Showdown on guns is near ('94 AW ban)

The Times-Picayune (New Orleans) ^ | 24 February 2003 | Bruce Alpert

[45Auto]

More than eight years after Congress approved a ban on the sale of semiautomatic assault weapons, supporters and opponents are preparing to battle over whether to let the law expire as scheduled in September 2004.

Although 19 months away, the sunset date for the 1994 law banning AK-47s and similar weapons is generating intensive lobbying efforts from both sides of the emotional gun control issue.

[wardaddy]

You are correct.

[Travis McGee]

That's the one!

[harpseal]

And I question what one may mean by the word "extension". The same Bill, for another ten years, or the same Bill, with new guns added, for another ten years.

To me either would be intolerable

You can bet there will be a HUGE push to add many guns, of which will be all .50 caliber rifles and the new S&W 500 .50 cal magnum reveolver that some idiots are already piping up about.

This push is already coming from the gun grabboids. We have a Republican House, a Republican President, and A Republican Senate. There is no excude for any gun control legislation being passed. None.

Maybe the Rats can prevent some repeal of some laws but no new laws should see the light of day.

[Ancesthntr]

Gun control advocates worry that the targeted firearms -- the weapons of choice for many drug dealers, gang members and terrorists -- will return with a vengeance to the streets of America if the law is allowed to go off the books.

Serious gun control advocates know very well that no guns that were "on the street" pre-ban were actually banned/seized, and that cosmetic look-alikes have been produced and imported by the hundreds of thousands every year since then. This means that the population of such firearms is what it was plus a few million. Yet, somehow, we don't have bloodbaths in the streets of this country every day (the last one I remember occurred on a rather memorable September day in 2001, and involved not one firearm of any type.

These people are bald-faced liars. Knowing all of this, they continue to bleat for extending the ban, both in time and in scope and, ultimately, they pine for confiscation. Yet none of them have the courage to say that this is their ultimate goal, let alone to try to personally put it into effect. More hypocritically, I'd bet that most of these enemies of liberty own firearms themselves (and wouldn't we all like to know if Josh Sugermann owns his own Bushmaster or AK?).

LISTEN UP, BUSH CAMPAIGN - If GWB doesn't fight the renewal/extension effort, let alone if he goes along with it, then he's lost my vote. And I say this as someone who enthusiastically voted for him. His father lost my vote in '92 because of the '89 import ban, and I have no compunction about staying home in November of 2004.

[Ancesthntr]

Oops - forget my </i>.

[Travis McGee]

Thanks for the ping.

[The_Macallan]

MOST RECENT AVAILABLE DATA FROM THE US DEPT. OF JUSTICE:

FACT: "Assault Weapons" are RARELY ever used in crimes based on ATF gun traces of guns recovered from crimes:

Guns Used In Crimes: 10 Most Frequently Traced Guns in 1994:
1) Lorcin P25 (pistol)
2) Davis Ind. P380 (pistol)
3) Raven Arms MP25 (pistol)
4) Lorcin L25 (pistol)
5) Mossberg 500 (shotgun)
6) Phoenix Arms Raven (pistol)
7) Jennings J22 (pistol)
8) Ruger P89 (pistol)
9) Glock 17 (pistol)
10) Bryco 38 (pistol)



FACT: "Assault Weapons are RARELY ever used to kill police officers:

Calibers Most Often Used To Kill Police Officers:
Firearm Caliber and % Of LEOs Killed -
.38 caliber handgun - 25.2%
.357 magnum handgun - 12.1%
9mm handgun - 9.5%
12 gauge shotgun - 7.4%
.22 caliber handgun - 5.4%
.22 caliber rifle - 4.4%



And according to the Dept. of Justice; Firearm Use by Offender, 1997 Data...


FACT: "Assault weapons" are RARELY possessed by criminals during commission of a crime:

Of State and Federal prison inmates who possessed firearms during the crime for which they are being incarcerated:
* 9.9% of state and 7.3% of federal inmates possessed "single-shot" firearms.
* 7.9% of state and 7.7% of federal inmates possessed conventional semiautomatic firearm.
* 1.5% of state and 1.7% of federal inmates possessed military-style semi-auto or full-auto firearms.



FACT: "Assault weapons" are RARELY involved in ANY crimes:

Of State and Federal prison inmates who have ever possessed firearms during ANY crime:
* 14.2% of state and 10.6% of federal inmates possessed "single-shot" firearm during ANY crime.
* 10.9% of state and 9.8% of federal inmates possessed conventional semiautomatic firearm during ANY crime.
* 2.5% of state and 2.3% of federal inmates possessed military-style semi-auto or full-auto firearms during ANY crime.



FACT: "Assault weapons" possessed by criminals during crimes are USUALLY obtained illegally:

Of State prison inmates who possessed military-style semi-auto or full-auto firearms in crimes for which they are incarcerated:
* 48.5% obtained them through illegal sources (theft, drug dealer, black market, etc.)
* 25.2% obtained them from family or friend.
* 19.3% obtained them from retail sale.
* 1.9% obtained them from gun shows.


Also from the same source DOJ source:

FACT: "Assault weapons" that are possessed during a crime are the LEAST LIKELY type of firearm to be actually discharged during the crime.

FACT: "Assault weapons" that are possessed during a crime are the LEAST LIKELY type of firearm to be used to injure the victim.

FACT: "Assault weapons" that are possessed during a crime are the LEAST LIKELY type of firearm to be used to kill the victim.





It's Not Just A Gun...

It's My "HOMELAND DEFENSE RIFLE"!!

[Travis McGee]

I'm up to chapter 41 out of about 50, (28 are posted on the website).

[Travis McGee]

"Don't confuse us with the facts!"

[Squantos]

In my best Fosters Beer voice........Keeeeeeper !

Thanks for the Data !

Stay Safe !

[Doomonyou]

I will be ordering a copy!

[af_vet_rr]

She says that like it's a bad thing.

Not only that, but she makes it sound like you could stop off on the way home from work to pick up a gallon of milk, a dozen eggs, and an AK-47 or an Uzi. I didn't know too many stores that were selling those pre-1994.

[supercat]

Defensive handgun makers have been quietly producing lots of double stack 10rd limited brand new designs.

What would be the legal or practical implications of a .22LR plinking pistol which could hold two ten-round magazines and automatically switch between them? Such a thing could be a lot of fun, and I don't think it would fall afoul of the AWB.

[Djarum]

It wil involve an "affected weapon", and heck, a middle easterner for good measures.

Don't forget purchased at a gun show!

Bush can pass or fail this conservative litmus test.

[Blood of Tyrants]

I thought that they preferred the new S&W 500 magnum?

[Blood of Tyrants]

And Sarah Brady knows that and is seeking to make ALL semi-automatic rifles that can hold high cap mags illegal. And then all those nasty "sniper rifles", and then those "street sweeper shotguns", and then small handguns and then big handguns, and then everything else.

[Travis McGee]

Thanks! I guess I better finish it fast! (42 out of 50+ chapters are in smooth Word, the rest is on looeleaf long hand.)

[Travis McGee]

And then Romanian term limits under Proposition .223 will come into play.