Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Top 5 Most Popular Guns - and Why (an opinionated review)

Here is a link to an interesting online article that attempts to definitively say which are the 5 most popular guns and why they are such. The thing is, while interesting reading, with lots of references, the article fails to definitively say why the ones mentioned are the most popular. It even failed to convince me that the ones mentioned are the most popular although I will admit that I know at least 5 of them to be quite popular among buyers in the commercial retail market. I think that the author(s) of the article has confused things a bit by saying - yes this specific firearm is one of the most popular and here are the facts and figures on this one to prove it - then goes onto say - well this other one is among the most popular because a lot of them have been sold. There is a difference between those two methods of saying one is such and the other is such. Look at the Remington and then the Thompson for examples respective to how I just said it above, with the Remington they give hard cold facts as to how many were produced and sold but with the Thompson they say: "Many hunters and sportsmen consider its Encore 209x.50 Magnum to be the most versatile muzzleloader available today" but they never quote any manufacturing or sales bottom line figures. Heck they do not even say most, they use the word "many" to vaguely describe how many people find them, not popular, but versatile!  Even with the Remington, they do not definitively say it has sold more than any other models just that 10 million of them have wound up in the hands of firearms owners (Wow, 10,000,000!). Seems they forgot right off they were supposed to be telling us why the firearms listed were shown as the most popular!

I think that maybe they just should have given the article another name like '5 Very Popular Firearms and Why'. Yet, I will admit, it would be one heck of a difficult assignment to write up the 5 most popular firearms of all time especially when trying to definitively explain such to a skeptic and cynic like me. As I said though, it is an interesting and good read and well worth the brief amount of time it takes to read it.

All the best,
GB
Reference: http://science.howstuffworks.com/5-most-popular-guns.htm

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am a retired federal employee. Ronald Reagan was the worst President in history regardig Federal Employees. He treated us like second class citizens. Almost no raises, cut our benefits. It really amazes me how any federal employee can like Reagan. He was the worst!!!!!!!

Glenn B said...

Well, I do not know what the above comment has to do with the post to which it was made by the commenter but allow me to tell you, why I, a federal employee, liked Ronald Reagan:

Right now, much as when Reagan took office, the United States of America is in a financial mess. Hard times are upon the people of our great nation. Note, I did not say, hard times are upon federal workers, nor did I say federal workers are in a financial mess. I, as opposed to you, am not concerned with the state of my employment now nor was I all that concerned when Ronald Reagan was president. I am concerned now, as I was then, with the state of our country. You, as is obvious from your statement, cannot see past the sheckles, dracmas, yen, deutschmarks, pounds, euros or whatever you have in your own bank account. You are concerned about how Ronald Reagan paid you, that is obvious. Whether or not you are really concerned with how he paid other federal employees is questionable, at least to me. I have seen and met you before, at least the type of person who is you. Reagan realized that in order to steer the economy to the right direction, sacrifices had to be made. he made them. he did plenty of other things to mold the economy into one that would work. It did work and we became prosperous again. I was certainly able to bite the bullet then and I would gladly do so now, within reason to help our nation.

I remember that I am a servant of the country, of the law and most importantly of he people. am not as concerned about what happens to my pay as I am about what happens to the country - all within reason. I guess that should answer your amazement about how any federal employee can like Reagan.

As for your statement saying he was the worst, think of our current president. He has allowed firearms to be smuggled to Mexico under his watch - guns that have resulted in the deaths of our allies and possibly that were used to shoot at our own agents. He has allowed the borders to become open while he ONLY tells us he has gotten more deportations accomplished than any others. Truth is, more illegal aliens than ever are coming over our borders, so what about his trifle of deportations when the number of illegals entering our country far outweighs the deportations. Of course, he had not allowed me a raise this year either, in fact he has frozen my pay for at least 2 years and is hoping to do it for 5 years among other things he hopes to cut from federal employee benefits. He also wants to raise taxes. Hmm, would that be a salary cut for me? I mean if I get the same pay but have to give more back to the G, does it help or hurt me in your view, you who are so concerned with your pocket book? You tell me! The list of things he wants to do to cut back on federal employees is large. If I thought it would truly help our economy then I would stand behind him but the truth is he has so messed up things in his 2 1/2 years in office I can only foresee disaster and it is already upon us in the state of our economy.

As for Reagan also did many other things to assure we would prosper as a NATION. His foreign policy was fabulous. His domestic policy, except with regard to amnesty for illegals already within our borders, was also great. He pulled his country up by its bootstraps and pulled us through. NO WONDER HE WAS THE MOST POPULAR PRESIDENT EVER. Doubt that, then tell me one president who won the presidency with a larger landslide than did he.

Of course, if you are more concerned with you and your income as opposed to being concerned with the NATION YOU SERVED then you would think him the worst president. Me, I see him from the other side, that of a civil servant who wants the best for my nation even at some expense to myself.

That is how I can like him. I am not trying to get you to change your view of him, just telling you why I liked him. I hope it helps to clear up your amazement.

One other thing: next time, please try to put your comment under the relatively appropriate blog post. Thanks.

All the best,
Glenn B

Mort @ Shawnee Pawn said...

Rather than debating who were the worst presidents of all time, let's discuss who (if any) were the good ones... that list ought to be a lot shorter!

Anyway... thanks for the article. :D

Glenn B said...

I am not debating anything. I simply informed the annonymous commentor as to why I liked Ronald Reagan to assuage his amazement that any federal worker could like him. I never for a moment even mentioned whom I think was the worst president.

All the best,
GB