Full metal jacket ammo, armor piercing ammo have no place in public hands. I also see no need for any fully auto weapons in the hands of the public.

 

I tend to agree. Although they may be a blast to shoot they serve no purpose and 98% of the population shouldn't have one. If you want to shoot one there are places any average Joe can go and pay to shoot them.

Good dialogue here.

 

Although I see the thread title and think, "If trying SOMETHING to improve things is exploiting, count me in".

Full metal jacket ammo, armor piercing ammo have no place in public hands. I also see no need for any fully auto weapons in the hands of the public.

Has there been a crime committed with a fully automatic legally owned weapon? Very few of these actually out in public ownership and ATF closely monitors all transactions and there is mandatory federal prison time for owning one illegally. Plus they are Very Very expensive $10,000 plus in most cases.

 

FMJ ammo actually causes less damage than Hollow Points. FMJ will come closer to going through a target clean where Hollow Points will expand and do much more damage.

I'm not sure I would be in favor of doing away with any weapon. However maybe there needs to be a new tier of weapons with stricter rules. Let's look at the what everyone wants to call an assault weapon. We don't treat them as a full auto but maybe there are additional checks and screening for those who want to purchase one. Same for higher capacity magazines. And maybe we limit mags to a max of 10 rounds for guns like the AR15. Or even 5 for the everyday citizen. I know guys that shoot competition prefer high capacity so maybe organizations that put on competitions could have the high capacity mags available at comps only. Same for pistols. If you can't get done what you need with 10 shots do you really need 15? Who knows. For home defense you are probably better off with a compact shotgun or a something like the Judge loaded with .410 defense loads. Most of this is me just thinking out loud.

 

With all of that, I don't think any of it matters if the only solution we look at is the guns. The guns didn't make this nut ball do what he did and that's what we need to find out. Why? Maybe if we can answer that it will lead to other solutions. Are we over medicating kids/people today? Are those meds having undesired effects? Everyone always talks about that this stuff never use to happen. Well that should lead everyone to look somewhere besides guns. Guns have always been around.

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I am a member of the NRA and...

I am against banning any gun that is currently legal in this country.

I am against restricting magazine capacity.

I am against taxing ammo at a rate that makes it detrimental for legal American gun owners to afford.

 

I Support all background checks and expanding the data bases to capture up to date information on EPO's and DVO's (Emergency Protective Orders and Domestic Violence Orders).

I Support NICs background checks at Gun Shows and closing "The Gun Show Loophole"

I Support adding a mandatory waiting period to firearms purchases.

I Support Concealed and Open Carry laws as they are in Kentucky presently.

I Support having armed police SRO's in all schools.

With all of that, I don't think any of it matters if the only solution we look at is the guns. The guns didn't make this nut ball do what he did and that's what we need to find out. Why? Maybe if we can answer that it will lead to other solutions. Are we over medicating kids/people today? Are those meds having undesired effects? Everyone always talks about that this stuff never use to happen. Well that should lead everyone to look somewhere besides guns. Guns have always been around.

Exactly! Guns have been around for a long, long time. Something has changed and it's not the guns. I've wondered the same about meds, I see so many kids and young adults on things like Prozac and similar drugs and question if somehow these drugs are making some patients worse.

 

I also question parenting. I know of one single mother that has, in my and many others opinion that know her, really screwed up her kid. So much so, he's not a normal functioning kid. I'm sure there are similar cases like him and even worse off.

 

Lastly, and I hate to bring it up, but I do question whether or not some of the tactical shooter games out there such as the Tom Clancy games, SOCOM and Call of Duty have an affect on some of these people. Is it possible some people can become desensitized playing these games? Can they cause some to become more aggressive, more angry, even violent?

^ Agree with every single thing you said except "Something has changed and it's not the guns". The fact that guns are around hasn't changed; but they have changed astronomically in quantity (300 million in the U.S. and counting) and technology.

 

All of your other points bear much examination and discussion.

What so you ban? If you say assault weapons then define assault weapon.

I don't know anything about firearms but there are many knowledgeable people in the country who will drive this debate on both sides of the issue .

^ Agree with every single thing you said except "Something has changed and it's not the guns". The fact that guns are around hasn't changed; but they have changed astronomically in quantity (300 million in the U.S. and counting) and technology.

 

All of your other points bear much examination and discussion.

Yeah, as years went by, more guns were made, no argument. I also agree that technology has changed since their invention, but over the last 30 years or more, not much.

I hope we can figure out what is fueling this madness, it needs to stop.

I don't know anything about firearms but there are many knowledgeable people in the country who will drive this debate on both sides of the issue .

 

Not specifically directed at you, but if people are going to have a meaningful discussion on the issue and solutions, it is imperative that they learn about firearms. They don't have to buy one or go out and start shooting, but they should at least due some research and learn about firearms.

