Friday, December 3, 2010

I finally get my own gun

The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed.
- Alexander Hamilton
I just got my first gun.

Kim du Toit used to blog about how a .22 was a household commodity, like sugar or flour.  However, the People's Republic of Massachusetts made things enough of a PITA that we never jumped through the required hoops.  Now we're in Georgia, and breathe free air, so it's a different story.




Because I no longer live in Massachusetts, I don't need special licensing from the State to own a gun.  Even without special papers, without fingerprinting and background checks, I can own one - and ammunition (!) -without becoming a felon.  What this make me, in a psychologically important way, is a citizen.  Not a subject, not someone who has to ask "please" from some Government Functionary, but a free citizen who can be entrusted with the tools of power.

Funny, I haven't had the urge to go shoot up a school.  According to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership Violence, this no doubt will overtake me any day now.

The Winchester 190 was a semi-automatic plinking/varmint rifle manufactured in fairly large quantities.  It's tube fed, and the tube magazine is probably big enough to make this an "assault rifle" in New Jersey.  This one has a 2x scope, and looks like it would be sweet for clearing out small, unwelcome four-footed guests.  And since the two-footed ones don't want to get shot (even with a .22), it might have some use there as well.


But the meaning goes beyond the (quite modest) firepower of the rifle.  It's a statement of freedom, the mark of a citizen, not a subject.   We could use more citizens, not more subjects.

This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. My rifle, without me, is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will...

My rifle is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will ever guard it against the ravages of weather and damage as I will ever guard my legs, my arms, my eyes and my heart against damage. I will keep my rifle clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will...

Before God, I swear this creed. My rifle and myself are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life. So be it, until victory is America's and there is no enemy, but peace!
This is my rifle.  There are none like it, because it marks the transition from a subject to a free man.
No kingdom can be secured otherwise than by arming the people. The possession of arms is the distinction between a freeman and a slave. He, who has nothing, and who himself belongs to another, must be defended by him, whose property he is, and needs no arms. But he, who thinks he is his own master, and has what he can call his own, ought to have arms to defend himself, and what he possesses; else he lives precariously, and at discretion.

43 comments:

ASM826 said...

Hey look! Borepatch has Friday Gun Pr0n!

Paladin said...

This makes me very, VERY, happy :)

Welcome to the Free World!

Joe said...

Congratulations on arriving in the free world.

JD said...

CONGRATS! good to see. Someday I hope to join you in the free world.

cybrus said...

Welcome to the free world!

Irish said...

GREAT for you BP!

Anonymous said...

Good for you!!
I own the same!
Bought it many years ago for 60 bucks!!!
It has had countless rounds through it with nary a hutch and my boyz love shooting it!!
As do I!!

Enjoy, enjoy and enjoy!!!

Anonymous said...

Congrats! Most of our friends get excited about new cars and those materialist things...at our house real excitement is getting a new gun or a new bicycle!! I am happy for you and your new freedom.

Newbius said...

Welcome home, Citizen.

Weer'd Beard said...

What suprises me most is you didn't get a lever action. I just assumed that would be more your speed.

Own it in good health, and don't be afraid to get it some friends to play with.

I mean you still need a center-fire rifle (I would recommend something with a removable magazine of Massachusetts controlled proportions)

Rimfire handgun

Centerfire handgun

And of course the defender of the hearth, the shotgun.



But then again this is comming from the guy who showed his (then Girlfriend...now wife) his first gun and she said "Are you going to get any more?" and I responded "Yes LOTS!"

...and I did!

Tango said...

Congrats, Borepatch. :) Even a .22 feels awesome when it's your first gun! It'll both put food on the table and bad guys out of your home.

Borepatch said...

Thank you, everybody. Especially He Who Must Not Be Named. ;-)

And JD, come on down! The weather's fine, and the air smells of freedom.

TheUnpaidBill said...

Congratulations Borepatch! I inherited one of those from my grandfather and they're a nice little gun. The trigger is pretty heavy so expect that. If you want to know how to take it apart for cleaning let me know. It's easy, but the possibility of flying springs is definitely there.

Lissa said...

Oh, congratulations SO much, Borepatch!! Yay hooray!!!!

Cemetery's Gun Blob said...

Watchout, they multiply when lights go out.

;)

Vin said...

This is easily one of the best blog posts I've seen in ages. I absolutely love to see someone take pride in exercising their rights.

mikee said...

I was born & raised in North Carolina, back before it became a silly place. I went to college in SC, then TX, then followed my bride to Georgia for two great years of work at the North Avenue Trade School (Ga Tech). Georgia is a great place!

We then made the mistake of moving to Maryland, which is a less competent version of Massachusetts, not that they don't try real hard to be as stupid as their northern ideal. We finally moved to Texas and the last decade has been delightful.

Welcome to the US. Enjoy your stay, and try not to return to the hellhole you just left.

