The new gun culture 2.0

[Iggyort 44]

The new gun culture

 

 

By: Richard L Johnson

9/21/2012 11:14 PM

 

 

 

 

'The gun community has forever changed. Once in a supposed slow decline, the popularity of shooting and gun ownership has come roaring back during the past couple of decades. Sales of firearms are setting all kinds of records, and gun ranges are frequently packed with people.

Michael Bane calls the latest generation of gun owners “Gun Culture 2.0,” which I find to be an exceptionally apt description. Much like the move from the “old” internet, to the current generation of interactive and social web sites was called “Web 2.0,” the Gun Culture 2.0 is a similarly remarkable change in our own community.

But the new generation of gun owners no longer fit the old-school sportsmen look of yesteryear. The new generation of gun owners are fiercely independent, yet socially active – especially in the online space. The new generation comes from urban centers as well as middle America. New gun owners are of all genders, colors, creeds and social strata. They are not Elmer Fudd.'

 

 

Full Story here : http://www.humaneven...ew-gun-culture/

 

[JackDaWack 2,895]

If your going to post articles, you need to put up an opinion.

I think it's a great article, personally. At first i thought it was trying to split the gun community, talking about the 1.0 vs 2.0 culture. First off, he didn't come up with the "gun culture 2.0" slang. It's been around for some time, and the article is kinda miss leading about that. Also, it's not a new culture, IMO. They make it out to be as if before the 2.0 culture all firearms owners were "just hunters" which is completely incorrect. If anything we have just seen a strong shift amongst the purposes we buy firearms.. primarily for self-protection and sporting...That to me doesn't indicate a new culture, people for decades have been buying guns for these reasons.. Just because we use updated and newer guns doesn't make us a 2.0 culture either.

 

"The point is, our culture has changed. And, it has changed for the better. We attract all kinds of people into the gun world because all of the lies about us are easily disproven now that the mass media no longer has control over what people know. The internet has allowed the truth about firearms to get out."

 

I agree with this to a certain extent, take a look around.... the media is still well in control over what people know, and the internet is only helpful to people who wish to seek out the truth themselves, and even still a daunting task. Take the Trevon Florida shooting for instance, just a pure example about how the media still has a very good foothold.

[mipafox 438]

Unfortunately, it sounds like I'll still be a gun nut until 3.0 comes around.

[Cemeterys Gun Blob 165]

Question is, where is NJ?

 

The way ranges run out in America is totally different than here.

 

I'd have to say that NJ is somewhere between Gun Culture 0.5 and Gun Culture 1.0.

[ExpendableRaj 1]

NJ is most certainly stuck in the "Fudd" days. You know, where hollow points are illegal and magazines are limited to ten rounds. And anything black and scary is bad not a real rifle used by good guys. Except for the AR-15 because that is the weapon of Our Heroes.

[nino 0]

Personally I think ppl need to stop complaining if we don't do nothing. We should protest and strike and stuff will get done. The more we complain nothing will get done. We live in New Jersey nothing will change or get better here. Everyone liberal and politics are corrupted. That's why next year I'm moving to a free state!!!

[mipafox 438]

Personally I think ppl need to stop complaining if we don't do nothing. We should protest and strike and stuff will get done. The more we complain nothing will get done. We live in New Jersey nothing will change or get better here. Everyone liberal and politics are corrupted. That's why next year I'm moving to a free state!!!

 

Proof that NJ Gun Forums makes a real difference. Encouraging people to leave NJ since 2009. They should put a running total on the top of the forum.

 

Not a slam on the site. But the irony is too thick in the air to leave unmentioned.

[Ray Ray 3,566]

I was raised under a 1.0 and have become a 1.5 myself. Still liking old school stuff but using new school stuff as well.

[mcbethr 42]

I think there are a number of factors to the shift:

 

#1. More states are allowing carry.

 

#2. We just spent 10 years fighting two wars. Now you have about a few million people who were in the military and served in combat. I'm not talking peacetime stuff where they took their weapons out of the arms room once every six months to qualify. I mean every day carrying their weapons. At least 20% of these vets are women. Now, when these people go back into society, guns just aren't as scary as they once were, and heck, maybe they want the Beretta M9, Mossberg 590 or M4 that they had in combat.

 

#3. I don't think you can discount the Call of Duty theory. All of those kids that grew up playing Modern Warfare and Call of Duty graduated to Airsoft. And now that they finished college and have a job and a little bit of money, they are discovering that they can buy some of those guns for real - and they are.

[ExpendableRaj 1]

I mean every day carrying their weapons. At least 20% of these vets are women. Now, when these people go back into society, guns just aren't as scary as they once were, and heck, maybe they want the Beretta M9, Mossberg 590 or M4 that they had in combat.

