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Hate guns, really really really hate them. Glad we don't have them here.

Having said that, if you lived there, knowing what the gun situation is in 2016, would you own a gun for self protection reasons (or fun, or hunting)?

I think we Brits are quite quick to decry their obsession with guns, but I wager many of us would also bite the bullet (pun intended) and get one.

I still think I wouldn't, but I don't judge my American chums as harshly as I used to on this subject.

If I lived in New York City then no, if in rural nowhere then probably, although it would have to be locked up very securely (which would defeat its purpose of protection) but the number of deaths from accidental use / suicide are so high it would crystal maze style security would be required.

Yes.

Very easily yes.

Yes, deffo.

Nope

Not getting shot is pretty high on the list of life priorities for me and the best way to not get shot is to not be in a position where you're waving a gun around

Unless some other tool has a gun and you don't have one to defend yourself. 

I anti-gun i think America's gun laws are stupid, but for as long as they were legal I'd definitely be packing. 

Again, hate guns, think their laws are ridiculous, but if every redneck and their mums are packing the sorta shit that the media makes out they are, then yes I'd want to own one. I'd also want to learn to shoot it properly.

Defence is a complete red herring though?

Outside of Hollywood if the other person shoots first its gg you

So unless you're willing to shoot first you may as well be holding a whoopy cushion

If guns were good at stopping people nicking your stuff then home insurance premiums for households with guns would be lower right? Actually they are much higher and most home insurers won't even offer cover unless the gun(s) are locked away.

I'll just pay the excess on the insurance and move on I think

Very easy no.

Your gun is way more likely to kill you or your family than a baddy.

This.

There are a certain number of crimes per year which are actually stopped by the 'good guys' having their own guns, but they are far outweighed by the number where their guns have been used against them (either by a criminal or by accident).

The figures are staggering (in somewhere like London gun murders are something like 4 per 100,000 and somewhere like New York it's closer to 400 per 100,000) but the best way to avoid being shot by a gun is to not own one.

Don't we? lol. I know loads of people with guns here in the UK, my family has quite a few between them, I grew up with them around.

Don't know why this elicits a lol. We clearly don't have guns in the UK in general, especially in comparison to the states.

Personally I haven't ever known anyone who owns a gun and I'm sure that's likely to be the case for most people in the UK.

I'm with this. 

As for having for protection, the thought of getting into a gunfight isn't something I'd want to get involved with.

Because we do have guns, especially in the rural community. Just seems a little naive to suggest otherwise.

Definite no to owning a gun.  I used to live in the USA and never felt the need to own a gun and most of people I mixed with over there did not own guns.

Naive? Think you're the one being naive. We don't have a gun culture. It's actually quite strange and scary coming to the US knowing anyone could be carrying

Culture wasn't mentioned, we have guns around and a fair few still.

I think this is a really simple question.  Why on earth would you want to own a gun if you have no intention of killing someone with it? Outside of hunting/legit rural use.  What is the point of having one otherwise?  I couldn't physically kill someone so i would never ever carry a gun and would simply choose to not live anywhere when i thought gun culture was considered 'standard'.  It really shouldn't be standard in the slightest.

I know a fair few people with guns too. But it's usually just air rifles for hunting/shooting game. Laughable to compare it to US where anyone can carry a handgun with 15 rounds or a sub-machine gun.

Not a chance and I would also remove my arms to the elbow so no one ever thought I was reaching for one

Better question is, why would you live in America in an area where you could find any rationale for owning one - proper G's in this thread

In 2011 there were circa 140 thousand firearm certificates in the UK and circa 560k Shotgun certificates.
Roughly equates to 1/100?
Was very surprised at the firearm certificate number.

Think Woodsy's point is valid, I have grown lived in rural communities and have been around guns all my life, but no we don't have a hand gun culture its very different - think the responses on this thread show how America got into the position it has.  If bad guy A has a gun I want a gun etc.  When the evidence shows as stated that you are far more likely to be killed by your own or a family members firearm then any random.

No-one was comparing it to the US, but if people have the perception there are little or no guns in the UK they are wrong. Some communities have a lot of them, I'm originally from a rural/farming community, they are very common place there. Yes they are for for shooting game, clay pigeon shooting and vermin control, but there are as many shot guns as air rifles floating around.

The UK has 6.6 guns per 100 residents - that's a lot of guns in total but,
the US has 112.6 guns per 100 - so I'd agree with, not really comparable.

I'm nearly 50 and only seen a gun that isn't in the hands of a policeman or a soldier once in the UK and not even sure whether it was real.

Was in Burger King at Piccadilly Circus about 20 years ago, a homeless guy was going from table to table asking if anyone had any spare change.

He was brished off by about 5 different groups when he pulled out a pistol and started waving it around for a few seconds, caused a panic and then exited sharpish.

Compare that with about the six months I've been in the USA and where I've seen too many guns to count.

I've seen that stat. before about there being more guns than people in the USA but it still amazes me.

I think this is a case of brits being brits.  We're all like sensible and we think we're more likely to be killed by holding a firearm.  All well and good but when some crazy is floating about with a gun, I'd prefer to take my chances holding my own firearm.  If though there were to be a more serious grown up debate in  America about the harm of owning guns and they were to make gun ownership illegal and have an amnesty I'd be happy not owning a gun. 

No, it's statistics. Occasionally someone with a gun will stop a crazy person with a gun - but it's much, much more frequent for someone to be shot by their own gun than to use it (successfully) against someone else.

People looking at the mountains of evidence collected over decades showing that owning a gun makes you more likely to come to serious harm or to cause someone else serious harm and still concluding that they want to own a gun is precisely the reason why there cannot be a serious grown up conversation on the issue imo

Would 100% have a gun in the house, I just wouldn't have any bullets.

Dan I completely agree but this comment is a little condescending. It's natural for people to think "If all these people own a gun, then I will feel safer owning a gun myself" despite the mounting evidence.

Fair enough, but 'do I feel safer' isn't the question that I'm proposing an answer to because it is impossible for me or anyone else know how other people should or do feel.

If you feel safer owning a gun then absolutely go ahead an own a gun. Everyone is free to prioritize feeling safer over being safer if they wish to do so, I just take a different view.