Friday, November 04, 2011

Way to make me feel like a killjoy...

It's probably no secret that I think that the commercial pistol version of the KRISS Vector is about as practical, necessary, and useful as a kickstand on a tank, so why would anyone buy one?

"Duh," retorts Caleb, "because they're cool and fun and in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare!"

I tend to forget sometimes that there are reasons to own guns beyond practicality, historical significance, and collectability (read: Blue Book Value...), such as "just for the heck of it." Maybe I'll take my .22 Jet revolver to the range today...

18 comments:

Jay G said...

Speaking as the guy who put a pistol bayonet on a Smith & Wesson model 34 kit gun, I appreciate the "because it's cool and/or fun" aspect.

It's the reason I have a NAA mini-22 revolver. It's probably the least practical handgun I possess - maybe tied with the FIE deringer in .38 Special - but it's a hoot at the range to watch folks cock their heads and wonder if it's real...

Speaking thereof, I got to handle a S&W Governor yesterday... ;)

New Jovian Thunderbolt said...

the existence of the .22 Jet tickles the hell out of the gunnie section of my brain. It's just so... so.

It's interesting. It'd be fun on gro

New Jovian Thunderbolt said...

undhogs

Anonymous said...

Jay G - Speaking as the guy who put a pistol bayonet on a Smith & Wesson model 34 kit gun, I appreciate the "because it's cool and/or fun" aspect.

I agree. I understand collecting firearms for their historical value; had I the cash, I'd LOVE to have every US military longarm from the Brown Bess and Charleville to the M-4 in my collection.

I also understand wanting to have good defense gun(s), ranging from "in the pocket of my shorts when I run to the grocery store" to "ZOMG! The zombie apocalypse is here!"

But there's also the "gosh, that just looks KEWL!" factor. I suppose that the spirit of the mall ninja lurks in my breast...

Tango Juliet said...

This is why there's a Hornet in my collection. Not practical but it's cool.

Borepatch said...

Gyrojet!

1911Man said...

Load development to extract maximum accuracy out of my .457WWM lever-action Co-Pilot pushing 425gr beetle grubs. Heh. Screw practical. Some stuff ya do just because it's awesome.

DaddyBear said...

The fun part of shooting is what I try to stress when I'm talking to non-shooters or people who want to learn. Otherwise, firearms and shooting is on the same level as going to the gym and eating your broccoli.

Sport Pilot said...

I love my .22 Jet revolver, even if I only shoot .22LR in it because it was my Dad's.

Matt G said...

That's kind of how Dad and I felt when we went to a Beretta cop gun demo at Dallas Pistol Club last month. They had some CX4 Storms there in .40 which were easy to shoot well with, were quite accurate, and were well-thought-out and executed. They were trying to sell them as patrol carbines, and I've got a perfectly fine M4 riding in the car.

We tried playing the game of "well, in this instance, it'd be better..." and finally just gave up and admitted that it was simply fun to shoot, with either the Eotech or the Burris tactical scope on it. Fun, relatively low-cost to practice with, and easy to shoot; it might make a good home defense gun when you've got slight people who aren't really gunnies in the house...

...but really, sometimes, the reason to get one is because it's fun and puts a smile on your face to shoot it.

the pawnbroker said...

"I tend to forget sometimes..."

Well me too, but I'm old, and even I remember you covered this very recently:

http://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/2011/10/less-people-know-about-guns.html

But we can deal with a little short-term memory loss as long as you keep knocking them out of the park like yesterday...you might still be feeling "ooky" but you wuz on fire! Keep it up!

Bubblehead Les. said...

My Friends wondered why I bought my Spanish "Libia" Baby Browning Copy. "Just because" I said then and I still say now.

You get to do that when you have the Second Amendment.

Anonymous said...

But that just messes up the whole "this is my rifle, this is my gun" mantra.

jf

God, Gals, Guns, Grub said...

Tam, if they made a 51 cal BMG... I'd probably have to own one of those too...

Dann in Ohio

John said...

Crap...I never envied one thing you have written about, never, but now...?

You, see I remember the .22 Jet introduction, and i still think it was one of coolest six gun concepts EVUH!!!

Congrats on owning the iconic ear'n blaster, and long may the impractical and totally cool reign in the kingdom of firearm-y

Bless you,Tam, foir you have dun gude.

Beaumont said...

.22 Jets, Matebas, Vetterlis, &c: some things are just cool to have, and even cooler to shoot. Even more so when it's an elaborate process to be ABLE to shoot them (but I loves my Vetterlis nonetheless).

wv: corli. 1880s-era Neapolitan carbine chambered for the 15.67mm Schiavona cartridge.

Henry Blowfly said...

Scratch someone who asks "Why do you need that . . . . ?" and you will find a gun grabber.

Larry said...

I'll grant that they may be fun to shoot, but cool? I'm sorry, but the Kriss just looks fuugly to me.

WV: hounh, the sound one makes when kicked in the nads or when one first beholds the aesthetics of the Kriss...