 

I don't know if that's necessarily the case. In fact, from experience, it has been quite the opposite. Due to my line of work I have met literally hundreds of veterans and most of them, especially the ones that go into security/LEO are NOT gun enthusiasts by any means. In fact, to most of them they may not even like guns at all or even feel that people should own them. Many of them view guns as simply a tool for the job and are no more enthusiastic about guns that a carpenter would be about his hammer. A lot of these people also view guns from a standpoint of them being the tool of authority.

 

I think your "Call of Duty" theory, however, is a lot more accurate. There's an entire generation of now twenty-somethings that grew up firing every real and imagined weapon in the game world and want to have some real-life fun with scary looking firearms. And it is a good thing.

 

(except the douche bags with thousand dollar optics on their AR calling 50 yard shots from a bench rest. seriously, F those doofuses)

[usnmars 136]

+1 raj i cannot stand the gen 2 people. Most learned to shoot from video games. When they show up at the range i normally pack up rather than deal with em, and yes i am even from the same generation as them.

[tony357 386]

NJ is most certainly stuck in the "Fudd" days. You know, where hollow points are illegal and magazines are limited to ten rounds. And anything black and scary is bad not a real rifle used by good guys. Except for the AR-15 because that is the weapon of Our Heroes.

 

15 dont make it worse than it alreadt is..

[JackDaWack 2,895]

I don't know if that's necessarily the case. In fact, from experience, it has been quite the opposite. Due to my line of work I have met literally hundreds of veterans and most of them, especially the ones that go into security/LEO are NOT gun enthusiasts by any means. In fact, to most of them they may not even like guns at all or even feel that people should own them. Many of them view guns as simply a tool for the job and are no more enthusiastic about guns that a carpenter would be about his hammer. A lot of these people also view guns from a standpoint of them being the tool of authority.

 

I think your "Call of Duty" theory, however, is a lot more accurate. There's an entire generation of now twenty-somethings that grew up firing every real and imagined weapon in the game world and want to have some real-life fun with scary looking firearms. And it is a good thing.

 

(except the douche bags with thousand dollar optics on their AR calling 50 yard shots from a bench rest. seriously, F those doofuses)

 

Why are people so focused on what people are shooting and at what range? i could care less what your doing as long as your doing it safely. If people are enjoying there equipment good for them. Just because you might do it differently doesn't make them a douche bag.

[checko 180]

+1 raj i cannot stand the gen 2 people. Most learned to shoot from video games. When they show up at the range i normally pack up rather than deal with em, and yes i am even from the same generation as them.

 

That seems like a very broad generalization. Most younger shooters I've met (20's) are very responsible and usually coming out of tours in the service. I've also met a lot of older folks at ranges that seem to have an extra chromosome. It really boils down to to types of people. Intelligent and not so much. Age plays a small factor.

[Kaiser7 33]

I suppose I'm sort of 2.0- But with a love of the classics. Actually, I prefer the K98s, Winchester 94s, and revolvers of yester-year to things like the SCAR, but I love pretty much all of them.

 

For those that don't know, I'm a 20 year old college student, and I expected to be a pariah at Rowan when I'd mention to people that I liked guns. Ironically, I don't think I've ever heard of anyone who was out-right anti-gun, that place seems to be occupied by my Parent's generation, or even my friend's parents who are younger. I actually see a general interest in firearms, at least wanting to try them out rather then a straight-out opposition to them which I would expect. Hell, one of the most common dates I take girls out on is to shoot my .22 at Bob's Little Sport Shop, and the girls LOVE IT. They actually hang their targets up in their room, which even I don't do!

[Duppie 73]

I am buoyed when ever I see younger shooters at the range and yes you can sometimes detect a cavalier attitude but for the most part they genuinely seem to appreciate the history,significance and gravity of what they are shooting.

I had the opportunity recently to shoot with Smoking 50,smokey70 and her teenage son.. {thanks again Dave} and loved the fact that all the 2.0 shooting there that day were carrying on with enthusiasm the shooting sports.

[Kaiser7 33]

I am buoyed when ever I see younger shooters at the range and yes you can sometimes detect a cavalier attitude but for the most part they genuinely seem to appreciate the history,significance and gravity of what they are shooting.

I had the opportunity recently to shoot with Smoking 50,smokey70 and her teenage son.. {thanks again Dave} and loved the fact that all the 2.0 shooting there that day were carrying on with enthusiasm the shooting sports.

 

May be a bit soon to speak, but anyone who is a SJ member of NJ2AS knows about how the Rowan Republicans are trying to get a joint venture with NJ2AS to do a First-shoot for college students. I know a lot of people are interested, and it is mutually beneficial. So far being a member of both organizations, it's kind of up to me to set the stuff up, but the outpouring of support from the NJ2AS has been amazing. We're expecting resistance from the Student Government Association, since the current president is the former Democrat club president, but we can probably get this through either way.

