We post this second of two articles about guns in America on a very sad day as a young man killed students in Florida today - marking the eighth school shooting with deaths or injuries in 2018 so far. The earlier article, Gun Rights and the Progressive Movement was posted in January.
| The law against machine guns is being thwarted because of easily accessible assault style rifles. Because the U.S. public was fearful of massacres enabled by machine guns, they demanded a law against them. And, in 1934, for the first time in its history, the U.S. passed anti-gun legislation, effectively outlawing machine guns. But now innovative gunsmiths have developed devices that, when coupled with assault style rifles, skirt the law against machine guns. These barely legal guns mimic the sound, feel, and deadliness of machine guns. As sold in the U.S., assault style rifles are incapable of shooting like a machine gun. A person cannot shoot continuously by holding the trigger down. Instead, he must pull and release the trigger each shot. Hence, these guns are called semi-automatics. The rate at which they can be fired is slower than a machine gun or fully automatic gun. |
Typical semi-automatic hunting rifles are designed to be aimed and accurately deliver one powerful bullet. Assault rifles, on the other hand, spray an area with bullets and kill anything within that area. Assault rifles also fire bullets that are more powerful than a handgun, but less powerful than typical hunting rifles. They have shorter barrels and collapsible stocks to more easily swing from side to side; they have pistol grips to more easily pointed rather than carefully aimed; they have detachable magazines holding 30 or so bullets that can be preloaded and attached to the rifle in seconds.
Most importantly, an assault rifle is a machine gun while an assault style rifle is a semi-automatic. With the other characteristics that an assault style rife shares with of an assault rifle, assault style rifles are almost as deadly as assault rifles. According to AssaultWeaponTruth.com, an assault style rifle can fire 100 bullets in about 60 seconds while an assault rifle can fire the same number of bullets in about 20 seconds.
Given the ease with which assault style rifles can mimic or actually become machine guns their possession by people who claim they want them for hunting poses an unnecessary risk to us. There is even a greater risk of assault style rifles being converted into machine guns by those who want them for self-protection. People who want an assault style rifle for protection may fear “bad guys” who have superior weapons. This may lead them to seek a machine gun to defend themselves against “bad guys.” Despite the ease with which an assault style rifle may be converted into a machine gun, the NRA has persisted in arguing that assault style rifles are simply another type of semiautomatic rifles.
Devices like bump stocks, trigger cranks (i.e., a hand turned grinder that activates the trigger faster than any person’s finger), or “quick-spring-back” triggers can legally turn assault style rifles into a “simulated” machine gun. In addition, kits are available that can be used to modify the internal mechanism of an assault style rifle, already similar to assault rifles so that it can be turned into a “true” machine gun. Legislation to outlaw these devices is being considered now. But, it is surely a fool’s errand to try to stop innovators from devising new devices that skirt the law.
The NRA tepidly responded to these innovations by calling for further regulatory review. The ATF, however, has already ruled they cannot regulate devices like bump stocks, trigger cranks, and tactical triggers. Additional legislation is needed, and that legislation should be a well thought out ban on assault style rifles. A previous ban on selling assault style rifles was criticized because it did not result in a decrease in gun crimes. That ban, however, was seriously flawed. It was repealed within a 10 years before most of these weapons could be removed. And, it did not prevent manufacturers from making simple cosmetic changes to evade the law. A ban more comprehensive than the previous one could remedy these flaws. If this seems a reasonable goal for legislation, you should let your representative and Senators know your feelings.
Most importantly, an assault rifle is a machine gun while an assault style rifle is a semi-automatic. With the other characteristics that an assault style rife shares with of an assault rifle, assault style rifles are almost as deadly as assault rifles. According to AssaultWeaponTruth.com, an assault style rifle can fire 100 bullets in about 60 seconds while an assault rifle can fire the same number of bullets in about 20 seconds.
Given the ease with which assault style rifles can mimic or actually become machine guns their possession by people who claim they want them for hunting poses an unnecessary risk to us. There is even a greater risk of assault style rifles being converted into machine guns by those who want them for self-protection. People who want an assault style rifle for protection may fear “bad guys” who have superior weapons. This may lead them to seek a machine gun to defend themselves against “bad guys.” Despite the ease with which an assault style rifle may be converted into a machine gun, the NRA has persisted in arguing that assault style rifles are simply another type of semiautomatic rifles.
Devices like bump stocks, trigger cranks (i.e., a hand turned grinder that activates the trigger faster than any person’s finger), or “quick-spring-back” triggers can legally turn assault style rifles into a “simulated” machine gun. In addition, kits are available that can be used to modify the internal mechanism of an assault style rifle, already similar to assault rifles so that it can be turned into a “true” machine gun. Legislation to outlaw these devices is being considered now. But, it is surely a fool’s errand to try to stop innovators from devising new devices that skirt the law.
The NRA tepidly responded to these innovations by calling for further regulatory review. The ATF, however, has already ruled they cannot regulate devices like bump stocks, trigger cranks, and tactical triggers. Additional legislation is needed, and that legislation should be a well thought out ban on assault style rifles. A previous ban on selling assault style rifles was criticized because it did not result in a decrease in gun crimes. That ban, however, was seriously flawed. It was repealed within a 10 years before most of these weapons could be removed. And, it did not prevent manufacturers from making simple cosmetic changes to evade the law. A ban more comprehensive than the previous one could remedy these flaws. If this seems a reasonable goal for legislation, you should let your representative and Senators know your feelings.