--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The rifle and the pistol are still the…" description: "\"“The rifle and the pistol are still the equalizer when one man is more of a man than another, and if…he is really smart…he will get a permit to carry o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/ernest-hemingway-83_firearms_the-rifle-and-the-pistol-are-still-the-e_2403026.jpg" --- # The rifle and the pistol are still the equalizer when one… ![“The rifle and the pistol are still the equalizer when one man is more of a man than another, and if…he is really smart…he will get a permit to carry one and then drop around to Abercrombie and Fitch and buy himself a .22 caliber Colt automatic pistol, '''Woodsman model''', with a five-inch barrel…” quote by Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/ernest-hemingway-83_firearms_the-rifle-and-the-pistol-are-still-the-e_2403026.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/ernest-hemingway-83_firearms_the-rifle-and-the-pistol-are-still-the-e_2403026.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/ernest-hemingway-83_firearms_the-rifle-and-the-pistol-are-still-the-e_2403026.jpg) > ““The rifle and the pistol are still the equalizer when one man is more of a man than another, and if…he is really smart…he will get a permit to carry one and then drop around to Abercrombie and Fitch and buy himself a .22 caliber Colt automatic pistol, '''Woodsman model''', with a five-inch barrel and a box of shells. I advise him to get lubricated hollow points to avoid jams and to ensure a nice expansion on the bullet. He might even get several boxes and practice a little…”” [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suggests that power and violence are seen as equalizers, but also highlights the dangerous allure of weaponry and the need for skill. **In simple terms:** Violence is seen as a leveling force, yet it demands expertise. Key Takeaway Recognize the false promise of power through weapons. Themes power violence skill Mood cautionary provocative Type literary social critique When to use this quote - self‑defense - hunting - conflict resolution - personal safety Key Concepts weaponry masculinity risk self‑reliance Questions to Reflect On - Do you equate power with weapon ownership? - What non‑violent ways can equalize power? A Different Perspective Risk of glorifying violence and ignoring peaceful alternatives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [22 Caliber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/22-caliber-4981106/) [Automatic Pistol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/automatic-pistol-798922/) [Colt Automatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colt-automatic-6024482/) [Firearms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firearms/) [Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hemingway/) [Pistol Woodsman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pistol-woodsman-6024481/) [Pistols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pistols/) [Target practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/target-practice/) [Woodsman Model](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woodsman-model-6024483/) ## Related quotes > [“Now standing in one corner of a boxing ring with a .22 caliber Colt automatic pistol, shooting a bullet weighing only 40 grains and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/now-standing-in-one-corner-of-a-boxing-ring-with-a-22-caliber-colt/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“Now that he was off the street, he drew the Beretta from his jeans. A military variant of the popular police officer’s sidearm known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-jordan/now-that-he-was-off-the-street-he-drew-the-beretta-from-his-jeans-a/) [Will Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-jordan/) > [“He looked down, aimed his father’s old H&R 22-caliber revolver, and took another shot, this time in the head. The boy on the ground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rayven-t-hill/he-looked-down-aimed-his-father-s-old-h-r-22-caliber-revolver-and-2/) [Rayven T. Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rayven-t-hill/) > [You have a 45mm automatic pistol on your lap, and I have a 35mm camera on my lap, and my weapon is just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-parks/you-have-a-45mm-automatic-pistol-on-your-lap-and-i-have-a-35mm-camera/) [Gordon Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-parks/) > [“He looked down, aimed his father’s old H&R 22-caliber revolver and took another shot, this time in the head. The boy on the ground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rayven-t-hill/he-looked-down-aimed-his-father-s-old-h-r-22-caliber-revolver-and/) [Rayven T. Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rayven-t-hill/) > [“One of the first significant, substantial purchases I made after starting testosterone, was a Compact Colt .45 1991 A1 automatic pistol. It's just about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-first-significant-substantial-purchases-i-made-after/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The meteorites of 1908 and 1947 had struck uninhabited wilderness; but by the end of the twenty-first century there was no region left on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/the-meteorites-of-1908-and-1947-had-struck-uninhabited-wilderness-but/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [I should have done target practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-solanas/i-should-have-done-target-practice/) [Valerie Solanas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-solanas/) > [“He had all the bushes and trees cut down around his house at Bokatola so that from his porch he could use passersby for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-hochschild/he-had-all-the-bushes-and-trees-cut-down-around-his-house-at-bokatola/) [Adam Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-hochschild/) > [“This wasn’t what she expected. Never, in her wildest dreams. This... this was the Blood Queen of Garbhán Isle? Scourge of the Madron lands?