Current educators have things backwards. They teach gun prohibition and yet also promote sexual activity by young people. I believe that both areas need proper education. The NRA's efforts to educate young people has lead to a dramatic decline in accidental deaths by firearms. This education is centered on the concept of: "If you see a gun, STOP, LEAVE THE AREA, TELL AN ADULT". It doesn't teach kids to run around shooting others like the violent movies and video games do. If the same principle were followed in sex education the proper message would be, if you are approached with a sexual proposition: "STOP, LEAVE THE AREA, WAIT UNTIL MARRIAGE". This education would lead to a dramatic drop in teenage pregnancy and would also lead to a decline in divorce rates. But this is a theme for another article.

In Brazil, which has very strict gun laws, I was privileged to handle some fine arms and also some fascinating antiques. I was able to identify firearms from England, Belgium, Italy, Czechoslovakia, Spain, Germany and of course the U.S.. As mentioned before I found these arms in all kinds of illegal calibers and mostly in the hands of the elite, the rich and the politicians. One man I know was actually given about a bushel basket full of .308 brass by the local police chief. And this in a caliber illegal for civilians and of which collectors are only allowed 5 rounds. But even though he was a civilian he was a hunting buddy of the chief's, so ... what law???

Dacio was a backwoods gunsmith who uses only hand tools, many of his own design and manufacture, and who can do wonders in building or rebuilding a gun. I loved going through his shop. It was amazing what all he had laying around. The remains of many old Winchesters, European shotguns, countless handmade muzzle loaders and unidentifiable miscellanea. I had him build me a singleshot muzzleloading pistol from a piece of Willys Jeep steering column I had. This makes a pretty good smoothbore barrel. I still have this piece, it stands as a monument to the ineffectiveness of gun control. If a backwoods gunsmith could build such an arm with only the minimal tools and education, what could the countless back yard machine shops in the U.S. be capable of building if they put their mind to it? Dacio has no formal training and has learned by trial, error and much experimentation. Sounds kind of like John Moses Browning to me. By the way, the pistol is a muzzle loader to keep from having troubles with the BATF over a smoothbore cartridge gun. Dacio would have built me a 28 gauge shot pistol if I'd asked him to. 

Why the fascination with guns? I don't know. Something has always attracted me to them. For a peace-loving man I've always managed to have a considerable arsenal of one kind or another.  My first handgun was purchased at the age of 14, a little Rossi double barrel side by side .22. I wanted the little single shot derringer, but couldn't find one. I bought the little double from a family friend. It never crossed my mind to use it against anyone who caused me grief or made fun of me. I carried that little useless piece for quite a while. Bought it and a box of shells for $12. In Brazil the box of shells was worth $10 so I got the pistol for $2. I quickly found that I could hit the broad side of a barn with it, if I stood inside and closed all the windows. With some experimentation I was able to get some hits by sighting down one barrel instead of using the useless bead sight between them. Those barrels were welded together looking in completely different directions. I learned to reload .22 shells with that little gun.