Havent we had enough consessions? I mean, I get the whole "no constitutional right is unbridaled". But im an old guy so keep that in mind if you bother to read the rest of this.
Im old enough to remember the 1986 tragedy in Miami with the F.B.I. agents that resulted in the original "assault weapons ban". Back then, the term was machine gun, and it effectively banned any full auto weapon BUT grandfathered those made prior to its enactment. What it essentially did was ban "machine guns" from everyone but the wealthy. The tax stamp wasnt as much at issue as was the scalper prices on the pre-ban weaponry that was transferable. An old tactic really, in that instead of out-right banning anything, you simple make the price so outrageous that they become unattainable to most. So, instead of spraying a target with full auto fire, It became fashionable to neutralize the threat with a round of shot from a shotgun peppering with less rounds.
As a young man with limited financial resources I decided to play with machine guns on Uncle Sams dime and time. That was fun, but once that gig ended and I became "CIVILized" I still enjoyed firearms, but no more full auto playtime. I used to get a kick out of going to the range just to people watch and see all those folks with their M forgerys an AK fotay sebens pulling the trigger just as fast as they could on weapons that they payed overpriced amounts for that when field stripped and cleaned were revealed to be nothing more than watered down, neutered, parted out copys of the real deal.
I wanted to get my own military rifle for range play but I wanted an authentic one that was in the same condition as the maker had made it for the military instead of a "safer" and "civilianized" version marketed towards us lowly untrustworthy civilians. So I bought a Garand, and enjoyed myself. Then along came the 94 AWB. I eventually sold the Garand to fund a purchase of the at that time ELUSIVE high capacity evil 9mm pistol. Of course the 94 ban sunseted and the world turned and I eventually got back into the world of recreational shooting. I wanted another AUTHENTIC military rifle so I bought an SKS. I loved it so much I bought a Mosin to keep it company and then I found one of those hand crank gatling gun things for a 22. I bought it on an impulse and put it on my Marlin 795 from time to time for grins an giggles. Its fun, and something about wasting 22s just felt good. Low an behold, someone finally started making drum mags for the Marlin an i was REALLY havin fun at the range. Id heard about slidefire stocks and since id had some exposure to the AK platform I figured since 7.62x39 was cheap enough id try my hand at making one since at that time slidefire didnt offer an AK model. So after a brief affair with the cheap and evil AK I was introduced to the lovely 922R compliance worksheets. After that introduction I liked my SKS even more so I dropped the AK and my homemade bumpfire stock like 3rd period French.
Then I learned that some folks had actually been able to get a Slide Fire stock to work with a 22. Since 22 ammo and rapid fire seemed a perfect combo for me to get my full auto fix I set out to get a Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22. I had heard some had got the slidefire to work on Ruger 10-22s but id never been a big fan of Rugers so...I finally got lucky and aquired my little AR wanna be 15-22.
Now im in the autumn of my life, enjoying plinking and popping with my little M forgery and all of a sudden some joker shoots up a theatre, then we have the tragedy in Connecticut and now I cant even find 22 ammo, Now we have impending legislations, and now my $250.00 SKS is worth $500.00 and likely the ONLY automatic rifle that wont be on the ban list. The whole firearm industry is in turmoil, and all because of a handful of murderers who could have, and would have wreaked havoc with ANYTHING they could have aquired, (bombs, vehicles, knifes,etc) but because they had firearms its a bumpy ride for every gun owner.
I found it Ironic that the Colorado school shooting (Columbine) occured during the last AWB and I also find it Ironic that the mother of the murderer in Newtown whos guns the shooter used after murdering his mother were legally aquired by her, in fairly haste fashion because she feared a renewel of the 94 AWB after the re-election of the incumbent. It would seem the very "ban" every advocate is pressing for is the very one (at least in part) that has already erased the lives of 20 children.
I dont think anyone on this board would have a problem turning in every gun they own if they thought for one minute it would avoid another tragedy like the ones we have seen as of late....but the reality is glowingly apparent that anyone willing to commit murder is certainly willing to commit other crimes to gain access to weapons be they slidefire equiped or otherwise, 30 round mag or 10 round, etc. etc.
