IWI

When I ran the Truth About Cars I learned something important about the folks working in the automotive industry: they’re not the nicest or most honest people in the world. To say the least. When I started The Truth About Guns, I discovered that the firearms industry is filled with friendly, honest, helpful human beings. Oh sure, there are exceptions. But in the main, this website has enjoyed tremendous industry support from day one. Maybe it’s because . . .

people in the gun biz are closely aligned with the political battle to defend and extend Americans’ natural, civil and Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms. The firearms industry’s lack of consolidation (despite the artist formerly known as the Freedom Group’s worst efforts) also encourages “friendly competition.” And then there’s the simple fact that people who manufacture and sell guns and gun gear love guns. And gear.

For both their passion and professionalism, I’m thankful that I work with such amazing people. What are you thankful for, gun-wise?

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78 COMMENTS

  2. That my 11 y/o daughter’s love of hunting is picking up and that means more shooting time with dad!

  3. Gunwise, I’m thankful I live in the only country on earth with a 2nd Amendment and not in New Jersey.

    • I am also very thankful for the 2nd Ammendment (though is is often maligned and ignored by politicians, judges, and the media). We Americans are much better off than most when it comes to the right to bear arms.

    • I am thankful for being able to escape the oppressive government of the People’s Demokratik Government of New Jersey, and flee to the freedom and safety of the United States. I am also thankful for my mom who encouraged my brother and I to learn to shoot and pursue other manly endeavors because dad had left early.

    • That was my first thought…….as I now can CC LEGALLY in Illinois! That is enough to outweigh any and all negatives in my life…..

  5. I’m thankful for all the wonderful friends that I’ve met through our mutual passion for guns and shooting.

  6. Here, here. I’m thankful for a society in which we rarely need the self defense which is our natural right. And of course this is a result of our divided system of government, capitalist economic system which lifts all boats, etc. (and has nothing to do with how many or few guns there are).

    People of the gun get there through critical thinking. The same critical thinking which results in exercise of your ur natural right to self defense also leads one to the realization that being harmonious, polite, and respectful of everyone is both in the collec I’ve interest and in your self interest, while reserving the tools for of defense for that never-to-once a lifetime situation where it’s the only option.

  7. Too much to list. This really fun hobby has taken my on trips to compete and hunt all over. I’ve been able to meet really neat folks in the industry.
    Armorers courses, hunting buddies that are less felong friends.
    Buy, sell and trade guns, ammo and optics.

    Freedom.

    • I’ll give a gun thank list a shot! In general from most to least important:

      -the 2nd Amendment
      -the ability to advocate for the 2nd
      -good health (the better to run and gun!)
      -a good job which allows me to purchase hardware
      -TTAG
      -good friends to shoot with like Dr. Vino, Orange County CCW guys, and the doofuses I work with
      -a wife who “authorizes” said purchases
      -good eyesight
      -reliable SD guns (for me that’s Glock, Sig, Smith, Winchester, old Remington’s, Savage, Benelli, etc.)
      -great ammo (HST, Ranger, XTP, Eagle Eye, Mk 318, etc.)
      -a 4 deer opening weekend for gun deer whitetail, and getting a new generation excited to chase deer
      -learning from people who know more than me (Dyspeptic, especially)
      -tax deductions for guns and ammo
      -reloading equipment
      -good holsters
      -being able to own most of the calibers people argue about
      -good scotch to aid in pondering my purchases and to exaggerate the success of my shooting endeavors
      -cigars to enhance the smokiness of the scotch
      -Advil to counteract the effects of too much scotch

      Well that’s the gist of it, or nearasdamnit.

      • “-learning from people who know more than me (Dyspeptic, especially)”

        Indeed. I’m often surprised at the broad depth of knowledge in many fields the TTAG commentators share (and often in fields that have nothing to do with guns)…

        “-good holsters”

        No wonder I can’t seem to find a decent holster, you have them all!

        🙂

        • Does your county have a system of keeping your LE credentials current in exchange for a few hours / days of volunteer service?

