Guns: how much longer will it take ....

McGentrix wrote:

Have you given a definition of what an "Assault weapon" is? The standard definition would be a fully automatic weapon capable of firing more than a single bullet with each pull of the trigger.

The Federal Assault Weapons ban listed specific weapons by name.

See my previous post.

Assault style weapon may be a better phrase if you prefer that. A weapon designed to look and function like a current military style weapon other than it doesn't have a fully automatic capability would seem to fit that definition. A semi automatic hunting rifle from the 1960's would hardly be classified as an assault style weapon. Or we could use the phrase often used by police officers and gun enthusiasts ; "tactical weapons." I think we can agree that the guns were originally designed to be used in war against human targets.

This is purest bullshit. Hitler coined the term assault rifle (sturmgewehr) in the 1940s. Although slow to recognize the value of such weapons, the U. S. Army's M14, from 1961 onward, filled that role. It was, of course, succeeded by the M16.

Assault rifle was politicized as a term by the lickspittle devotees of the NRA. It has long been used in professional armies.

"Assault weapon" is a politically motivated word that was unheard of before the late 80's. An "assault rifle" was a military weapon that could shoot fully-automatic (a machine gun). That was the definition and cosmetics had nothing to do with it. If it was capable of firing more than one bullet per trigger pull then it was an assault rifle. If not, it wasn't. A semi-automatic rifle is not an assault weapon, it is a semi-automatic rifle.

McGentrix wrote:

"Assault weapon" is a politically motivated word that was unheard of before the late 80's. An "assault rifle" was a military weapon that could shoot fully-automatic (a machine gun). That was the definition and cosmetics had nothing to do with it. If it was capable of firing more than one bullet per trigger pull then it was an assault rifle. If not, it wasn't. A semi-automatic rifle is not an assault weapon, it is a semi-automatic rifle.

This is what you wrote, and it's bullshit.

I think a lot of the misunderstandings exist from the 1994 "Federal Assault Weapon Ban" where things like a pistol grip, suppressor (silencer), high capacity clips and rate of fire.

Assault rifle was politicized as a term by the lickspittle devotees of the NRA.

What stinks to high heaven is your crap which attempts to make your case through a feeble word game.

You want to insist that you have some god-like power to define terms, and that's all you've got to support your case.

I do admit that, why do you think I wouldn't want to be left armed only with a bolt action rifle in the event we ever have to fight against our govt, the 2nd Amendment doesn't mention specific guns because of what you just mentioned, it's why there is no mention of hunting or sport shooting.

So clearly you think some guns are more effective for killing and maiming people than others. We can agree on that.

Now it is a question of whether we can identify those weapons

and whether we should try to restrict them in some fashion so that they are not in the hands of civilians.

To make unlawful the transfer or possession of assault weapons.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 10 (legislative day, MAY 2), 1994

