Is it me (probably) or are forum posters scary?

mc5aw said:
We were all newbies once, and uninformed on particular subjects.

I consider this forum to be the gold standard of forums, irrespective of content area. I have visited other firearms forums that, to be honest, are online freak shows. Those are the ones I consider scary. The S&W Forum has always been what I consider an exclusive club, open to all, but attracting the most knowledgeable and discerning firearms aficionados. As gun ownership has increased, along with CCW applications, over the past few years, more "entry level" individuals have walked through the doors of our exclusive club. Most are good folks looking for information and shared passion, some are jackwagons behind computer screens who offer nothing but trouble. It's a simple law of averages ... the more people owning firearms, the more potential for them to join forums for various reasons. I try to pass on experience and knowledge that others on the forum have been kind enough to do for me in the past, but I also steer clear of the occasional "scary" poster, simply as a courtesy to other forum members and to avoid becoming uncivil in tone.

Interestingly, I've noticed a similar increase in "scary" patrons at my LGS for the same reasons as stated above. Ten years back, I didn't know what a Mall Ninja was ... now they're commonly sighted on forums and in gun stores, and I've encountered them far too often in my travels.

Personally speaking, I'll tolerate an occasional "scary" poster in exchange for the privilege of being a proud member of the S&W Forum. It's the cost of doing business ...
Click to expand...

Kudos.
Well said.
A productive climate and fertile ground will always produce growth. Cultivate and nurture the plants that produce, all the while expecting more weed growth. Keep a hoe handy.

And thanks for the compliment.
 
Thank God for this forum!!! At least they (me) have a place to go and ask stupid questions.

I belong to a Bronco Forum (FSB.com), they have a "flame free zone", no attacking allowed.

One guy was having an overheating problem, he finally found the (wrong) fan was turning backwards, blowing instead of sucking. We didn't call him stupid, just said: "great you found the problem".
 
I've heard the term "toys" used all my life in regards to guns, cars and just about anything that a man keeps or collects and personally it has never bothered me. Also the term "recipe" has been used in reloading articles for years and I have come to accept it for what it is. I do understand how it can be offensive to some people and I respect that. I always just try to consider the source of these remarks and go from there. And I probably have used the term toys myself by saying "Hey I got a new toy today" more times than I can remember. I certainly know that they are not toys and don't treat them as toys.

But I digress, I came here because this seems to be the best gun forum around after checking quite a few on the net. I mean it's a S&W forum but you guys discuss every kind of gun on the market and give good reviews on all of them and this is what I like.
 
When I came here it was for information. I have been around guns for 62 of my near 72 years on this earth--shot a lot of revolvers---but was completely out of my level with any information on S&W's.
Folks have been kind to me here--and--satisfied my needs.
Most probably a few have wrinkled their nose up and said--who is this idiot?
To those I would reply---I am glad you recognized an idiot, I would not have given you credit for being able to do so.
But that is not what anybody said and I am grateful for grace and patience.
Blessings
 
Just another angle about what you are mentioning about common sense,safety,and responsibility..I am very technical and use many sources to get my answers to educate myself before making a decision.I have been shooting 357 for decades and decided to get into the bigger bore handguns for indoor/outdoor target and hiking defense with a moody griz.I decided on finding and purchased a stealth hunter 629pc as it was a heavier underlugged 7.5 barrel,magnaported,can put the 500 cal recoil grip on it and be enjoyable to shoot and be able to maintain solid control with any followup shots needed and still be able to defensively be able to handle most critters south of Canadian border..
However what I also learned was there are alot of people out there purchasing the 460 and 500 S and W as a toy just to let the recoil scare the inexperienced shooters while people standing around laughing..The grip and control by these people were basically non existant.I seen people hitting themself in the forehead,doubletapping the trigger and a stry round shooting off the the sides or up and behind the shooter,dropped and tumbling the revolver or hanging off their finger inside the trigger guard.Etc..Many instances there were alot of people standing around or shooting in a line that are in danger of a stray round ruining their day..
Just to add to your comments about those that may not be the best candidates using guns..I felt some of these people were very irresponsible,negligent,absolutely no regard for safety..If they have to do this at least they should only chamber one round at a time to avoid the stray shot that could follow..Anyway just a thought regarding your safety/toy/ common sense discussion
 
I agree with what you say Dave. On the other hand there is a saying that "The only dumb question is the one that is not asked".
 
