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How much longer for the AK 47?
vipereater
Member Posts: 90 ✭
We all know that the AK 47 is a true assault weapon. How much longer before the fed ban them from the US market or worse yet ownership? Would the 7.62x39 ammo be banned first or the weapon?
You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
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"If cowardly & dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary...and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
First, a little history. (And anybody correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I'm right.) The term assault rifle was coined by Hitler himself during WW2. As the military defines it, an assault rifle is a rifle capable of being selectively fired in at least two of the following modes: automatic (keeps firing as long as you hold the trigger), burst (fixed number of rounds fired for one trigger pull), semi-automatic (one shot per trigger pull). A true AK-47 or clone (like the garage shop knock-offs you can buy in Pakistan for $75) fits this definition.
The so-called AK-47s that U.S. civilians can legally buy (in most states) are not actually true AK-47s, but have been modified to allow semi-automatic fire only. So technically, they are not assault rifles. Just to take one example out of many, the auction below says "AK-47" but if you look at the fine print, it is really a "WASR-10". If you were to take one of these and modify it to be a true AK-47, that would be a big no-no.
http://www.gunbroker.com/auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=4275129
The term assault weapon was invented to ban certain rifles and shotguns that scared ignorant people. The definition of assault weapon is cosmetic. A semi-automatic rifle with a detachable magazine is an assault weapon if it has any two of the following features: (1) pistol grip, (2) folding stock, (3) bayonet mount, (4) flash suppressor or screws for one, (5) grenade launcher. What they were trying to do was to ban rifles that "look like" military rifles with no regard for actual capabilities. The so-called "AK-47" you are talking about doesn't fit that definition because it only has one feature, the pistol grip.
Of course, in reality, a deranged person or criminal could cause just as much havoc with or without any of those features. So the whole idea is stupid.
Now, as to what the antis are going to try next, if you follow the news you will see the following trends:
1. Make gun ownership socially unacceptable.
2. Sue gun manufacturers for all crimes and accidents involving guns.
3. Tax ammunition.
The antis will fight like crazy to get the 1994 assault weapon ban extended before it sunsets in 2004. They may or may not do that, but it doesn't look like the present climate is good for more outright bans at the federal level beyond what has already been done. Ideas 1 and 2 are especially good for the antis because they can be advanced by relatively small numbers of dedicated, unelected people.
offeror's buying while he can. Hmmm.
The ammo costs less but I go though it ten times faster.
You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
Bruce