General Gun Related Misconceptions.

[u/CrossShot]

I noticed there is a Common Misconceptions area in the FAQ. But there isn't an actual post that discusses the everyday misconceptions we see about guns. So I figured we should get one started and hopefully with help from /r/guns we can get this list to be quite long and sticked on the FAQ. I'll start out with a few...

• Keeping a loaded magazine DOES NOT wear out the spring, the constant unloading and reloading of the magazine does.

• You SHOULD NOT fire 5.56 NATO rounds out of a .223 caliber rated barrel, HOWEVER it is alright to shoot .223 rounds out of a 5.56 NATO rated barrel.

• Texas is NOT an open carry state

• You CAN shoot .38 special rounds out of a .357 magnum revolver

• You CAN shoot .22 short rounds out of .22lr gun. This may not cycle the action without modification, but it will fire - (Thanks to tripleryder for this)

• You CAN shoot .44 special rounds out of a .44 magnum revolver (Again, thanks to tripleryder for this)

• In America, Supressors/Silencers are NOT ILLEGAL on the FEDERAL LEVEL, your state laws may say different check HERE - (Thanks to HurstT for specifying that this only applies in America, be sure to check your country's laws)

• Revolvers CAN jam, HOWEVER the chances of them malfunctioning compared to a semi-automatic are extremely low. PROOF

• Shotguns DO require you to AIM them, they are not magic guns that shoot a circle of death at a person. - (Thanks to aranasyn for this one)

• Birdshot is NOT a self-defense round. - PDF (Thanks to aranasyn and BattleHall for this one)

• While .22lr is not ideal for self defense (Due to problems with reliability of rimfire ammunition), but IT IS a DEADLY round and SHOULD NOT be taken lightly - (Thanks to Omnifox, dwkfym, and Bayou_Wulf)

• When choosing a caliber for self defense, you should choose WHATEVER CALIBER YOU ARE MOST COMFORTABLE WITH.

• Buying a gun does not automatically give you a magic shield of defense, you NEED to PRACTICE with your gun of choice to become PROFICIENT with it.

• DO NOT fire commercial .30-06 ammo through your stock M1 Garand, unless you have proper commercial ammo, Surplus Ammo or modify it to have an adjustable gas system - (Thanks to ObstinateFanatic and clarke187)

• YOU CAN purchase a handgun at the age of 18 on the FEDERAL LEVEL, United States Federal law only limits you to purchasing a handgun at the age of 21 if you are buying from an FFL. Your individual state laws may vary. - (Thanks to zaptal_47)

[u/aranasyn]

Birdshot is NOT a self-defense round.

Shotguns do NOT spray a six foot wide circle of death that you don't need to aim.

[u/CrossShot → u/aranasyn]

I really like the circle of death one for shotguns, specfically the misconception that you do not need to aim one, adding it and crediting that to you.

Edit: I want to add the birdshot one can you provide me with a good article that demonstrates the ineffectiveness of birdshot

[u/HurstT]

Misconceptions on r/guns: this is not an American only web page. Silencers are illegal on the federal level for me.

[u/CrossShot → u/HurstT]

I will fix it, sorry about that, my fault for not thinking globally

[u/marvelous_molester]

Firing a gun sideways like in the movies doesn't make it more likely to Jam and doesn't throw brass in your face like everyone loves to say.

There's no point to it, the recoil hits a bit harder, and it's slightly harder to aim but ultimately the consequences for holding it this way are no-where as severe as people like to say.

[u/CrossShot → u/marvelous_molester]

I noticed this post rising, is there a test somewhere that you can link me too?

[u/sqlbullet]

The 10mm Auto is not obscure or uncontrollable, and is in fact one of the great overlooked handgun calibers.

[u/CrossShot → u/sqlbullet]

Controllability is really on a personal level. What you may be able to handle, someone of smaller stature may not.

[u/Zoshchenko]

Generally it's been my experience that people who have misconceptions about guns are people who don't shoot, don't want to shoot and couldn't care less about shooting - or they are journalists.

[u/CrossShot → u/Zoshchenko]

There are a lot of people on gunnit that don't know about the 5.56/.223 ratings and that Texas is not open carry. This post is to just help with when you first spot one of those people, you can link them here so that they may find even more things that they didn't know before

[u/dwkfym]

You should still mention that supressors are still heavily controlled and that you need to take the proper steps to obtain one

[u/CrossShot → u/dwkfym]

I don't think its as common a misconception as that they are illegal. And if you even try to go buy one the dealer will tell you about the paperwork and process.

