Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
The first primitive firearms were invented and constructed by the Chinese in the 13th century A.D. to harness the explosive power of gunpowder as a powerful weapon of war. Since then, firearms have undergone an extensive progression of refinement from the first crude matchlocks to flintlocks to caplocks and on to the invention of smokeless powder and metallic cartridges.
However, although the firearm was originally developed as a weapon of war, civilians quickly realized the advantages of such a weapon as a hunting tool for providing much-needed protein for their families and thus, the firearm was rapidly embraced by civilians as well as military personnel.
Want to save this post for later? Click Here to Pin It On Pinterest!
Consequently, firearms have been an integral part of American culture since Europeans first landed on American shores and their popularity has persisted through modern times.
However, even though firearms are an integral part of life for many people, the fact is that only a small percentage of the population is truly familiar with their capabilities and limitations, and this lack of knowledge has given rise to many myths about firearms which, unfortunately, many people are adamantly convinced are true.
In fact, there are at least seven gun myths that persist in people’s minds despite evidence to the contrary.
1. Guns Kill People
One of the favored arguments of those opposed to private ownership of firearms is that guns kill people. However, while it is true that firearms were originally developed as a weapon of war, this argument ignores the fact is that firearms are inanimate objects that are simply not capable of taking action on their own.
Therefore, they require a conscious human operator with a clear objective in order to fire a projectile. Consequently, the truth is that it is not the firearm that kills people but, instead, the human operator who makes a conscious decision to take a life. The firearm is merely a tool to that end.
2. Hollow Point Bullets Are More Deadly Than Full Metal Jacket Bullets
Many people mistakenly believe that the hollow point bullet is inherently evil because it causes more damage than a comparable full metal jacket bullet. However, the fact is that full metal jacketed bullets not only tend to over-penetrate and thus endanger bystanders, they also tend to yaw and then tumble after penetrating a body which creates a devastating wound channel.
Therefore, the hollow point bullet was designed by a former police officer named Lee Juarez as a means of preventing over-penetration in police shootings; not as a means of doing more damage to the target.
3. Violent Criminals Favor “Assault Weapons” Over All Other Firearms
The term “assault weapon” is actually a term coined by the anti-gun media to cast the present, U.S. military issue, battle rifle as a weapon that has no civilian application. However, the fact is that the M16 was originally designed as a long-range battlefield weapon and only recently, due to its modular design, has the military made the switch to the more compact M4A1 version (which is perfect for home defense).
Also, due to its modular design, the civilian version (designated AR-15) can be configured to chamber a wide range of rounds which are imminently well suited for hunting a wide variety of game animals. Furthermore, rifles are difficult to conceal and thus, the actual weapon of choice for criminals is the handgun; not the so-called “assault rifle”.
4. High Capacity Magazines Kill More People
Proponents of gun control would have us believe that banning high capacity magazines will prevent mass murders. However, research has shown that the vast majority of homicides average a total of only four shots fired.
Also, in the case of criminally psychotic individuals who commit mass murders such as those at Columbine and Virginia Tech, research has shown that these individuals meticulously planned their attacks and thus, the Columbine shooter carried 13 ten round magazines whereas the shooter at Virginia Tech carried 17 of them!
5. The “Gun Show Loophole” Enables Criminals To Purchase Firearms
All commercial purchases and sales of firearms require the dealer to first obtain a Federal Firearms License and to adhere to a set of very strict rules surrounding the sale of firearms. Also, anyone wishing to legally purchase a firearm is required to do so through a licensed dealer and to fill a form that records such information as their name, date of birth, residence, etc. as well as being subject to an intensive background check.
Therefore, the only way for a criminal to illegally obtain a firearm is to either purchase it from a private individual or to steal it. In fact, according to a Department of Justice study, criminals obtain 78.8 percent of their firearms from friends or family members and 39.2 percent from illegal street purchases; not from licensed gun show dealers!
6. Handguns With Polymer Frames Don’t Appear On Security Scans
While it is true that handguns with polymer frames do appear to be less opaque when viewed with an x-ray security scanner than handguns with metal frames, the fact is that they are still visible and they do display the characteristic handgun outline.