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-a-aiken/this-wasn-t-what-she-expected-never-in-her-wildest-dreams-this-this/) [G.A. Aiken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-a-aiken/) > [“Keep your voice down. And before you go all badass cop on me, I’m the one who saved your life outside. (Nathan) How do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/keep-your-voice-down-and-before-you-go-all-badass-cop-on-me-i-m-the/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [While starving refugees in Homs were providing target practice for government snipers, Bashar al-Assad's strongest international backer was in Sochi, at the Iceberg Skating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/while-starving-refugees-in-homs-were-providing-target-practice-for/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > [CPR dummy looked like him and had clearly been stabbed. Repeatedly. In the groin. He thought she might have used the dummy for target…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/cpr-dummy-looked-like-him-and-had-clearly-been-stabbed-repeatedly-in/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) > [“My mother wasn’t a psychotic criminal. (Kiara) No. I’m sure she was a wonderful lady who loved you dearly. That she held you when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/my-mother-wasn-t-a-psychotic-criminal-kiara-no-i-m-sure-she-was-a/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [“Beckendorf walked up with his helmet under his arm. “She likes you, man.” “Sure,” I muttered. “She likes me for target practice.” “Nah, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/beckendorf-walked-up-with-his-helmet-under-his-arm-she-likes-you-man/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) ## More by Ernest Hemingway > [Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/wine-is-one-of-the-most-civilized-things-in-the-world-and-one-of-the/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“There was no wind, and, outside now of the warm air of the cave, heavy with smoke of both tobacco and charcoal, with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/there-was-no-wind-and-outside-now-of-the-warm-air-of-the-cave-heavy/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“It was not brilliant bull-fighting. It was only perfect bull-fighting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/it-was-not-brilliant-bull-fighting-it-was-only-perfect-bull-fighting/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [One cat just leads to another. The place is so damned big it doesn't really seem as though there were many cats until you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/one-cat-just-leads-to-another-the-place-is-so-damned-big-it-doesn-t/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Creation's probably overrated. After all, God made the world in only six days and rested on the seventh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/creation-s-probably-overrated-after-all-god-made-the-world-in-only/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“Viva my husband who was Mayor of this town”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/viva-my-husband-who-was-mayor-of-this-town/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“The earth gets tired of being exploited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/the-earth-gets-tired-of-being-exploited/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [What is moral is what you feel good after, and what is immoral is what you feel bad after.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/what-is-moral-is-what-you-feel-good-after-and-what-is-immoral-is-what/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“We drove out along the coast road. There was the green of the headlands, the white, red-roofed villas, patches of forest, and the ocean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/we-drove-out-along-the-coast-road-there-was-the-green-of-the/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [As a Nobel Prize winner I cannot but regret that the award was never given to Mark Twain, nor to Henry James, speaking only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/as-a-nobel-prize-winner-i-cannot-but-regret-that-the-award-was-never/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Oh, darling, I've been so miserable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/oh-darling-i-ve-been-so-miserable/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [I read my own books sometimes to cheer me when it is hard to write, and then I remember that it was always difficult,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/i-read-my-own-books-sometimes-to-cheer-me-when-it-is-hard-to-write/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“You find everything on earth at Harry's." "Yes, my Colonel. Except, possibly, happiness." "I'll damn well find happiness, too," the Colonel assured him. "Happiness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/you-find-everything-on-earth-at-harry-s-yes-my-colonel-except/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“No. It's bad for me. Cole Porter wrote the words and the music. This knowledge that you're going mad for me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/no-it-s-bad-for-me-cole-porter-wrote-the-words-and-the-music-this/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“everything kills everything else in some way. Fishing kills me exactly as it keeps me alive. The boy keeps me alive, he thought. