Decided it was time to buy an AK

Wise decision. You have ensured your domestic security.

Well done and have fun in the revolution/civil war.

Wow, you yanks really are trigger happy nutcases!

I wondered why there was so many school shootings. Pretty obvious now though.

Thanks for the heads-up! I will steer clear of the good 'ol USA!

McPhisto, please don't disparage the entire nation.

There are just as many guns in Canada, but there is considerably less gun violence, so clearly the guns are not the problem - it's the people.

Something's broken in this country, people are going insane and lashing out all over.

It certainly has nothing to do with the guns though.

Why spent so much money ona gun? I guess it's part of your "American Heritage", I mean, you practivally grew up with gun-violance and criminals, right? I mean, in every one of those dumbass mindless predictable hollywood "movies" they're waving with guns and bullets are flying around ...

I think it's a very dumb thing to do ... to spend money on things wich only have one purpose "killing of humand" ... here in Belgium people don't like guns ... in fact ... there's like almost no armed robberies ... no shoot-out's ... no cowboy-style-gun-fighting ... the only real problem over here are those damn pedophiles ... but they're being haunted like animals and that's a good thing ... Police over have are very well equipped, I mean, they carry the famous Belgian P90 (as in CS yes) but civilians never carry arms ... It's just not done over here ... it results in lower crime-rates i guess ...

God, this is a silly tread but I can't resist it. To all the peace loving people who think that if you think that only the police deserve to have guns, ask the Shia and the Kurds what they think about the former Sunni only police who had the guns in Iraq, or the Jews, Gypsies and others who were Holocaust survivors about their SS police only having guns.
If we Americans are a little gun crazy, I think this is part of the price that we'll have to pay to keep the elites in line. America is largely populated with the descendants of who came to escape from European tyranny and economic oppression. They were a little tired of bowing down to the royals who were only interested in their 'games of houses' wars. The royals weren't going to be the ones doing most of the fighting and dying.
Personally, as a firearm enthusiast, I think the AK is poor choice for home defense or as a survival weapon. Any of the higher powered cartridges like the 7.62 x 51mm NATO or the 6.5x 55mm Swedish Mauser in a bolt action rifle will be more accurate at a longer range than the 7.62x 39mm AK round. For close in action, nothing beats a 12 gage shotgun for effectiveness. But having an AK beats not having any firearm to defend yourself with hands down if you have the knowledge, skill and will to effectively use it. I've found that most folks who buy them usually don't have the knowledge or skill to really use them effectively.

I am fairly jealous, I can't afford an AK for right now and my current priority is to buy a Shotgun since i'd like to be able to hunt if necesary.

I don't see an AWB (assault Weapon Ban) happen anytime soon, the first AWB was a disaster and likely was the primary reason for a republican take over, and the gun lobbyist will not stand for it and neither will the NRA.

The only thing I see happen sometime is a magazine capacity limit, back to 10 rounders and some LEO's (Law Enforcement Officers) I know agree.

ok, i'm trying to understand your opinion in this "gun-thing" I just don't see myself owning a gun ... i mean, people will look at me differently ... i mean, is is a un, made to kill people ... i'm peace-loving yes, but also rational about self-defense ... yet still i don't see how a gun will make me safer ... i'm not saying i won't arme myself in a police state ... but for now that's not the case in Belgium ... altough we might become a police state ... we need some radical changes ...

The idea is to prevent that from ever happening. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you desperately need a gun, it's probably too late to run out and buy one.

Better to be prepared.

I don't care for the AK-47 personally. It's a sturdy gun, but it's not the only one, and internal magazines are more reliable in my experience. They do look cool, but that's hardly an important feature in a firearm.

WyrdeOne
After carrying an AK (Rk-95) around in the woods for a year, i can say i trust the gun and the magazine 100%, only magazine based failure i saw was a manufacture based (too short spring) and if the user would have tested it beforehand, there wouldn't have been a problem.