    • Me too. I’m also thankful I was born healthy enough to be able to fully enjoy these freedoms. I’m also thankful I was born where I was (VA) to parents who encouraged my enthusiasm for firearms, instead of being born indoctrinated into an ultra lib family who pushed gun control from day one

  10. I’m thankful that even though I live in ca, I am still far more free than most other countries.

    I’m thankful that my family supports my hobby and is getting involved in it themselves.

    I’m thankful that I have the finances to support my hobby even though I’m always thinking that I just need a little more of this and some more of that.

  11. Thankful that the .22lr drought is showing signs of slowing down. Thankful that airgun pellets weren’t affected by the drought. Thankful that I could reload when airgun pellets weren’t cutting it for practice. Thankful my dad, aunts, and uncles who saw the great depression as kids taught me to be resourceful.

  12. Our Canadian Thanksgiving was in October, but may I chime in?

    I’m grateful that Canada still allows Chinese firearm and ammunition imports.

    Beyond that, not much.

    • Canadian gun laws suck, except your sbr and Chinese imports. Enjoy your newly approved CZ… From Michigan

      • Around $189 to $229 for an SKS, depending on condition.

        Surplus 7.62 goes for less than $0.25/round, if you buy in bulk (1200 or 1440 boxes) and don’t mind the corrosive stuff. If you buy the surplus ammo at my LGS by the 100-round bag they charge $0.29/round.

    • Can you guys get Norinco Type 95? Not 97 in 223, but 95 in their 5.8mm. And ammo? I’m always interested in that gun but never had a chance to even touch it

  15. I’m thankful for having a wide range of choices. From selecting food in a grocery or a product in a big box, to ordering some obscure part online. The amount of information available at low cost is an amazing capability. Heck I can order and airplane or car kit and build it in my garage.

    I reviewed my guns online from people who own them, read caliber wars and then supported two local gun shops. This unbridled freedom to inform and choose what I want is unlike anywhere else in the world.

  16. I’m thankful for three cent twenty-two ammo, 2A-supporting Democrats and Massachusetts’ enlightened attitude towards firearms.

    Oh, wait. That’s my list from 1992. Never mind.

    • That made me LOL. I was in 7th grade in 1992, but I remember $0.03 .22lr ammo, and $3 box of .410 slugs!

      • I paid less than 3 centavos a piece, maybe 5 or 6 years ago. Dicks Sporting goods ran a sale of 525 Rem. golden bullets for $14.95. I bought 3 boxes, and still have at least 300 or 400 rounds left!
        Also, maybe 17 years ago, K-Mart had mini mag 22 lr. for $1.00 a box! I still have a couple boxes of that stuff left too.
        Those were the good old days, never to be seen again.

  17. A wife that allows me to buy 2 guns a year, some gear, and ammo, without bitchin too much. Actually she buys me about half, birthday, Christmas, and fathers day.

    • I read “lefty” as “liberal” at first. As a former liberal, I’m thankful for Obama and a Democrat majority congress to make me realize how much I value my liberties.

  20. I’m thankful that both my children, and my wife, enjoy shooting…that I have a family that “gets it.”

    I’m also very thankful that I have not, to date, ever had to fire a shot to defend them.

    I’m thankful I have that option should the need arise.

  23. I ma thankful that my two expensive hobbies haven’t been legislated into oblivion, even while many scum bags are working hard towards this end.

    I can enjoy my ghost guns with high capacity assault clips woth shoulder things that go up and my rusty classic cars with inefficient high capacity big block engines and poor aerodynamics. They both make loud noises and that makes me happy.

  24. After having lived in blue states my whole life, I am thankfu that I was able to move to a place, Texas, where I don’t feel the authorities sit around all day dreaming of ways to make gun ownership more onerous.

  25. I’m thankful for a wife that lets me buy any gun I want as long as she gets a new purse each time…although a lot of them cost more than my guns!