Received and read the first time

May 16, 1994

Read the second time and placed on the calendar

AN ACT

To make unlawful the transfer or possession of assault weapons.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act’.
SEC. 2. RESTRICTION ON MANUFACTURE, TRANSFER, AND POSSESSION OF CERTAIN SEMIAUTOMATIC ASSAULT WEAPONS.
(a) RESTRICTION- Section 922 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘(v)(1) It shall be unlawful for a person to manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon.
‘(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to the possession or transfer of any semiautomatic assault weapon otherwise lawfully possessed on the date of the enactment of this subsection.
‘(3) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to--
‘(A) any of the firearms, or replicas or duplicates of the firearms, specified in Appendix A to this section, as such firearms were manufactured on October 1, 1993;
‘(B) any firearm that--
‘(i) is manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action;
‘(ii) has been rendered permanently inoperable; or
‘(iii) is an antique firearm;
‘(C) any semiautomatic rifle that cannot accept a detachable magazine that holds more than 5 rounds of ammunition; or
‘(D) any semiautomatic shotgun that cannot hold more than 5 rounds of ammunition in a fixed or detachable magazine.
The fact that a firearm is not listed in Appendix A shall not be construed to mean that paragraph (1) applies to such firearm. No firearm exempted by this subsection may be deleted from Appendix A so long as this Act is in effect.
‘(4) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to--
‘(A) the United States or a department or agency of the United States or a State or a department, agency, or political subdivision of a State;
‘(B) the transfer of a semiautomatic assault weapon by a licensed manufacturer, licensed importer, or licensed dealer to an entity referred to in subparagraph (A) or to a law enforcement officer authorized by such an entity to purchase firearms for official use;
‘(C) the possession, by an individual who is retired from service with a law enforcement agency and is not otherwise prohibited from receiving a firearm, of a semiautomatic assault weapon transferred to the individual by the agency upon such retirement; or
‘(D) the manufacture, transfer, or possession of a semiautomatic assault weapon by a licensed manufacturer or licensed importer for the purposes of testing or experimentation authorized by the Secretary.’.
(b) DEFINITION OF SEMIAUTOMATIC ASSAULT WEAPON- Section 921(a) of such title is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘(30) The term ‘semiautomatic assault weapon’ means--
‘(A) any of the firearms, or copies or duplicates of the firearms, known as--
‘(i) Norinco, Mitchell, and Poly Technologies Avtomat Kalashnikovs (all models);
‘(ii) Action Arms Israeli Military Industries UZI and Galil;
‘(iii) Beretta Ar70 (SC-70);
‘(iv) Colt AR-15;
‘(v) Fabrique National FN/FAL, FN/LAR, and FNC;
‘(vi) SWD M-10, M-11, M-11/9, and M-12;
‘(vii) Steyr AUG;
‘(viii) INTRATEC TEC-9, TEC-DC9 and TEC-22; and
‘(ix) revolving cylinder shotguns, such as (or similar to) the Street Sweeper and Striker 12;
‘(B) a semiautomatic rifle that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least 2 of--
‘(i) a folding or telescoping stock;
‘(ii) a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon;
‘(iii) a bayonet mount;
‘(iv) a flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor; and
‘(v) a grenade launcher;
‘(C) a semiautomatic pistol that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least 2 of--
‘(i) an ammunition magazine that attaches to the pistol outside of the pistol grip;
‘(ii) a threaded barrel capable of accepting a barrel extender, flash suppressor, forward handgrip, or silencer;
‘(iii) a shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles, the barrel and that permits the shooter to hold the firearm with the nontrigger hand without being burned;
‘(iv) a manufactured weight of 50 ounces or more when the pistol is unloaded; and
‘(v) a semiautomatic version of an automatic firearm; and
‘(D) a semiautomatic shotgun that has at least 2 of--
‘(i) a folding or telescoping stock;
‘(ii) a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon;
‘(iii) a fixed magazine capacity in excess of 5 rounds; and
‘(iv) an ability to accept a detachable magazine.’.
(c) PENALTIES-
(1) VIOLATION OF SECTION 922(v)- Section 924(a)(1)(B) of such title is amended by striking ‘or (q) of section 922’ and inserting ‘(r), or (v) of section 922’.
(2) USE OR POSSESSION DURING CRIME OF VIOLENCE OR DRUG TRAFFICKING CRIME- Section 924(c)(1) of such title is amended in the first sentence by inserting ‘, or semiautomatic assault weapon,’ after ‘short-barreled shotgun,’.
(d) IDENTIFICATION MARKINGS FOR SEMIAUTOMATIC ASSAULT WEAPONS- Section 923(i) of such title is amended by adding at the end the following: ‘The serial number of any semiautomatic assault weapon manufactured after the date of the enactment of this sentence shall clearly show the date on which the weapon was manufactured.’.

What stinks to high heaven is your crap which attempts to make your case through a feeble word game. The term assault rifle has been in use since the 1940s. You want to insist that you have some god-like power to define terms, and that's all you've got to support your case.

You keep claiming the law focuses on pistol grips.

sceletera wrote:

You keep claiming the law focuses on pistol grips.

That is because pistol grips on rifles are the feature that most of the fuss is about.

I've also repeatedly said that other features are banned as well, and there is also no justification for banning those other features.

I do believe you have written "pistol grip" here more than a person writing about the history of pistol grips.

I think the fuss is about the frustration people have with mass shootings. Problem is that they want to treat a symptom and not the cause.

Banning guns, any guns, will not stop mass killings. Crazy people are going to be crazy with whatever instrument of lethality they choose.

To be fair, the M-16 doesn't have a rifled barrel and an AR-15 does. That is why the M-16 bullet tumbles and bounces around while an AR-15 has a tight spiral.