How do you feel about guns that may have been used for evil?

[RKBABob]

How do you feel about milsurp guns that may have had a "bad" history?

Would you buy a milsurp firearm, knowing that it may have been used for some evil purpose by a past owner? The idea kind of bothers me... not knowing what the firearm was used for in the past. Anyone else feel the same way?

 

[AnthonyC.]

Ummm...Their loss our gain??? Thats how I think about it

 

[mljdeckard]

Proof that it works.

 

[SomeKid]

Would you breathe air, knowing a murderer may have used the same oxygen molecules?

 

[TexasRifleman]

Same as everything else.... it's not the tool used that determines evil.

 

[redneckrepairs]

Actually i have a few that were either involved in suicide or attempted homocide . Dont bother me at all . And as to how i know the history of the guns , well lets just say that one side of my family tree didn't branch near enough .

 

[Nomad101bc]

Unless you truly beleive the gun is posessed by some sort of "evil spirit;" I don't really see any concern...

 

[Just Jim]

Not sure what your up to with all your polls but you might express your agenda so we know.

jj

 

[scrat]

No problem.

Men our brought up on different ideas. They are brought up thinking the country they live in is the best, the culture is the best and the government is the best. Then one day they are drafted and now have to serve in thier armed forces. REgardless of what country they served for and what flag they waved. These were men that went out to fight for thier countries. That rifle, handgun was something they had to either kill. Or even more so to protect thier own life. Regardless of what country it came from Knowing that some 18 year old kid. USed this or was taught to use this to kill and to protect his own life from being killed. I dont blame the kids, i dont blame the guns. Its the politicians that put these boys there.

I would never throw one away if given to me. Or burn it or bury it. This was used by someone to save their life and to take others. If anything its a symbol of what can go wrong with politicans and dictators.

I would purchase one, I would except one. I would clean it up oil it shoot it. Take care of it and keep it safe.

 

[Sistema1927]

Tools are tools. If I buy a hammer at the flea market I don't worry that maybe it was previously used to bash in someone's head.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

If I had the money, I would take two of each. They are just inanimate objects.

But neither would I seek out a specific firearm or other weapon that I had certain knowledge of being used in some heinous crime.

 

[tinygnat219]

Sure.

 

[yesit'sloaded]

I own a gun used to kill a LEO a long long time ago. It never made me do bad things. It is now on loan to a museum where it is on display. It's just a tool.

 

[scrat]

i voted on the pole. first one. can you tell what i voted for

 

[Bubbles]

The hubby and I have a .44 revolver that was a range rental gun. Someone used it to commit suicide on the range.

 

[Slater]

Them:

"Don't you realize that those Mosin-Nagants you own could have been used to enforce Stalinist repression, or to perform mass executions during the Purges? Your Yugoslav M-48A and SKS could have been used to slaughter people during the Yugoslav Civil War in the 1990's."

Steve Martin: WELL, EXCUUUUSE ME!"

 

[Rumble]

I answered "doesn't bother me," but in truth I have no idea if it will never be used that way again - if I sell the gun, it's out of my hands, for example. However, in general, that's the answer.

I like stories about cursed weapons, or charmed weapons, and stuff like that, but in general I don't believe that the acts of the user really imbue the weapon with anything.

On the other hand, I also see why someone might not want to keep a weapon that was used to harm a loved one (for instance, the gun used by a loved one to commit suicide - it's not "evil," per se, but no one should be expected to retain something that has a painful association should they choose not to).

Long way of saying that in general, it doesn't bother me if guns have a history. Some of it could be very interesting. Some of it may be fairly grim. But it is history.

 

[JWarren]

You left out a category.

What about those individuals who seek out guns that many have been used for evil BECAUSE they were used for evil?

Yep, I am sure there are some out there. I haven't assumed anything since my Freshman year at LSU when I discovered that the guy in the next dorm room over was a devoted and practicing Satanist-- and he wasn't just doing it for shock value.

Something is just not right about a Satanist who plays a tuba....


-- John

 

[Rumble]

...a Satanist who plays a tuba....

Now that's evil.

 

[RKBABob]

Not sure what your up to with all your polls but you might express your agenda so we know.

No agenda here, JJ. I was just looking at milsurp firearms, and realized that the history of some (Nazi proof marks, etc.) bothered me. Just wondered how others feel about it.

BTWSome of you replied before I could get the poll up and running, and I changed the question in the OP before I realized this. (I removed a question about police-seized firearms)

 

[yesit'sloaded]

At least it wasn't the bagpipes.

 

[Just Jim]

Of course his polls seemed rigged for something unknown but I am going to answer with this. Used guns have a "history". Lots of people like to collect history pieces that were used in history making times.

With your polls it seems as if you work for some kind of focus group that is seeing what gun owners will accept in gun control. Are you????

jj

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

What about those individuals who seek out guns that many have been used for evil BECAUSE they were used for evil?

As a clarification to what I said in my first post, that I would not do.

Something is just not right about a Satanist who plays a tuba....

If he plays it at 3:00 in the morning in a thin-walled apartment, that is definitely evil.

 

[BridgeWalker]

I'm more of a I like not because of the association or history, but because I like using them for non-harmful things. It just feels good to bring the old war-scarred Mosin to the range on a quiet sunny day.

Silly feeling, since it sure doesn't care, but there it is.

Before I owned it I thought I might feel funny about it.

 

[RKBABob]

With your polls it seems as if you work for some kind of focus group that is seeing what gun owners will accept in gun control. Are you????

No.. I just want to know if I'm the only one here who feels uncomfortable not knowing if that collector's piece in the safe was once used by Nazi thugs to round up "undesireables." The idea came to me when I was looking at various milsurps... it occured to me that I don't have any desire for a Luger because of its Nazi history.

I was really looking for an unissued Makarov, BTW.