Wait a minute...girlfriend? Why do you have to justify investments to the girlfriend? A wife sure, but man...
And to answer the OP's question...never been. When I lived back in Canada, I was seriously thinking about picking up a m14. Now that I live in the States, there's no point for now. If I move back to Canada, I'll be picking one of them up, and will probably attend a class! That's a big if though...
Please invade us, I throw down my arms and adpot american policy.