An ineffective 'assault weapons' ban deserves to expire

San Diego Union-Tribune ^ | 1 June 2003 | Robert J. Caldwell

[45Auto]

Another editorial on the AW Ban sunset.

[dd5339]

Actually I think that there are two classes of weapons that have been found in even less crimes than "assault weapons".

Black powder firearms and 50 caliber rifles! You've never heard of a drive by "black powdering" have you?

For what it's worth, it looks like the 94 ban is going to die a relatively quiet death.

Semper Fi

[demlosers]

The silly assault weapons ban is about over. The Rats are not going to commit political suicide over this or anything else like 1994. Maintaining public office means more to them than anthing else.

[demlosers]

anthing = anything

[Joe Brower]

[LTCJ]

Even if Feinstein's ban expires, the BATF's import restrictions would still be in place.

What is the basis for this? Anyone?

[Atlas Sneezed]

"Banning ... semi-automatic rifles and pistols because they have two or more military-style features – like a bayonet lug, pistol grip or flash suppressor – is irrelevant to crime."

Very important point. Those features that some (wrongly) describe as superficial and unimportant are indeed of little use to criminals. However, they are of significant use to citizens who need the right to bear arms in order to secure freedom. (All those features are very useful for combat with armed foes.)

[Batrachian]

Actually, the ban was quite effective - at banning weapons, which was all it was designed to do.

I think there's still a possibility that the ban could be reauthorized. The sunset is not a foregone conclusion by any means. We thought Campaign Finance Reform would never get to the President's desk, either, but it did and was signed, and this could too. I wish the President had taken a principled stand in this matter, rather than an expedient one.

[freedomlover]

Only reflexive gun banners and the uninformed can have been disconcerted.

I guess this includes CNN and its ilk.

[Pistolshot]

For what it's worth, it looks like the 94 ban is going to die a relatively quiet death.

Rememeber, it was said Brady would not be passed either. But it got the midnight vote when no one was watching and we got the shaft.

My biggest fear is some real idiot shooting up a school/post office/mall/workplace with an AW and then the cry to ban them, PERMANANTLY, will be too loud to overcome.

I hope I am wrong.

[Steel and Fire and Stone]

For what it's worth, it looks like the 94 ban is going to die a relatively quiet death.

..unless you live in the People's Republic of Kalifornia, where an even more restrictive assault weapon ban is in place. I have my defanged Bushmaster XR-15 already, but I can't even legally give it to my son as a inheritance. (No problem; my 15 yr. old son says he will eventually leave California ... he's already made that clear). I paid a 40% premium to get the gun "legally" 2 days before the ban went into effect a few years back.

Hmmm...35 states including Minnisota now have "right-to-carry" laws; Maybe it's time to start a CA referrendum to force the state to issue CCW permits. It'd fail, but watching the liberals scream and shout would be fun worth all the work.

FReegards, SFS

[OldPossum]

That is a real concern. All it takes is one idiot out there, as witness gun bans that followed such acts in Australia and Great Britain.

[votelife]

fortunately this isn't something 41 Dems can get together and filibuster. Bump for freedom.

[templar]

Black powder firearms and 50 caliber rifles! You've never heard of a drive by "black powdering" have you?

Black powder firearms are used occasionally for criminal purposes. Usually the cheaper revolver kind. I don't know of any 50 cal being used to commit a crime. However, there was a case in Denver a couple of years ago where a grocery store manager was murdered at work by a jealous estranged husband who had a barret (I think) and some other " assault" type firearms with him in his van. He chose to use a hand gun to do the killing. Killed the wrong guy too, the manager wasn't the one involved in an affair with his wife. I blame that killing mostly on the end result of a divorce in progress and infidelity though, not on guns.

[templar]

My biggest fear is some real idiot shooting up a school/post office/mall/workplace with an AW and then the cry to ban them, PERMANANTLY, will be too loud to overcome.

Instead of a real idiot, they will need to arrange for it to be done by AQ or other Islamic fanatics using assault guns purchased without a background check at a gun show. They'll kill several birds with one stone that way. You gotta remember: The Republicans are in charge now and pubbies are smarter than rats; they can co-ordinate more efficiently.

[templar]

What is the basis for this? Anyone?

I think it goes back to the original bans put in place by Reagan (or maybe it was Bush Sr.). The ones that banned importing genuine military configuration fireams as long as they were in semi auto configuration (no pistol grips, flash hiders, bayonet lugs, etc. But it was only on imports, I think, not domestic manufacture. so d*mn many different laws now, it gets hard to remember exactly which is responsible for what). The ones that resulted in those clunky MAK 90 thumbhole stocks to comply for legal import status.

[RogueIsland]

Black powder firearms are used occasionally for criminal purposes. Usually the cheaper revolver kind.

Interestingly, I've heard of cap and ball revolvers being used by the law abiding in NYC, because at least at one time they were not covered under the obcene licensing laws in NYC. That may have changed.

[conservativefromGa]

And yet President Bush still wants to send you to jail for 5 years for having an 11 round magazine or bayonet lug manufactured after September 14, 1994.

[xm177e2]

I think it was Daddy Bush. He was a big WIMP.

[wjcsux]

What is the basis for this? Anyone?
This was done by Bush SR in 89. It basically prohibited the continued import of firearms such as the FN-FAL, H&K 91, H&K 93, AKM, etc. Domestic firearms were not affected.