We Are Becoming Noticed

[JnJHess]

Amen to that Mike.
It is always in the eyes of the beholder, e. g. in the mind of the user what to do with any item.
You can nearly use anything to hurt or to kill people these days, and the more people have time and opportunity to look up things they can even use mostly harmless things for useful use into weapons.
It is not that tool e. g. Airgun is doing the harm, it is the mind of the person using it.
And I guess you will never control that, so even if there would be a ban on Airguns, they will find other things to do their harmfull deeds.
What about Nailguns, either blank or air powered or whatever will be used for useful tasks.

[USAFANG6799]

Great "TOOL" to use for crowd control 

[anti-squirrel]

>yawn<

Don't care if "we" become noticed.  We all have a role to play as airgunners, and part of that is acting responsible. 

Plus: When publications jump on bandwagons, it is usually a death knell or a final grasping at straws to increase readership.  I've seen numerous magazines go down this road to failure.

[ShakySarge]

I think it is great. It needs to be addressed in order to get more folks out there to defend the air guns. But, don't want to dive into politics. If no one knows, the numbers cannot be there to defend, just saying.

[MartyMcFly]

We better start defending quickly and spreading the word among airguners. EDgunWest got “noticed” and got the boot from his payment processor because it didn’t align with the political stance of the payment processors’ new owner.

-Marty

[Buldawg76]

It should be noted that responsible use of any tool offers nothing but sharp contrast to the flip side, and that the latter is always disproportionately noticed. Otherwise, there's far too much to be said here to prattle on.

A hammer can be used to build a house or as a club.  A knife can cut a steak or cut a person.  A pencil can write a love letter from the heart or to stab someone in the heart.

A pencil can write a love letter from the heart or to stab someone in the heart, or write laws that do nothing to actually fix the real issue but do take more freedoms away.

Mike

[45Bravo]

A hammer can be used to build a house or as a club.  A knife can cut a steak or cut a person.  A pencil can write a love letter from the heart or to stab someone in the heart.

So true, a tools use for good or bad is solely dependent on the person wielding it.

[anti-squirrel]

We're an international forum, not just US, so keep this all in mind.  Acting responsibly is the best thing we can all do- and of course, if old enough to vote, doing so- no matter what country you reside in.

[ray1377]

Behold the genesis of the air-powered WMD.

You obviously haven't been following the development of pneumatic artillery in Syria...

Lol, They stole that idea from the "Punkin Chunkers"

[45Bravo]

Ray, I don’t care who you are, that is a quiet piece of artillery.

And an ingenious caveman contact fuse..

[DHunter]

Not good in my opinion. I don’t think airguns are protected by the second amended, which means states can outright ban them.

2A just says, "...the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."  It says nothing about how the arms are powered.  Protection does not require gunpowder.

[bReTt]

All of you guy are correct and it is one of the reasons why I have always been concerned about stating the power we are achieving with our PCP arms.

Maybe after the next nuclear holocaust when the world is destroyed again, the dinosaurs return, and we start over again, we will learn from the error of our ways..

Maybe

Today’s modern militaries have so much destructive power that I doubt there will be much left.  Scary. 

On the OP...

I think the recognition is a double edged sword.  Good to bring more folks into the joy of air power BUT that same recognition will eventually be detected by those that are considered the “enemy” to our rights and freedoms that we currently enjoy and we could lose ground on that freedom.  Time will tell.

[Steelontarget]

There will always be people that distrust or dislike what they don't understand.  The fact that the items involved in our hobby uses a compressed gas or air to expel a projectile is completely irrelevant.  If it has a trigger and a barrel; they dislike it and they distrust it.

It gets even worse if the low-powered device looks menacing.  The word "menacing" is also defined in the eye of the beholder.  If it's a $3,000 Air Arms field target rifle it will be considered an "evil" sniper rifle because it has a scope on it.  No amount of logical presentation of the facts will persuade the person suffering from hoplophobia.

To a hoplophobe, a spitball and a straw are menacing objects of classroom terror.  The slingshot is a clandestine instrument of torture that is designed to deliver pain from a secluded location.  A bow and arrow is designed to cut bunny rabbits in two and make a deer suffer an agonizing death drawn out over several weeks.  Airguns to them are training weapons for juvenile delinquents and future assassins.

Don't get them started on firearms cause their heads will explode.  Succinctly put, any device that propels anything is evil.  Airguns are no exception.

So what do we do?  I can tell you what I think is the wrong approach.  That is falling into the plans of the hoplophobes of dividing and conquering hunters and shooters of all stripes. 

There are archery enthusiasts who don't care for firearms or airguns.  That's fine. 

There are airgunners that aren't interested in firearms and archery equipment.  There's nothing wrong with that. 

