this post was submitted on 14 Jan 2026
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Still waiting to see how all the guns are saving that country from fascism. That was the premise they kept arguing all the time.
Man, my mind was blown by what an original and creative take this was
You've got that all wrong, the guns are FOR the fascism, not against it!
Depends on who is holding it.
Turns out, while those supporting fascism embraced gun ownership, those who oppose it apparently decided sometime after 1945 that fascism will succumb to wishes and hope, so that may play a role in the discrepancy you're witinessing.
It seems the people who get guns as a prop for their power fantasy are also those who are attracted to fascism. But at least there are a lot of gun owners in the US whose personality doesn't revolve around guns, those who see weapons as a tool.
Many current gun owners aren't affected by what is going on, and the people that are affected haven't decided to become gun owners so far.
If you're an american citizen you (yes you!) have gun rights just like you have any other right. You don't need to be a car person to safely use a car, or a tech wizard to use your phone. You can have essential equipment and skill with firearms and still be a normal person.
I'm paraphrasing but Deviant Ollam once said owning and knowing how to use a gun is the difference between being peaceful and being helpless
I'm a gearhead and a tech wizard. Does this mean I'll become a gun nut if I own a gun?
Honestly? Maybe. Plenty of opportunity for tinkering and customization, and general collectability.
That said, there's as much wrong with being "a gun nut" as there is with being "a gearhead," which is to say "none, unless you run people over for fun."
As someone who went down that path, no.
You'll become a gun nerd, likely a collector, but not necessarily a gun nut.
Right there's people you see on the range with tricked out rifles with hand picked components, and then there's mall ninja bubba open carrying four pistols at the food court
I'mma be honest, while I understand your distinction, those using the phrase "gun nut" without a shred of irony do not. To them, you're one and the same.
Collector? Don't you mean "why do you need that many guns, you gun nut?"
Fuck it, I for one embrace the label. Honestly if anything, all conflating the two actually serves to accomplish is to normalize the actual "nuts" as "nerds," rather than making the nerds out to be nuts.
I've seen this argument used in the context that the average gun owner in the US owns 2-3 guns. For context, that's not the number of guns in the US per citizen, it's the number per gun owner.
The person complaining was saying that nobody needs more than 1 gun. This is a good example of non-gun owners getting reactionary because they don't know what they're talking about. What if someone owns a rifle, shotgun, and a pistol? That's 3 guns, all of which serve very different purposes.
Plus a lot of people don't seem to factor in that sport shooting is a thing. Personally, I regularly take a dynamics class, where you go through a variety of scenarios where you're moving between positions while shooting. There's also competition formats that do this too.
Not only that, people don't seem to understand that competition guns and everday carry guns are usually fairly different too. Much like how I wouldn't want to drive a Lamborghini to pick up groceries or haul a trailer, I generally wouldn't want to use a Sig P365 (a concealed carry gun) for a competition.
Oh for sure lmao, don't even get me started on us cloners! "Yes I have 8 different configurations of the same gun, I have the a1, a2, 727, 733, then my moderns with the a3 flattops in 3 different lengths/calibers!"
Lol I just mean that while to us nerds there may be a distinction between nut and nerd, to anyone outside of the nerddom that distinction is moot. They're just waiting to ask how many people have to die so we can "enjoy our nerd hobby." Telling them the distinction isn't going to help, they aren't "insulting" you with "nut" out of confusion but out of contempt. And so, I do not take insult in it, I accept it and "actually it's a good thing."
We're having this same discussion in Australia, where the number of guns you can own is now being restricted quite heavily. However, the limits are quite reasonable for people who need it for farm work, sports shooting, hunting etc. I'd hate to be a collector, because that might not be a thing any more.
As a country though we're making the choice to prioritise lives over convenience, as we often do. And for that I am happy.
Except restricting gun ownership isn't necessary for that. The motivations for gun crimes are the same as any violent crime, in that they're largely done out of desperation. Because of that, your best way to reduce gun crime is to reduce violent crime, which is done by improving people economic conditions: nationalize healthcare, have strong workers rights, properly tax the wealthy, improve environmental quality.
As you can probably tell, the US really sucks at what I described, hence the higher rates of violence. What's frustrating is that Europe did fix them, but also restricted access to guns and continually (and incorrectly) points to that as the reason they have little violent crime.
Also, another thing to note is that a lot of gun control proponents tend to point solely to "gun crime" not "violent crime". That's disingenuous because they're only looking at the methods, not the actual motivations
Honestly maybe that's the answer. You can like guns without being all "don't tread on me armed militia 2nd amendment" someone calls you a "gun nut", just say you're a "gun nerd".
It depends on your definition of "gun nut". If you're referring to someone who enjoys the historical significance of firearms, are intrigued by the engineering involved, and/or maybe goes to the range a few times a year to target shoot for fun, then I'd say it's likely.
