We bought both rifles brand new from a "big box" sporting goods store. As far as the word "Gestapo", I don't think of any government agency like that.
When we first bought the 30-30, I had the intention of doing some elk hunting, but that never happened. And, the 30-30 had way to much recoil in it for me. After seeing me shoot it, my wife didn't want to. The 30-30 and shotgun only seen target range action, nothing else. When I was in the Navy, we use to shoot clays off of the back of the Destroyer I was on, at sea, on Sunday afternoons. So, when this Remington went on sale, we bought it.........for target range use only. Unfortunately, where we live now, outdoor shooting ranges, for the shotgun and 30-30, costs quite a bit for day use or membership. Indoor ranges are much cheaper, but for only smaller caliber guns, like a .22 and 9mm (of which we have both). The last firearm we want is a Marlin or Henry Lever-Action .22 Rifle. I can shoot that in the indoor range, besides that, I like the old Western look of both.
I agree, you ain't gonna shoot that rifle or a shotgun for pleasure (except maybe a .410) I've not hunted much, but figured that the recoil would not be felt in the heat of the moment...but a 30-30 sure ain't for plinking.
Well, I did enjoy shooting the shotgun. In fact, my wife is the one that would load up the spring-loaded clay launcher for me. She really got some arm exercise doing that. LOL But, as I already said, outdoor ranges, the only ones that a 30-30 or shotgun can be used, are very expense to shoot there. When we lived in Jacksonville, Florida, we had a membership at an outdoor range about 20 miles from us. Cost was $112.00 a year for both of us. We were with this range for 10 1/2 years. Funny part about it was, my wife was one, of very, very few, ladies that shot there. People, young and old, can get really shocked, and happy, when I show them a picture of my wife shooting her S & W 9mm handgun at that range. Anyway, back to the thread.
And you probably wouldn't even if you were living in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s, as the Germans respected their government, too, and were not inclined to question its actions.
@Ken Anderson Is not "blind allegiance" a most obvious defining factor when, for example, sheep follow sheep, human beings commit serial suicide, and the weak-minded yield without question to "orders"? Frank
I shall rephrase this, we don't think of any U.S. Government Agency as the "Gestapo". The only time we even hear that word is when we watch Hogan's Hero's.
Gestapo is an abbreviation for a couple of German words but simply means, Secret Police and to say that we have no secret police in the U.S. would be in error.
To say nothing of shooting Randy Weaver's son in the back and slaughtering his wife as she held their baby, or the Branch Davidian slaughter, or untold numbers of other incidents that didn't make the evening news.
Well, there is one thing to remember, there are countries in the world that have a lot worse governments (local, state, federal) than our own. I seriously doubt anyone would want to display a flag with the words "Stop The Gestapo" on it here in the U.S.. We simply don't like the word, that's all.