If i had a free choise to pick a battle weapon i'd pick an modernised FN Fal, then AK.. (i like the punch of the 7.62 NATO, gives you a few more options in tight spot)

Originally posted by ParaNana
But surely if you guys didn't have access to these weapons, there would be far fewer gun related incidents or deaths in the States?

Washington, D.C. has some of the strictest gun-laws in the country, yet has one of the worst crime rates in America.

In areas where concealed carry laws have been enacted, violent crime has actually dropped. Would-be criminals on innocents have to think and wonder whether or not there potential victim is armed and ready to defend themself.

If you're referring to gun "accidents", I would attribute that to unsafe and reckless handling of firearms. Guns don't magically load, chamber and discharge themselves on their own.

That's right, an FN FAL, great Belgian gun ... one of the many thing my country produces besides waffles ... don't forget the P90 :p that's definately my favourite ... but it's illigal to own one over here :s

I'm just curious because a lot of people here are saying they are buying assault weapons before a ban goes into effect..... does a ban only make those guns illegal to buy? Or also to use? What is the point of owning something you can't really use once it becomes illegal? Even moreso if they ask for everyone to turn their weapons in, although you could always stash it away somewhere.

I'd probably like to own a gun someday, but I'm not sure if anywhere around here sells ammo for much more than hunting rifles, shotguns, and pistols, so it seems kind of unreasonable to even own something like that here in Canada.

[edit on 4-12-2006 by Yarcofin]

I own an SKS. Got it as part of a trade deal for a stereo, long ago. I've had it for many years, folding graphite stock, folding bayonet, banana clip. Accurate up to 10 feet. ... Although, I did take the bayonet off ... It tended to rattle in the woods when I was out hunting.

FN FAL, or even the AR10 (.308 cal) are very fine weapons. For close in work, nothing beats the venerable 12 gauge. I have several, one of which is the old Winchester 12 gauge that was made for Winchester in ... Yup ... You guessed it ... Belgium, and supplied with the Winchester name stamped on it... That was before they were produced by Winchester USA, in the mid-to-late 1800s. These are quite rare, and quite expensive, and with the damascus barrel ... They are totally unfireable today. Why shucks! I even have a few handguns.

What is truly amazing to me, with this arsenal of mine, I have yet to have anyone break into my house, or accost me with a weapon. Here in Missouri, it is legal to carry a weapon concealed in your automobile, and on your person if you take the training and qualify (not a felon, a certifiable loon, or attempting to overthrow the government, etc.) for a concealed carry permit. Much to the dismay of the anti-gun crowd, with the advent of CCW permits, the rate of "High Noon" encounters on Main Street did not increase. The number of running gun battles up and down the interstates did not suddenly go off the charts. And interestingly, the very few times that "interface" between bad guys and arms bearing citizens has occurred, the shootings were, upon investigation, found to be, in police parlance, righteous shoots.

In the larger cities, like St. Louis, there is still much drug and gang related killing being done. Too sad. However, I see by what is not said on the news, as much as is said on the news, that the well armed bad guys still don't venture out in the rural areas. Or, if they do, they don't come out here with evil on their minds, perhaps, just vacations.

Bad guys are gonna always be bad guys, and due to inner city culture, that will most always be the case, and that will most always be where the main core of the gun violence occurs.

Out here in the country, gun control is defined as "Being able to hit what you aim at".
And, I suspect that the punks with guns in the cities, and the few out here in the country, know that and believe it.

I'll second your well written post.

This city is getting to big itself and begining to exhibit the charasteristics of wildlife found in the large citys. Two legged wildlife and it is spreading to the suburbs. The police seem to be pretty ineffective at handling it. It continues year after year and sometimes getting worse in spurts but increasing at a noticable rate. One gets the impression that the police and politicians are mostly confining it to certain areas. Does that sound familiar to any posters in the bigger citys.
I dont care for a bunch of unruly wildlife running around...two legged or four legged wildlife. THe problem with the two legged wildlife is that the four legged wildlife around here actually have more decent standards than the two legged wildlife variety.

