearms parts, but I'm a good guy and a defender of folks, so that's okay.
There won't even be any discussion of it, as I come here to escape all the killing people crap.
I do highly doubt that an "Active Terrorist" of any persuasion would choose a Rocketry related Event to attack, unless it was based on their hatred of our Freedom to conduct Rocketry, which actually does make our Hobby a valid Target.
Over there, they make Rockets too, but they are usually made of all sorts of improvised means, and the are certainly not weight or stability nazis, but I've had some pretty unique stuff fired at me.
They do the most diligent research.
Anyhow, I even have my Glock 19 on my hip as I type this, but I avoid Humans in real life as a general rule, so I hopefully will never have to poke ineffective holes in anyone ever again.
These Colors Don't Run!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bABYlINolY
Allah better be very "Akbar" too the fool that encounters someone like myself during his selfish idiocy, as I know that I will be johnny on the spot, when it comes to laying him or her low. I'll even run over a lady carrying a mock up baby if I deem it prudent, and worry about why she would try to walk infront of me in a big truck with her baby afterwards.
I don't tolerate violence against anyone well at all, but I can certainly see things exactly how they are, and defend in an appropriate manner.
It takes a lot to screw up a dedicated warrior with bullets, and I've also seen folks pulverized by incoming mortar rounds and 107mm rockets.
I always hoped that if I had to die, it was not by bullets.
Here in the States, 80 percent of gunshot wounds are survivable, so unless you are up against a Jihadi or a Soldier, if unarmed, you'de be ok just falling down and being quiet.
I always double checked to make sure everyone I thought was dead was actually dead, and usually found they were only grazed or pretending.
What really miffed me was our medics attending to people that just tried to kill me.
Just let that #$$Hole bleed out already!
What a sad thing that this Thread even exists.