Some people shouldn't be here, have any of you not seen some of the "Walmarter's" emails with pictures? Yes, they are everywhere. At least the ones that do come here from time to time have enough gumption to actually ask a question, and to them it must be a valid question. I will attempt to answer questions, no matter how many times it has been asked. (Yes, you can shoot +P in a model 10, and "Ctg" is an abbreviation for cartridge).

And, I think it is a really great country that we can have this open of a discussion about nearly any subject (but mostly about S&W's). Let's hope it will continue to be for many years to come, and thanks to Lee for our opportunity to do so.
 
Sometimes I scare myself. At least levity is allowed.
 
As the forum grows, there will be a broader spectrum of interested people on it. Some will be highly intelligent, with a lot of common sense. Others, not so much. Remember that tales get told on here, that occured decades ago, in youthful indescretion. I'm sure there are members here, who really don't care about the 2A or S&Ws. Not that they are trolls, but wannabes, or just inexperienced. I'm sure sometines the truth, to some, is nowhere as important as the story. The Eye of the Great Ape is upon us all. We'll be OK.
 
Scary posters

It's very true that there are many new gun owners without a good grounding in firearm safety and sometimes they sound a little weird.

The problem is that fewer people take advantage of the groups that used to raise up safe gun owners: The Boy Scouts, the armed services and the most important of all, knowledgeable parents who insist on safe gun handling as they raise their children and introduce them to firearms.

I agree it's up to those with some experience to be helpful to new firearm owners and help them learn to be safe and responsible.

Encourage them to take gun safety courses, join the NRA and leave You Tube alone except for entertainment value.

We shouldn't condemn them, but try our best to help them.
 
The part that does bother me is that some of these people that show all the stupid stuff on u-tube or wherever reproduce and teach their offspring to do things the way they did them.
 
Like it or not, You Tube is the new medium for instruction and information.
I view it all the time as quite a few manufacturers use it for their installation and repair manuals.
Rather than curse it's existence, perhaps those of you with experience could put up some proper videos to share?

The Smith-WessonForum Video Hour has a nice ring to it!
 
wbraswell said:
As the forum grows, there will be a broader spectrum of interested people on it. Some will be highly intelligent, with a lot of common sense. Others, not so much. Remember that tales get told on here, that occured decades ago, in youthful indescretion. I'm sure there are members here, who really don't care about the 2A or S&Ws. Not that they are trolls, but wannabes, or just inexperienced. I'm sure sometines the truth, to some, is nowhere as important as the story. The Eye of the Great Ape is upon us all. We'll be OK.
Click to expand...
Don't Bogart that joint, mah friend! :)
 
VOTE YES for the forum.. Far more good than bad.

I say VOTE YES for the forum. It has far more good than bad posts.

Yes, some misinformation may get posted, but it is usually quickly countered and/or corrected.

I heard more misinformation yesterday at a regional gun show than I would read here in a month, and for the mos t part there were no corrections offered by others.

Truly amazing information offered at the show by some who "knew several things that just ain't so". And then there was the legendary gunsmith Robert E. Lee Jenkins who was a great source of misinformation.

Bekeart
 
44 special Dave said:
The 2nd amendment isn't for everyone.

Dave
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You're right. But why stop there?

Those (insert extremist organization here) scare and annoy me. The First Ammendment isn't for everyone. They should shut up or be jailed.

