Gun snobs

[sonovasailor]

Gun preferance does not a snob make. Some men are leg men, butt men, boob men. Some are plastic men, 1911 men, Ak men or 1 shot kill men. Me personally, I would sooner beat an intruder to a pulp with a ball bat than to shoot them with a Hi-Point.
Sorry, I'm a gun snob.

 

[fnl388w]

Yes, I my self am gun gun snob. I will shoot anything that I'm allowed to, but will only buy what I like and prefer. I think, deep down, all gun owners are this way...

 

[groovatron]

While I have a number of guns that are fun to shoot, and more that I'd like to own that would be fun to shoot, I look at guns as tools. They are meant for one specific purpose. That said, guns have to be reliable and of good quality; period. If they are ugly, that's ok. An ugly tool that gets the job done is better than a pretty tool that fails on you.

I agree with the quality thing. It's funny....when you compared the guns to tools, it got me thinking. When it comes to tools, I ,like alot of you out there, have a ton of them. I tend to buy quality tools for the most part. Made in the U.S.A. with the reliability of a tank. But often, it depends on what I need the tool for. If there is one thing I have learned over the years, you can never have enough screwdrivers, pliers, hammers, flashlights,etc. Although I prefer quality, I have found myself buying some of those bargain screwdriver bundles or LED flashlight packs at the Home Depot. There are somewhat disposable, but they generally get the job done in a pinch. Especially when you can afford to litter the things around your home, truck, business etc. So I guess the point I'm trying to make is, guns are tools. But even the cheap ones have a purpose. Affordability and the weekend warrior. Would I shoot one at the range?.....Bring it on!...Would I take one into battle?....Only if it was my only option.

 

[groovatron]

A recent thread I read brought something to mind. Are there gun snobs? And if so, why?

Let me define what I mean before any discussion begins. A gun snob is someone who looks down upon either a certain brand or type of firearm and/or those who buy them. For example Hi-Point firearms due to their cheap price, fugly looks and so-so quality. Also, there are some that think only shotguns should be owned. Others think that anyone that owns a so-called "assault rifle" must be a terrorist.

Now I freely admit I do have a Hi-Point 995 9mm carbine and it is ugly and does not have the best quality but it was cheap and is fun to shoot. Let me also say I have an Springfield M1A, a Garand, a Golden Boy and other spendy long guns as well as quite a accumulation of Colt handguns.

Some folks don't like spending a lot on a gun. Some folks CAN'T spend a lot on a gun. Does this make them any less of a gunowner and open to ridicule and disdain by fellow gunowners? I most certainly think not.

Anyway, I just thought I'd throw this out there to perhaps get some folks thinking about how they view some of their fellow gunowners.

BTW: I have been guilty of this myself. I used to think anyone that had a plastic gun was a sissy. I have since changed my view, though I personally still prefer single-stack metal guns.

Are there gun snobs?........YES
Why are there gun snobs?.....Because they are human....same reason there are car snobs, cheese snobs, and music snobs.

 

[mbaza3]

If being a gun snob means you save money to buy a nice gun instead of a cheap one then I am guilty.

 

[DIRTY HARRY]

Well, 3 of my many are Hi Points and I disagree with you all! You need not own one, but you dare not try to take mine away.

 

[DIRTY HARRY]

It's just sad to see some fellow "gun owners" look down their nose at something they obviously know very little about.

 

[Titanium Man]

Snobs

EVERY sport has it's snobs. I like to think of it as levels. Some people stay at a level, because that's all they want to venture into it, or can afford. I know a lot of this because of my other sporting love, archery. My side is the Olympic side and if you want to see a bunch of snooty snoots, come with me to a tournament. I would say I'm guilty in regards to people that may be unsafe and plead ignorance to the sport, not wise. If you are going to venture into a shooting sport, safety first. Anyway, the Olympic snobs are the kings of archery, then it just trickles down in the various other sides, and the snobs from those sides, and it seems somebody is always warring with someone over conflicts in schedules, and their organization and discipline should be given more priority and yadayadayada. It never ends, and it will be with us till the day we die.

 

[ihateiraq]

It's just sad to see some fellow "gun owners" look down their nose at something they obviously know very little about.

why is gun owners in quotation marks?

 

[Believer]

The value of a carpenter is not by the price of his tools but by the care in which he invests into his craft.

 

[BloodEclipse]

I'm not a gun snob but I don't like small guns. I have it on good authority that.....

 

[ihateiraq]

I'm not a gun snob but I don't like small guns. I have it on good authority that.....

i was going to say something really dirty, but ill let well enough alone.