Patrick said...

I think you need to purchase everything you couldn't before you moved to Freedom.

This is a good start, though, BP!!!

doubletrouble said...

The Mrs. saw it first & directed me to send "Yay! Happy Dance!" wishes your way.

I'll just say welcome to America, citizen.

NOW, I'll go out & do the Happy Dance...

Anonymous said...

Woot! I remember my first gun. S&W Model 469. Don't ever sell your first gun. Even if you one day find a better one. I sure miss that 469.

NotClauswitz said...

I didn't realize California was so much better than MA. A friend who has a CCW ther never fully explained the torture, the paperboarding you endure in MA just to own a gun.

BobG said...

W00t! Congratulations.

kahr40 said...

Congrats. May it be the first of many.

Six said...

Congratulations and welcome to the club BP. May there be many (many) more.

Yeah, that air sure does smell sweet.

Robert Langham said...

Good grief...not a 10/22? More guns to buy.

Keep in mind that Atlanta doesn't have as many zombies as they say it does on TV.

zeeke42 said...

Congrats. Welcome to the club. This has been a long time coming.

SpeakerTweaker said...

Congrats, 'Patch! Awesome, awesome, awesome.

Feel free to purchase a 1911 or a Glock, so that you may learn the bittersweetness of your newfound freedom by fully participating in a 1911 vs. Glock argument.

See also AR vs. AK, auto vs. wheelgun, etc.

;)

Range report w/ pics!!!



tweaker

Joseph said...

Congrats on arriving in Free America!

LeverAction said...

Congratulations and welcome to the (more or less) free side of the world! Now you'll be needin' a sidearm to go with that smokepole so she don't get lonely. And of course, everybody needs at least one lever action!

1911A1 said...

Having spent 18 years in The Peoples Republik of Kalefornia before coming back to FA, I try to make sure at least every other gun I buy has a large label on the case that says:

"NOT LEGAL FOR SALE IN CALIFORNIA"

Every time I see that it brings a smile to my face. Of the thousands and thousands of weapons on the market, less than 1,000 are "approved" for sale in CA. I imagine the total in MA is about 999 less.

GuardDuck said...

Oh great, we spend years telling people that guns are inanimate objects and here comes BP imbuing a lowly little .22 with the power to turn a serf into a freeman.

It's amazing how the most base of objects can be the 'philosopher's stone' of liberty.

Congrats BP

Hat Trick said...

Congratulations! I envy you your freedom. Here in Illinois there's a mandatory 1 day waiting period for rifles/shotguns and 3 days for handguns. That's after you wait for months for your Firearm Owner Identification Card that's required by law to be processed within 30 days.

I'll concur with Robert Langham, you'll soon want a rifle with a detachable magazine if you do an Appleseed or shoot on a range that requires all guns to be unloaded before going forward to check/score targets.

That raises another question. Can you legally shoot on your property at Camp Borepatch or do you need to find a range now?

Les Jones said...

That same model Winchester .22 was my first rifle, too. Congrats.

libertyman said...

An excellent start! It is great to be free!

theborgfrog said...

This is a fine plinking gun, but you will learn to hate it after taking it apart to clean it. Removing the bolt is easy, but trying to put it back in is worse than a trip to the dentist.

Unknown said...

Congratulations. Hope you didn't tear up your pants too bad scaling the razorwire fence on the way out.

David said...

I have that exact rifle, minus scope. It is sturdy and a decent shooter. It has become the best friend of my nieces, ages 13 and 11, who are taking their first steps as shooters with it. Enjoy.

sofa said...

Congrats!

misanthropic777 said...

Congrats! Careful - it's an addiction.

Cybrludite said...

First gun I ever shot was my Dad's Win. 190. If I ever have kids, it'll be passed down to them, like Dad's was to me.

TOTWTYTR said...

Congratulations, but I'm disappointed. I expected a SMLE or at least and SKS as first purchases. Then again, you can go out and buy as many as you want not, cant' you? :)

Kim said...

Two words: well done.

And that refers to leaving the PRM, as well as getting your basic household commodity.

Another two words:

AK47
1911

Because you can... now.

Cowboy T said...

Congratulations. I'm a social liberal originally from San Francisco, CA, so I understand 100% what you're talking about. It's about the same there as it is in your former home of Massachusetts, and getting worse.

Well done, and welcome to the Free World. You're going to love it here.

You are right. It's about freedom and liberty, and the preservation thereof. Your use of The Rifleman's Creed is especially appropriate. The way you apparently feel about your .22 Winchester is about how I feel about my revolver. There are many like it, but this one is mine! It is the best friend of my liberty. It is the life essence of my freedom. Without the RKBA, the Constitution is useless. I must vote and work as a citizen to oppose the enemies of freedom who are trying to kill yours and mine.

WE WILL!