The Problem With American guns

Now I don’t want you to think I’m some gun wielding psycho. I am a gun owner and I have a great deal of respect for them. When I first wanted to handle one, I took a class at the Tampa Police Range. My strongest advice to anyone who wants a gun is to take a similar class and heed "A Father’s Advice" by Carl Kauba:

If a sportsman true you’d be
Listen carefully to me. . .
Never, never let your gun
Pointed be at anyone.
That it may unloaded be
Matters not the least to me.
When a hedge or fence you cross
Though of time it cause a loss
From your gun the cartridge take
For the greater safety’s sake.
If twixt you and neighboring gun
Bird shall fly or beast may run
Let this maxim ere be thine
"Follow not across the line."
Stops and beaters oft unseen
Lurk behind some leafy screen.
Calm and steady always be
"Never shoot where you can’t see."
You may kill or you may miss
But at all times think this:
"All the pheasants ever bred
Won’t repay for one man dead."

Now on to my main point of my writing. It is unfortunate that American-made guns have fallen into two categories these days: "Saturday Night Specials" and "Expensive Unreliables"
If you're not a gun owner who has done research on guns, you probably are unaware that the US government has a laundry list of requirements a gun must meet to be imported to the US. American-made guns have no such requirement. Hence the advent of the "Saturday Night Special." These are cheap and poorly made guns that if you tried to import them, wouldn’t cut the mustard. Raven, Phoenix, Bryco, and Jennings all spring to mind. Usually these guns have zinc alloy frames that are, not cast, not forged, but actually carved. Imagine shooting a bullet out of something you can cut with a knife. I’ve heard arguments asking how is zinc alloys any different from plastic framed guns. Well I’ve never heard of Glock breaking in two but I have heard of a Hi-Point doing so. Not that you have to worry, unlike the Glock, the Hi-Point comes with a lifetime warranty. I guess if you survive the break, you get a new one free of charge.

Now on the other side. Ruger, Colt, Smith & Wesson, Springfield Armory. These guys are the quality American manufacturers. The bummer is that some of their designs suffer on ergonomics and accuracy when compared to other guns in their price range. These guys are expensive. Their high cost is the primary argument used against the ban of Saturday Night Specials. The lower economic classes have their right to exercise the 2nd amendment. Now, I suppose Ruger, Colt, Smith & Wesson and Springfield Armory need to charge more for their wares. They also need a battalion of lawyers to fend off law-suits. Most of which amount to people not properly respecting their guns or people who are under the impression that, a gun, of its own accord decided to shoot someone.

You might ask, why not just ban guns? Well, in my opinion, it boils down to the police and the space-time continuum. The police are great after the fact. If you were raped, they will investigate. If your house was broken into and the criminal found it necessary to wound or kill you in the commission of his crime, then the police will investigate. I’d simply like to have more control "in the moment."