  26. I’m thankful for the many wonderful people at the range at which I’m a member, and for the many pleasant hours I’ve spent talking to them. Gun people are indeed some of the most decent, friendly, helpful people one could ever hope to meet anywhere. I think it’s safe to include the staff of TTAG in that category, from what I’ve seen.

    Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

  27. I’m thankful for my son (pictured in my avatar) who is 19 now. He is home from University and yesterday my wife asked him if he wanted a handgun on his 21st birthday. He said: He wanted one now. I suggested a shotgun and he said he wants to build an AR.
    My wife asked him where he would keep it. He said “on a sling hanging on my back”.
    We are entering another golden age of guns in this country and it may have started with the expiration of the AWB followed by a steroid shot from Obama.
    Muchos gracias!

    • “We are entering another golden age of guns in this country and it may have started with the expiration of the AWB followed by a steroid shot from Obama.”

      That’s actually an excellent point.

      By showing his true face, but without the political horsepower to implement it, he’s actually done quite a bit to solidify gun rights, especially among the Millennial crowd.

      “Muchos gracias!”

      Indeed.

      Image the damage he could have done to gun rights when he had the House and Senate at the beginning of his administration.

      Instead, he gambled on ‘ObamaCare’ (that everyone would *love* once they had it!).

      He burned up all his political capital on health care, when he could have had ‘universal background checks (meaning, full gun registration), hi-cap mag ban, and likely a few other nasty surprises.

      Now his ‘Legacy’ health care legislation is falling apart before it’s even been fully implemented.

      At least that kept him from gutting the 2A.

  28. John Moses Browning and Paul Mauser. Forged steel carefully machined. Sturdy wood shaped and smoothed by hand. Innovative and ingenious design. John Garand. The wisdom and bravery of the founders. The blood and sacrifice of patriots. And for blessed freedom.

  31. Many companies competing for my patronage with innovation, quality, brand and line enhancement, and customer service.

    Never has the shootist had such “a veritable plethora of arguably shootable heaters (and ammo)”

    /apologies to HOW-ad Cosell

  32. I scrolled through quickly so I don’t remember – did anyone else say they are thankful for TTAG and Robert Farago, et al?

    And this quote: “…there’s the simple fact that people who manufacture and sell guns and gun gear love guns. And gear.”

    I’m thankful that for the most part people who manufacture and sell guns understand the purpose of their products and for the most part welcome honest appraisals of how they are doing and how they can be improved to accomplish their functions more efficiently and reliably. I suspect that while they cringe at the affect honest criticism may temporarily have on their bottom lines they truly appreciate objeectivity more than they do sycophantic dead tree gun magazines.

  33. Thankfull I was born an American. Thankfull I was.born in the mid 60’s. I’m thankfull for the second amendment and that we have brave men and women to defend our country. I’m thankfull my Dad shot his biggest buck ever with his old 30.06 before he passed. I’m thankfull for a wife that shoots with me sometimes, and the CZ SP01 Shadow Orange she bought me for retirement. Happy Thanksgiving to you all, stay safe.

  34. I’m thankful that at age 81, in spite of the inevitable weaknesses of age, I can still enjoy target shooting with handguns. I’m very grateful for the younger shooters who have graciously offered help without being asked.

  35. I’m thankful that although NJ makes my hobby difficult as HELL I and many others can still enjoy our 2nd Amendment right! I hope that it gets easier to do so in my lifetime.

    • NJ? Are not many firearms illeagal to keep? And unless you are one of the privileged few, you cannot bear arms. There is no 2nd amendment in New Jersey.

    • I am thankful for Chris Christie. It will get worse for us when he leaves.

      We will certainly go down to 10 rounds. We will have our FID’s embedded in our driver’s licenses, so police can interrogate us during traffic stops. Though looks like we won’t be stuck with smart guns.

      Not asking any of you folks to support him for president. Just stating facts.

  36. I’m thankful for a world-class real rifle range where I can compete and practice out to 400 metres. No bench rest. Just plain firing mounds. Common sense safety protocols that are not intrusive on the shooter.

    For good gun shops with decent prices. Not as good as US shops but not bad when compared to other shops across the nation.

