Do you own a gun that has killed someone?

[pete501]

You often hear the phrase or seen a bumper sticker; "My gun has killed less people than Ted Kennedy's Car" (he's been sober now for over 20 years)

I was thinking about this, and only my military rifles may or may not be in this category, I wouldn't know but I would hope so.

Then I thought of retired police guns, probably very few police have even drawn theirs let alone taken a life.

But how about the relative that used a gun to end their own life. Often family will surrender the firearm when this happens.

What is your story?

[technojock]

I have 3 old military rifles so I'd say there's a 1 in 3 chance of that...

Tony

[MaryB]

Only if my Chinese Type 53 was used in war...

[Recycled bullet]

I have a suspicion that my two groove Lee-Enfield number four Mark 1 may have been used in the hostilities. It's been re arsenaled multiple times and then at some point was sporterized. Now it lives a peaceful life in my gun safe.

[Winger Ed.]

Surplus military guns are a 'maybe', but probably not.
It's kind of surprising how few have actually been in battles compared to the numbers produced.

Depending on where you live, when the Police get their hands on a gun used in any sort of shooting--
It's almost never is returned. Guns used in suicides, when released by the Police are rarely reclaimed.

[KCSO]

I acquired a shotgun that had rust and stains on the muzzle. I immediately asked the seller who offed themself with this? He asked how I knew, and I told him I had seen too many like that doing death investigations. At one time I had over 20 suicide guns in my evidence locker.

[eastbank]

i have the rifle my uncle sent home from the Philippines, a japanese t-99 in 7.7 japanese. i,m pretty sure it was used in battle for manila as it came from a large pile of rifle picked up there. if it killed any americans is any ones guess.319252

[Streetwalker]

I have a Finnish Model 28/30 that shows heavy use and has a worn bore that still shoots amazingly well. Considering the history of these rifles and how much combat use they were subjected to, I would assume it gave the Russian enemy on the other end of it a hard time.

[Slugster]

In a word, yes. Double barrel shotgun my grandfather capped his wife beating neighbor with when he served as a sheriff in Kentucky. Ol' Joe didn't like wife beaters. He also used the double to give a lead injection into the butt of one of his nighttime chicken stealing nephews. He didn't know who the thief was until he got to talking with the town Doctor/Coroner/Funeral Director, a few weeks after the nighttime incident.
Aso have a 1902 Colt Military pistol in .38 Auto that was used in a suicide. Family confirmed.

Numerous mil-surp firearms that may or may not have seen action. The only action they see now is the occasional shooting session or deer hunt.

[HWooldridge]

I have a 1860 Army Colt that my great-great G'Pa carried in the Civil War - he supposedly picked up two off a battlefield but only one made it down to me. I'd bet money it killed one or more soldiers before he came along, and according to family history, GGGPa killed two outlaws with "his brace of pistols" sometime right after the war - either late 1866 or early 1867. A group of three bandits set upon him and his wife while they were picking up pecans in a river bottom - he killed two outright and wounded the third, who wound up getting hanged later.

[BLAHUT]

Have 4 old military; any seen action ?? The grand maybe ? The brono Mauser more than likely ? The 8mm label; a Hitler-youth issued gun, action ?? A 762 x 39 Asian, maybe ??

[kungfustyle]

It wasn't the gun, it was the intent and the lead or bullet that did the job. The gun just pointed the way. Now the bayonet, sword, dagger or knife, that's a different story.

[hoodat]

I've got the M94, 30-30 that my grandfather was carrying when another guy killed him.

As far as others, probably. jd

[challenger_i]

I have a pair of French service rifles... When I received them, it was apparent they had never been fired and only dropped once.

[WILCO]

I've got a "Zulu" shotgun.

Lord knows where's it's been and done.

[schutzen-jager]

probably, due to my accumulation of foreign + domestic ex military + police issued ones -

[Polymath]

Call me back in twenty minutes!:grin::Fire:

[45workhorse]

Not a family member.
I have a Chinese SKS that is a Vietnam era bring back. Along with the gun I have the import papers that went along with it, and he fellow that brought it back gave it to me!
One that will never be sold, it will be passed onto my son.