In addition, all polymer framed handguns incorporate metal parts such as barrels, slides, and trigger mechanisms and thus it is simply not possible for them to escape detection despite their lightweight polymer frames.
7. So and So Has a Rifle That Will Shoot Through and Engine Block
It never ceases to amaze me just how gullible some people can be, and a prime example of this gullibility is the persistent myth that a hunting rifle is capable of penetrating the engine block of a motor vehicle. While there are certainly some very powerful hunting rifles available today that are easily capable of dispatching animals weighing as much as 2,000 pounds, the simple fact is that rifles designed for hunting simply do not generate enough kinetic energy to accomplish this feat.
Furthermore, bullets designed for hunting are constructed using a lead core with a copper jacket and thus, they lack the necessary integrity to penetrate even 1/2 inch steel plate; let alone an engine block! Therefore, penetrating an engine block requires a highly specialized military rifle such as the Barrett chambered for the .50 BMG combined with proprietary depleted uranium armor piercing rounds to accomplish such a feat and even then, it may not penetrate completely.
So, as you can see, despite the fact that the above-mentioned firearms myths persist in many people’s minds, the simple application of logic combined with a little research should make it immediately obvious to anyone that they are myths based upon fear of the unknown, misconceptions, and a lack of knowledge.
Within the last ten years ;have there been many mass shootings by people armed only with BOLT ACTION RIFLES?
Think back to the shooting that happened in Las Vegas. DID YOU NOTICE HOW MANY SEMIAUTO ASSUALT RIFLES HE USED?
This article could use some work, as it’s guilty of perpetrating some mythology as well. I don’t know if the Author was in a hurry or what, but if you’re going to debunk common Gun Myths, then you really need to have all your ducks in a row, and the Author didn’t. #1 -7 are poorly answered.
Should the Author want some accurate information, drop me a line.
The IWI DE50/AE was designed by IWI for the express use of the border patrol to shoot through engine blocks NOT using non-proprietary depleted uranium armor piercing rounds, but rather with only the standard 50AE round and I can attest to this because that’s the first thing I tested after purchasing one and I can tell you that although it may not go completely through every single time, it CAN be made to go through. There are factors such as block, angle, proximity and other things that affect the successfulness of this round. Period. End of story.
Engine blocks have some vary week spots on them. I have shot plenty of 3/8″ thick steel with high power hunting rounds and watched them cut through it like butter. That changes quickly with a little hardening and longer distances, but many newer engines have a lot of aluminum in them now so you don’t want to take bullets of any caliber.
The ATF has a limit on how many firearms one may sell per year without having to obtain an FFL. I do not remember the exact number but it is lower than most folks would think. I wouldn’t quote a number unless I had the ATF regulation at hand. If you have a collection of firearms that you wish to dispose of in the private market, I suggest you research ATF regulations before you attempt to do so. You can dispose of them through a gum dealer or a licensed auction house in any number as demonstrated by “So&So’s collection of antique Henry rifles numbering in the hundreds is being offered by XYZ Auction House on June 15, 2021” ads you see frequently in publications dealing with firearms.
You need to be especially careful if you advertise your firearms in a newspaper or on Craig’s List or a gun show or any other such public offering. Various sneaky s.o.b.’s who consider themselves law enforcement officers will use various come-ons to get you to violate the law so that they can make an easy arrest. They may try to trick you into selling more than the legal limit just to entrap you. Bear in mind that many no longer consider themselves peace officers whose main job is to maintain peace in the community but consider themselves law enforcement officers whose duty is to entrap otherwise law abiding citizens into violating some arcane, little known law to boost the said “law” officers’s career.
It is true that an individual selling his privately owned firearm to a non-felon does not need to record that transaction under federal law. Some states DO require all firearm transactions to be registered with our masters in the state capitol. Know the laws in your state before you engage in firearms transactions. Be guided accordingly.
