Another shooting in the USA. Remind me about the reason for having guns again.

LarryG on 6/9/2012 at 15:01

3 (or whatever number is next). Shooting one's dead spouse to keep from having your lover accused of the murder: (http://www.videodetective.com/tv/rumpole-of-the-bailey-rumpole-and-the-sporting-life/419182) Rumpole and the Sporting Life

DDL on 6/9/2012 at 15:02

4. Intimidation/dickswinging?

Would explain why things like (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.50_caliber_handguns) these exist, perhaps.

faetal on 6/9/2012 at 15:05

5. God given right / from my cold, dead hands / this is AMERICA

Chimpy Chompy on 6/9/2012 at 15:13

Quote Posted by Vivian

Question was, what do you need an automatic handgun for?

"Automatic handgun" is basically narrowing it down to stuff like uzis. I take it you're meaning to refer to pistols in general?

Vivian on 6/9/2012 at 15:18

1: Shooting Trees: USEFUL UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS (small tree, domestic property).
2: Shooting the Government: DUBIOUS UTILITY (as of yet, no examples considered necessary or popular by majority, and the government has tanks. NB handguns, so probably only useful for assassinations anyway).
3: Shooting Criminals. UNDECIDED AS OF YET
4: Breaking the Law: DEFINITELY USEFUL FOR THIS PURPOSE BUT NOT A GENERALLY CONSIDERED 'GOOD' REASON
5: Showing Off: DUBIOUS UTILITY (trucknuts, blasting Testament, dragon shirts, riding a motorbike in a leather vest are all viable non-lethal alternatives)
6: Charlton Heston's Cold Dead Hands: THE RIGHT TO HAVE SOMETHING IS NOT THE REASON TO HAVE SOMETHING

semi-auto then you nerd

CCCToad on 6/9/2012 at 15:23

Quote Posted by DDL

4. Intimidation/dickswinging?

Would explain why things like (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.50_caliber_handguns) these exist, perhaps.

50 Caliber handguns? There's actually a couple reasons. People like to carry a handgun that large in some of the more wild parts of the world (like alaska) for use as a backup weapon for use against an attacking bear, moose, or what have you. Another example is the Israeli Desert Eagle, which was designed for use in situations where you need to stop a threat instantly.......something that will knock a suicide bomber on his ass before he can press that button.

Vivian on 6/9/2012 at 15:27

Jason Moyer on 6/9/2012 at 15:28

Guns are useful for shooting surveillance cameras. You can't really reach up and knife one can ya?

LarryG on 6/9/2012 at 15:29

Quote Posted by Vivian

AUTOMATIC HANDGUNS I AM TALKING ABOUT. Rifles are probably what you are talking about? Question was, what do you need an automatic handgun for?

Quote Posted by Vivian

semi-auto then you nerd

Most would include the civil war handguns in the class that you are talking about. Ref. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_weapons_in_the_American_Civil_War) List of weapons in the American Civil War

Quote:

Model Notes
Colt Army Model 1860 The most popular Colt handgun in the Union army was a .44 caliber six-shot revolver. Stocks were made that could be screwed onto the butt of the pistol allowing it to be held at the shoulder, increasing accuracy. Some had a second function such as a liquor flask or storage for cartridges.[5]
Colt M1861 Navy Similar in size and appearance to the Colt Army, the main difference of the Colt Navy was the change in caliber from .44 to .36 and the fact that it was primarily issued to the US Navy.
Colt 1851 Navy Revolver The preferred weapon of the Confederacy. Copies were made all over the South in former cotton mills.
Colt Dragoon Revolver Issued to the US Cavalry. A heavy large-caliber pistol invented during the Mexican War and designed for killing the mounts of charging enemy troopers.[6]
Remington Model 1858 Colt's chief competitor, Remington Repeating Arms Company, also made revolvers during the Civil War. The most common was the Remington Model 1858. This pistol was highly favored by troops. The Remington had a quick cylinder release catch which made reloading much faster.It was used in large quantities during the war.[7]
Smith & Wesson Model 1 Used as an alternative to the Colt and Remington. These usually fired brass rimfire cartridges.
Starr revolver A double-action revolver which was briefly used in the western theater of the war, until the U.S. Ordnance Department persuaded Starr Arms Co. to create a single-action variant after the discontinuation of the Colt. The company eventually complied, and the Union acquired 25,000 of the single-action revolvers for $12 each.
Beaumont-Adams Revolver A reliable double-action British handgun was privately purchased by many Northern and Southern officers.
Kerrs Patent Revolver A 5-shot back-action revolver made by the London Armoury Company was used by Confederate cavalry.
LeMat Revolver Perhaps the most well-known foreign-designed revolver during the Civil War. It had two barrels, one on top of the other. The top barrel could fire up to nine .42 caliber balls while the bottom could fire a 16 gauge shotshell, making it a deadly weapon in theory. The creator, a French doctor living in New Orleans, Jean Alexandre LeMat, moved back to France to create more revolvers for the Confederacy. The French-made revolvers, however, proved unreliable and difficult to manufacture.
Lefaucheux M1858 A pinfire revolver imported from France by Union and Confederate officers.
Elgin Cutlass pistol Issued to navy personnel but proved unpopular with the men and was quickly replaced with the M1860 Cutlass

faetal on 6/9/2012 at 15:31

Quote Posted by Chimpy Chompy

"Automatic handgun" is basically narrowing it down to stuff like uzis. I take it you're meaning to refer to pistols in general?

I thought "automatic" referred to the fact that the next round is chambered automatically, not just the firing mode. Admittedly, I don't know all that much about guns.