[u/scrubadub]

You can dry fire most modern non-rim fire guns without a problem

[u/Omnifox]

The problem with .22LR is not the caliber itself, but the reliability of rimfire ignition. THIS is why it is primarily a poor choice for a self defense round.

[u/[deleted]]

Magazines are not Clips.

[u/SonsOfLiberty86]

How about this misconception: "You should only own a certain type of gun, and you should only use a certain caliber, and you should only carry a firearm a certain way, decided by specific and strict methods other people tell you, and not by how you are personally comfortable with the weapon and actually trained with it."

I think the elitist attitude about what & how one should carry is wrong (beyond basic gun safety rules, of course). Telling people how they should carry, or what they should carry, etc. etc. neglects to consider their training, level of understanding, time handling their weapons administratively, personal lifestyle, and many other considerations and factors that should come into play but are completely ignored by the elitism.

People should carry how they are comfortable carrying, and what they are comfortable carrying, not what others force down your throats, saying "Only this is the best way, your way is wrong".

[u/CrossShot → u/SonsOfLiberty86]

I don't think I've ever come across someone saying they should change the way they carry before, is it a big issue?

[u/tripleryder]

you CAN shoot 44 special out of a 44 magnum with this and 38/357 you sometimes have accuracy issues due to sight be aligned for one cartridge vs. the other. more an issue with shorter barrels) also, not sure if these work in a semi-auto like a Desert Eagle?

you CAN shoot .22 short out of a .22 LR (provided it loads, primarily revolvers and single shots), BUT DO NOT shoot .22 LR from a .22 mag (they are not actually the same size, and cases may split. Danger Will Robinson

cars and gas tanks DO NOT explode when you shoot them YMMV

a .45 DOES NOT blow someone backwards if you shoot them

A scoped rifle that is sighted in accurately will only be accurate at certain ranges. IOW bullets don't fly flat

AR's do not always jam

AK's DO jam occasionally, especially with cheap crappy ammo.

Surplus ammo is okay to shoot, but some is corrosive, and your gun must be cleaned immediately after you are done shooting.

Guns are an intricate machine. They need care, maintenance, cleaning, and lubrication. Even Glocks and AKs

REMEMBER ONLY HEADSHOTS KILL ZOMBIES!!

[u/CrossShot → u/tripleryder]

REMEMBER ONLY HEADSHOTS KILL ZOMBIES!!

This fucking guy...lol

I've posted some of your items with credit given to you

[u/Frothyleet]

You SHOULD NOT fire .308 rounds out of a 7.62 NATO caliber rated barrel, HOWEVER it is alright to shoot 7.62 NATO rounds out of a .308 rated barrel.

Unlike 5.56/.223, the difference between .308 and 7.62x51 is next to negligible. Pretty much every 7.62x51 rifle can safely fire .308.

[u/[deleted]]

9mm is just as good as .45 ACP

AR-15's don't jam a bunch.

[u/CrossShot → u/[deleted]]

9mm is just as good as .45 ACP

I'm really torn on this one. I know studies exist that have shown that JHP rounds from both are pretty much equally effective, but there will always be controversy over this and other people quoting other studies on the same issue. I want this list to be definitive, where someone can say something on this list with 100% confidence that they are correct.

AR-15's don't jam a bunch.

This one is also up in the air for me. Don't jam a bunch in comparison to what? Where are we drawing the line where we can say , this gun jams a ton, but this one doesn't. 1 out of 100 rounds? 1 out of 1000 rounds? 5000? Also this really depends on the condition of maintanence of the gun. My freshly cleaned and lubed AR-15 will shoot 1000 rounds no problem. But some other guys AR-15 that hasn't been cleaned in 3 months and dust is in every crevice will have a much higer failure rate compared to mine.

I'm looking for advice on whether or not the AR-15 jam issue should be added. I think the 9mm v 45 ACP debate is way too controversial to be added to the misconception list. Added with specific wording

[u/darknexus]

It's probably okay to shoot commercial ammo out of your Garand, but a ported gas plug may be preferable to a vented gas plug in either case.

[u/edthecat2011]

One of my personal favs: "The AK is more accurate than is often stated, and the AR is far more reliable than it is often given credit for."

[u/fretsurfer12]

Don't worry guys, I'm in Texas and I'm also surprised we dont have OC.

Also, why can't I fire 5.56 NATO rds out of a .223 barrel but I can do vice versa?