There are folks that own and shoot nothing but powder-burners. They don't mind wearing hearing protection when they shoot and have no desire for quiet objects that propel lead or arrows.

All of us are actually brothers and sisters with a kindred spirit.  Rather than telling the hoplophobes that we airgunners aren't like the other groups or that our equipment is special we need to stick together.

The community of powder-burners have learned that lesson the hard way.  The marksmen shooting the classical M-1 Garands and 1903 Springfields, soon discovered that by not standing by the black rifle crowd that their favorite guns were in peril as well.  The trap shooter with his $5,000 shotgun soon discovered that even though he didn't have an evil looking "assault weapon," his shotgun was under attack before long.

I've seen the archery snobs as well.  For the record, I have longbows, recurves and *gasp* a couple of crossbows.  I've been to archery ranges with a crossbow and listened to the compound shooters deride my crossbow.  They weren't doing it in a friendly joking manner either.  It didn't take them long to shut up whenever I brought out my longbow to shoot.  By insulting crossbowmen and women, they didn't realize that they might lose an ally or someone that might develop an interest in the vertical bows later on.

This forum is dedicated for airgunners and that's great.  However, we make a grave error by not sticking with our powder burning brethren to protect their rights.  By helping them to protect their rights, you are helping to preserve your rights as well.

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

Lol, They stole that idea from the "Punkin Chunkers"

Air-powered artillery goes back a fair bit, more than a century in fact with the use of compressed air guns to fire explosive charges too sensitive for powder burning artillery.

The French and Austrian forces also used air mortars in WWI.

I plan on making a future post looking at the above in more mechanical detail as they are fascinating pieces.

[anti-squirrel]

This thread is treading a fine line- and on the verge of going political. 

We're an international forums, too, not just a Second-Amendment US forums.

[jimbo]

Amen Mike!

[MartyMcFly]

There will always be people that distrust or dislike what they don't understand.  The fact that the items involved in our hobby uses a compressed gas or air to expel a projectile is completely irrelevant.  If it has a trigger and a barrel; they dislike it and they distrust it.

It gets even worse if the low-powered device looks menacing.  The word "menacing" is also defined in the eye of the beholder.  If it's a $3,000 Air Arms field target rifle it will be considered an "evil" sniper rifle because it has a scope on it.  No amount of logical presentation of the facts will persuade the person suffering from hoplophobia.

To a hoplophobe, a spitball and a straw are menacing objects of classroom terror.  The slingshot is a clandestine instrument of torture that is designed to deliver pain from a secluded location.  A bow and arrow is designed to cut bunny rabbits in two and make a deer suffer an agonizing death drawn out over several weeks.  Airguns to them are training weapons for juvenile delinquents and future assassins.

Don't get them started on firearms cause their heads will explode.  Succinctly put, any device that propels anything is evil.  Airguns are no exception.

So what do we do?  I can tell you what I think is the wrong approach.  That is falling into the plans of the hoplophobes of dividing and conquering hunters and shooters of all stripes. 

There are archery enthusiasts who don't care for firearms or airguns.  That's fine. 

There are airgunners that aren't interested in firearms and archery equipment.  There's nothing wrong with that. 

There are folks that own and shoot nothing but powder-burners. They don't mind wearing hearing protection when they shoot and have no desire for quiet objects that propel lead or arrows.

All of us are actually brothers and sisters with a kindred spirit.  Rather than telling the hoplophobes that we airgunners aren't like the other groups or that our equipment is special we need to stick together.

The community of powder-burners have learned that lesson the hard way.  The marksmen shooting the classical M-1 Garands and 1903 Springfields, soon discovered that by not standing by the black rifle crowd that their favorite guns were in peril as well.  The trap shooter with his $5,000 shotgun soon discovered that even though he didn't have an evil looking "assault weapon," his shotgun was under attack before long.

I've seen the archery snobs as well.  For the record, I have longbows, recurves and *gasp* a couple of crossbows.  I've been to archery ranges with a crossbow and listened to the compound shooters deride my crossbow.  They weren't doing it in a friendly joking manner either.  It didn't take them long to shut up whenever I brought out my longbow to shoot.  By insulting crossbowmen and women, they didn't realize that they might lose an ally or someone that might develop an interest in the vertical bows later on.

This forum is dedicated for airgunners and that's great.  However, we make a grave error by not sticking with our powder burning brethren to protect their rights.  By helping them to protect their rights, you are helping to preserve your rights as well.

+1 Well spoken. This is the reason I support the powder burning legislative organizations in my state. I don’t use powder burners, but we face the same challenges.

-Marty

[MartyMcFly]

This thread is treading a fine line- and on the verge of going political. 

We're an international forums, too, not just a Second-Amendment US forums.