Regarding your statement in #5 about there being no such thing as a gun show loophole, this is inaccurate. I can tell you that less than 3 years ago I purchased a revolver at one of the Oklahoma City gun shows that absolutely did not require a background check. I have purchased a couple that did, but they have allowed a few small dealers or individuals in these shows to sell from some booths without requiring that paperwork. I don’t know how they are allowed to do it but I have seen it more than once. It doesn’t bother me as I would rather not do the paperwork. I don’t buy guns for nefarious reasons so why does the government need to know about it. But to say there is no loophole is inaccurate. Do I think it is a huge problem that results in significant crime? No I don’t, and it’s not a big deal to me, but just because we are all pro gun doesn’t mean we should not be truthful about these things. The gun show loophole is real. Just sayin!
In some states private sales do not require background checks, no matter where the sale takes place. Person A could sell you a gun at a gun show, in a restaurant, out the back of a car, in a creek, in a cave, up a mountain or wherever and it’s perfectly legal to do and by law no background check is required. Thus it’s not a gun show loophole if it’s allowed by law.
As to small businesses, FFL’s I believe are required. If the business isn’t an FFL then no idea, they may treat it as a person to person private sale. I don’t know if there is a minimum number of guns a person can sell per month or year to be considered a dealer and thus require an FFL.
Also, I think it may depend on the guns being sold. One may not need a FFL or background checks on antiques or collectibles.
So before you claim there is a “gun show loophole” you need to know the laws of the state you are in and what the state requires.
Me, I likely won’t sell a gun to anyone who doesn’t have a conceal carry permit/license/whatever it’s called in the state I’m in.
Who cares! How many have a true reason to shoot an engine block? A .22lr will penetrate a water pump or radiator and it’s still game over.
Radiators are mesh and water pumps are 1/8″ metal and cheap plastic so it isn’t hard to pierce with a knife. They are called myths for a reason.
Years ago while a YOUNG guy with too much time on my hands, took a seized 6 cylinder Ford 300 CI engine block to see what a 3 inch mag 12 gauge slug would do! If I shot directly center of the cylinder, it went right threw the block! If I was off by an inch, the slug was slightly deflected by the liner to the side and and made a bulge where it just didn’t make it threw! A V8 block never made it threw but I now it would disable any engine a slug was shot in it!
No bullet can go THREW anything therefore no bullet can go THREW AND THREW.
A bullet can go THROUGH a lot of things but can go THREW nothing.
Guns are awesome. Guns are my right. I like guns.
Ya’ll put way too much stock in Google and Wikipedia. Including the author of this piece. That’s all I got to say about that. Lol
I showed a person pretending to know guns two pictures:
1) a 22lr semi-auto rifle with a tactical design
2) a basic-looking rifle (chambered in 50 BMG)
I asked, “Which is more dangerous?” without asking any questions, they immediately said “that assault rifle” brilliant, right?
Given that an individual can purchase a 50 caliber, 35 caliber, 30 caliber, .338 lap, 300 Win Mag etc. all of which have more than enough kinetic energy to penetrate an engine block. In the case of some of the larger calibers, that is the exact reason they were created. If you shoot a 50 caliber round into the motor of a rocket you will render it useless without having to drop a bomb on it. Much cheaper and less collateral damage. With regard to hollow points, one great benefit to their use is the lack of over penetration, but make no mistake, the ballistic intention of hollow points Is to expand on impact, cause cavitation and then fragment to cause additional damage. Stopping power. If your life is truly threatened that is a survival benefit and less potential collateral damage whereas a full metal jacket round will most certain tumble around in the human body creating terrible wounds but then potentially exit and enter another object. As for criminals purchasing guns at gun shows this can be done illegally. If you are inside the gun show that is true. But I have been to many gun shows and have seen several swaps made in the parking lot while entering or leaving so it is very possible. It is interesting that of all the firearms deaths that occur in the United States, 60% are actually suicides and it is mostly done with handguns. There is not good access to mental health services thanks to our current culture of healthcare delivery. And a lot of the mass shootings would have been prevented as well if there had been. And I am a pulmonary and critical care doctor that has seen the results of all this first hand.
