The Reason Banning Assault Weapons Sales Will Have a Positve Impact

[louis c]

I seem to run into this argument when I advance the banning of the sale of assault weapons, "There are so many assault weapons out there, if someone wants to get one, they'll find a way to get it." As the students say "I call bullshit."

You see, if the sale of such weapons is made illegal, the folks who now own them will be reluctant to sell them to anyone, let alone a stranger. That sale would be illegal, and if a crime was committed with that illegally obtained weapon, the seller could be criminally charged with being an accessory to that crime. It wouldn't be easy to obtain that type of weapon. In addition, universal background checks need to be expanded and applicable to private gun sales, and everyone who buys a gun should need a permit to own one.

I'm not saying that guns should be outlawed, but the second amendment has the words "well regulated" in the text. Well, let's regulate the gun industry, hold people accountable for the sale and distribution of fire arms, and save lives.

[Sherman A1]

1. Precisely

It is a start, in what will likely be a long journey.

[Vinca]

2. Excellent point.

[louis c]

9. Thanks (NT)

[Hoyt]

3. Exactly. Every year we do nothing put millions more in gunners' hands.

Sooner or later we will have to do something, now is better than later.

[brer cat]

4. *This*

People here sell guns in yard sales. I absolutely blows my mind.

[True Blue American]

5. And more money in the NRAs

Pocket and those who accept their blood money.

Question, why aren’t those Billionaires coming out with money to help?

George Clooney did. George and His Father,a well known local star have been doing these things for a long time.

[genxlib]

6. The law of supply and demand

Dictates that limiting the number of guns in the pool will make their value go up. As time goes on and the pool diminishes, the value will grow.

Add a buy back program and it goes even higher.

If nothing else, this will be a barrier to some getting them. And perhaps and incentive to lock away the ones that remain.

[Demsrule86]

7. Excellent.

[2naSalit]

8. K&R

[JoeOtterbein]

10. Guns Suck. n/t

[TNNurse]

11. Ban the sale is just the beginning.

I am in favor of rounding them up and destroying them. I want fines and jail time for anyone is possession of one after a certain date. I want possession to be a felony and automatic forfeiture of any other firearms. I want anyone with one to be banned from legally owning any firearm for life.

I prefer the term weapons of war and no private citizen should be armed for war in their home or business.

[Fred Sanders]

13. Weapons of war and Kid Killers. And school kid killings with the kid killers. Words are important,

as you know.

[Lucky Luciano]

12. According to Jim Jeffries comedy set on gun control,

...when Australia banned guns, the cost of an AR15 style assault weapon went from $1,000 to $34,000 on the black market. That is a good deterrent.

[hack89]

14. Those nice people that sell you drugs

Will be more than happy to sell you guns. You pass your law and legal owners will simply sell before the law goes onto effect. Now you have a huge pool of unregistered weapons being sold on the black market. Buying a gun would be as easy as buying drugs.

[louis c]

16. There's a big difference between selling drugs or guns

That's the reason when we had a 10 year assault weapons ban, mass shootings went down by 57% and when it was allowed to expire in 2004, the results were a 250% increase.

Canada, Australia, Great Britain all have stricter gun laws and result in far less gun deaths. They have the same percentage of mentally ill people and the same exposure to the culture that we do. Yet, the mass shootings are almost non-existent.

If a law abiding gun owner illegally sells a gun, they will be at risk of being complicit if that gun is used in a crime. Much more criminal exposure, after the fact, than selling drugs.

[hack89]

20. AR-15 production and sales increased during the AWB

Manufacturers made the necessary cosmetic changes to their rifles and ramped up production for the increased demand. Adam Lanza's rifle was perfectly legal during the AWB. It was legal under CT's AWB.

[moriah]

17. That's why the real thing we need to do is require licensing for ammo purchases...

... and limit magazines for long guns to what Maine, Oregon, and apparently also Michigan do for hunting -- five capacity magazine, for a total of six bullets being able to be fired before reload.

You have a gun? Fine. Without bullets, you could perhaps use it as a bludgeon, but the trend toward plastics make the "pistol bludgeon" a little less effective than with a full metal 1911.

At 18 or 21, whichever, you can apply for your ammo license and take a background check, just like we do when we register to vote. Something at the point of sale should be able to alert if the license has been revoked for committing a crime that would restrict one from purchasing a gun. Give states five years to implement that portion (determination if license is currently valid) but start issuing licenses on a "will issue if background check passed" basis immediately. Edit to add: requiring serialization of ammo by that time would also help with straw purchasers.

Yes, we have people with huge ammo stockpiles, too. But ammo's ability to fire deteriorates a lot faster than a well-made and well-maintained firearm does. If a person just "keeps in practice" with a handgun by going to the range obce a week and putting a box through their gun, they'll purchase probably ~2500 bullets a year.

[marieo1]

15. minngal

I agree 100%. I live in hunting country. No one uses these assault weapon for hunting so what are they used for? To hunt down and kill another human beings. This needs to be stopped. No one needs an assault weapon. They have ruined the right to use hunting rifles to bring home meat for the family. This was once an honorable and necessary thing to do!!

Bravo to all the guys that destroy their assault weapons. More power to you. It should absolutely be illegal for the average person to own an assault weapon and only after a serious background check, mental health fitness and acknowledge their reason for even wanting one.
GUNS ARE NOT TOYS!!

[Ligyron]

18. One semiautomatic weapon is just as deadly as another.

Doesn't matter if it's "assault" style or not.

[uponit7771]

19. +1, USSC has already decided we don't have the right to every firearm in every setting