Ya know what? Those (insert extremist organization here) are dangerous. The Fourth Ammendment isn't for everyone. If we could just kinda go ahead & read their mail, and didn't have to worry about those pesky search warrants & whatnot... Oh wait. We already have that...

But you catch my drift I'm sure. So should we nominate you to be the 2A czar & decide who gets to exercise 2A rights?
 
Regarding folks who shouldn't own firearms, I would agree that violent felons and mentally ill shouldn't (and aren't) be allowed. Most folks are pretty green when they start. I have come to believe if you aren't willing to take the time to learn to handle a gun you should leave them alone.

A long time ago a coworker asked me what kind of gun his sister should get. She managed a convenience store in a semi bad area and had been robbed. The Police had advised her to arm herself. Of course, there is no correct answer in a situation like that, but i suggested a 1911 in a pancake holster. My logic ran along the lines of once the neighborhood knew she was armed the robbers would go elsewhere. The local police had offered the use of their range. She went to a LGS and the dealer sold her a .32 revolver. She kept it under the counter near the register and later it was stolen in a burglary. She should have either gotten a better firearm and some good instruction or she should have passed.

My neighbor has a sister who wanted a gun. She was an older lady. She had witnessed a purse snatching and she wanted to be able to intervene. I told her that once the thief had the purse in his hands there was nothing she could legally do. If she shot him she may get in trouble. She said she wanted to hold him for Police. I informed her that the law doesn't allow that and she might be arrested for kidnapping. He gave his sister a pistol and I gave her a gun lock so her grandchildren wouldn't get hurt.

A fellow related a hunting story to me. He was hunting in a powerline cut with a lever gun. His father was dressing a deer nearby and someone took a shot at him. There were several shots and they tore up the ground on either side. His father shouted "Leon, you're shooting too close". He replied that it wasn't him doing the shooting but he was being shot at. His father said "Did you shoot back?" He then took several shots at a speck on the far hill and the shooting stopped. I believe someone had a high power rifle with a powerful scope and was bored with hunting.This person was just shooting to scare him. I see a lot of signs damaged by bullets and I might agree that someone who would shoot at road signs should have the gun taken away.

Regarding rookie mistakes, I am happy to offer advice to avoid them as I have made my fair share. As long as someone is willing to listen to advice.
 
Yeah, you have to be careful when you carry and what you do with your weapon. I know at our CC class our instructor told us to never pull the gun if you weren't going to shoot. And don't shoot unless you intend to kill. He said here in AZ that simply showing the weapon during a confrontation can be considered simple assault and can get you in trouble.

It's a shame that the criminal can put you in jail for protecting yourself from him. I really wonder what they are thinking when they are writing up some of these laws if they're thinking at all.

What am I thinking, it's politicians that make up the laws, I just answered my own question. Oh well.
 
Onomea said:
Well, I dunno. People who do foolish things with guns through carelessness, and then confess to negligence in a post, well, I think they serve to remind us to be ever vigilant in our safe handling of guns. I think that their conscience troubles them, and by confessing and publicly embarrassing themselves, which is painful, they are also making the point to themselves to exercise more care in the future.

I think the ones to worry more about are the ones who sweep these incidents under the rug without a lot of reflection.
Click to expand...

Back in the day I used to fly small planes. If you've ever done that, and I'm sure lots of us have, you become familiar with all the "checklists". Early on my instructor told me something like; "...we use checklists for EVERYTHING! They are NOT optional. ...you won't live long enough to make all of the common mistakes..."

I really believe that. So on this forum, what we routinely see, I think, is people sharing their common mistakes. I also believe that they do this with the genuine, well-meaning, intention of hoping that we will make a mental 'checklist' so we don't repeat those mistakes.

JMHO!
 
