Legendary or Simply Tall-Tales?
The gun has become so widely ingrained in our culture as Americans that it has taken on an almost mythic quality: it has been integral to the creation (and liberation) of countries, foreign and domestic; it has been the preferred weapon of America’s greatest silver screen legends, like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood; it is the tool upon which Manifest Destiny was secured, second only, perhaps, to the horse-drawn wagon.
Such a prolific instrument has naturally been the subject of a lot of intense discussion. In one camp, its defenders swear by the gun’s usefulness and unreplaceable impact for good on our society; the other camp has similarly passionate, yet opposing, feelings.
Hanging over all this debate is a haze of myth and misconception. Unchecked, these false stories and statistics have caused centuries of wrong ideas to take hold about guns, gun owners, and gun criticism.
A Divided Nation
In light of such myths, the country falls into three categories nearly identical in size to one another, according to research conducted in 2017:
- Those who currently own a gun (and/or gun accessories).
- Those who don’t own a gun but could see themselves buying one either again or for the first time.
- Those who don’t own a gun and never will.
Further statistics gathered more recently suggest that many of those who have considered buying a gun have chosen to do so in the years following that initial poll. There has likewise been an upswing in the purchase of attachments to complement these firearms. For 45 Blast, we have registered a large swing in interest for our custom accessories like our Canik compensators and holster.
Gun Myths, Debunked
The nature of trends is to rise and fall, however, and minds can only change through accurate information and proper context. Instead of looking at the latest fervor for gun ownership to close the book on the debate surrounding guns, let’s take it as an opportunity to address some of the biggest myths with an open mind.
Myth: The bigger the magazine capacity, the more deadly the crime.
One of the hot topics of gun control has to do with banning high-capacity magazines, the argument being that more bullets = more death. As evidence, anti-gun advocates point to mass shooting events such as Virginia Tech and Columbine.
Fact: The truth is that most mass shootings are carried out with low-capacity magazines. The high casualty toll is a result of prior planning on the part of the criminal, who in some cases came prepared with more than a dozen magazines to reload. Even at events where high-capacity magazines were registered, the shooter had an arsenal of over a dozen weapons nearby.
In the vast majority of deadly encounters in the US, the gun fired fewer than 4 bullets.
Myth: Good Samaritan gun owners don’t make a difference during a crisis.
A more cynical opponent of firearm ownership might state that there is no significant history to back up the claim that regular civilians have been integral in preventing mass shootings. While it is true that the “right place, right time” instances have been rare, one can argue that that is evidence of fewer people carrying guns when they’re needed; that is hardly the gun-toting free-for-all some pundits make our country out to be.
Fact: Many shootings occur in places chosen for their strict no-gun policy. Good Samaritans have still found ways to help, however. Concealed carry and recoil-stabilizing gun accessories have gone on to make a major difference in the survival rate of many encounters.
Myth: “Self-defense” is simply lip service.
Many phrases could be used to describe the state of the gun control debate — “cooling off” is not one of them. One of the arguments that gets brought up is the nature of “self defense” in the American home — what is needful vs what is merely for sport? The resultant myth is that the majority of people buying guns are doing so because they want to send a message to their opponents and self-defense is merely an excuse.
Fact: Not only is self-defense the #1 reason that both liberals and conservatives buy guns (nearly 50% of all households own a firearm in the US), but many of these guns actually prove useful in that endeavor.
- Nearly one-third of gun owners have used a gun to defend themselves.
- Over 50% of criminals have admitted to being more afraid of an armed citizen than a cop.
- Instances of self-defense occur between 1,500 - 8,000 times a day, maybe more.
- The vast majority of self-defense events occur without needing to fire the gun at all.
Myth: Gun crime is on the rise
Would you believe that not only is gun crime in decline but urban violence, in general, is lower than it has ever been? Thanks to the media’s coverage of mass shootings and constant rotation of talking heads debating gun ownership, most Americans think that they are living in some sort of criminal utopia.
Fact: We are actually currently experiencing what criminologists have termed “The Great Crime Decline.” Despite the frequent violent crime that occurs in demoralized and underprivileged neighborhoods, many reputable publications acknowledge that we haven’t seen relatively pacifism such as this in generations.
Despite the myths, which will always persist and grow, there is no better time to own a gun and to outfit it with the latest and best gun accessories. Visit 45 Blast today to set yourself up not only with something practical but fashionable and unique as well.