While some extreme magnums, such as the 30/378 Weatherby, DO have the kinetic energy to penetrate an engine block, hunting rounds do not have the integrity to penetrate…they will splatter on the surface, possibly leaving a small crater. Even the mighty .50 BMG has to use armor piercing rounds for penetration.
The “Hollow Point” was not designed by Lee Jurras, although he did do much to popularize the Jacketed Hollow Point.
The hollow pointed lead bullets produced at the British arsenal in Dum Dum, India were the first such mass produced rounds. The soft lead .577 caliber bullets made horribly devastating wounds, and were subsequently banned by the 1899 Hague Declaration.
I agree that the lack of sufficient mental health care is the major cause of most deaths by firearm. Having been a mental health nurse, I shudder at the thought of some of the patients I had being out in public. I think that may become a secondary cause in the years to come, due to the inclusion of refugees who are incompatible with Western lifestyles.
Years ago my dad fired a 1 1/4 oz slug at a six cylinder cast iron engine block near the cylinders and it went threw & threw with a bigger hole leaving. There was a large V 8 block that he fired at and that didn’t go all the way threw but stopped with the outside casting bulged. This was with a rifled slug barrel.
While I agree with most of the myths you point out, your Department of Justice statistics are bogus. In one sentence you state that the the Only way a criminal can obtain a gun is to buy it from a private owner, or steal it. Then in the next sentence you state that Department of Justice statistics indicate that 78.8% of criminals get their guns from friends and family members, and 39.2% of criminals get their guns from street purchases. That’s 100% of all criminal guns ??? That would imply the no criminal has ever obtained a gun at a gun show, or gun dealer, and no criminal has ever stolen a gun while committing another crime such as a burglary?
Also, most engine blocks are made of cast iron, and much of the sides of the block are hollow, containing chambers for the circulation of coolant and may only have about 1/4 inch side walls..or less since this is not a high stress area. It is possible to shoot an engine block and break a hole through the thin, brittle cast iron side walls of one of these cooling chambers or the webbing between crankshaft journals near the oil pan.
So if your intent was to destroy myths about guns, don’t do it by stating bogus facts and statistics that make you like a liar…with an agenda
Come on guys…
Where did any of you learn mathematics that lets you add 78.8 and 39.2 and come up with a sum of 100???
The Chinese did NOT invent gunpowder. They developed fireworks powder. They did create rockets, but never firearms. Real gunpowder and guns were invented by one of us Evil White Men.
Hollowpoint and softpoint bullets (rifle and pistol) are designed specifically to expand upon impact, creating a larger wound channel and disrupting more tissue than full metal jacket bullets do (I do not subscribe to the “energy dump” theory). Now, whether a specific bullet lives up to its claims or not is another matter…
Only certain FMJ rifle bullets will tumble upon impact, and that is by design, in order to make a more effective combat round while being restricted to FMJ bullets. The original M16 and cartridge designed by Stoner used a rifling twist that did not fully stabilize the bullet, so when it hit someone, the already unstable bullet instantly tumbled, creating a vicious wound. It worked very well, though accuracy suffered. The very earliest M16’s were issued this way, but, the Army wasn’t happy with the accuracy and made the manufacturers change the twist rate, and while accuracy improved, the deadliness of the tumbling bullet was gone. (As I understand it, the AK-74 was designed similarly with a purposefully-tumbling bullet.) Otherwise, FMJ ammo is a little ice pick, punching neat tiny little holes, which often pretty much close right up. They have long been regarded as inadequate man stoppers, no matter the caliber, though obviously, bigger is still better. This is why the Army and Marines (and FBI) have recently developed “Open Tip Match” 5.56mm ammo (“match”… yeah, right.). It is designed to have an expanding tip, but retain a solid base so that it can maintain some penetration capability over a regular soft point or HP bullet.
