(From my News Journal article on 10/20/2012 – SMK)
Guns, gun ownership, and gun laws are hot topics that are frequently debated in the news media, political arena, and personal conversation, and focus on gun-related issues intensifies during election years.
In some cases, politicians and pundits – of all political parties and with varying views on guns – attempt to tackle gun-related issues by taking broad-stroke positions without fully learning, understanding, or considering the practical utility of guns. One such position advocates limiting the number of guns one can own or purchase.
As with all tools, guns serve specific purposes and are task oriented, but many people unfamiliar with guns don’t understand that all guns are not equal. To illustrate, I recently overheard a conversation in a sporting goods store during which a golfer asked a hunter, “How many guns do you need? Can’t you just use the one you have?” Rather than offering a finite answer, the hunter responded with, “How many golf clubs do you need? Can’t you just use one?”
I seriously doubt the hunter believed the golfer could only use one club for a complete golf game, but I truly believe the golfer thought the hunter could use one gun for hunting all animals. He couldn’t be less accurate: a hunter who pursues varied game species absolutely needs more than one type of gun (and he may even need to purchase more than one gun in a single day).
Shotguns, long guns that typically fire ammunition comprised of multiple pellets (‘shot’), are used for hunting birds, such as pheasants, quail, turkeys, ducks, and geese; small animals, like rabbits and squirrels; and sometimes larger animals, like deer. When a shotgun is fired, the pellets spread out enabling the shooter to cover a wider area when compared to a single projectile, which makes it more effective for relatively close, fast-moving game. Shotguns come in various bore or gauge sizes (with larger sizes providing higher pellet and gun powder capacity), barrel lengths, action types (pump, semi-automatic, break-action, and more), and ammunition handling ability (ability to handle shells of 2 ¾”, 3”, and/or 3.5”).
As with a golfer selecting the appropriate club for a specific type of shot, a hunter should also match his shotgun (and ammunition) to the specific hunt. Small game hunts accompanied by long walks and thick cover may warrant a lighter-weight, shorter-barrel shotgun, while long-range, fast-shooting waterfowl hunts may warrant a more powerful, semi-automatic shotgun with a rust-resistant coating. Likewise, in states like Delaware where deer cannot legally be hunted with a rifle, a hunter may use a separate, deer-only shotgun that fires single slugs (rather than multiple pellets) and is fitted with a scope.
Rifles, long guns that fire single bullets through grooved barrels, are typically used for hunting game in which longer shots at non-flying game are necessary. As with shotguns, rifles come in various sizes (with larger ‘calibers’ typically providing larger bullet and gun powder capacity), barrel lengths, and action types and should be appropriately matched to the game hunted. Ground hogs could be hunted with a relatively light caliber (like a .22), deer with a larger caliber (like .30-06 Springfield), and grizzly bears with a big caliber (like .375 H&H).
While shotgun and rifles are the most common forms of hunting guns, it is important to point out that in some states (including Delaware) certain game species can also be hunted with muzzleloaders (long guns in which bullets are loaded from the end of the gun’s barrel or ‘muzzle’ ) and handguns. Muzzleloaders and handguns also come in various calibers and configurations, and many states (including Delaware) provide guidelines and regulations stipulating the calibers (for muzzleloaders and handguns) and barrel lengths (handguns) to be used when hunting.
Just as there is no single golf club for every shot, no screwdriver for all types of screws, and no fishing rod for all types of fish, there is no single gun for all types of hunting. As a result, limiting the number of guns one can own or purchase may be misguided, and attempts to do so could have a domino effect.
After all, I am sure golfers, mechanics, and fishermen will be upset when limits are placed on the number of tools they can own or purchase.