I'm surrounded by such people. Oh, sure, sometimes they take a break from talking about guns to talk about how liberals, gays, and immigrants are ruining the country, but they usually don't go too long without talking about firearms. Also, as much as they dislike liberals, gays, and immigrants, they tend to be single-issue voters (pro-Second Amendment > everything else) far more often than those who don't own guns.
There are lots of, uhm, personalities. I know people who have thousands of rounds of ammo in their home because they like to shoot 500 at a time and figure they'll save money buying in bulk. I know people who have five or six different ARs or AKs and those represent only a small part of their arsenal. I know people obsessed with 'SHTF scenarios,' where society collapses and the gun owners then save us 'helpless sheep.' Yeah, I even know a few who think some of the mass shootings are orchestrated by the CIA in an effort to drum up support for more gun control.
It's an interesting position. I've actually learned a great deal about firearms from listening to the conversations, and I'll admit, I've been to a shooting range a few times years ago in an effort to keep an open mind. Yet instead of this environment turning me into a fellow gun enthusiast, it only helps to keep strengthening my hatred of American gun culture over time. Gun violence is still by far my main reason for hating our gun culture, but people arguing about whether 5.56mm or 7.62mm is the better choice for if the government were to collapse certainly doesn't help make me more pro-RKBA.
(and no, I'm not claiming everyone in the South is like that, only that there's no shortage of people obsessed with guns)
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