assault weapons ban expiring

[EmptyneSs]

what u guys think of the ban on assault weapons expiring soon ?

[Nazman]

Hi,

I'm in Australia - I've been reading about the ban and the election year politics. The article that I was reading mentioned 19 weapons but wasn't very specific. Can you give an example of what has been banned so I get a better understanding of the issue.

Cheers

[Yojimbo]

I think it's great! The so called AWB Ban was nothing more than a ban on certain cosmetic features. Also, all the "BANNED" guns and accessories were still legal to purchase during the 10 years the ban was in place.

The only thing this ban did was to raise the prices on certain firearms and mgazines.

I'm sure all the criminals and terrorists were all eagerly awaiting the AWB Sunset in order to purchase the guns they need. Gotta keep all their activites legal you know...

BTW, how many "assault weapons" were used for 9-11? Also, if the AWB was so effective how did Columbine happen? It's all B.S. and the only people who were effected by AWB were the law abiding citizens.

In a way the passage of the AWB 1994 has made America safer because since it's passage the Democrats have lost the majority in both the House of Representatives and Senate and in 2000 the Whitehouse!

Checkout this article from the Washinton Post.

End of ban may have little effect

By Peter Slevin

The Washington Post


MONROE, Mich. - Behind the desk at Magnum Force, where rifles line the walls and pistols pack the showcases, Terry Marlow can use his distributors' Web sites to see listings for guns that have been banned for a decade.

The prices are there in neat columns. All that's missing is the inventory, and something tells him that the blanks will be filled in very soon.

"I'm certain they've got thousands upon thousands upon thousands of them waiting to hit the market," Marlow said.

The 1994 federal assault-weapons ban expires at midnight tonight and with it the prohibition against selling certain powerful semiautomatic firearms. Police chiefs, gun-control organizations and a plurality of Democratic politicians have lobbied for its renewal to no avail. The Republican-controlled Congress is content to see the law expire.

Yet what strikes gun dealers like Marlow is that the rifles for sale this week will differ in no significant way from the ones available for the past 10 years. Amid the furious political maneuvering of recent days, a fact little noticed by the public but well-known to dealers is that the ban prevented few assault weapons from reaching the streets.

"It's a big nothing," said Gary Taepke, owner of Wolverine Shooting Sports, a gun range and firearms store in Brownstown, south of Detroit. "The ban didn't change anything. It is strictly cosmetic."

A surprising number of gun-control advocates find themselves largely agreeing with that assessment, although they argue that the answer is to strengthen, not end, the ban. They say the ban's failings are the product of undesirable political compromises, not proof that their cause is wrong.

"We agree that the 1994 law is ineffective," said Kristen Rand, legislative director of the Washington-based Violence Policy Center, which estimates that U.S. companies produced more than 1 million assault-type weapons in the last decade. "Good public policy would be to institute an effective assault-weapons ban."

The center's research shows that at least 41 of 211 police officers killed between 1998 and 2001 were killed with assault weapons.

Shikha Hamilton, Detroit president of the Million Mom March, pointed to a modest decline since 1994 in the use of assault weapons to commit crimes.

"If the argument is that the ban is not perfect, I agree, but is it not better to stop part of the problem instead of opening the floodgates? The fact remains that the floodgates are set to open," Hamilton said.

IN THE KNOW

Assault weapons

A 10-year-old federal law that bans the manufacture of semiautomatic assault weapons for civilian use will expire at midnight tonight. The law bans specific weapons as well as others that have certain similarities to military firearms. The banned weapons:

• INTRATEC TEC-9, TEC DC-9, TEC 22

• AK-47

• Uzi, Galil assault rifle

• Street Sweeper, Striker 12 and other revolving cylinder shotguns

• Beretta AR-70

• Colt AR-15

• FN FAL, FN LAR

• FN FNC

• Steyr AUG

• SWD M-10, M-11, M-11/9, M-12

[Tom Yum]

I believe that most people who want them probably allread have them. You can protect yourself with a handgun and blade pretty well. Anything larger and you're engaging in a military battle.

There's a problem when average civillians feel they need them as protection. Any other purpose is probably illegal. There's something wrong with our moral fabric as a society and the efficiency of our justice department.

[Yojimbo]

There's a problem when average civillians feel they need them as protection. Any other purpose is probably illegal. There's something wrong with our moral fabric as a society and the efficiency of our justice department.

You're sure right and the problem is the P.O.S., scumbag criminals not to mention the terrorists. If you're American 9-11 should have been a wake up call that YOU are responsible for own safety.

There's nothing wrong with my morals because I choose to use a "military style" weapon for self defense and it's totally legal too.