As to you folks in Europe...Im not impressed with your legacy of Peace. I know enough history to not be impressed. YOu folks are not all that enlightened. Sorry. Your history is far worse than ours ..across the board. THe recent events in Yugoslavia clearly illustrate this point.

I have been working with a couple of SKS type rifles recently. I am not that enamoured with the AK series but if that is someones preference no problem with me.
I do have others which I much prefer over the 7,62x39 cartridge but this cartridge has one thing going for it ..costs. It is very inexpensive. I think this is a big draw of this caliber.

Originally posted by WyrdeOne


Something's broken in this country, people are going insane and lashing out all over.

It certainly has nothing to do with the guns though.

Yeah, that's why I won't buy one. Heh

I use my words, they can just kill me.

i hope you don't have intention to kill anyone with that... guns are stupid but someone who kills someone else with a gun is even stupider....


Im sure you won't harm anyone though... i hope

Originally posted by Mcphisto
Wow, you yanks really are trigger happy nutcases!

I wondered why there was so many school shootings. Pretty obvious now though.

Thanks for the heads-up! I will steer clear of the good 'ol USA!

I'm almost tickled that, given your display-picture on the name-tag, you'd dare say anything about America's competency, let alone without actual supportive facts regarding its gun-control laws.

Im going to post this concept and some of you ...some mind you will remember this as news and events unfold in the future. Watch closely for what I am going to tell you .
You folks dont have to buy into this one but just watch and observe. Think what you will that I am nuttier than a fruitcake but just watch events unfold.

In another room some time back in the last year someone made a statement to me which stuck in my mind. They said that in the states where gun control was very strict the local constabulary are more wont to show contempt for the rights of the ordinary citizen...and the law itself.

What I have noticed happening more and more in the last say...seven years is a repeat of shootings involving the police and unarmed citizens. I am not just talking about a single shot...but multiple gunshot wounds and deaths of unarmed citizens. This seems to be kept out of most of the public spotlight except in the largest citys where it is more difficult to cover up.

In the City of New York in the last five years there have been two or three shootings of citizens where they have been unarmed and shot multiple times and killed by the police. This has also happened in this town some five years ago. THe pattern is usually marked by much confusion of facts and vage posturing of the situation before the offical story comes out.

What I am submitting to you folks is that there appears to be some change in the way the constabulary is trained and directed in certain citys. This change has not been announced to the general public. If this is what has happened nation wide such a change cannot happen on the local level but on a national level by a national agency.

I am also saying that this change is going to be self evident as you see this scenerio repeated over and over and over in different parts of the country..with the same predictable results when the dust finally settles. Watch closely for repeats of this very scenerio I describe here.

I am not anti police. I am for law and order. The constabulary has a very difficult job...stuck between the citizenry and the body politic. Very difficult. There is much they are forbidden from telling the public. Turn over rates in many police departments is very high.

None the less this obvious tendency of many governments concerns me greatly. The killing of their citizenry.....particularly unarmed citizenry. This is going to be important in future events.

Thanks,
Orangetom

Everyone who is for guncontrol should watch Penn and Tellers show called BS. The episode about Gun Control. It's really good.

Originally posted by selfless
i hope you don't have intention to kill anyone with that... guns are stupid but someone who kills someone else with a gun is even stupider....


Im sure you won't harm anyone though... i hope

IM going to tell you what is really stupid...

People planting themselves in front of a television for hours and hours and letting that idiot box do ones thinking for them..all predigested and prefiltered in order to make us think good thoughts about ourselves no matter how much of a lie it is. Now that is just plain stupid. Yet no one seems to notice...yet people get stupid ideas from the television and movies and go out and kill and injure themselves and others all the time. NO one notices ...do they? They are even stupid enough to think that television values are perfectly normal..because they make us feel good about ourselves...no matter how much of a lie it is.

Want something even stupider...watch the people around you who define their life experiences and knowlege by some television program they have watched ..or some movie. They dont really have any life experiences or thoughts outside of movies and television. And it is getting worse. Really worse. Talk about stupid!!

There are people out here who have real life experiences..not vicarious. They do know the difference.

Thanks,
Orangetom