    And for the friends I see regularly at the range and for the good conversation that is enjoyed by all.

  37. K-frame Smith & Wesson revolvers, because somebody has yo look out for the man without gorilla hands.

  38. My Glock, my Sig, my Colt, my Smith and my Walther, along with the combined 22 mags for all them and the 3000, on-hand rounds combined for them.

    And also for all those other who stand beisde me with the similar or like, law enforcement or not, who represent what true freedom is about, along with the ability of self preserverance and the ability to protect those they love.

    God bless you all, Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy New Years and true aim.

  39. RE, The car vs gun mfgr comparison: That’s a funny thing, but that’s my experience too. Not just the manufacturers, but the end users as well! If I had to guess at the reason I would say that gun people are, in general, much more mature than car people. With cars there’s a large “Nyah, nyah, nyah. Mine’s bigger than yours!” mindset. I see the same thing with computer people when it comes to the PC vs Apple debates (which are endless and interminable!). There are people still out there who will swear that the Amiga is the best platform for everything! I don’t subscribe to any particular OS or platform. I have used IBM mainframes, DEC minicomputers, and SGI, SPARC, “IBM” PC type, and Apple computers. I use whatever platform and OS works best for a particular application (usually Linux on PC type architecture,

    Gun guys, by comparison, are friendly folks and like to learn and share their knowledge and accomplishments. I think that is because the gun world is not balkanized into mutually antagonistic groups like car and computer people. Gun folks can find common ground with almost any other gun person, although I am sure that in the year 2300 we will still be debating 9mm vs 45, and poodle popper vs 30 cal.

    To answer the question: I am glad that I have condensed my collection to a few high quality firearms, and that I have the financial ability to add others if/when a new application develops.

    Happy Thanksgiving y’all!
    Charlie

  40. Many things as above, but also, believe it or not, Duck Dynasty. A certain member of my family no longer views a shotgun as an accident waiting to happen.

  41. Thank for all the above, plus the fact that Illinois finally has a concealed carry law on the books. Not the best, but a work in progress.

  42. I’m thankful that the guns now being made and sold, the people that make them, and the people that buy and use them, keep proving the antis wrong in their unsubstantiated fear mongering time and time again. And that this is slowly but surely poisoning the well of lies that the antis are drinking from, in more and more places in the country.

  43. I’m thankful that I live in a state that fully supports gun rights. Yeah yeah, we passed that background check BS here in Washington…which is largely ignored. With the exception of fully automatic, I can own high capacity magazines and just about anything else I want without restriction. Our state is a shall issue CCW state and I am very thankful for that.

  44. The Iron Curtain coming down. I do not agree w/ them in terms of politics, but commies did make some great guns. Now many are available for low prices 🙂

  45. Nobody thinks cars are a clear and present danger to the security of the world and nobody thinks that only the connected elite and government should be allowed to own cars. For all of our bloviating and arguing we’re all likely to be able to say, “A bad day shooting with a buddy is better than a great day doing almost anything else.”

    We can all enjoy the awesomeness of someone else’s tricked out shootin’ stick and they will be just as likely to enjoy the awesomeness of our pedestrian shooter. Having a great gun isn’t like having a great car. A great gun is something you share. A great car is something you rub with a diaper.

  46. I’ m thankful for being born an American, being able to own a rifle, shotgun and pistol all at the same time, being able to reload!
    A wife that tolerates my fascination with weapons, and doesn’t rub it in too bad that she can out shoot me on occasion!!
    I’m thankful that my children and most of my Grandchildren have the opportunity too take Hunter Safety with being able to use that Knowledge!
    Being able to exercise those weapons frequently at paid and unpaid locations, with and without instructors! travel with said weapons with some hoop jumping! and most of all the right to ask anti-gunners WTF and KMBWA you SOB if that isn’t enough then GGF, then challenge them to a dual, or give them a 500 yard head start their choice!

  47. Thankful for an uncle [and, to a lesser extent, a father and step-father] who raised me to be gun-literate, despite my mother’s protestations.

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