Quote:
Originally posted by smooth
Look, I don't want to keep arguing this point as I don't see my opinion chaning anyone's mind. But I'm going to point a couple things out before I take off:
1) Evidence that criminals don't use assault weapons during crimes isn't evidence that the ban is useless, it's evidence that it works. These weapons have been banned from being manufactured for 10 years now. The pre-94 weapons have substantially increased in price. Any of you collectors out there are more than welcome to buy pre-banned rifles at a collector's price--but companies can't make new ones.
2) Your ability to make a legal gun look like an illegal one notwithstanding, law enforcement officials won't know whether they are looking down the barrel of a fully automatic AR15 or not. Why you failed to mention in your example above that there is a fully auto version of the AR15 is beyond me. A semi-auto version can be converted to a full auto by exchaning some parts and shaving metal from the internals. Granted the mini-14 can be converted, as well, but, well...that leads into this next point:
--http://www.millionmommarch.org/facts/gunlaws/awb.asp
Now granted, I think shooting semi's off are fun. But as soon as I could, I "fixed" my tech-9 and sks's. We might reach a consensus on where the line between regulating guns should be, but you aren't going to convince me that there is no functional difference between a fold-down polycarbonate stock, pistol grip rifle with a 50 round clip and a wooden stock, full lenght, ruger hunting rifle with a 3 round clip.
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I agree that we aren't going to convince each other and that we are repeating ourselves, but there are a few points that I still need to make regarding what you've said.
On your point 1), it is exactly evidence that criminals don't use assault weapons, because the the same assault weapons have continued to be available
while crime went down.
In otherwords, you can go to the store
today and get an AR15 (with the proper background checks, of course).
On point 2):
I don't believe it matters to a cop if the gun is fully auto or not (I've never seen this argument before). If you are pointing a gun at a cop, he/she will shoot you, period.
Also, I don't know exactly why we are off into fully automatic conversions, as the AWB has NOTHING to do with fully automatic weapons, but I'll answer your point.
Putting [b]any[b] fully automatic weapon parts in a gun makes it a "machine gun" to the ATF (whether or not it actually functions as such doesn't even matter). If you get caught, it's a vacation at Club Fed.
And it isn't that easy to do either. (Certainly not just "shaving metal from the internals").
Several parts are incompatable and require a machine shop to change.
Definitely beyond the average person's ability.
So again, in the face of "what if" arguments, I simply point to the fact that there is no evidence to support your claims.