Who "needs" 30 round Magazines?

Comment on an article at TTAG ^ | 19 April, 2013 | Megrim

[marktwain]

Looking at the pics coming in from the Boston bomber manhunt I see all these LEOs bristling with high-capacity-mag, “assault weapon” looking rifles (wonder how many are full-auto?), bad-ass shotguns, scary black pistols. For two guys … well, one now. (None now. Good show LEOs.)

Thing is, I don’t begrudge the city of Boston a single round. The LEOs, God bless ‘em, aren’t taking any chances. But then why should you? Why should you be held to 7 rounds? Or 10. Or any arbitrary number.

Who needs 30-round mags?

“…legions of heavily armed police” felt like they needed them … for two guys. Then one — one guy.

If precaution advises that many trained officers with all that firepower to prepare to take out two baddies — because who knows how heavily armed they are or what they might do — how can we expect a lone homeowner to defend herself against similar unknown threats with seven rounds? Mayor Bloomberg, Governor O’Malley, et al., please, your thoughts?

TTAGers, here’s hoping you never need even one and always have access to a whole lot more.

[marktwain]

A well written comment. If the police need that firepower, so do all citizens.

[csmusaret]

How did the bombers exchange gunfire with police in a city and state with very strict gun laws? Surely bombers don’t violate gun laws do they?

[BobL]

Great question. How many rounds do cops REALLY NEED to kill one person? Why didn’t they use smaller clips? They could have just reloaded, if really necessary?

No, the ONLY REASON they had such large clips was to inflict maximum violence on innocent people. They were only looking for one person - if they can’t hit him with a seven round clip, then they need more training..

[Fightin Whitey]

Why didn’t they just send one police officer?

Or seven, if that’s the number we want to settle one.

Seven officers with seven rounds apiece.

Seems more than fair.

[count-your-change]

Who “needs” 30 round Magazines? Guys that can’t find sixty round mags?

[Sacajaweau]

Absolutely...We're still defenseless...They have armoured vehicles.

And terrorists ??? All they need is a backpack and a pressure cooker.

If you saw the guy in your backyard and you were armed, would you shoot or call 9-11?

[Sacajaweau]

The first story out said they took the gun from the policeman. That would mean he got shot with his own gun.

[SkyDancer]

Not sure how many rounds but a while back two or three NYC cops used up to 14 rounds to kill a guy running up the stairs in a tenement - away from them - at about 15 feet.

[JPG]

It's a good bet that many MA anti-gun types, while being ordered to hunker down behind locked doors, had a change of heart about the value of being armed.

[BCW]

I do! — I hate loading 5 rds over and over...it saves me x 6...

[BCW]

[capt B]

NYPD, 1997, 3 cops, 42 shots

[Scrambler Bob]

I have been pondering this same thought.

What if I say: “Boy I’m glad those citizens have 30-round mags and Assault Rifles!”

And they say, “They aren’t citizens, they are police.”

Well, I contend that the police ARE citizens.

(And so am I!}

[y6162]

My contribution to the 30-roung mag requirement: https://twitter.com/PaulIzzo2/status/325241796391227393/photo/1

[snoringbear]

Yeah, basically pro cop. But, I have to say that, with the exception of SWAT Teams, Special Op’s and such, their marksmanship typically is terrible. In one exchange with #2 I could see by the muzzle flash that some cop was a “rock’n and a roll’n” on full auto. Then, in the grand finale at the boat, cops pumped 30~40 rounds into the hull of the boat and not only did not kill him but apparently did not even hit him as when finally extracted he only had the two wounds he incurred earlier. Just a side bar question; wonder if the boat owner's home owner's policy will cover damages to his boat? Or, if Force Majoure or whatever will prevail?

[SkyDancer]

Thanks for pointing that out - I knew it was some ridiculous number of shots.

[Starstruck]

I have multiple weapons from .22s, 9mms to a WASR10 w/30 round magazine. The night they were chasing these guys around the neighborhood, if I was in my house, guess which one I would pick.

[Irxfxs]

After viewing last night’s coverage of the “take-down” and capture of the nearly incapacitated suspect, the question that came to my mind was “How many heavily armed LEOs does it take to arrest one fugitive?”

[SkyDancer]

My dad showed me how to tape two 15rd. mags together for my M1 carbine. When I’m home I hit the range and practice swapping them around. At the price of ammo these days and also the availability I don’t shoot. I do have a Crosman Benjamin Trail NP .22 Caliber Nitro Piston Air Rifle and can get all sorts of shot for it. Some go as fast as 1200fps.

[mountainlion]

In the 1800’s people were allowed to own cannon and really all weapons of war. Gun rights were not the issue of the civil war but the NRA formed to help protect the rights of blacks in the south and have trained millions of civilians and police in gun marksmanship and gun safety. I had NRA hunters safety in High School. We need to be equally armed as criminals and police,FBI,CIA.... The government says the Constitution restricts the government? That is what it was designed for. Watch out for Agenda 21!