I don't know IF I want to hear any stories from it!

[.429&H110]

I have a Colt Huntsman that was reliably? rumored to have been carried by the owner of the Daily News-Miner of Fairbanks 1960's. Story goes that on two occasions he shot a mugger/disgruntled reader with it. Didn't kill them, but ended the conversation, I suppose...
A 10 shot .22 for every day carry? Way better than nothing.

[DougGuy]

3 different 1911s, 3 separate and unrelated incidents, 3 wanna be criminals, all 3 rapidly changed their intentions, and their immediate direction of travel upon realizing that a 45 was pointed at them at short range.

These were too close to the real deal, or I would be on this list for a different reason.

[MrWolf]

Have a K31 but no idea if it took a life -so far.

[Hick]

Don't really know, but maybe my SMLE, as it was made in the right time frame and has a field repair (a front sight taken off another damaged rifle). Maybe also my Webley revolver, as it was issued in the Royal Air Force during WWI. My Garand and Mauser are both the wrong time frame for an war (both between wars).

[15meter]

Never thought about it, with 4 M1's, 3 M1 carbines, Trap Door, .43 Spanish rolling block, 6.5 Swedish Mauser, 8mm Turkish Mauser, 7mm Chilean Mauser, 6.5 Carcano, Steyr in 8x56R, SMLE, P14, Model 1917 and a sporterized Model 1917, I suspect there is more than a passing chance one of them did what it was supposed to did.

Forgot the 03A3.

[alfadan]

Have two Taurus M85 Brazilian police trade-ins. Odds could be fair with them.

[M-Tecs]

You often hear the phrase or seen a bumper sticker; "My gun has killed less people than Ted Kennedy's Car" (he's been sober now for over 20 years)

I was thinking about this, and only my military rifles may or may not be in this category, I wouldn't know but I would hope so.

Then I thought of retired police guns, probably very few police have even drawn theirs let alone taken a life.

But how about the relative that used a gun to end their own life. Often family will surrender the firearm when this happens.

What is your story?

I never knew firearms had a free will? I do know people that have killed others is combat, in LE actions, various accidents and themselves in a suicide. Some were with firearms and others by various other methods.

[MT Gianni]

At one point I had 6 rifles built on 98 Mauser actions an O3A3 and a 1917 30-06. I probably own an action that was involved in someone's death on both sides of bitter wars. If I found out it would not mean one iota to me positive or negative. I have owned a bunch of used cars so one may have killed someone. One of my pension funds may have owned Union Carbide funds. The jalapenos I bought last week may have been trucked from south of the US border and the truck been involved in a fatal accident. We live in a world with many inter-connections.

While I have pointed a gun at someone, I was wearing a badge at the time. Had I needed to use it I would not have lost much sleep is what I tell myself. I don't see or follow any fascination as to what weapons I own that may have been involved in shootings, owned by agencies or private LEO's. If you set store by such that's ok too.

Gun show rule #3 "buy the gun, not the story".

[technojock]

I forgot about a couple of my rifles so my earlier statement about 1 in 3 should be 1 in 5...

One one them is a K31 and the Swiss were neutral and likely only saw drill action. The metal is perfect but the stock is a little beat up...

I knew the man that brought my first Type 99 home from WWII and he said that he found a case of them on the beach of some island after the Japanese pulled out. When the rifle made it to me, it still had packing grease in it. My sporterized Arisaka Type 99 is an early one and likely saw service. It still has the Mum intact but has a scope mount on top of it.

My 1909 Argentine Mauser that came to me poorly sporterized with a plugged barrel. I now has a .308 Win barrel and a thumb-hole stock. I don't know if the Argentine military saw much action...

My most recently acquired military rifle is a M1917 Enfield. It's been weirdly sporterized. The rear sight has been very nicely machined off and the barrel trimmed just behind the original front sight. Then someone managed to cram it into a civilian model rifle stock. There's some odd gaps in the wood here and there around the action. I'd say there's a good chance this rifle saw some action in WWI...

