Contrary to media reporting, AR-style guns, like this .22 rimfire, are often used for hunting.

Ed. note:  This is the final part of a three part series called Why So Many Guns? This installment covers long guns such as rifles and shotguns.  Part 1 is here and part 2 is here.

THE VENERABLE SHOTGUNS

Having begun archery hunting 3 years ago, I have really come to appreciate the skill, difficulty, and traditional means of taking game with a bow and arrow.  However, if I want to be certain of bringing home some meat I take a long gun into the field.  The same principles of selection are then easily applied to long guns.

In the area of shotguns, the 20-gauge and 12-gauge are by far the most popular, but are not exclusive.  For shooting smaller game at closer ranges a 410 shotgun can be just right, and is a great starter shotgun for younger shooters or smaller framed individuals.  And if you’re into shooting geese in the air, or zombies on the ground, there’s always the hard-hitting 10-gauge shotgun.

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Ed. note:  This is part two of a three part series called “Why so many guns?”  Click here to read part one of this series.

PISTOL OR REVOLVER?

Another consideration in handguns is that between revolvers and semi-automatic handguns.  Revolvers have been around since before the Civil War, but semi-auto handguns are only about 100 years old.  With a revolver the shooter has the ease of mind to know that all they have to do is point and shoot. Revolvers offer an ease of mind that pulling the trigger will get the desired result.  And in the extremely rare situation that a cartridge is bad and fails to fire, the shooter need only pull the trigger again to cycle the revolver to another cartridge to fire.

The .357 and .44 cartridge have been very popular and successful as a handgun cartridge, but many of the revolvers shooting these rounds have pushed their price tags up above $600.  The price of ammunition for these guns has also gone up, so their use as a target shooting gun is really diminished.  The .38 caliber offers a relatively inexpensive medium ground for gun and ammunition, but is definitely on the lower end of good self-defense gun selection.  However, the lightweight, and compact .38 revolvers from S&W, Ruger, and others have been very popular lately, due largely to their compact frame and easy concealment.  Any revolver calibers lower than .38 might be good for target practice, but haven’t faired well as good self-defense rounds.

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The first time I shot a gun was when I was about 5 years old!  My family was visiting a friend in Alabama, and dad took his shotgun with plans to do some squirrel and bird hunting while there.  I was so enamored with the guns that my dad finally relented and helped me shoot his Winchester 12-gauge pump shotgun.  I’ve been hooked ever since.

However, along the way I’ve realized there are a lot of people who don’t share the love of the gun.  Some are the anti-gun nut jobs that attempt to demonize firearms at every turn.  Thankfully this nation’s history is solidly stamped with liberties gained and maintained because of guns, so the arguments of the nuts have no merit.  But many are simply friends and family that didn’t grow up around guns and wonder – “why so many guns?”  Well let me tell you why!

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