I lifted this cartoon from an old 1984 copy of PISTOLERO magazine. It pops into mind every time magazine capacity comes up.
Posted on 03/25/2011 5:33:10 AM PDT by marktwain
I don't really care if you have a gun for hunting or a pistol to give you some sense of protection at home. It's your right.
But what's the point of ammunition magazines that allow the shooter to fire dozens of bullets at a clip? I stopped by a legislative hearing Wednesday at which a roomful of gun enthusiasts was irate about a bill that would make it a felony to own a "large-capacity magazine" that uses more than 10 bullets.
The shooter in the Tucson attack on U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords earlier this year that killed six and wounded 13 used a legally purchased semiautomatic Glock pistol with an ammunition clip holding more than 30 bullets. Large-capacity magazines like this, illegal from 1994 to 2004, were used in the mass shootings in East Hartford, at Virginia Tech and in Fort Hood, Texas, to name a few.
Cops such as Bridgeport Police Chief Joseph Gaudett see "no reason whatsover" for anyone to have these ammo clips. "The large-capacity magazines put not only the general public at risk, but especially the men and women of Connecticut's police departments," Gaudett told the General Assembly's judiciary committee in testimony Wednesday.
Banning these magazines isn't going to magically stop deranged killers. But it's an important start and it certainly might help police -- and prevent the next Jared Loughner from going into Walmart to buy a 33-bullet ammunition clip.
As I listened to opponents and read through their testimony, I realized how little I know about the violent wild-west-of-a-world some of these folks inhabit, a place that doesn't reflect the reality of Connecticut.
"Anyone who knows anything about firearm self-defense knows that you want as many bullets loaded as you can carry in a practical manner,'' Robert Crook, director of the Connecticut Sportsman's Alliance, said in his testimony. "He who throws the most lead wins."
A doctor from Guilford, Daniel Vining, said in his testimony that criminals will ignore the law while law-abiding citizens "will be hindered."
"As a practicing ER physician, I have seen many shooting victims with as many as 6 separate bullet tracks who are not seriously injured. Consider then, trying to defend your family with a 10-round magazine against two home invaders ... five shots per attacker, even with 100 percent accuracy might not be enough."
Michael Fifer, CEO of Sturm, Ruger & Co., a gun manufacturer in Southport, explained further. "In defensive situations, magazines in excess of 10 rounds provide ... private citizens the ability to deal with multiple offenders ... one-third of aggravated assault and robbery victims are attacked by multiple offenders."
We should not let these views distort a sensible response to these recent mass killings. Instead of throwing lead at marauding home invaders, I keep thinking more what Dallas Green, grandfather of shooting victim Christina Taylor Green, said not long after the Tucson attack.
"Even though I'm a hunter and I love to shoot and love to have my guns, I don't have a Glock or whatever it is and I don't have a magazine with 33 bullets in it. That doesn't make sense to be able to sell those kind of things,'' Green said. "I just don't understand that."
Neither do I.
"There ought to be limits to freedom..."
--George W. Bush
First off, the guy isn’t a hunter and doesn’t love to shoot or he would know what a Glock (or whatever it is) is. Second, how many TV stations, newspapers, internet news sites do we ‘need’? I also haven’t seen any 33-round happy sticks for a Glock at Wal Mart either, although I admit I haven’t been looking. If I want magazine capacity, I’ll pick up an AKM or AR15 anyway. I really get tired of these gun prohibitionists who start off with ‘I love to hunt’ or ‘I’m a gun owner’ when it is obviously BS. My challenge to Obama regarding gun control. Bring it on! BEFORE the 2012 election, as it will cement your future as a one term president.
I lifted this cartoon from an old 1984 copy of PISTOLERO magazine. It pops into mind every time magazine capacity comes up.
Conflict is inevitable, but combat is optional.
I’m looking forward to it.
Neither do I.
~~~~~~~~~~
Two expressions of ignorance or lack of understanding -- even back-to-back -- do not a cogent argument make...
Even more important, the police are able to call in backup support. With multiple shooters available on one side, the need for individual firepower diminishes.
Citizens, OTOH, almost invariably, face danger alone. Their only access to firepower is what they have with them at the time of trouble -- no matter how large the horde of assailants they must face...
The only reason I carry a HK p7 M8 rather than a P7 M13 is that the P7 M13's thicker grip (to accommodate the double-stacked 13 round magazine) feels like a 2X4 in my hand and makes it difficult to achieve a consistent grip (mandatory for accuracy).
Having said that, the best way to double your firepower is to have another trained shooter join you on your side. Cops can do that. Citizens rarely, if ever, can.
Having read the first three books, I refuse to read an excerpt on the web. I'll wait 'til it's in my grubby little hands and read it all at once.
In my collection of old derringers / hideaway guns from the 19th century, I have several small, five-shot, spur trigger / folding trigger revolvers that match that description exactly. None of them will chamber a .22 LR round...
obviously the author has never been to CT.
notice, the state of CT does not want to PAY for the taking of the clips, they just want to oulaw a personal property WITHOUT COMPENSATION.
To be a liberal one must believe that the people are never to be trusted with guns, however, if they agree to government employment they are magically gifted as gunslingers.
“the best way to double your firepower is to have another trained shooter join you at your side”
Then I’m blessed even more than I thought. My new wife is not only beautiful and accomplished, she also was on the U.S. Army Marksmanship Team. Her specialty: the .45 auto with which she earned a Camp Perry bronze award. Soon we’ll head for the range together.
Meanwhile, watch out for the gun grabbercrats. But even Obama realizes gun control is a third rail issue.
Of course, she was shooting my HK P7 and I was shooting "mozambique drills" with an unmodified little AMT "Backup".
The bad news is that night she called our son (who's on the Ft. Campbell .45 team) and told him, "I really like that P7; just line up those three dots and it shoots right where you point it!"
Ouch! "Chantilly" P7M8s like mine go for some serious big bucks nowadays -- if you can find one... ;-)
We are indeed fortunate, you and I. Congrats on your upcoming golden.
But the .45 ACP refuses to die. Does your son fire the M1911, the H&K USP, or the Glock variant? When I was deployed we supported 10th Mountain Div in Afghanistan. I had already heard that 10th soldiers could carry personal .45’s. As we were inprocessing I asked the PSNCO if this was true. He giggled like a kid in the cookie jar and merely nodded.
I’ve got my Dad’s Government Model which he bought in 1941 and carried through WWII. For Korea and Vietnam he left it at home and carried issue.
Wow, thank heavens those poor ignorant gun-toting redneck rubes had the final arbiter of reality there to clear up their misconceptions. < /sarcasm >
Is this enough firepower?
But it's an important start and it certainly might help police
Listen to what these people tell you – when they say that this is a important start (in your disarmament) Believe them!!
All of this is thoroughly explained in the Guide to Gun Control for the Media and Congress:
http://www.thebulletproofpatriot.com/blog/2011/02/a-guide-to-gun-control-for-the-media-and-congress/
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.