Gun Safety Rules

[combatmedic]

Originally Posted by combatmedic

I'd say that a GM could certainly tell a player whose PC had the advantage that 'doing that with a firearm is something your PC knows that he ought not to do' if said PC was about to:

• pick up a dead/KOed bad guy's gun without even checking to see if it is loaded
  
• wave a loaded gun in somebody's face 'just to scare him'
  
• stick a gun in his waistband
  
• hold a gun sideways when shooting
  
• etc.

Mind you, I've not actually seen players have their PCs do these things, but I hear stories...

Behold my post.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by combatmedic

If you check my example, you'll see that I cited the sorts of things a reckless or hasty player might describe his PC as doing.

Sure but if you aren't an idiot (and even if you are, but took Common Sense for your character) you still can have an ND from a critical failure on some roll related to firearm safety or on a firearms related job roll.

[combatmedic]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Sure but if you aren't an idiot (and even if you are, but took Common Sense for your character) you still can have an ND from a critical failure on some roll related to firearm safety or on a firearms related job roll.

Sure, that could happen, if the GM so determines. I'm talking about the player having his PC do something bone-headed, as is made very clear in the post quoted above.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by combatmedic

Sure, that could happen, if the GM so determines. I'm talking about the player having his PC do something bone-headed, as is made very clear in the post quoted above.

That's a direct consequence of Common Sense as written.

[combatmedic]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

That's a direct consequence of Common Sense as written.

Indeed. I'm not sure if you think we have a disagreement. So far as I can tell, we do not.

[Lupo]

Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk

Oh hey! In 2006 there were around 17 accidental deaths per 100,000 registered vehicles. Since we know there are roughly the same numbers of registered firearms, that gives you roughly 0.26 accidental deaths per 100,000 registered firearms in the same year.

I fail to see the significance of such comparisons. It seems to me you are comparing apples and oranges here.

More people die slipping in their shower, than inadvertedly poisoning themselves with cyanide - does this mean that showers should be outlawed, and cyanide should be sold freely?

Note that personally I dislike guns, but I think am NOT an advocate for strict weapon control.
I find desirable to live in a community where there are as few guns as possible, but I also find desirable that people are not forbidden by governments from owning weapons if they wish.

I am just saying that a point can be made for some sort of gun-control, even if cars kill more people than guns, because cars are not designed to kill people, and because banning cars would have a far greater impact on economy/lifestyle than banning guns.

Tobacco and alcohol kill far more people than either guns or cars, but I don't think those should be outlawed - the US tried to outlaw alcohol, and it didn't go well. The same goes for drugs and the "War on Drugs", actually.

[Crakkerjakk]

Originally Posted by Lupo

I fail to see the significance of such comparisons. It seems to me you are comparing apples and oranges here.

I was just trying to debunk the mindset that having a gun in the house is a recipe for tragedy, which IME is pretty common.

Originally Posted by Lupo

More people die slipping in their shower, than inadvertedly poisoning themselves with cyanide - does this mean that showers should be outlawed, and cyanide should be sold freely?

Is cyanide in half of the houses in a country of 300 million people already?

Originally Posted by Lupo

I am just saying that a point can be made for some sort of gun-control, even if cars kill more people than guns, because cars are not designed to kill people, and because banning cars would have a far greater impact on economy/lifestyle than banning guns.

It is true that banning cars would be bad for the economy and our lifestyles. However, one of the commonly touted reasons for banning guns is how dangerous they are. Well, they are pretty good at killing things. But it's enshrined in our constitution that we're all allowed "tyrannical gov'mint insurance" in the form of weapons. And as for how often they hurt people unintentionally, it's vastly rarer than other things that we accept as the price for economic prosperity or way of life, like cars.

So are they dangerous? Yes. But that's why the constitution allows us to have them. There's no amendment in the bill of rights ensuring our right to own teddy bears in order to safeguard against a tyrannical government, because teddy bears wouldn't do any good.

Originally Posted by Lupo

Tobacco and alcohol kill far more people than either guns or cars, but I don't think those should be outlawed - the US tried to outlaw alcohol, and it didn't go well. The same goes for drugs and the "War on Drugs", actually.

I agree. I think ~600-700 deaths a year out of 100,000 is a small price to pay to ensure that the gov'mint monopoly on force is checked by an armed populace.

Anywho, if anyone wants to discuss this further, feel free to start a thread in GenChat. These arguments don't belong in the GURPS forum. My bad for getting sidetracked.

[fredtheobviouspseudonym]

Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk

. . . There's no amendment in the bill of rights ensuring our right to own teddy bears in order to safeguard against a tyrannical government, because teddy bears wouldn't do any good.

They won't? Hey, I've owned a teddy bear for years and no Nazi party has ever come into power in my USA. So it must work.

[lexington]

Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk

So are they dangerous? Yes. But that's why the constitution allows us to have them. There's no amendment in the bill of rights ensuring our right to own teddy bears in order to safeguard against a tyrannical government, because teddy bears wouldn't do any good.

Realistically, guns wouldn't help much either.

[Crakkerjakk]

Originally Posted by lexington

Realistically, guns wouldn't help much either.

You want to talk about it, make a thread in genchat. I've derailed this thread enough.