Shooters: Myths and Realities of America's Gun Cultures

Abigail A. Kohn

Jun 2004 · Oxford University Press

About this ebook

Frequenting gun shops and shooting ranges, and devoting particular attention to those whose interest in weaponry extends beyond the casual, Abigail A. Kohn captures in finegrained and often entertaining, yet always humane, detail how gun owners actually think and feel about their guns. Through her conversations--with cowboy action shooters at a regional match, sport shooters, hunters, with shooters of all ages and races--we hear of the "savage beauty" of a beautifully crafted long gun, of the powerful historical import owners attach to their guns, of the sense of empowerment that comes with shooting skill, and the visceral thrill of discharging a dangerous weapon. Cutting through the cliches that link gun ownership with violent, criminal subcultures and portray shooters as "gun nuts" or potential terrorists, Kohn provides us with a lively and untainted portrait of American gun enthusiasts.

Ratings and reviews

This is a great book in terms of opening up the complexities of the gun debate! It's a must-to-read ethnography for everyone who has concerns over the legal and ontological status of firearms in the United States. This monograph helps approach the issue from a rich analytic standpoint, which probably would leave the reader more perplexed upon completion of the book. This book deserves a lot more attention both within academic anthropology and media. Thanks Abigail for all your fieldwork, humble prose, and helping us see some of the important, yet understated, aspects of what it means to be pro or anti gun ownership in the U.S.

About the author

Abigail Kohn currently works for a management and technology consulting firm in Washington D.C. She has published articles in Reason Magazine as well as a number of academic journals.