If you're referring to someone who fetishizes guns and makes it a core component of their personality, I'd say most likely not, unless you're the type of person who already does that with other things.
What if you're impotent and the only real chance in life you have at getting an erection is to play dirty harry in the mirror
There's so many optics and rails and lights and slings and suppressors and triggers and grips out there. People that get into it spend a ton of time min maxing their setups for competition, home defense, long range or whatever else suits their fancy
And that's just the guns themselves. But there is a difference betweem gun nerd and gun nut as others have said
Yeah, I'm aware, I've played H3VR and have friends who are, as I just learned, not gun nuts, but gun nerds I guess. While I can understand being into guns due to all the things you mentioned, and I've enjoyed shooting them before, I personally can't get over having killing machines as a hobby, not to mention the data on the relative lack of shooting in countries where you can't as easily own these things. So, I practice what I preach, and have chosen to not get into the hobby.
That said, even I have my grandpa's old pump shotgun on a shelf (without any ammo in the house), as I have enjoyed shooting trap on occasion, and it was free, though I haven't thought to touch it since I inherited it over two years ago.
Well, if it sets your mind at ease:
With over 600,000,000 guns and literally trillions of stacked rounds in 45% of the US pop's hands (approx 156,600,000 people) with no registry to know who/where, with a general unwillingness to relinquish them, that ship has sailed, pandora's box has been opened, even if they stopped gun sales today they'll be easy to get for our entire lifetime and more. We literally have more small arms and ammo than most of the worlds military and police forces combined. Might as well join the club.
And more often than not the presence of a gun is enough without having to actually kill anyone, anyway, as it was the only time I had to "use" mine. He pulled a knife, I touched the grip of my licenced ccw firearm, he decided "maybe not this one" and walked away, I went about grocery shopping as intended. Thank "Bob" I didn't have to shoot him, but also I don't like stabwounds.
And sometimes, as fucked up as it sounds at first, sometimes people need killing. Self defense and defense of loved ones specifically, preventative of an immediate threat, not preemptive of a non-immediate threat, nor punitive, and always as a last resort, but had the knife weilder decided to press the issue, I'd rather him than me, given the choice. I'm not the one attacking people, I just need to get bread so I can make a meager sandwich for my lunch at work tomorrow without being gutted.
And btw:
You've already joined the club, you're one of the 156,600,000. Welcome! As long as you use it safely, responsibly, and legally (incl self defense, "Bob" forbid), it's nice to have you aboard. But make no mistake whether you have shotshells or not, you have the shotgun and that does make you a gun owner. As the Ramones said (quoted from the 1932 movie Freaks), Gabba gabba we accept you, one of us, one of us!
The argument that "Oh well, guns are too much of a problem, might as well not solve it ever" is a crazy argument. Australia managed to fix the issue. It would take time, and guns that weren't turned in would continue to pop up, but over time we'd see fewer shootings. Even if it took multiple lifetimes for frequent shootings to stop, it'd be worth doing. I'd turn in my grandpa's shotgun without even thinking about it.
I'm also not saying that it'd go over well in the US, there might even be a revolt, but even though I like shooting guns, I'd vote for it, as I dislike people dying more than I like shooting. I'd loosely compare the mindset of "don't take my guns" people to the mindset of anti-maskers, refusing to do this obviously helpful thing to help the greater good because it slightly inconveniences them. Maybe not so coincidentally anti-maskers and gun nuts tend to share political beliefs.
At the very least, we could do a better job of regulating them. For example, as a gearhead, requiring every single gun to be licensed like a car makes sense to me. I wouldn't even be against a yearly tax on gun ownership of a few bucks, as you see with automobiles. And, of course, if you're caught with an unlicensed gun it's straight to jail, much like if you're driving without a license.
More likely I might just end up moving somewhere else that doesn't have this issue, if my lifestyle ever can support that.
Australia only took 20% of the guns, yet to take 20% of the US' guns at the same price they did (in 1996, without even accounting for inflation) literally pulls up in my calc with scientific notation. Their new buyback is only estimated at costing $15 billion despite having significantly less guns than even last time, when they still had less than we do now at their "more." What's more nearly half of the guns they got in were "shotguns and pea rifles (.22lr)," only 204 were automatic. You're, by your own metric, "part of the problem" unless you relinquish Pappy's shotgun at the next available buyback (or just cut the receiver in half yourself.) Well, what are you waiting for? You'd "turn it in without even thinking about it" yet you've had two years to destroy it or relinquish it in one of the buybacks the US already regularly does yet you have it. Get on it then.
People will still die even if you could thanos snap the entire concept of guns out of existence, the only difference being those stronger and faster will more easily be able to exert their will over those smaller, slower, disabled, etc. The soul crushing surveillance state is more effective in curbing crime than stripping people of their right to protect themselves tbh, of course either way you're losing rights to privacy or protection and neither are frankly ideal, I'd rather possibly be murdered tbh.