 

[homeless]

My name is homeless and I am a gun snob.

As a craftsman myself I put allot of stock into quality manufacturing and my fire arms purchases reflect that. I think that machines are works of art, I believe that function should never be compromised but a good designer can use form to shave weight and provide proper balance and ergonomics without sacrifice.

High quality tooling and finishes, balance and feel, and rugged reliable accuracy are what I look for. Dad and Grandpa told me not to waist my money, but when I was going to spend to get something that will more than meet my needs for a long time.

I don't look down on the shooters, just the guns and the manufactures. Some people buy cheaper guns because thats all they could afford at the moment ( I have owned Taurus's), Some don't know care about the things that I do and what they have is good enough, others have been hoodwinked by marketing schemes or sales guys or their buddy or a gun writer.

I will make fun of what ever brand that you like for any and all of their foibles, problems, mistakes, and stereo-types. But I do that to my brands and tastes also. Trust me I am more likely to judge you on the clothes you are wearing, your haircut and holster than on your gun.

 

[DIRTY HARRY]

I agree! I too have fallen to the snobs! I own 16 various weapons and only three are Hi Points, and once again I got em cause they were in expensive. I have run 1100 rounds thru my C9, 700 thru my 45ACP, and about 400 thru my 995 Carbine. All these guns are fun to shoot and I certainly wouldn't go up against anyone that was yeilding one!

It all goes back to peer pressure and brand loyalty. Some folks just have a burr up their arse, and they think their opinion is the only one that counts. Wrong!

My Colts, Smiths and North American Arms, as well as my AMT Backups all work just as well and in some cases, not as well. They are as good as the gun owner wants them to be.

My 2 cents...........

 

[homeless]

My Colts, Smiths and North American Arms, as well as my AMT Backups all work just as well and in some cases, not as well. They are as good as the gun owner wants them to be.

But those are junk guns too.

 

[shibumiseeker]

I wouldn't consider myself a gun snob, I generally buy middle of the road quality guns. I like to pay half of the money for 75% of the highest quality. I don't pay more just because of a name, but on the flip side, names usually associate with quality. I like to buy guns that are functional, reasonably accurate for the task (I don't pay $ks for a defensive pistol, but will pay more for my target rifle), and well designed.

I think the difference for a lot of folks is being unaware of what they own. I know a lot of folks who think an Olympic is a top of the line AR15 because that is what they own, it works well enough for them, and they don't really know any better. Should they be happy with their purchase? If they are, great. Should someone shooting a Colt look down upon them because they don't own a Colt? I'd call that latter person a gun snob.

Me, I tend to be a caliber snob. I like 'em harder hitting

 

[Libertarian01]

I don't know if I would fall under the term gun snob by your definition, but I definitely have my personal views regarding firearms.

For the most part I couldn't care less about what modern firearms anyone chooses to shoot. As a say I once heard goes, "It's better to be missed by a .45 than hit by a .22."

On older weapons I do have a little internal rant when I see that someone has butchered a historic weapons, most often military, by either sporterizing it or modifying it in any way.

As I see it many of the old military rifles are pieces of history that have a story to tell and have been a part of world events by contributing to both the strengths and weaknesses of governments all across the globe.

A friend of mine has a brother who chopped up a perfectly good Lee Enfield rifle just to make it lighter for hunting. The rifle was part of history and was perfectly fine in in its original configuration. Now the antique value and originality is forever gone. It cannot be returned to its former glory. Even if you were to replace the stock it would not be the same stock that came with the rifle in the first place.

In all fairness I think the same way regarding any antique. Just watched too much "Antique Road Show" I guess.

Again, modern guns I couldn't care less. Many of them have been designed for personalization and to suit individual taste.

Just leave my Mosins, Lee Enfield's, military Mausers alone. Oh yes, and the Springfield 1903's, and 1903A3's alone too. And the mlitary Carcano's.
And don't forget the Steyr's... Etc Etc Etc...!

Regards,

Doug

 

[kingnereli]

My perspective is that "gun snob" is reserved for attitudes directed towards the owner of any particular firearm rather then the quality of the gun. I don't mind when people hate on my guns and I don't mind hating on other guns. The owners, however, shouldn't be diminished because of their choice.

 

[mettle]

I'm a gun snob... if you don't like guns... I don't like you!

 

[indianamoon]

New to this site, and I will have to say that this is one of the longest threads I have seen. What a great level of participation, and right here at home.

Re gun snob, well as long as it is quality, I see nothing wrong with cheap, er, inexpensive.

Indy