[trapper9260]

I had a Civil War 1864 58 cal rebuilt that my dad was not able to get fix till I did . My friend the gunsmith that worked on it said that it seen alot of use . I take it done what it was ment to during its time . I also bought a bayonet that was to go with it and who knows what that seen its time. I had a friend also that had a 38-40 wheel gun that needed to be fix that had a notch on it and he said it was in the family for many years. I do not know if the family had claim it from being fixed by my friend the gunsmith. I told him I would pay for the bill to fix it as long I get it , he got sick of me kept asking about if the family got that he said he will let me know if they do not pay the bill on it. I did told my friends kids about the notch and what it ment . They did not like the idea of about have it for that reason for how it looks. They not into gun .

[Shawlerbrook]

Never thought about this but I often wished some of the old rifles I have could tell their story. After this question I now have second thoughts. I always thought of stories of pioneer hunting trips , etc.

[10x]

I have a number of military firearms, Lee Enfield, Mauser, Carcano, Colt - Springfield
It matters not that the gun was used in a war, or if the soldier carrying the gun killed another human with it.

What truly matters is that these firearms were used to defend our way of life, our culture and language in two World Wars and countless minor military actions (Wars by any other name) and they have allowed us to keep our freedom and culture.

Bear in mind that there are those who want to take our freedom and culture and our guns and rule us like we are livestock

My Lee Enfield No 1, My Lee Enfield No4, my 1917 Springfield, My FNFAL are reminders that we must work hard to keep what the folks who carried these guns died for.

The gun does not carry guilt, or ghost, or regret.

In my youth I knew a man who was a member of Lord Strathcona's Horse - he fought in the Boer war of 1899.
Because he purchased his service revolver and rifle he got to keep them (His story- He may have "Liberated" the rifle as issue rifles are always turned back to stores). His diary indicated that he was in a number of battles. The old gentleman was an excellent shot and his only comment on the rifle was that it had saved his life on several occasions.
He did not talk about the Battles he was in, but any target he put the front sight on , he hit.
His comment was that when his regiment moved into a Boer occupied area the Boers hid their guns and became farmers, and their leaders moved to unoccupied territory.
My recollection of the man was that he was one tough S.O.B. who every one respected.
Lord Strathcona's Horse was composed of Cowboys from Western Canada. Many took their personal horses to South Africa.

https://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/boer/boerwarhistory_e.html


https://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/boer/weapons_e.html

[Land Owner]

Yes. Two handguns - each a suicide.

[firefly1957]

It is a shame our guns can not talk ! I have little idea of a couple guns I have history they were once military but when were they were used in the last 100 plus years who knows .
I know my grandfathers Winchester model 1907 from his words Killed a 300 pound black bear and he gave it to my uncle Bob . Uncle Bob killed one deer and decided he did not care to hunt and gave the gun back . Later Uncle Bob married a Sicilian woman that did not allow guns in her house but she did allow the Winchester Model 1907 in the home during the riots of 1967 as they lived just north of Detriot (Yes it is not the same without a riot!) . His area did not have any problems so that gun never killed anyone .

[Thumbcocker]

Those that do may not feel like sharing the fact or the story with 56,000 people.

[skeet1]

I think the premise is wrong. The gun didn't kill anyone ever, it was the person that used it. Let's put the blame where it belongs!

[farmerjim]

I have a Mauser that was picked up on Omaha beach, but it can't talk and tell me what it did.

[MaryB]

Civil war era blackpowder guns around me were likely used to hunt my ancestors during the Sioux Uprising... there were a lot of murders on both sides...

[Der Gebirgsjager]

One definitely, which terminated a knife wielding burglar. One possibly, that was used extensively in WW I.

DG

[Somebody]

None confirmed, but the first owners of intact-mum type 99s typically did not surrender.

All my evidence tag guns were from seizures after disqualifying events, not taken directly from crime scenes.

