^ Nah, I'm not .mil, leo or any gov employee. I'm just a fat dude that enjoys firearms.
When I turned 21 I got my CHL and a little hungarian FEG PA-63 in 9x18 makarov. I'd go to the range every 2-3 months, shoot 50 rounds, clean it, and put it back in the box. Occasionally I would carry it in my car, even more rare on my person.
I guess about 4-5 yrs ago I started moving from sneakers more into firearms. I had just moved back to VA from DC, and had a couple of situations living in the city that made me really think about personal protection, especially since I was starting a family then.
A few years ago I watched 3gun Nation on NBC on saturday's, and it amazed me how fast and accurately people could shoot. It made me want top go out and shoot.
Then I bought an AR on whim on a visit to my parents. I had no clue about them, thought it was good deal (used dpms A3 I paid $700, not too bad a deal at the time) but I was curious why my rifle cost $700 and other rifles that looked the same cost twice as much. That, and wanting to know as much as possible about it led me to online firearm forums.
After a few years, and thousands of dollars spent, I realized that I'm just not a rifle guy. A combination of not growing up shooting, not having anywhere to shoot rifle, and general lack of necessity has led me away from investing too much in rifles. Don't get me wrong, AR's and AK's are cool; if I had close access to an outdoor range i'd probably still have at least one, but in my siuation, it's just not practical. Every dollar I have tied up in AR accessories is a dollar I could invest in pistol ammo.
I've learned what I know from reading online, personal experience, and shooting. For a long time I was a gun trader; I'd get a gun, keep it and shoot it for a few months, then trade it for something different. Just of top, I've probably had about a dozen different guns in the last 10 years, not counting duplicates.
Like I said before, shooting is my thing now. Last pair of kicks I bought was a pair of roshe runs back in November. Every recreational dollar I have goes to G&A. To me, it's like golf, a lifelong sport that can change with your skill/age/physical ability.