VPNAVY, On that guy shooting at me mistakeing me for a deer: On doing nothing. I was I think 12 years old. When your a kid on your first hunt you assume adults are smarter than you are. At first I thought the guy must be shooting at a deer somewhere behind me that I couldnt see. He was shooting off a high road bed some feet higher than me crouching in frozzen swam and brush. Just couldnt belive he was shooting at me personaly. Every shot I heard whipping and hitting around me by inchs to feet. I also belived I had no confidence in my cheap single barrel slug iver johnson at the distance of a hundred or more yards. I just simply froze through the ordeal.
Today I wouldnt be armed with a single shot to start with. Being older and more experianced I would have first bellered and if shot at the secound time probley shoot, but not to hit. If they didnt stop, I would have more rounds to seriously shoot back. I only had the one shot available back then without digging for more. Chances were big I knew the man or maybe his family had I seen him up closer back then. It was a rual area where we knew everyone for many miles. New hunters do stupid things like pumping all their ammo out thinking they are shooting and arent, shooting at clogged brush thinking its deer etc. I seen a lot years ago. My dad had a close friend at work in those years. Another hunter mistook him for a deer and shot him through the arm. My dad told him he was lucky. His friend said I could have been luckier and have him miss too!
 
No, I don't want to be in charge of deciding who gets to exercise their 2A rights. I'm only trying to objectively observe behavior.

Fact is people do stupid things regardless of their right to do so.

Ask feralmerril; he got shot at numerous times because it was someone's right to hunt and shoot at what he thought was a deer. IDIOT. (not feralmerril of course).

Someone else pointed out some people shouldn't reproduce, but they do. Also some people shouldn't be driving a car yet they do.

To think this forum is really a cross section of society is kind of scary all by itself. There's a lot of stupid scary people walking/driving around.

To those that commented on how truly wonderful this forum is, I would have to agree. I do think the serious folks here out weigh the.........

I believe that while we have constitutional rights, they are not absolute in every circumstance. Ask any constitutional scholar that.

Except the one amendment that is unwritten;

To be a flaming idiot whenever I want to be, everyone else be damned.

Dave
 
There is another forum where a poster said that "the 357 SIG" is the most reliable round/cartridge ever.

I asked him to explain why, he couldnt do it without going on and on about his SIG and Glock which shot the round.

I tried to explain him that the weapon itself, not the cartridge itself was what made the platform reliable or not... he goes on and on about it being a necked cartrdige, blah, blah...

While not dangerous per se, I was frustrated by the stupid logic
 
44 special Dave said:
Johngalt;sure why not? But seriously if you had asked; "I have a M&P 38 special that was my grandfather's that dates to the early 1920s. The cylinder chambers allow .357 magnums to go in. Is it safe to shoot with .357 magnums?"

If had asked the above question, you'd be "that" category.

By the way that was a real question asked in a gun magazine forum years back.

Dave
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I don't get it...are you saying that it would have been better that the guy didn't ask if it's OK to put .357 magnums into grandpa's M&P 38 special because it's a dumb question? That he should have learned the hard way instead of asking someone on the forum who knows if it's safe? Heck he is researching the situation in his own way. Some people do their own research, then decide the action they are going to take, some people ask for advice from others. Now had he put the magnums in and fired the gun, without asking or doing any research on his own - then he would be in "that" category, IMHO. I don't think you should lump people who ask for advise into one group and then lable them as idiots.

Pete
 
[QUOTE: If you could say one thing....]

Lots of things brought up already in this thread, it's fun.

"Having the right to" certainly means nothing other than the government is prohibited from depriving. Nothing in the Constitution about everyone being qualified to bear arms. Opportunity, not outcome-- is what our Constitution is about.
Oftentimes, the ability to learn is indicated by the ability to inquire. No sense in everyone having to err, we learn from others mistakes and their successes.
Being polite instead of being snotty is a good way to get a fair hearing.
I like this forum. It's well run.
Re: Forum contributors...
You can never tell the depth of a well by the length of the handle on the pump.
Oh, and BTW-
the name "Old TexMex" actually came from the railroad, and a fellow who was a guard on same, nothing "racist or bigoted" therein, though I could be referring to my own background.:D
 
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