[Rapier]

Nope guns do not and never have killed people, people kill people, including themselves. i own a few guns carried by people that killed people, you see, two of my great grandfathers were Sherifs and Judges, one in Jefferson County, AL and the other in Madison county, FL, by coincidence, they both carried a Smith #1 in 32, and I have both guns, holster for one. I also have the rig for "Shotgun" Jack Ingram, US Marshal, Oklahoma Territory. Jack killed a bunch of bad people, one gang tried to kill every person in a little town, man, woman and child, Jack caught them and killed them all. Patrolled an area as big as some states, all by himself, one more tough man. He son, lived outsde of OK City was the NFL player. All the sons, grandsons, great-grandsons are named Jack. He told me about his father.

Interesting how many family members do not want the guns of their own family.

[littlejack]

One of my dad's jobs in the European campaign WWII, was a machine gunner. He and others were watching prisoners walking in formation up the road after being captured. He was in the back of a truck behind his machine gun. He noticed a German officer in the captured crew wearing his Walther PPK pistol. He motioned for the officer to come to him. Dad said that German could speak better english than himself. "Thats probably an exaggeration" Dad was an Okie. The officer stated that he was allowed to keep his pistol to keep his troops in line. Dad said that he would keep his crew in line, as he patted the Browning. I inherited that PPK .32 acp in the 70's. It has been given to my youngest daughter a few years back. Whether is has taken life is anyone's guess. I would say probably not. He also brought back a 98 Mauser, but it was stolen when I was a young, or maybe a squirt.

[elmacgyver0]

You often hear the phrase or seen a bumper sticker; "My gun has killed less people than Ted Kennedy's Car" (he's been sober now for over 20 years)

I was thinking about this, and only my military rifles may or may not be in this category, I wouldn't know but I would hope so.

Then I thought of retired police guns, probably very few police have even drawn theirs let alone taken a life.

But how about the relative that used a gun to end their own life. Often family will surrender the firearm when this happens.

What is your story?

If you think it is the gun, I guess you have a problem, I on the other hand think it is more on the guy behind the trigger, justified or unjustified.

[Harter66]

I had a 1916 DWM Berin Gew 98 , right source and time .
I have 1866 Chessipot with an 1871 issue stamp ... Might have been in action in one of the border disputes circa 1871-1884 .
Had a type 38 Arisaka built in 1927 and a type 99 made in 1945 . A definite maybe in both counts .
Had a 41' Terni Carcano that was most likely to have if any of them did .
The 11/43 1903A3 was a definite no .
I doubt any of the 1917s even the "Not English made" stamped saw anything like that .
About everything else I've had were safe queens from shortly after birth .

Hogs,deer, fowl , many lives , hominids not so much.

[rbuck351]

I have several WWII rifles with unknown background. I have a M8 Rem in 30 Rem that my dad believes was used in a suicide. He loaned this rifle to a friends 13 year old son who was with him and a few others on a hunting trip. The boy left camp after saying he would not be going out that day but changed his mind about a half hour after the last of the others had left camp. He told the camp cook that he would catch up with the last hunter that had left camp. His remains, missing the skull, and the rifle, were found by another hunter 7 years later several miles from the hunting camp. The semi auto rifle holds 5 rounds but only had 4 in it when found and the safety was off. Dad figured that the boy shot himself after becoming hopelessly lost. Several years later at about 12, I used that rifle to take my first deer.

[poppy42]

Impossible! Guns don’t kill people, people kill people! A gun is an inanimate object! A tool! As such it cannot do anything! To imply anything else does nothing but fuel the anti 2 A idiots! I don’t know the op but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. With that being said we all need to think before we post threads like this! I’m no conspiracy nut but anyone who doesn’t realize that firearm forums are monitored need to wake up and realize that there are those that would like nothing better that to use whatever we post against us anyway they can! The internet is for ever!

[10x]

You often hear the phrase or seen a bumper sticker; "My gun has killed less people than Ted Kennedy's Car" (he's been sober now for over 20 years)
snip
What is your story?

If Ted Kennedy had been driving a VW Beetle she wouldn't have drowned and he would have been president.