 

I think that the best thing the 2A groups can do is to get people out there and shooting, so they no longer buy into the misconceptions regarding firearms, and learn to appreciate it themselves.

[Kingsoverqueens 10]

+1 raj i cannot stand the gen 2 people. Most learned to shoot from video games. When they show up at the range i normally pack up rather than deal with em, and yes i am even from the same generation as them.

lol.

 

True story.

 

My first indoor shoot, with Jim Norman and Mike Nardo (sp?) acting as my R/O. I've got my pistol a month, not much longer than that. Probably no more than 200 rounds down range at that point. At the end of my second stage, Mike comments to me, "you know, you shoot pretty good for a guy who's never shot before." In complete dead pan I tell him, "Yeah, I play a lot of Call of Duty." laughs ensue.

 

I do play video games with my kids and now we shoot together. It's been a nice bridge.

[Texan 1]

Any gun ownership is better than no ownership no matter what you like or what you think is cool or trendy.

 

I like function. but will squeeze into some trends as long as function is solidly met first.

 

They need to start with guns that shoot condoms, birthcontrol, foodstamp, wellfare and such for the hard liberals. And slowly introduce them to guns that shoot bbs and 22LR.

[woodentoe 14]

Best way to confound a Liberal. Invite him to go shooting with you. Be respectful, and show them the joy that shooting can be. You'll have them realizing that gun control is bad politics AND bad policy.

[Duppie 73]

Best way to confound a Liberal. Invite him to go shooting with you. Be respectful, and show them the joy that shooting can be. You'll have them realizing that gun control is bad politics AND bad policy.

+1

[Texan 1]

Best way to confound a Liberal. Invite him to go shooting with you. Be respectful, and show them the joy that shooting can be. You'll have them realizing that gun control is bad politics AND bad policy.

 

+1

 

Wasn't making fun of liberals. Just figured incorporating the things people love the most into some form of firearm to ease them into enjoying what firearms truely are and the responsible fun that can be had with them.

 

Like introducing handouts to people so they slowly become so dependant on where they are coming from, that it is too late to turn back or recondition personal resposibility.

[ExpendableRaj 1]

Why are people so focused on what people are shooting and at what range? i could care less what your doing as long as your doing it safely. If people are enjoying there equipment good for them. Just because you might do it differently doesn't make them a douche bag.

 

Last time, said doofuses did, in fact, hold up the line. Everyone on the line would call ceasefire and they would simply sit there, the spotter yelling to his CoD commando buddy "LITTLE HIGHER! TO THE LEFT!" with eyes glues to the binoculars and needed a personal invitation to cease fire every time. He also needed to be told several times to stay away from the bench because people would be downrange and he'd be reaching for his scopes. So yes, if they weren't bothering me I wouldn't care, but they were.

[leahcim 680]

_{Last time, said doofuses did, in fact, hold up the line. Everyone on the line would call ceasefire and they would simply sit there, the spotter yelling to his CoD commando buddy "LITTLE HIGHER! TO THE LEFT!" with eyes glues to the binoculars and needed a personal invitation to cease fire every time. He also needed to be told several times to stay away from the bench because people would be downrange and he'd be reaching for his scopes. So yes, if they weren't bothering me I wouldn't care, but they were.}

_{If people are causing problems due to their ignorance, perhaps someone should take them aside and politely explain some range ettiquete and respect.}

 

_{I personally believe that the more mainstream support from all demographic groups, the more normal firearms will seem and ultimately make it easier to change things for the better.}

[Hooligan 0]

I admit, Call of Duty and Medal of Honor are partially responsible for my M1 Garand, K98, and Mosin Nagant.

[Zell959 40]

For those that don't know, there is an established protocol for navigating a discussion of the gun culture 2.0 concept.

1) Decide if you'd like to consider yourself 1.0 or 2.0

 

2) Declare your determination

 

3) Finish by broadly categorizing the other group in a condescending manner. Start off with classics, Elmer Fudd/Call of Duty/etc, but don't be afraid to get creative with it. You could photoshop Mr.Magoo into the background of a bullseye competition, or keep an old NES Zapper in your range bag and tell the next Glock owner you meet "I've got one too. It's right here in my bag". Have fun with it.

 

[SgtToadette 59]

I'm without a doubt a 2.0'er. Grew up in a secular, liberal house. Parents were vegetarian and consistently voted Democrat. I was largely anti-gun up until about 6 years ago. I eventually, through my own research, had a big change in heart.

 

I play(ed) a lot of video games (actually haven't played in a few months) and would be lying if I said that they didn't spark the interest. So now I'm a super-secular, moderate liberal vegetarian who also happens to love guns. I can see the head scratching already!