If we had similar laws to US would you own a gun?

I live in a place with US type firearms laws. Yes, I own guns.

That said, as another poster pointed out, I can't imagine Ireland would turn into the US even if, for whatever odd reason, the laws changed. There is something in a lot of the American psyche which indicates it is acceptable to shoot someone for 'dissing' them, or to get a pair of runners. I don't think Irish people would suddenly change to that sort of behaviour even with greater access to firearms. Certainly there are plenty enough well armed countries which demonstrate this.

1874 wrote: »

I think it would make sense to have specifically non lethal weapons in a specific colour scheme to help distinguish them, day glow yellow/orange/green.

To what end? You can spray-paint a real gun day-glow yellow/orange/green. If you treat it as a less-lethal, it could end badly for you.

ShatterAlan wrote: »

Wouldn't a nice big Rottweiler or 2 be better?

Three issues. Firstly, nobody in my house is allergic to metals. Dogs, however, are another problem. Secondly, a gun is cheaper overall than a rottweiler or two. Thirdly, a dog isn't just an asset, it's a part of the family which requires care, attention, time etc. It's a commitment. Not all people are inclined towards taking a pet. A tool is much more convenient.

jill_valentine wrote: »

Switzerland is generally considered to have a very liberal gun policy, but I'd say it has what I'd call the "Chris Rock" strategy - the ammunition is as carefully regulated as the weapons themselves. Up until recently the national service stuff was issued in a can you were only meant to open under Judgement Day conditions.

Sortof. It's actually in between the "it's American free-for-all" and "It's quite regulated" which most people go with. Firstly, just because the tin of ammo came with a warning saying "Only open in case of war", whatever the punishment is for opening it without authorisation, it's probably not much of a concern compared to the punishment of committing whatever mischief with a gun. However, as you say, it's no longer done, the gun is kept at home for whatever reason, but the government issued ammunition is now stored centrally.

However, people discussing this also forget that there is a healthy non-government-provided firearms scene in the country. Check out "Bloke on the Range" over on Youtube, a British chap in Switzerland.

The only other Western country I can think of which routinely permits citizens to be armed out and about is Czechia, and they're not doing too badly on the firearms crime side of things either. They have a few more hoops to go through to get a permit, but if you pass the hoops, you cannot be denied. About a quarter million people out of the population of 11million have a carry permit. (Well, they call it a Class E license, but close enough). Of course 'pistol' is a Czech word, so they're inclined that way. They also were very unhappy at the recent EU laws on certain semi-auto weapons.

GreeBo wrote: »

How often is a gun successfully used to protect anything versus someone getting accidentally shot? How often does a gun stop a crime in the US versus facilitate one?

A quick bit of googling later, the figure for "Defensive Gun Uses" is anything from 800,000 to 6million a year, depending on who you want to listen to and what criteria are used. The last time the US Government took a look at it was quite a few years ago (Clinton era, maybe?) and they concluded 2.5million was about right.

The last figure for "crimes committed with a firearm" is a few years old, 420,000, but the NIJ shows an interesting trend down from the high of 1.5million in the mid 1990s.

Carrying firearms is not fun, it's a pain in the ass, tbh.

You just need the right holster. I never take mine off, be I armed or not. (It's an inside-waistband holster, and if I don't wear it to increase my effective waist size by 2", my trousers fall down). If it's in the right place, you don't notice it. The drop-leg I had in the Army was also very comfortable, just the right height to rest my hand.

All of the statistics from the US show that one way or another, owning a gun makes you or a family member more likely to be killed by a gun.

Yes, but there's also a matter of need. For example, if you live in a high crime neighborhood, you may feel the need to have a gun, the crime being high regardless of your own activities.

For those who say you are more likely to be killed by your own gun, that's a matter of personal responsibility. If you don't store it right, or don't know how to use it, that's your own fault. However, it's worth noting that in the CDC study commissioned after Sandy Hook, it stated that those who defended themselves with a gun were more likely to come out of an encounter unharmed than those who used any other defensive technique. So it really does come down to personal responsibility. Owning a gun doesn't make you safer. Owning a gun and taking the time to learn how (and when) to use it, however, is another matter entirely.

If you're in the US and someone breaks into your house, you pretty much need to take for granted that they're probably armed with a gun.

Indeed, and conversely, criminals also take it for granted that a homeowner is probably armed with a gun. This means that they tend to take pains to ensure that the homeowner is not present in the first place. Burglary rates between the US and UK are generally similar, but the 'homeowner present' (AKA "hot burglary) rate is far lower in the US.

Criminals get guns, the general public get bigger guns, the police get bigger guns, then criminals get even bigger guns

This line reminds me of the scene in "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels"...
"What's that?"
"It's my Bren gun..."

The overwhelming majority of crimes are conducted with handguns. The overwhelming majority of firearms purchased for defense are handguns. There is only so big a handgun will get before it gets impractical to use. Most folks settle for a 9mm semi-auto or a .380, and it's generally stayed there for both sides.

there are more guns than people and little old ladies thinking they need automatic weapons.

Well, not necessarily automatic, but another person suggested learning jiu-jitsu for a year. Your typical little old lady has more chance with a pistol than in hand-to-hand.

Most people in Ireland don't understand what the 2nd Amendment actually means

Most people in Ireland also don't understand that every State also has a Constitution, and in the vast majority (About 44 of them), they also contain an analogue. Some of them are extremely specific such as "Every citizen has the right to keep and bear arms for security and defense, for lawful hunting and recreational use and for other lawful purposes"