10 year ban on assault weapons ends

[jeepnut]

Originally Posted by Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho - The expiration Monday of a 10-year federal ban on assault weapons means firearms like AK-47s, Uzis and TEC-9s can now be legally bought — a development that has critics upset and gun owners pleased.

The 1994 ban, signed by President Clinton (news - web sites), outlawed 19 types of military-style assault weapons. A clause directed that the ban expire unless Congress specifically reauthorized it, which it did not.

Studies done by pro- and antigun groups as well as the Justice Department (news - web sites) show conflicting results on whether the ban helped reduce crime. Loopholes allowed manufacturers to keep many weapons on the market simply by changing their names or altering some of their features or accessories.

Gun shop owners said the expiration of the ban will have little effect on the types of guns and accessories that are typically sold and traded across their counters every day.

At the Boise Gun Co., gunsmith Justin Davis last week grabbed up a black plastic rifle resembling the U.S. military's standard issue M-16 from a row of more than a dozen similar weapons stacked against a wall.

The civilian version of the gun, a Colt AR-15 manufactured before 1994, could be sold last week just as easily as it can be sold this week. "It shoots exactly the same ammo at exactly the same rate of fire," said Davis.

Many states — including California, Massachusetts, New York and Hawaii — have passed their own laws curbing the use of assault weapons. Some of those are more stringent than the federal ban.

U.S. Rep. Butch Otter, R-Idaho, trumpeted the end of the federal law.

"President Clinton's so-called 'assault weapons' ban was nothing more than a sop to antigun liberals," Otter said Friday in a written statement. "It provided only the illusion of reducing gun violence, but it did real damage to our liberties."

But advocates for the ban, including the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, point to some particularly vicious shootings in which military-style weapons were used — including the 10 killings in the sniper shooting spree that terrorized residents in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., in 2002.

National police organizations such as the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the International Brotherhood of Police Officers and the Fraternal Order of Police all support the renewal of the ban. President Bush (news - web sites) has said he would sign such a bill if Congress passed it.

Idaho State Police spokesman Rick Ohnsman said troopers have had no significant problems with assault style weapons and his agency has not taken a position for or against the federal legislation.

"Of course, the legitimate owners of guns register them. Unfortunately, whether there is a ban or not, some individuals will find ways to get weapons that are illegal."

The expiration of the assault weapons ban does not mean the end of federal background checks. The 1993 Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act is separate legislation from the assault weapons ban, said Daniel Wells, chief of the FBI (news - web sites) unit charged with overseeing the background checks system.

"The change in law relating to assault weapons has no impact on the Brady Law," Wells said.

Davis predicted the biggest change in his business will be the ability of manufacturers and importers to market higher capacity ammunition magazines — the removable "clip" that holds and feeds bullets through guns.

Under the 1994 ban, the maximum capacity of a magazine was set at 10 rounds. That sent the price of high-capacity magazines through the roof, Davis said, even though magazines manufactured before the ban were protected by a "grandfather" provision and could still be sold.

Now, some gun manufacturers are planning to give away high-capacity magazines as bonuses for buying their weapons. Sales of formerly banned gun accessories, such as flash suppressors and folding stocks, are also expected to take off.

Well, what do we think? I don't see any reason to need an assault weapon so this isn't exactly good news from my viewpoint. Of course, according to the article, it doesn't sound like it did much.

[dropCGCF]

Guns aren't the problem. Ammo is.

[DimHalo]

I have a hard time really caring too much (at the moment). I don't live in Idaho and I have more pressing concerns... like finding a recommendation for grad school by the wed deadline.

[Jonbo298]

Gee golly, time for me to go buy an Uzi and a ton of other Assault Weapons for NO ****ING REASON

[The Germanator]

Well, I don't even think handguns should be legal, so you can tell what I think about this...I think it sucks.

[thatmariolover]

Originally Posted by The Germanator

Well, I don't even think handguns should be legal, so you can tell what I think about this...I think it sucks.

I'm totally with you man. If their weren't any guns, there generally wouldn't be any need for them.

[Canyarion]

In Holland (I'm not bragging... just telling) all guns are illegal. There is far less crime here. Or perhaps people get beat up instead of shot through the head...

No guns = good.

[Jason1]

Originally Posted by thatmariolover

I'm totally with you man. If their weren't any guns, there generally wouldn't be any need for them.

I'll agree with you and Germy on this one...

[Fox 6]

Originally Posted by The Germanator

Well, I don't even think handguns should be legal, so you can tell what I think about this...I think it sucks.

Handguns are illegal in Canada.

[ZebraRampage]

Originally Posted by Jonbo298

Gee golly, time for me to go buy an Uzi and a ton of other Assault Weapons for NO ****ING REASON

This is only in Idaho, right? Well I do realize that these weapons could be used out of state, but like Jonbo said, I don't think that many people would even buy these weapons. I doubt it will contribute a significant amount to the gun issue that our country has.

[Stonecutter]

Originally Posted by ZebraRampage

This is only in Idaho, right? Well I do realize that these weapons could be used out of state, but like Jonbo said, I don't think that many people would even buy these weapons. I doubt it will contribute a significant amount to the gun issue that our country has.

No, nation wide.

What everyone must realize is that this ban didn't really do anything. An "assault weapon" is classified as any semi-automatic rifle which has two or more of the following: Pistol grip, collapsible stock, bayonet mount, muzzle suppressor, grenade launcher. (The grenade launcher was just tacked on to make the law seem more forceful but they're really weren't legal in the first place.)

Fully Automatic (which, by the way, does not mean rapid fire, although all rapid fire weapons are fully automatic) guns are banned in the United States. This law also removed the restriction on magazines over 10 rounds, although those magazines were still legal to own and use, just not manufacture. This law was pretty stupid, it didn't really do anything and ending it doesn't really expand anything.

I believe that single and double shot rifles and shotguns should be legal (for hunting) all other guns should be banned (including hand guns.)

[Fox 6]

Well if you run out of bullets hunting you can just stab a dear with a bayonet in a war rush

[Dyne]

I wonder about Canada's law on this now. There probably is a ban on Automatics up here, still, but, I've never cared to check.

[GameMaster]

I don't really mind if it's uplifted or not as long as violence and crime doesn't increase but if it does then we should ban them again.

[dropCGCF]

I don't care if people have guns. We need them to hunt today's superanimals, such as the electric eel.
Societies can be responsible even with assault waepons as long as people are trained and proven to be responsible.