| Personal firearms won us the revolutionary war | | | | be as high quality or may even lack some good |
| so I cant be completely against the idea. | | | | features found on more expensive weapons. |
| I do think though that national guardsmen and | | | | Another advantage is that every soldier would be |
| reservists should carry their own personal side | | | | carrying a weapon that fits him or her. People's |
| arms and be forced to qualify with them. | | | | hands come in different sizes; it would make |
| The reserves tend to get stuff 2nd, 3rd or 4th | | | | sense to allow for a range of firearms to be |
| hand, so encouraging them to purchase personal | | | | used, rather than the "one sizes fits some" |
| firearms would at least mean that their weapons | | | | mentality. |
| would be new as or newer than the ones in the | | | | It's not a matter of "looking cool," or just "trying |
| active duty inventory. | | | | to be different." I think there are some valid |
| It is hard to be proficient with the M9 when only | | | | reasons why we should look into allowing the use |
| officers get to use them, and even then it is only | | | | of personal firearms. When agencies buy guns, |
| once a year that my unit goes to the range. | | | | price is a huge factor because they have limited |
| Maybe it is because I am in a hospital reserve | | | | budgets, but when individuals buy guns, price is |
| unit, but that has been my experience. | | | | considerably less important. If you could get a gun |
| It is just not practical to carry a M16 or M4 in a | | | | of much better quality, reliability or accuracy for a |
| hospital while you are trying to see patients. But | | | | few hundred dollars more, I think most sensible |
| my unit does not have enough M9s to issue to | | | | people would want the most bang for their buck |
| everyone. By having the opportunity to carry a | | | | rather than what is the cheapest gun they can |
| personal sidearm I could ensure that I would | | | | carry. Why buy a used 38 special police revolver |
| always be armed and ready in case one of the | | | | for 300 bucks when you can buy a new |
| "patients" turned out to be an insurgent. | | | | hi-capacity Glock for not much more? Of course, |
| People tend to respect things more when they | | | | knowing that common sense is not so common |
| own them. If the gun is yours, there is an | | | | any more, any military organization that allowed |
| attachment to that gun that you wont have with | | | | personal weapons would have to set up specific |
| a "lowest bidder GI weapon." If the government's | | | | criteria and have the firearm inspected by the unit |
| rifle is not clean, who cares, right? Someone else | | | | armorer to ensure that it meets those criteria. No |
| will get stuck with it. But if it is your gun that you | | | | Saturday night specials in our beloved military! |
| paid for, you might be a little more diligent in | | | | Weapon confidence and morale would be better |
| cleaning it right? I mean, since you would be the | | | | as well. Everyone has a gun that they think is |
| "lucky one" to use it in combat and you wouldnt | | | | inferior or one that is really great. People tend to |
| want to have to buy another one because it was | | | | buy what they like best, so if they were carrying |
| poorly maintained. | | | | a personal sidearm, chances are they would be |
| No offense to GI weapons, but mil spec weapon | | | | more willing to practice with it and less likely to |
| is made to be cheap. Though they are made to | | | | complain about it. |
| meet a certain minimum standard, they may not | | | | |