Friday Night thread - 16th December

[grant]

Had a pleasant surprise today, a friend of mine called up and asked me to go shooting! So Colt .45 pistol, .45 lever action rifle, win-mag sniper rifle (insanely accurate!) and a genuine 1868 .45-70 buffalo gun kept us busy for a few hours. Nothing better than the smell of carbon burning. Absolutely fun day, although a little bit cold.

[Cubster]

We're not going to see reports of a Canadian killing spree on the news are we?

[grant]

We're not going to see reports of a Canadian killing spree on the news are we?

Uh...

[Invisible officer]

Funny that so many think that guns and killings have a close connection. Far more people in Europe are killed with kitchen knives but nobody fears to go in the kitchen

They should, two days ago I was attacked by a drawer that opened itself in my back. Turning, bang, XXXXXXXX !!! No, my knee did not get blue. Open wounds do not react that way.

Firing historic guns can be big fun. But don't forget that metal get weak over the years. Apart from the danger to life and health I would go nuts if one of my collection items would be damaged. So I don't use them on the range, only modern copies.

[Parus Ater]

I think it's to do with guns being specifically designed for killing people, mate.

One thing I find amusing is on re-enactment forums is people whinging about the gun laws and how they believe WWII weapons should be allowed. Now, if I remember correctly, the reason our gun laws exist and why certain types are specifically mentioned is because of Hungerford and the use of a M1 Carbine (which is a ladies gun, btw) so they really should shut up.

What is stupid is the rules on buying de-activated weapons.

[Invisible officer]

We wargamers play with deadly arms. Well just models or symbols but there is little difference of danger by accident between a range gun, a hunting one or the long spears of my 28 mm Sarmatians just finished. Warlord produced some nice eye "catchers". Better not to be used drunk or with peoples with a red hot temper.

Well, astonishingly most people think that shooting arms are used in most crimes. Media..... In Germany 97,5 % of the injured victims of violent crimes are not shot at. Even among the dead only 19% are shot. (Official government numbers) And from these only few with legal arms. (Not counting the victims of crimes that are not registered following the "superb" forensic, forensic experts guess for a very high number of murders that pass unnoticed, more than 100 a year!) Most victims know the attacker. Far more men get hurt by her wife with a kitchen knife than wifes are shot at. (So beware of X-mess kitchen stress men)


Leading peoples through museums I often had to notice the very different approach to "modern" arms or a knights one. The one is brutal, bad, not politically correct. The other full of romance. Sports, a shootist who only kills clay doves is a murder, a boxer who hammers his adversary into insanity is a hero.

I guess most of you had the same experience with gaming. Romans, strange hobby but hmmm. Fantasy, OK. But WW I or II. You must be mentally ill.
There are people here that want wargaming miniatures to be banned at all. They think to have good reason, the miniatures are only made to play killing. That must cause the gamers to ......

Do we?

[Parus Ater]

You're preaching to the converted, mate but the world is a bit better with less working guns in it.

Anyway, in the interests of lightening the mood, my personal favourite picture on this subject.....



Some poor nerd went home to find that his mum has handed his Bat'leth into the rozzers . "lolz"

[Invisible officer]

I think I can top that.
Berlin's most tourist frequented fleamarket (Strasse des 17. Juni) got a new regulation a few year ago. Anything military was banned. Dress, caps, badges, medals.

And: Kriegsspielzeug of all kind. Wargaming toys. ALL! Kids trying to sell plastic cowboys and Indians or Playmobil Castles had them confiscated there! No joke, that happened. This includes all items from Warlords Webstore.

The rule came from the local authority who hires the street to the organiser. Not the town of Berlin, just the local borough. But it's fact and law.

So you might understand why I get toothaches from the statement that a ban makes the world better. Starting banning soon becomes a habit. (Remember the smokers, in 30 years it changed enormously, I never smoked but in my opinion the actual legal hysteria is akin to fascism, some western countries started banning some old movies on TV. Humphrey Bogart banned for smoking....)

If someone want to kill he kills. With a gun, a knive or a bomb. Thanks to Internet even the worst idiot can tinker something from legal items.

And he needs no Wargaming miniatures to misprogram his brain.
With my overdose of miniatures I should.........

In need my weekly dose of miniature painting and gaming. I'm a poor victim of Warlord and the others.

[Cubster]

If someone want to kill he kills. With a gun, a knive or a bomb. Thanks to Internet even the worst idiot can tinker something from legal items.

And if someone has a gun they can kill lots of people very quickly with no effort, planning or risk to themself.

One bad day equals dozens of dead innocents. You'd have thought that recent events in Belgium and last July in Norway would've drummed that message in.

[Parus Ater]

Indeed, else the wars of the 20th Century would have been fought with paring knives and kitchen drawers.