A wise man once said that a pistol is what you use to fight your way to your long arm. The military style carbine or rifle is an excellent choice to use for self defense.

If you remember the LA riots the police literally left everyone to fend for themselves. The Korean shop owners used "military style" weapons to protect themselves and their businesses from looting scumbags. During the many hurricanes that passed through Florida many home and business owners also used "military style" weapons to protect themselves and their property from looters as well.

Just like with with martial arts you want to to use the must effective tool for the job and the "military style" makes an ideal self defense weapon. This is why AR-15 carbine is what I shoose to protect my family and my home.

The 2nd Amendment isn't abouting hunting or sporting use of firearms...

[Tom Yum]

That is not true. One of Whitey's hit man didn't cut of a guy's head with a machine gun that sprayed over 100 rounds into the vehicle the target he was driving.

It's mainly that they're fun shooting.

I guess its normal for 16 year olds to talk about and possess semi-automatic weapons considering how responsible and emotionally calm they are....(you can scoop the sarcasm with an ice cream scoop)

The Columbine alert is going off again.

[Tom Yum]

You're sure right and the problem is the P.O.S., scumbag criminals not to mention the terrorists. If you're American 9-11 should have been a wake up call that YOU are responsible for own safety.

There's nothing wrong with my morals because I choose to use a "military style" weapon for self defense and it's totally legal too.

A wise man once said that a pistol is what you use to fight your way to your long arm. The military style carbine or rifle is an excellent choice to use for self defense.

If you remember the LA riots the police literally left everyone to fend for themselves. The Korean shop owners used "military style" weapons to protect themselves and their businesses from looting scumbags. During the many hurricanes that passed through Florida many home and business owners also used "military style" weapons to protect themselves and their property from looters as well.

Just like with with martial arts you want to to use the must effective tool for the job and the "military style" makes an ideal self defense weapon. This is why AR-15 carbine is what I shoose to protect my family and my home.

The 2nd Amendment isn't abouting hunting or sporting use of firearms...

The right to bear arms is the right to protect yourself - that's understood. Call me old fashioned, but I think a handgun can buy you enough time to get out of most situations.

If you're going to purchase an automatic weapon, I think you should make a sworn affadavit that you'll use it strictly for self-defense or to uphold the law with very well defined and strict legal terms.

I don't have any data or evidence of the benefits vs. the risks of automatic weapons, so I can't speak of any trends. Most people won't need them and will be fine with handguns or hunting rifles. Then again, there are times like you suggest that get so chaotic (like the LA riots) where your chances of survival would be higher with an automatic weapon.

Yojimbo, are you an avid reader of reality based firearm mags and books? There's a guy from CA who is a trained marksman/shop owner who has 6 confirmed kills using handguns against experienced criminals bearing semi-automatic and more powerfull guns. Some of the incidents start off with the other guys firing first, from outside a window and closing in fast

Same idea in MA, be more effective with what you've got.

[Thai Bri]

Perhaps you should also be able to own a nuclear weapon too?

[Yojimbo]

Tom Yum,

First I'm not talking about "Automatic" weapons I'm talking about semi-autos. Getting a full auto weapon is still legal but it's more paper work and they cost a butt load.

I've heard about the shop owner you mentioned and I do pretty good with my handguns but I see no reason for me to limit myself to a less effective weapon. Choosing a lesser weapon when more effective ones are available is just plain foolish. It's not about leveling the playing field or fighting fair when it comes to the safety of my family I will come down with everything I've got.

BriThai,

Comparing small arms with nukes is pretty damn ignorant.

You, I and many others have gone round and round about this on the old Close Combat forums as well as on SDF.

I believe you and I will just have to agree to disagree.

[Thai Bri]

Fame! Fame!

Say hi to Don Rearender and Ken Fook for me will you? They miss me........

[gregimotis]

Just for kicks, I'm going to point out that the second amendment is NOT about self-defense against the criminal element (that's just a handy side-benefit), its about the ability to forcibly resist your government when it begins to trample your other rights.

[Yojimbo]

gregimotis,

You are absolutely correct.

[Thai Bri]

So why do sados like Rearender put shite like this on his site

http://www.donrearic.com/tomyfriendsintheunitedkingdom.html

and

http://www.donrearic.com/defendingyourselfinbritain.html

The guys a balloon of the highest order.

[Yojimbo]

Okay I'm going to set a few things straight.

BTW: The criminals had modified the AK-47s to fire fully automatic.

That's a lie the AWB was still in effect so such a thing never have happened.

[Tom Yum]

That's a lie the AWB was still in effect so such a thing never have happened.

Just like prohibition worked in the 20's!

We need to bring that back...