And yes, there are many gun myths out there pushed by the bolsheviks, but pointing out their fallacies to them does no good. They don’t care. Truth and falsehood are all gray to them. Facts mean nothing. Their “arguments” are based solely on pure emotion, lies, red herrings and straw men, driven by an agenda, meant to sway the weak minds of the media-controlled masses who have probably never had any experience with firearms and have no personal interest in bearing arms. “Guns are scary.” “Hollow point bullet… EEEK!” “What do you need a gun for, you have the police to protect you?” “You don’t need an AK-47 to go duck hunting!!!” “Defend yourself against a tyrannical government??? You’re CRAZY, that could NEVER happen!”
It’s not known who exactly invented gunpowder, but the first instances of projectiles being ejected from tubes using the substance was the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1126 CE) in China.
These were cannon, or “Bombards” using somewhat spherical stones for ammunition.
The first known use of “Modern” firearms outside of China was in Europe in 1364.
Hollow Point Bullets , are not a US invention
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollow-point_bullet#History
The hollow point bullet think is not entirely true. The over penetration is possible, but on an individual target, a bullet that expands will deliver more energy. FYI the military doesn’t always use the best gear out their. To the best of my knowledge they use FMJ’s based on rules of war.
The engine block thing is also not true. It does depend on the rifle and the car, but a good portion of hunting rifle will penetrate the engine block, but probably will not go through the whole block. Also, most modern automotive engine blocks are made of aluminum not steel.
One of the biggest myths perpetrated by the make-believe COPS on TV shows is that all guns must be REGISTERED…….
Eventually all TV viewers not in the know will begin to believe all guns must be registered, this is TOTAL BULL!!!
Actually its not the cop actors who perpetrate this myth but the liberal producers and writers who do.
What the Hell are you trying to say? please try again because your misstatement says nothing.
This goes back a LONG time. Since most movies and TV shows from the beginning even to today have been set in California, I do wonder if the gun registration thing reflects the situation in that state (I have NO idea if California had any kind of gun registration regulations 40-50-60 years ago). But yes, I do believe that the gun registration references on TV cop shows were placed there very much on purpose to indoctrinate the general public to the idea that their guns should be registered with the government.
There were no wide-spread gun restrictions, other than certain cities, until the Gun Control Act of 1968. Up until then, you could order guns through the mail. I got my first hunting rifle in 1967 at a hardware store in Northern California at the age of 14, and the only paper that was involved, were the greenbacks my dad used to pay for it.
Criminals obtain 78.8 percent of their firearms from friends or family members and 39.2 percent from illegal street purchases.
New math??? that’s 118%.
And yes you can buy a gun with no paperwork at a gun show if it’s from a private person (as apposed to a gun dealer)
Having been a hunter for 35-years I can attest to the fact that hollow point ammo is more deadly as it is much better at delivering it’s energy in a target. If a bullet passes through a body it has unused energy the body did not adsorb, this is energy that is better put to use if it gets transferred to the body 100%..
Over all not a good article.
Good points. 18% must be illegal purchases from friends or family who are on the street.
#5 not true, last year (2015) I personally had gone to gun shows and walked out with one SKS and one 45 cal pistol (1911) and never filled out any type of paperwork, I specifically asked about the paperwork and was told it wasn’t needed. Other than a good article.
Yeah right…
You probably purchased your 1911 from a individual who wasn’t a dealer
You obviously made a purchase from a private individual. No reputable dealer would sell you a firearm without the proper paperwork. It’s a felony and they would probably suspect you’re a rat if you pushed the issue.
Good post but #7 is inaccurate. You state that only the 50 cal. is capable, with special ammo, of penetrating an engine block and most common hunting rifles lack the ability to pass through 1/2″ plate steel. Have done both with both a .308 and the ever faithful .30-06 at about 100 yards with lead hand loads. Also have a spinning target at the range set at 150 yard that has 3/4″ steel plate two sided targets. Guy who built it said it could stand up to anything, it now has a hole in one of the red side targets thanks to a .308. Yes the farther out you get the bigger the rifle you will need but it can still be done at 100 to 150 yards with common hunting rifle cartridges.