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What does "guns never shoot" mean?

It sounds like the phrase in your question is related to the aphorism, "Guns don't shoot people; people do." Both this phrase and the simpler, "Guns never shoot," may be used in discussions about laws regulating the ownership, handling, and use of guns. The argument that "guns don't shoot people" is championed by organizations like the National Rifle Association in the United States as a means of emphasizing responsible gun ownership.


You see, a gun on its own is an inanimate object. A gun cannot shoot anyone or anything without intentional manipulation by a person. Of course, there are accidents where people do not mean to fire, or even drop their weapon and cause a misfire, which may result in injury or death. The act of shooting, most often, comes from a person who is handling the firearm. Phrases like those mentioned above are intended to draw a distinction between the gun itself, which is not an inherently bad thing, and the actions of people who own or use guns. 

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