Thread: Whats your opinion on automatic weapons?

I just wanna make an additional point. I'm on the fence (maybe leaning slightly toward permitting) on the full auto issue. No problems with high cap mags or black/red rifles being in law-abiding citizens' hands, but I would institute a proper licensing program - safety training, background checks for both history of violent crimes and certain types of mental illnesses.

Originally Posted by TrilliumLT

The ONLY ppl that should have automatic weapons are the Military and ETF (also known as Swat). I cant think of any other reason someone should have one.

For some reason these kind of threads get my blood boiling and im sure im not the only one. The funny thing is im a fellow gun owner.

It would probably freak most Canadians out to realize that the ownership of of full automatic firearms was possible till the early 1970s or so. They were classed as restricted and required registration. I was a young man at that time and do not recall too many if any incidents of legal owners of full autos going off their nut and causing mayhem and death. Before you get worked up about that, we cured the non existent problem by making them prohibited weapons with a grandfather clause for those already legally owned. Not to worry about that either as I suspect all those grandfathered are now dead and their collections destroyed as they could not be pasted on.

Following the ban on full automatic firearms in private hands, a Canadian Army Corporal, Dennis Lortie, did in fact go on a killing spree in the Quebec National Assembly armed with not one but two army issue sub machine guns. The year was 1984. a decade after private ownership of such firearms was banned. You just can't legislate or guarantee the sanity of anyone.

Handguns have been required to registered since 1934 with ever increasing restrictions being placed on who can own them, where they can be legally used and how they may be legally stored and transported. Yet we still have violent acts committed by people using handguns. The recent spate of shootings in Toronto spring to mind. What has been the change in our society that fosters a mentality that allows people to do these things. More draconian gun laws have not seemed to be the holy grail of an answer. Wish it were that easy but it simply is not.

Bob

Full auto can be had in the US ( legally ) with a CLASS III license.

I've no problems with full auto, other than the fact that it is EXPENSIVE if your uncle isn't paying for the ammo.

Originally Posted by straightrazorheaven

Also while it is true that crazy people who wish to do harm can do so without guns, don't they just make it a hell of a lot easier for them. Bundy confessed to 30 murders over 4 years, this guy killed 14 (?) people in minutes, and injured scores more. Would he have been able to do that without some sort of ballistic weapon? I very much doubt it.

911 hijackers killed thousands in minutes with a few box cutters. I'm just sayin'...

Originally Posted by Wullie

Full auto can be had in the US ( legally ) with a CLASS III license.

I've no problems with full auto, other than the fact that it is EXPENSIVE if your uncle isn't paying for the ammo.

Yea, that type of legal hobby is self limiting/restricting by it's cost. It was here too at the time it was banned. At least I still got to fire an MG-34 once, not an every day occurrence now.

Bob

Yeah, select fire firearms would mostly be fired in semi-auto mode, with the occasional 3rd burst just to scratch the itch without breaking the bank

Realistically, placing too many restrictions on gun ownership by law-abiding citizens won't prevent criminals from having guns. They are already way outside the law, so breaking another is not an issue for them.

What's unfortunate is that a good percentage of the people in that theater were not exercising their right to bear arms...semi-autos, full-autos, anything that could have taken that threat out immediately.

Originally Posted by ReardenSteel

Well those zombies aren't going to kill themselves...they're already dead. 19 pages so far and this is the first mention of zombies in a serious conversation, come on guys we're slipping. Now back to the discussion.

Dont you know the use of fire arms just draws more Zombies to your location. Nothing can stop the Zombie Horde other than freezing cold tempatures. Glad i live up north.

Originally Posted by TrilliumLT

Dont you know the use of fire arms just draws more Zombies to your location. Nothing can stop the Zombie Horde other than freezing cold tempatures. Glad i live up north.

That's why my SKS has a bayonet.

Originally Posted by Birnando

This is a strange logic.
If some of those attending that film that night were armed, do that really mean they had been trained to actually fight in a dark room, with tear gaz grenades flying around and someone shooting in to the darkness with a hunting rifle, and actually make a positive difference?

Or could one argue that out of fear,one would pull their own and add to the spectacle with a few blind rounds themselves?
Seeing as most of those obtaining a gun in the US today, can do so by going to the local mall and buy one in a matter of days, no training whatsoever required.
My money would be on the second option...

The murder rates in the US is staggering by most any standard.
Disarmament of the lawful citizen does in fact work, it has been proven time and time again in many nations.
For reference, do check out the murder rates of my Country, Norway.
For those who wont be bothered with that, the figure is well above 5 times(closer to 6) higher in the US..
( according to UN statistics for the period 2003-2008)

Until you actually try, how in the world will you ever know that it doesn't work in the US as well?

The biggest freedom, seems an imprtant word to a lot in these discussions, has already been lost years ago in the US.
Lots of people are afraid of going outside at night, in some areas even in broad daylight.
The right to move freely, without fear of being gunned down, robbed at gunpoint or other stuff happening on a daily basis, is basically lost to a great many Americans.
It has even gotten to a point where normal hard working members of society are afraid to even drive thru certain areas of cities across the US
Is that freedom? No, seriously, is it really?
It is time for the US as a nation to grow up, it's not a frontier anymore, the west is already won

Gun control isn't simply about removing the hardware from the wrong hands.
Much more important than that is the change of mindset of the citizens over time.

At the risk of going on your Black List, Birnando, I have to disagree with most all of your post.
We will never know if a concealed firearm in the crowd would have made a difference. Many who carry concealed in this country have fought/survived worse scenarios than the one that actually happened. Many are current or past veterans, police officers or just everyday citizens who take carrying a firearm seriously, who train with their weapons.

Firearms are a part of our culture and always will be. Disdain from citizens, of countries that over restrict their use, only make us want to hold on to them harder.

You appear to not live in our country by your profile, so it is hard for you to understand our culture with regard to firearms. We are the Wild West, yes we are. The World knows that.

Your comment, " It is time for the US as a nation to grow up, it's not a frontier anymore, the west is already won." Speaks to the core of your problem with America & I feel it exceeds the firearm issue.

I , along with the friends I know do not fear the nights in America, we do not restrict our travel to certain areas of our cities, if we really have a want or need to travel there. What's sad is that most of the worlds sees us in the eyes of a tainted media hype, that has their own agenda. Truly sad, yes it is.

America is a giving country, sometimes America is a taking country. Look at us with fairness, not disdain and weigh her good against her bad; then tell me which side the scales tip.

God, I hope I'm around for the next post..........