Questions tagged [guns]

Questions about a tubular weapon or other device designed to discharge projectiles or other material.

Gun

noun

noun: gun; plural noun: guns

  1. a weapon incorporating a metal tube from which bullets, shells, or other missiles are propelled by explosive force, typically making a characteristic loud, sharp noise.

    synonyms: firearm, pistol, revolver, rifle, shotgun, carbine, automatic, handgun, semiautomatic, machine gun, Uzi; More

    weapon; informal piece, gat, heater "the illegal trafficking of drugs and guns"

    • a device for discharging something (e.g., insecticide, grease, or electrons) in a required direction.

    • a starting pistol used in track and field events.

    • the firing of a piece of artillery as a salute or signal. "the boom of the one o'clock gun echoed across the river"

  2. informal muscular arms; well-developed biceps muscles. "it's encouraging to note that Schwarzenegger wasn't born with massive guns"

verb

verb: gun; 3rd person present: guns; past tense: gunned; past participle: gunned; gerund or present participle: gunning

  1. shoot someone with a gun. "they were gunned down by masked snipers"
  2. informal: cause (an engine) to race. "as Neil gunned the engine, the boat jumped forward"
106 questions
23
votes
1 answer

Are most US mass shooters Democrats?

Are most mass shooters Democrats? This representative said they are. 'So many people that commit mass murders are Democrats': New York congresswoman sparks outrage during discussion on Florida school shooting: 'Yeah, well, obviously there is a lot…
Chloe
  • 2,368
  • 2
  • 20
  • 26
23
votes
2 answers

Is this graph of "mass shootings" backed up by reliable data?

There's this graph on the internets: But I was unable to find any sources of the data. Most of the sites that present the graph seem to be politically oriented. Is this backed by any hard data?
Tomáš Zato
  • 951
  • 1
  • 10
  • 18
22
votes
2 answers

Were firearms prohibited in Dodge City, Kansas in the 1870s?

This image has made the rounds in various discussions of gun control in the USA. The picture was purportedly taken in Dodge City, Kansas (Popular culture's quintessential Wild West town, populated by figures such as Wyatt Earp and the setting of…
Compro01
  • 3,195
  • 1
  • 25
  • 29
21
votes
2 answers

Are more people accidentally killed by doctors than accidentally killed by guns and traffic combined?

The actual claim is something like this The top five causes of death in the United States, in order, are tobacco, alcohol, medical malpractice, traffic and firearms. According to JAMA, doctors kill more people than auto accidents and…
TheTechGuy
  • 2,772
  • 6
  • 26
  • 37
21
votes
2 answers

Can a gun be silenced like in the movies?

The depiction of guns in movies is, famously, not very exact. (Guns are cocked dramatically a thousand times over and safety standards don't even seem to exist). However, one aspect I was wondering about is the (in)famous silencer: Transforming a…
Mark Anderson
  • 1,203
  • 9
  • 13
21
votes
2 answers

If comparing white populations, does the U.S. have the same murder rate as Belgium?

Ann Coulter recently made the following claim on the FOX News show 'Hannity': On the gun crimes, we keep hearing how low they are in Europe, and oh, they're so low, and they have no guns. If you compare white populations, we have the same murder…
Oliver_C
  • 47,851
  • 18
  • 213
  • 208
20
votes
1 answer

Would a human shield work?

In a movie I watched recently the hero grabs an enemy and uses him/her as a shield protecting himself from the bullets of other enemies. When those other enemies shoot at the hero they hit the "shield" enemy killing him/her and leaving the hero…
67cherries
  • 311
  • 2
  • 7
19
votes
4 answers

Can a gun be made from ceramic?

In the film Die Hard 2 one of the bad guys has a porcelain gun (clip): That punk pulled a Glock 7 on me. You know what that is? It's a porcelain gun made in Germany. Doesn't show up on your airport X-ray machines, and it cost more than you make in…
Tom77
  • 11,605
  • 8
  • 61
  • 87
19
votes
1 answer

Do Republican legislatures tend to relax gun laws after mass shootings?

The Economist says the following in an article on recent mass shootings in the USA which discusses the evidence that restrictions on gun ownership reduce deaths: ...a mass shooting leads to a 75% rise in measures easing gun control in states with…
matt_black
  • 56,186
  • 16
  • 175
  • 373
18
votes
3 answers

Can you buy a gun from a vending machine in Georgia or South Africa?

I read this article from a Facebook post: Daily Current: Georgia Legalizes Handgun Vending Machines I was skeptical, but then I found this article which says the vending machine is in South Africa: Toxel: 17 Most Unusual Vending Machines I find them…
Coomie
  • 8,509
  • 12
  • 46
  • 79
18
votes
2 answers

Does an average criminal with a gun hit a running human target only with 4% probability?

The Live Well Naturally website says in an article entitled "9 crucial tips written by a cop. This might save someone's life.": If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running…
Franck Dernoncourt
  • 7,224
  • 4
  • 33
  • 76
18
votes
1 answer

If attacked, does having a handgun increase your chance of injury?

Rape survivor Amanda Collins spoke during a legislative hearing concerning Colorado’s proposed ban on concealed firearms on college campuses. She explained how she wished she would’ve had a firearm to defend herself from her rapist, which could have…
user1873
  • 8,931
  • 42
  • 81
18
votes
1 answer

Are over 90% of school shooters on anti-psychotics?

The video The Truthseeker: Schools, Guns & Drugs claims that over 90% of "school shooters" were on presciption drugs (voice-over) or anti-psychotics (subtitles). It seems to me that it would be hard to provide backing for such claim. They also do…
Xitcod13
  • 1,301
  • 10
  • 21
17
votes
1 answer

Are there more guns in America than people?

On Real Time with Bill Maher (aired March 30, 2012), host Bill Maher said: There are now more guns in America than there are people... (I'm guessing he is talking about "civilian firearms ") From Wikipedia - Number of guns per capita by country (a…
Oliver_C
  • 47,851
  • 18
  • 213
  • 208
17
votes
1 answer

Did a school or college in the United States ban backpacks after a shooting?

There's a story going around that an unnamed college in the United States banned backpacks after a shooting. The lack of details is suspicious and it looks more like a wrongly-captioned prank at a high-school than anything else. It doesn't look like…
Mast
  • 485
  • 6
  • 15