When you buy that first gun, you don’t always have the intention that more will follow. For some, the gun they purchased is sufficient and there is nothing wrong with that. For the rest of us, however, it is hard to stop at just one.
There are countless reasons why we want more than one gun. Maybe you bought a handgun for self-defense and now you want a shotgun as well. Or maybe you decided to keep a gun in the car and one by the bed, so you need two handguns. Then there is the AR-15 rifle that you need because… well…they’re cool and great for self-defense, hunting, and sport shooting. And most people that own guns have an AR-15 rifle or some variant of one.
You could be OCD and want a handgun of each caliber to make a complete collection. Once you have that shotgun you kind of need an AR-15 to add to your collection. Then there is the AR-15 pistol, and the options are endless from there.
If you carry a gun concealed, a smaller gun could be more suitable in the summer because you wear fewer layers. In the winter, a larger gun can be concealed with a jacket or coat. Regardless of the reason, there is always another gun that is just reaching out to you saying, “Buy me!” But where does it stop? Is there an amount you can reach where any rational person would say you have too many guns? And no, this does not include the wife’s opinion that one or two is enough. Let’s discuss and see if there is a reasonable number to throw out there.
Why do we want guns?
Answering the question of why we want guns is very tricky and probably not completely possible. If you ask 100 people, you will get 100 different answers. The feds like to spread the idea that guns are for hunting and should therefore be the only reason you need one. With that comes the absurd ideology that only a certain gun should be owned because you “don’t need an assault rifle for hunting.” The fact that they think AR stands for “Assault Rifle” shows their ignorance.
While not a primary reason for owning a gun, people will list hunting as one of those reasons. Sport shooting and collecting are other reasons, but self-defense is the top one. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey¹, 67% of gun owners say protection is the reason they own a gun. Regardless of the category, Americans like their guns.
WAMU.org says that the US makes up 4% of the world’s population but has 40% of all civilian-owned guns on the planet. That’s a lot of guns! They go on to say the average gun owner in America owns five guns, up one from two decades ago. This means gun ownership is not just going up, but current gun owners are buying more guns as well. And by the way, five guns is not very many…
What is an arsenal of guns?
Sometimes you’ll hear, “He had an arsenal of guns.” The term ‘arsenal’ does help to emphasize a point when describing a lot of guns, but what is an arsenal? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, there are two definitions.
- An establishment for the manufacture or storage of arms and military equipment.
- A collection of weapons.
Well, that clears it up right? If you own more than one gun, I guess you have an arsenal. It doesn’t even say a lot of guns, it just says a “collection.” If you look up “collection” in the dictionary, it won’t say how many that is either.
What does the government say?
The government likes to say one thing and then do something else. Part of the confusion with looking to federal guidelines is that each time a new administration comes in, they have their own agenda and begin to push for it. Currently, federal law does not prohibit the number of guns a civilian can own. This means you can’t have too many guns according to the government (though our current leaders would love to change this). Guns stores are required to report the purchase of two or more guns within a five-day period to the BATF, but this does not violate any laws and there is no limit to how many you can purchase.
There is great debate on what the government should be able to regulate, and some anti-gun groups argue the Second Amendment was written for the military, not civilians. But that is a debate for another time. For the moment, we live in a free country that allows us to keep and bear arms. And these firearms can be great for protection, a fun hobby, and a very good investment. With prices on the rise and inflation out of control, it could be argued that guns, gun magazines, and ammunition will hold their value better than other investments.
But we still haven’t answered our original question, have we?
The Deeper Meaning of Firearm Ownership
To Americans, guns are embedded into our history and symbolize the freedom our ancestors bravely died to give us. And while some only see a firearm as a symbol of violence and crime, others see firearms as symbolizing the brave men and women facing the evils of this world from the American Revolution to the soldiers training today. A gun represents the inventor, the wars that were fought with it, and the people that passed them down to us.
The point is that guns are part of America. A gun is a tool, a sport, a means to hunt, and protect your castle. The government, police, or anyone else is not the first person responsible for your safety. YOU are the first person responsible for your and your family’s safety. And the number of guns you own? Well, that’s up to you.
1. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/06/22/key-takeaways-on-americans-views-of-guns-and-gun-ownership/
