So I met some random Pennsylvanian girl back in Europe, and work was slow. She wanted a vacation buddy and I never had any desire to come to the States, that is until I got here.
Wow. Is there anything cooler than owning your own gun? To actually have it written down in the law of the land that it's my right, and darn near my duty, as far as I'm concerned, to own a gun... fascinating. Please don't fret, I'm not running around waving them at shopkeepers. I've spent probably a drop in a bucket's-worth of time on the rifle range as you guys, but truthfully, every day (spare time or not) involves me checking, sighting, and getting familiar with my mini-arsenal.
What makes it all worth it? Packing a jacket full of squirrels out the woods, thinking about the biscuits and gravy is one thing, but on the opening day of my first ever deer season to have a whitetail walk out with 10 minutes of daylight left... well, let's just say they'll have to drag me back to England in a box.
So: Hello, thanks for having me, and I hope I don't annoy you all, or should I say, y'all, too much.
Welcome to GunandGame.com, englishdas. You're off with flying colors. I enjoyed reading your introduction and look forward to more reports from you as you expand your gun collection, etc.
Welcome to the states!! We are glad to have you here and look foreward to hearing more from you. Make sure that you are familiar with all of our laws, as they differ from state to state, and enjoy your new found freedom!! Stay safe and stay happy!
Ryan
thank you all for your support. to answer your questions, in no particular order,
I'm from Leeds, which is in Yorkshire (like an English version of Texas), England.
I liked the 'personal safety device' question, SA, I was confused. I'm thinking, "well, I got a bunch of hunter orange and, er..." Then it clicked.
An impulse purchase, My first gun was a Walther G22. I have had experience with Walther Handguns in England, until the Government took away the means for people to protect themselves in their homes. It still makes me angry- The Gun laws, that is. not the Walther. That's my everyday gun.
2nd, I stumbled across a beat-up, rusted, oct-shaped-barrelled (is there a name for this barrel shape) spanish muzzle-loader, which I have spent some time gently restoring. It's a work-in-progress but shoots great. It was definitely worth $10.
Spring Turkeys are round the corner. So last month I bought a Charles Daly 20ga Field Auto. Initially, very disappointed. the slide/ejector handle fell out onto the ground after the first shot. I put this down to me not assembling it correctly though, put the gun back together, and have loved it ever since.
Once again, thanks for your support. I did notice one thing over here, people are real friendly compared to Europe.
Howdy and welcome to GunandGame. We hope you enjoy your stay. A personal question if you don't mind my asking, are you considering becomeing a citizen of these United States, or staying a subject of Her Majesty The Queen? How many States have you made it into so far? Is Kentucky a bit of "Culture Shock" to you? LOL Stop on into the chatroom when you get a chance, we are usually in there in the evenings. EST.
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"Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God." Benjamin Franklin
i'll hit the chatroom, definitely, but to shed more light on the migration west, I am planning to become a citizen, but I'm not in a hurry, as it is expensve. And seeing as I became an American Resident the LEGAL way instead of border-hopping, I am close to flat broke as it cost about $3000 for my Permanent Resident Card. well, flat broke after buying my guns/bow anyhow.
I landed in NY. it's like Europe, busy/expensive/sometimes very rude. Been to Pittsburgh, Columbus OH, & Florida.
Yeah, at first I railed against a lot of the stuff stateside, why it wasn't like england, y'know? I thought KY was boring and backward. I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions. At first I was like, Why are the electric and telephone wires above street level, stuff like that? stupid stuff. why's your culture based around and obsessed with food? why does everyone have a medical condition?
then i discovered the joys of huntin, and to !!!! with the differences. let's go kill somethin.
Last edited by englishdas; 02-25-2007 at 12:38 PM.
It is kind of nice that gun ownership is considered normal here, isn't it? Although there's a growing contingent who believe they're intrinsically evil...
Two quick stories about cultureshock and that sort of thing.
1. My wife's uncle married an english gal, and brought her home to Texas. She spent the first ten or twelve years complaining because it wasn't England. Then she took her two sons back for a visit, and her relatives made fun of the Texas accent the boys had. Ever seen a mama bear protecting her cubs? When she got back to Texas, she became more Texan than the Texans.
Second story: a retired Air Force pilot I knew also had an english wife, and her 70-year-old brother was coming to California to visit them. He was enraged when he found out how much more it would cost to fly to California as opposed to ending in New York, and told her, "that's absurd. I won't pay it. I'll simply rent a car in New York and drive over..." she had a time getting it through his head that California was 3,000 miles from New York, and a three-day drive nonstop if he had someone to share the driving with.
Hey ED welcome to the states. heheheh heres a culture shot go to san diego lol but anyway hope to see ya sometime in the chatroom and I'm happy to see that you have no qualms with our culture kinda different from england to say the least. Btw hows it feel to be a yank?
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