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/everything-kills-everything-else-in-some-way-fishing-kills-me-exactly/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) [Explore all 1,464 Ernest Hemingway quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) ## More Firearms quotes > [The invention of gunpowder and the constant improvement of firearms are enough in themselves to show that the advance of civilization has done nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/the-invention-of-gunpowder-and-the-constant-improvement-of-firearms/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [Gun control laws don't work. What is worse, they act perversely. While legitimate users of firearms encounter intense regulation, scrutiny and bureaucratic control, illicit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-d-polsby/gun-control-laws-don-t-work-what-is-worse-they-act-perversely-while/) [Daniel D. Polsby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-d-polsby/) > [Can you understand why the Congress, most states and most cities refuse to pass legislation requiring the registration and licensing of any and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/can-you-understand-why-the-congress-most-states-and-most-cities/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [It is suggested that in domestic violence at least the presence or absence of a firearm, or of any other type of weapon, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-greenwood/it-is-suggested-that-in-domestic-violence-at-least-the-presence-or/) [Colin Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-greenwood/) > [Laws that forbid the carrying of arms . . . disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/laws-that-forbid-the-carrying-of-arms-disarm-only-those-who-are/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/what-country-can-preserve-its-liberties-if-its-rulers-are-not-warned/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [For an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/for-an-unarmed-man-may-be-attacked-with-greater-confidence-than-an/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [After more than two decades of trying to destroy the firearms rights of more than 80 million law-abiding American gun owners - and statistically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-gottlieb/after-more-than-two-decades-of-trying-to-destroy-the-firearms-rights/) [Alan Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-gottlieb/) > [If liberals can seize our guns because they are dangerous, we have no chance of holding on to our cars and our homes. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/if-liberals-can-seize-our-guns-because-they-are-dangerous-we-have-no/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [I don't care if they're licensed legal firearms, people who are not highly trained putting guns in their hands is a recipe for disaster.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-mccarthy/i-don-t-care-if-they-re-licensed-legal-firearms-people-who-are-not/) [Garry McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-mccarthy/) > [It's the camel's nose in the tent. Look at Stalin, Mussolini, Hitler, Mao Zedong, Pol Pot, Idi Amin--every one of these monsters, on seizing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlton-heston/it-s-the-camel-s-nose-in-the-tent-look-at-stalin-mussolini-hitler-mao/) [Charlton Heston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlton-heston/) > [In addition, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act provides protection for those in the firearms industry from lawsuits arising out of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-ney/in-addition-the-protection-of-lawful-commerce-in-arms-act-provides/) [Bob Ney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-ney/) > [Without freedom there will be no firearms among the people; without firearms among the people there will not long be freedom. Certainly there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-knox/without-freedom-there-will-be-no-firearms-among-the-people-without/) [Neal Knox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-knox/) > [Muzzle control has to be a religion. You cannot point that weapon at one of your brothers-or yourself. Know where you barrel is at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-couch/muzzle-control-has-to-be-a-religion-you-cannot-point-that-weapon-at/) [Dick Couch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-couch/) > [Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/laws-that-forbid-the-carrying-of-arms-disarm-only-those-who-are-2/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) [Browse all 223 Firearms quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firearms/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The rifle and the pistol are still the equalizer when one man is more of a man than another, and if…he is really smart…he will get a permit to carry one and then drop around to Abercrombie and Fitch and buy himself a .22 caliber Colt automatic pistol, '''Woodsman model''', with a five-inch barrel and a box of shells. I advise him to get lubricated hollow points to avoid jams and to ensure a nice expansion on the bullet. He might even get several boxes and practice a little…”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ernest Hemingway" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/the-rifle-and-the-pistol-are-still-the-equalizer-when-one-man-is-more/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Firearms" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/the-rifle-and-the-pistol-are-still-the-equalizer-when-one-man-is-more/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/ernest-hemingway-83_firearms_the-rifle-and-the-pistol-are-still-the-e_2403026.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/ernest-hemingway-83_firearms_the-rifle-and-the-pistol-are-still-the-e_2403026.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/ernest-hemingway-83_firearms_the-rifle-and-the-pistol-are-still-the-e_2403026.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The rifle and the pistol are still the equalizer when one man is more of a man than another, and if…he is…” — Ernest Hemingway", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ernest Hemingway", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The rifle and the pistol are...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/the-rifle-and-the-pistol-are-still-the-equalizer-when-one-man-is-more/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/the-rifle-and-the-pistol-are-still-the-equalizer-when-one-man-is-more/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```