It's always seemed a bizarre expression to me, but I don't live in a country with a culture of guns ( except that Nottingham is now notorious for gang shootings1) but guns seem appropriate to where Jack and Ennis are - there's a sort of frontier feel about it and I guess guns are more of a familiar point of reference for them than they'd be for me. and I suppose the notion of something explosive and powerful is appropriate too.
Welshwitch, as an English lady you have to remember this country has always had and treasured having guns. It was the average citizen and their guns that were at the city of Lexington as the Brits marched through on their way to Concord to confiscate a huge supply of gunpowder for the citizens in cane it was ever needed.
It was citizens from all over New England and their guns that defended Bunker Hill in Boston until they ran out of ammo. Americans always owned guns. The huge part guns in the hands of private citizens played in the part of our war with Great Britain for our independence was so important that it was protected in our Constitution in Article 2 of our Bill of Rights.
Out West, guns were important to fight the Indians, outlaws and to hunt with. We have always been a people with guns. They are a part of our heritage. In many places today young men are taught how to care for and shoot a gun before he is taught how to spit. (We seem to spit a lot here. Ever watch a football or baseball game?)
Guns don't kill people...people kill people. I have 4 guns in my home right now. Not one of them has gotten off their shelf and killed someone. If guns are taken from people, people determined to kill someone will find other ways to do it. Man has always killed other men even before there was a gun.
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