'" A mock advertisement in National Lampoon magazine showed a floating Volkswagen Beetle, itself a parody of a Volkswagen advertisement, showing that the vehicle's underside was so well sealed that it would float on water, but with the caption, "If Ted Kennedy drove a Volkswagen, he'd be President today."

[Big Tom]

Sounds like a trick question.... Guns don't kill people! People do.... just saying...

[Nazgul]

Why would anyone celebrate a weapon they own as having been used to kill someone???

Even in war. This just sick "I hope it has".

Really, we are better than this.

Don

Yes, I have been in the military and used a weapon. Yes, I have suffered a gunshot.

[redhawk0]

I have a Mosin Nagant 1895, German Luger 1917 (1920 double stamp), and a Polish K98 Mauser from the 1930s. I suspect one or more have seen action....Some people say "if that could only talk...the stories it could tell"....I for one, am glad none of them talk. I enjoy them for their recreational purpose...not because of their original purpose.

redhawk

[trapper9260]

I have a Mosin Nagant 1895, German Luger 1917 (1920 double stamp), and a Polish K98 Mauser from the 1930s. I suspect one or more have seen action....Some people say "if that could only talk...the stories it could tell"....I for one, am glad none of them talk. I enjoy them for their recreational purpose...not because of their original purpose.

redhawk

You nailed it , I am with you on that, also what some others said it is not the gun . The person that used them. One way or another .

[avogunner]

One of my cherished possessions is an older S&W M&P revolver (1920's made pre model 10) that belonged to my Great Uncle Henry. He spent his career as a police officer for the Southern Railway. Well, when I inherited it from Dad, he said in a matter of fact way, "here's Uncle Henry's pistol, you know he once had to shoot a fella with it". Simple as that ....
Semper Fi.

[WinchesterM1]

I have several guns from WW2 (im a huge collector with other 300 ww2 guns) that still have blood dripping down the action even after all these years. I have a Yugo M82B RPK that has "kill marks" on it, I have a SKS that has kill marks on it, i would say that about 70-80% of my military collection has seen serious use and shot plenty of people.

I would have a Kimber Grand Raptor 5" that killed 2 guys during self defense on my property but it "go lost in the evidence room" and i never saw it again[smilie=b:

[GONRA]

GONRA's semiauto collection has certainly killed zillions in WWI and beyond....
BUT they're all harmless now! !!
Just History! !!

[Scrounge]

You often hear the phrase or seen a bumper sticker; "My gun has killed less people than Ted Kennedy's Car" (he's been sober now for over 20 years)

I was thinking about this, and only my military rifles may or may not be in this category, I wouldn't know but I would hope so.

Then I thought of retired police guns, probably very few police have even drawn theirs let alone taken a life.

But how about the relative that used a gun to end their own life. Often family will surrender the firearm when this happens.

What is your story?

I've got a 1903 Springfield from about 1921, and a 1943(iirc) barrel on a National Ordnance action that may have been fired in anger. None of my other firearms have taken a life that I know of, but only got one of them at least nominally new. I also have a WWII NCO-issue samurai sword, but it was captured from the armory in Tokyo still not quite finished, so, again, unlikely to have taken a life.

When I use that phrase about Ted Kennedy's car, I add "since I've owned them. And I hope I make it through the rest of my life without having to fire any shots in anger, but I try to be prepared for the day I find I must.

[Brad Phillips]

Had to turn mine in when I rotated back.

Four WW2 M-1 Garands ( stocks have dimples from seating rounds in clips) , WW2 1911a1, one SKS, a broomhandle and Star pistol with paperwork (great uncle). G-17 police turn in, Rem 870 issued to a game warden, Who knows ?

[Bmi48219]

I agree with the opinion expressed in post # 33.

[375supermag]

I have several old Mauser rifles, SKS carbines and a bring back German Luger as well as a former police officer's Model 10.
No idea if the were ever used to take a life.

[backwoods_bob]

A S&W Victory model in 38 S&W that my father used to end his life.

[alfadan]

I own a pistol carried by one of Hillary's hitmen. Has virtually no rifling or finish left!

[stubshaft]

Yup, one of my pistols a S&W 41 was stolen and used in a homicide.