The truth about assault weapons

[Darrell KSR]

http://www.assaultweapon.info/

[suncat05]

Thanks for sharing the knowledge, Darrell.

[Darrell KSR]

I enjoyed it because I thought it explained it the simplest, cleanest way I've seen. (Big plus that ithat it had no advertisements and zipped from page to page with the arrow key.)

[UKHistory]

The only critical comment I have for the ad is the use of the term modern day musket. I am not going to compare the musket any rifle made after 1860.

I am going to take the statistics as fact because I do believe the supporters of assault weapons ban want to take away the second amendment.

And to me the last line of defense for the nation against a dictatorship is the people's right to have guns.

Overall very good information that tells a good story. To eradicate something you chip away and that is what the anti-gun people will do. It is a great point that limiting the magazine size will only promote the sale of more magazines. Simple as that.

[suncat05]

And make people practice their reloading skills more. After all.....practice does make perfect. Or so I've been told.

[CitizenBBN]

I enjoyed it because I thought it explained it the simplest, cleanest way I've seen. (Big plus that ithat it had no advertisements and zipped from page to page with the arrow key.)

it's a good explanation. About the only thing they may add is a slide or two explaining that it's a myth these guns can be easily converted to full auto.

First, not ONCE has such a converted weapon been used in any of these shootings, but most important it's simply untrue that it's so easy. Not to get all technical, but closed bolt designed guns (of which this is one) are not easily converted to full auto. Open bolt designs do in fact convert fairly easily, which is why open bolt guns have been illegal for many years. They were re-classified to fall under the Class III category of machine gun in 1982 and are extremely rare in the market.

The few "easy" modifications that are available on certain guns also makes the gun ONLY full auto, which really makes the gun harder to use, so rarely is it done. I'm sure there are some good ol' boys here and there doing that stuff, but none have been used in these shootings and it's already a serious felony to do so.

[dan_bgblue]

For those of us who have not shot a weapon on full auto, it is really important to know that a 30 round magazine is emptied in about 2 seconds and the muzzle of the weapon will have risen several inches during that 2 seconds. If the shooter is firing such a weapon for the first time, I promise you at least 50% of the rounds will punch holes in the sky and nothing else. A weapon set on full auto takes a lot of practice to make it a more valuable killing tool than a weapon set on single fire or in some cases set to a 3 round burst. The shooter, and bystanders as well, will not hear the sound of individual rounds being ignited. They will hear something more akin to a gas powered weed eater sans muffler revving up for a second or two.

Do not believe the crap you see in the movies and in television shows where they are firing off several rounds that have no bullets attached to he cartridge and are loaded with just enough gun powder to make the bolt cycle to load the next blank cartridge into the firing chamber.

My uncle had his FFL and was an avid gun collector. He had a machine pistol. and a Thompson sub machine gun with a stick magazine, not the drum type. When I was 14 I had already been pestering him for a couple of years to let me shoot the Thompson, he took me out to his shooting range put 10 rounds in the magazine, pointed me in the right direction, showed me how to flip the safety off, told me to shoulder the weapon and fire away. The event was over in less than a second and it scared the hell out of me. We walked back to the house and he showed me how to disassemble the weapon and clean it.

I have never forgotten that experience

[KeithKSR]

I have yet to see anyone who is actually familiar with an AR15, or similar rifle, who endorses a ban. Most people who endorse a ban have no idea what they are endorsing the ban of.

[suncat05]

Ahhhhhhh, the old favorite uncle discipline experience. I remember it fondly myself.
When I was in the Army in basic training we learned the M-16A1 semi or full auto drills on the range. And it is true, while full auto is fun, it's actually not very practical. Our drill sergeants and Army doctrine discouraged us from using full auto unless absolutely necessary.
When I went to Ft. Campbell to the 101st we had the newest toys in the inventory, namely the M-16A2, and the Beretta M9. The A2's had semi-auto & the 3 round burst choices on the fire selector. I still believe that is a much better choice in a situation where the trigger gets squeezed because it's necessary, which did happen somewhere in Central America when we were deployed there dealing with these bad guys called Sandinistas. Bad guys, very bad guys. Very smooth, very controllable rates of fire, and I really liked that 3 round burst.
I have not seen the M4 variant in a long time, but IIRC the Army had gone away from the 3 round burst and back to full auto choices on those selectors on that particular style weapon. IIRC.

[CitizenBBN]

Suncat, as you no doubt know, most of the military doesn't even issue full auto weapons any more. They select to safe, semi auto and 3 round burst. The M4 is 3 round burst, the M4A1 is full, but yes absolutely the military has long known that full auto has only limited usefulness even in combat.

Dan -- mythbusters tested full auto myths, mostly focusing on the movies where guys are rocking and rolling near endlessly with full auto guns. They showed that it's a complete myth as any gun knowledgeable person knows. Even a 32 round stick mag in a Mac or an Uzi or a Thompson empties in about 3 seconds on full auto.

it's a hell of a hail of lead, but it's incredibly inaccurate b/c of the muzzle rise and you actually end up needing mag changes faster than a controlled fire in semi auto. If someone were to attack with one of these it would probably be easier for others to rush him than if he had a semiauto weapon. he'd pull the trigger and be out before he could much more than aim.

The slideshow correctly points out the Va Tech shooter used pistols, and honestly if these lunatics knew much about guns they'd probably pick pistols over an AR altogether. They require more skill to shoot, but are even more maneuverable in tight spaces and you can swap mags as fast as with any AR and carry more of them ready to fire in case you need to switch.

that's exactly what we'd see happen if we rounded up every AR in the country. The left knows it, but they need that step so then they can start rounding up pistols with "too much capacity to be on American streets".

[CitizenBBN]

OH, and that's the only gun on my absolute wish list, the Thompson. It's so very iconic. If I ever get a cool $50K I don't need I may have to do something about it. I'm not holding my breath.

I will say the Uzi is a fine substitute though. A truly superior weapon.

[DanISSELisdaman]

For those of us who have not shot a weapon on full auto, it is really important to know that a 30 round magazine is emptied in about 2 seconds and the muzzle of the weapon will have risen several inches during that 2 seconds. If the shooter is firing such a weapon for the first time, I promise you at least 50% of the rounds will punch holes in the sky and nothing else. A weapon set on full auto takes a lot of practice to make it a more valuable killing tool than a weapon set on single fire or in some cases set to a 3 round burst. The shooter, and bystanders as well, will not hear the sound of individual rounds being ignited. They will hear something more akin to a gas powered weed eater sans muffler revving up for a second or two.

Do not believe the crap you see in the movies and in television shows where they are firing off several rounds that have no bullets attached to he cartridge and are loaded with just enough gun powder to make the bolt cycle to load the next blank cartridge into the firing chamber.

My uncle had his FFL and was an avid gun collector. He had a machine pistol. and a Thompson sub machine gun with a stick magazine, not the drum type. When I was 14 I had already been pestering him for a couple of years to let me shoot the Thompson, he took me out to his shooting range put 10 rounds in the magazine, pointed me in the right direction, showed me how to flip the safety off, told me to shoulder the weapon and fire away. The event was over in less than a second and it scared the hell out of me. We walked back to the house and he showed me how to disassemble the weapon and clean it.

I have never forgotten that experience

Nailed it!