Quote:
Originally posted by smooth
Lebell,
The statistics don't back me up for what?
I was pointing out to cj2112 that a folding stock and 50 round clip _do_ change the function of a rifle--namely, that it becomes more concealable and can fire more rounds than a the long-stocked ruger he said he currently was fitted with.
I don't know what statistics I need to make this statement. Speaking of statistics, though, crime is down to 1990 levels, not 1960. 1960 was when crime rates skyrocketed. During the 80's they bobbled up and down and finally started to drop around 1992. We haven't come anywhere close the levels we had 40 years ago. Worse than that, while crime has been dropping, juvenile (16-25) violent crime has been increasing. So while the overall crime trend has been dropping, important portions of it haven't always been standing out.
Your play on my words notwithstanding, the legislature drafted a law to regulate weapons they believed to be more dangerous than average guns. You haven't convinced me they based the law on looks, unless you've got something more substantial than speculation
I wasn't implying that they used sight to base the law on when I used the term "viewed." That's a synonym for "believed" or "understood," and could have very well been based on statistics rather than fear and pictures.
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Smooth,
While you made an observation, specifically the statistics don't support you in that folding stocks are prefered by criminals committing crimes.
Are they sometimes found?
Yes.
But there doesn't appear to be a problem.
NOW:
Yes, I can say that the law was based on looks.
I don't have time right now, but if you want me to when I get back, I can pull up the quotes of the senators who drafted the law.
To paraphrase, they went through gun publications like "Shotgun News" and picked out the ones that looked scary.
I'm not making this up.
That's how they picked many of these weapons.
For example, that is EXACTLY why the Ruger Mini14 (a .223 semiautomatic rifle, that has many aftermarket parts available, including folding stocks and large capacity magazines) is on the "Good Rifle List" in Appendix A of the regulation, while the Colt AR15, (a .223 semiautomatic rifle, that has many (blah blah blah)) is specifically banned.
Yes, I promise you, without doubt and by their own words, our Senators and Representatives did this based on emotional reactions after looking through gun magazines.
Not function.
Looks.