Should I Buy a Gun?
Matt Broxterman – January 28, 2022
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Modified FN P90 – nssf.org
The events of the last few years have caused more people to wrestle with this question than ever before. In 2020 and 2021 Americans purchased over 40 million firearms – that’s more than any other two-year stretch in history by a landslide. For many (nearly 14 million or 35%), this was their first gun purchase. If you are thinking about buying your first firearm, I’m glad you found your way to this post. I hope it’s helpful.
I will be the first to tell you that there are a ton of excellent reasons to purchase a firearm – personal and home defense, recreation, competition, hunting, collecting or just wanting to be prepared in case shit hits the fan (more commonly referred to as SHTF). You should know that the purpose of this post is not to convince you to buy a gun, however. If anything, it may end up having the opposite effect.
I am a huge proponent of 2nd Amendment rights and a strong advocate for gun ownership, but there are some very good reasons to NOT purchase a firearm. If any of the following apply to you, I strongly discourage you from buying a gun. If any of the following apply to you and you already own firearms, I strongly encourage you to say goodbye to them – even if it is difficult.
5 Good Reasons to NOT Own a Firearm
1) YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO OWN A FIREARM LEGALLY
The consequences for illegal possession of a firearm are severe and can affect a person’s life for years. If your age, past legal transgressions, the laws of your community, or any other factor prohibit you from owning a firearm legally, it’s simply not worth it. Those who cannot possess a firearm legally and are genuinely concerned for their safety will find that other options are available for self defense. A few of these are mentioned below. If you are unsure about your ability to legally possess a firearm and would like to find out, I would suggest doing two things.
First, read through the Firearms Transaction Record questionnaire (also referred to as the 4473). This is the form you will fill out when you purchase a firearm from any dealer. The questions on this form should give you a quick indication of your eligibility. This link will take you to the 4473 form – https://tinyurl.com/ycxmdm8n
Second, if you have read through this document and are still not sure about your status, go to the Attorney General’s website in the state you reside and find their phone number. Call the office and ask to speak with someone about your eligibility to own a firearm. Explain your situation and simply ask. Don’t be intimidated, this is part of what they do for a living and they are generally happy to help. You might not get the answer you were hoping for, but at least you’ll know for sure.
If you find yourself in a situation that prevents you from owning a firearm legally, but still want something you can use to protect yourself, there are many non-lethal options to choose from. If you can own a gun legally and simply choose not to you should consider these options as well.
2) IF YOU STRUGGLE WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE OR ARE UNSTABLE DUE TO MENTAL ILLNESS
These two items are mentioned on the 4437, but I want to call them out them specifically because they are important. If you struggle with mental illness (including depression), I encourage you to talk to your physician and follow their advice on whether or not they feel you are fit to own a firearm. The last thing we ever want to do is cause inadvertent harm to ourselves or others.
Regarding substance abuse and firearms, I cannot emphasize this enough – it’s a bad combination. Even a single beer is a bad idea if you are planning to handle guns. Unlike operating a vehicle, where there is some legal leeway, being under the influence to ANY degree while operating or possessing a firearm is a punishable offense in most states.
3) IF YOU ARE NOT COMMITTED TO TRAINING WITH YOUR FIREARM
Handling and shooting a firearm are not like riding a bike, they are perishable skills. Maintaining muscle memory requires practice on a regular basis (a bare-bones minimum of 100 rounds per month). Having a gun and not knowing how to use it just makes a situation worse – much worse.
In addition to actual shooting, we also need to train our minds by becoming familiar with the laws of our community and the basics of what we can expect if we ever find ourselves in a sticky situation (most classes discuss this to one degree or another). Speaking of classes, take a few. Remember that you don’t know what you don’t know and there is a LOT to know about firearms.
Finding a class to take should not be difficult, regardless of where you live. As a starting place, I would suggest NRA Basic Pistol, NRA Basic Rifle, and NRA CCW. If you are interested in concealed carry, I would also recommend taking your state’s certification course – even if it is not required. Here is a link that will take you to a class-locating page on the NRA website – https://www.nrainstructors.org/search.aspx
4) IF YOU DO NOT INTEND TO STORE & SECURE YOUR FIREARM PROPERLY
There have been far too many gun-related tragedies that could have been prevented if the firearms involved would have been stored securely. Whether we like it or not, we are responsible for our firearms at all times – even when they are not in our possession.
In addition to properly securing our guns, it is important to teach the members of our household basic firearms safety and to discuss the presence of firearms in the home when we have visitors (as appropriate).
These are great options for storing firearms securely.
5) IF WE FEEL WE MAY CAUSE HARM TO OURSELVES OR OTHERS
This last piece is incredibly important and I hope you hear what I’m saying if it applies to you. There is profound truth in the saying, “Hurting people hurt people.” If you have a desire to harm yourself or others, I am positive there is pain in your life that is pushing you in that direction.
There is hope though, so don’t give up. Right now, you have the power to make things much better or much worse – for yourself and for others – so please, don’t do anything that can’t be undone. Find someone to talk to and to remind you that you’re not alone.
If you don’t know anyone, here are a few options that are available 24/7 – 365.
National Suicide Prevention Hotline (talk to someone over the phone) 800-273-8255
You can also start a chat conversation with someone through this website – https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/
If you prefer something different, know that almost every community has local resources that are also available. Spend a few minutes looking on Google – you might be surprised at what you find.
Don’t wait though – do it now, please.
For those of you who did not check any of the boxes above, I hope I didn’t scare you off. As I said earlier in this post, I am a huge proponent of 2nd Amendment rights and a strong advocate for gun ownership. Our right to bear arms is a privilege I take very seriously, however, and I want to encourage others to do so as well.
If you are still interested in purchasing a firearm, but don’t know where to start, check out my next post – What Gun Should I Buy? (coming soon…)
Matt Broxterman,
Founder and CEO of 21C Tactical, is a Veteran, Firearms Instructor and Competitive Shooter who is passionate about helping people, especially those who are new to guns, become safe, responsible & proficient members of the firearms community.
May I simply say what a relief to uncover somebody that really understands what theyre discussing over the internet. You certainly know how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More and more people really need to check this out and understand this side of the story. I was surprised that youre not more popular because you certainly have the gift.
I appreciate your kind words. It was important for me to start here.