But don’t you I think that airguners internationally face the same headwinds? They may not have a 2A to reference, but I think they face similar problems. I have lived in other countries, some good, some bad, the topic there may not be as loud as it is the US. Often there are fewer shooting enthusiasts there, but certainly the direction their legislators have taken makes it that much harder for law abiding citizens to enjoy this wonderful sport.

Certainly there is no need to behave disrespectfully on this fine forum, but the topic is important to the enjoyment of our hobby.

-Marty

[DevilsLuck]

There will always be people that distrust or dislike what they don't understand.  The fact that the items involved in our hobby uses a compressed gas or air to expel a projectile is completely irrelevant.  If it has a trigger and a barrel; they dislike it and they distrust it.

It gets even worse if the low-powered device looks menacing.  The word "menacing" is also defined in the eye of the beholder.  If it's a $3,000 Air Arms field target rifle it will be considered an "evil" sniper rifle because it has a scope on it.  No amount of logical presentation of the facts will persuade the person suffering from hoplophobia.

To a hoplophobe, a spitball and a straw are menacing objects of classroom terror.  The slingshot is a clandestine instrument of torture that is designed to deliver pain from a secluded location.  A bow and arrow is designed to cut bunny rabbits in two and make a deer suffer an agonizing death drawn out over several weeks.  Airguns to them are training weapons for juvenile delinquents and future assassins.

Don't get them started on firearms cause their heads will explode.  Succinctly put, any device that propels anything is evil.  Airguns are no exception.

So what do we do?  I can tell you what I think is the wrong approach.  That is falling into the plans of the hoplophobes of dividing and conquering hunters and shooters of all stripes. 

There are archery enthusiasts who don't care for firearms or airguns.  That's fine. 

There are airgunners that aren't interested in firearms and archery equipment.  There's nothing wrong with that. 

There are folks that own and shoot nothing but powder-burners. They don't mind wearing hearing protection when they shoot and have no desire for quiet objects that propel lead or arrows.

All of us are actually brothers and sisters with a kindred spirit.  Rather than telling the hoplophobes that we airgunners aren't like the other groups or that our equipment is special we need to stick together.

The community of powder-burners have learned that lesson the hard way.  The marksmen shooting the classical M-1 Garands and 1903 Springfields, soon discovered that by not standing by the black rifle crowd that their favorite guns were in peril as well.  The trap shooter with his $5,000 shotgun soon discovered that even though he didn't have an evil looking "assault weapon," his shotgun was under attack before long.

I've seen the archery snobs as well.  For the record, I have longbows, recurves and *gasp* a couple of crossbows.  I've been to archery ranges with a crossbow and listened to the compound shooters deride my crossbow.  They weren't doing it in a friendly joking manner either.  It didn't take them long to shut up whenever I brought out my longbow to shoot.  By insulting crossbowmen and women, they didn't realize that they might lose an ally or someone that might develop an interest in the vertical bows later on.

This forum is dedicated for airgunners and that's great.  However, we make a grave error by not sticking with our powder burning brethren to protect their rights.  By helping them to protect their rights, you are helping to preserve your rights as well.

+1
It seems that Eleutherophobia is the over arching cause for the opposition to shooting sports. And a great many other freedoms many claim to support. Eleutherophobia Is the fear of freedom. And this affliction can have adverse effects for not only the afflicted. But those around the afflicted. For not only do the afflicted fear personal freedom. This fear is compounded in the presence of other free people. The more severely afflicted a person is; the more comfort they glean by having restrictions, and a figure of authority over not only themselves, but those around them. Doing so alleviates said individuals of bearing the limits and responsibilities of not only themselves... But those around them.
Freedom is risky. Freedom comes with inherent dangers. Freedom is an asset to the courageous, and bold. And freedom represents perceived danger to those who are neither...

[Steelontarget]

It seems that Eleutherophobia is the over arching cause for the opposition to shooting sports. And a great many other freedoms many claim to support. Eleutherophobia Is the fear of freedom. And this affliction can have adverse effects for not only the afflicted. But those around the afflicted. For not only do the afflicted fear personal freedom. This fear is compounded in the presence of other free people. The more severely afflicted a person is; the more comfort they glean by having restrictions, and a figure of authority over not only themselves, but those around them. Doing so alleviates said individuals of bearing the limits and responsibilities of not only themselves. But those around them...
Freedom is risky. Freedom comes with inherent dangers. Freedom is an asset to the courageous, and bold. And freedom is represents danger to those who are neither...

You are absolutely correct.  I might add that the reason that they fear freedom is because they desire security so much.  They want safety and security so much that they believe the only way to get it is by giving up freedom.

By giving up some freedoms they think that they can rely on a benevolent person or group of people to take care of them.  They have no confidence in other private citizens to help maintain that security and safety.  History shows us that by trading freedom for safety and security, you end up with neither.