I'm gonna push back on "slightly inconvenienced." Going by my prior example, "being robbed and stabbed in a walmart parking lot" wouldn't go under "slight" on my inconveniences list. Them not having my brand of potato bread so I have to get white bread is a slight inconvenience, stab wounds are a little more than "slight."
"Obviously helpful" I disagree with too quite frankly, I'm not going to shoot up a school (unless a school is literally trying to murder me but somehow that seems unlikely), so then who am I "helping" by relinquishing my gun, the guy who wanted to stab and rob me in the walmart parking lot? Well forgive me for saying, but I don't think I'm inclined to help that guy, I'd rather make it as difficult as possible by defending myself, preferably through intimidation rather than actual use of force (which again is what happened), but still.
Interestingly enough,
You DON'T have to have a licence for every car you buy (nor a background check), moreover you DON'T need a license to buy a car at all, and you DON'T even need one to drive on private roads. You DO need a license to drive on public roads and you DO need a license to carry a gun in public however (in most states), so congratulations your goal is already met (in most states).
Taxing guns is in effect "guns only for the privileged." All it does is disenfranchise further those who likely need personal protection the most. Call me crazy but I can't get behind "guns only for those who can afford an arbitrary tax" as I believe those in poverty should be able to protect themselves as well.
And "caught with an unlicensed gun" let me ask, do you think this will be enforced evenly, or do you think police will use this as an excuse to continue overpolicing and overcharging disenfranchised minorities (exactly like they currently do with drugs)? Something tells me that this is just going to be another thing to charge the blacks for and every now and again a white guy will get caught up in it. Idk if it's just "the entire history of policing in this country dating as far back as the 1700s" or what, but I don't think this is finally the year we turn it all around.
And finally, all that is not to say "let's not do anything," but rather "further legislation on top of the 50,000+ current gun laws in this country isn't ever going to be nearly as effective as addressing the root causes (of which there are multiple) of the violence." Even if we thanos snapped away the concept of firearms (as if they wouldn't be reinvented, they were made in ancient goddamn China it isn't that hard), we'd STILL have to address those root problems. The ~~gun~~ crime is a symptom not the disease.
Good luck moving! Hope you have a marketable skill though, turns out America isn't the only country that is difficult to legally immigrate to either. You selling that shotgun before you move though? I might be interested for the right price. Help with the moving costs and such, more than the buyback would too, and I'll give it a good home where it'll be lovingly cared for instead of desecrated. I'm looking for a browning a5, or a trench gun, or a 2x barrel side by side. Do it all legal like, you drop it off at a nearby FFL (I'll help you find one if need be) and I'll give you the address of mine, they'll background check me and everything.
I've seen it happen, yes. You'll start doing research on which to buy, learn all the features, learn best practices. Etc
When we go, we go hard.
My fellow worker: YOU need to buy a gun and legally protest with it. The fact that pro-gun Republicans are a lost cause doesn't imply armed resistance is a lost cause.
Part of the reason that Donnie can send ICE into blue cities is because many of us are unarmed. Imagine what would happen if we took lessons from the Black Panther Party and patrolled our streets with armed neighborhood watches.
Reminder, Ronald fucking Reagan passed the first gun restriction laws because the Black Panthers were exercising their rights.
It looks to me that these ICEholes run in packs of four. 10 armed people responding to their presence would make them think twice.
To avoid cross fire, you can flank in an L-shape
Well no, the existence of the NFA from 1934 alone disproves that. At the time, Regan was only 23 and working as a sports broadcaster, his entire political career up to that point amounted to "Student Body President" at his college and leading a student strike that got the president of the university itself to resign. He wasn't even a California resident (much less governor) until 3y after the NFA. About 10yr later (from the NFA) he would enter actual politics as a Democrat, joining the:
Clearly it went downhill after that, but fun fact nonetheless.
Regardless, there were plenty gun laws before The Mulford Act (which shouldn't exist), like said NFA (which also shouldn't exist.)
Don't you mean the people with gun saving the country from fascism? Or do you really except the guns to do it on their own?
Currently there are a few people without guns trying to stand up to fascism without violence. Most if not all are getting arrested/killed. There is also a large portion of the population that refuses to commit to violence. You see it over and over "don't take the bait," "don't give them the excuse," or "they want you to get violent."
In order to cross over and have those against the current administration with guns put everything on the line, it either needs to get so bad that those individuals have no other choice OR jury nullification needs to occur in a high profile matter.
Put another way, has enough happened that YOU are personally willing to sacrifice your life to stand up against what is going on? If yes, do something. If no, continue building local community networks and support structures so if/when that occurs you have the capacity to effect change through violence.
Saying that guns (the tool currently used by the facists) somehow will not be effective to combat them makes little sense. It's not a gun issue. It's a will issue.
Well said
THE PEOPLE WHO SAID THAT ARE THE FASCISTS
IM SO TIRED OF THIS STUPID FUCKING LINE SHUT THE FUCK UP