 

Here's a nice article about "assault weapons" worth taking the time to read:The Truth About Assault Rifles and Assault Weapons Bans - The Truth About Guns

 

As the article points out and I have long argued, emotion not logic determined what was a banned weapon and unfortunately is the case today. I could continue to purchase while the ban was in place weapons that functioned exactly the same as prohibited weapons. Which de facto established that the ban was not going to solve the purpose intended.

 

Those favoring the ban of large capacity magazines miss the reality that smaller and legal magazines can be used and replaced in 1 second with a minimum amount of practice. Thus negating the intended result of banning large capacity magazines. Someone intent on killing a large number of people would still be able to do so quite easily. I've seen 3 ten round magazines taped together with small pieces of wood between the 3 to act as spacers. When one is spent, the magazine release button is pressed and the operator quickly and easily moves the stack over and quickly reloads. Thus 30 rounds of ammo are available to the shooter without having a 30 round magazine.

 

I'm not one that believes every American has the right to do what ever he/she wants. As part of the "contract" to live in society, one has to give up certain liberties. Hence I support the Patriot Act. However, society's contract with individuals requires that those liberties and rights only be restricted when there is a compelling societal need AND restriction of that right and liberty will actually accomplish that compelling need.

 

That's the problem I have with banning high capacity magazines. With the ease and speed of using and replacing smaller capacity magazines, a ban on larger capacity magazines accomplishes extremely, extremely little if anything. Thus it doesn't pass my test.

 

Banning weapons because they have flash suppressors or folding stocks but allowing weapons that are functionally the same and fire the same calibers is not only ridiculous but it won't accomplish anything. Thus such a ban fails my test.

 

 

The unfortunate reality is that living in a free country means tragedies like the one in Conn. will happen from time to time. If I honestly thought banning large capacity magazines would accomplish what they think it would accomplish, perhaps we could get to the 2nd Amendment argument. But based on my knowledge and experience with firearms, I'm convinced it won't. Perhaps if I thought a ban on certain weapons would accomplish what they think it would, perhaps we could get to the 2nd Amendment argument. But based on my knowledge and experience with firearms, I'm convinced it won't.

Republicans now calling for debate. Or exploiting tradedy - however you want to semanticize:

 

Some Republicans say gun control should be debated - Yahoo! News

Republicans now calling for debate. Or exploiting tradedy - however you want to semanticize:

 

Some Republicans say gun control should be debated - Yahoo! News

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Columbine (CO): Weapons used 9mm Pistol and 12ga shotgun (homemade pipe bombs didn't go off thankfully)

Paducah (KY): Weapons had shotgun, rifle and .22 pistol. Used .22 pistol and fired 8 shots into a prayer group then surrendered.

Va Tech: Weapons used .22 Walther pistol and a 9mm Glock

 

This year:

Chardon (OH): Weapons used .22 Ruger pistol and a large knife

Perry Hall (MD): Weapon used Shotgun

Casper College (WY): Weapon used Bow and arrow and knife

 

No high capacity magazines used here or scary looking "assault rifles" either.

 

I looked back though most of the most recent school shootings and didn't find any that had "Assault weapons" or high capacity magazines.

But don't let facts get in the way, pass legislation that has had little to no chance of preventing another tragedy like this.

Columbine (CO): Weapons used 9mm Pistol and 12ga shotgun (homemade pipe bombs didn't go off thankfully)

Paducah (KY): Weapons had shotgun, rifle and .22 pistol. Used .22 pistol and fired 8 shots into a prayer group then surrendered.

Va Tech: Weapons used .22 Walther pistol and a 9mm Glock

 

This year:

Chardon (OH): Weapons used .22 Ruger pistol and a large knife

Perry Hall (MD): Weapon used Shotgun

Casper College (WY): Weapon used Bow and arrow and knife

 

No high capacity magazines used here or scary looking "assault rifles" either.

 

I looked back though most of the most recent school shootings and didn't find any that had "Assault weapons" or high capacity magazines.

But don't let facts get in the way, pass legislation that has had little to no chance of preventing another tragedy like this.

 

 

President Obama leading the sheep....

This makes The 2nd easy to understand:The second amendment is not about hunting or even really self-defense against private criminals...Constitutional attorney Stewart Rhodes will explain it for you.

 

..."The whole point of the Second Amendment is to preserve the military capacity of the American people – to preserve the ability of the people, who are the militia, to provide for their own security as individuals, as neighborhoods, towns, counties, and states, during any emergency, man-made or natural; to preserve the military capacity of the American people to resist tyranny and violations of their rights by oath breakers within government; and to preserve the military capacity of the people to defend the Constitution against all enemies, both foreign and domestic, including those oath breaking domestic enemies within government. It is not about hunting, and at its core, the Second Amendment is not really even about self-defense against private criminals. It is about self-defense against public criminals – against tyrants, usurpers, and foreign invaders.

 

Above all other firearms currently available to the American citizen, modern military pattern, semi-automatic rifles provide that military capacity. Protecting the keeping and bearing of such arms of military utility is the heart and soul of the Second Amendment. Thus, any attempt to ban their possession, sale, purchase, or transfer, is an attempt to disarm the American people."...