Bob Owens has noticed that the laws of supply and demand have been subtly altered – not for the first time – by government policy. Or, in this case at least, the anticipation of Change(!!1!) in government policy:
“I could sell a hundred ARs an hour, if I had them.”
That was the word from the man behind the counter at my local gun shop yesterday afternoon when I stopped in. As if to put an exclaimation point on his claim, two men added their names to an ever-growing waiting list to purchase AR-15 carbines within minutes of my entering the store…
Fears of an Obama administration attempt to raise prohibitive taxes and reinstate bans on so-called “assault weapons” and standard capacity magazines have led to rushes on many kinds of semi-automatic rifles and pistols, especially those with high capacity magazines. Until recently, Obama’s transition website indicated his intention to reinstate the ineffective 1994 Assault Weapons Ban that passed under President Clinton and expired in 2004 under President Bush.
We had a bit of a conversation about this a couple of weeks back. I even linked to a “black rifle” all tricked out for operations. Which, I’ve always had a faint kind yearning for one of those black rifles, if only for the brutally honest, form-fits-function of the things. Their likeness to a Platonic Form. Like I’ve always yearned – in an offhand way – for a well made katana, Spanish rapier, Roman gladius. Ferrari Testarossa. Ducati Supersport. Piper Super Cub.
I could go on, and on.
But – for my purposes anyway – none of those things seem remotely practical, given the hideous expense that’s in it. A couple grand sitting in the safe only to be brought out every other month or so for exercise on a 30 meter indoor range would seem a recipe for impecuniousness, what with the All-Girl Spending Team firing on all cylinders. And all those swords laying about would make for a non-trivial trip hazard. Tack ‘em on the bulkhead and the neighbors start to wonder. Only think of the insurance costs of driving the Ferrari to work in third gear, day in, day out.
I still don’t have that taildragger endorsement.
But it doesn’t hurt to look, does it? Which is where I discovered, like Mr. Owens, that others of my countrymen either have decided to navigate the roiled waters of Our Troubled Economy by packing on more sail, or else they simply have a different prioritization scheme.
Nothing in stock. Orders are being taken.
ah, the militia becomes self-aware…
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/10/311.html
Started looking at AR’s about 3 months ago when a little voice told me of an impending Pres. “O”.
Her Regalness won’t let me have one for exactly the reason you expressed: “A couple grand sitting in the safe only to be brought out every other month or so for exercise on a 30 meter indoor range would seem a recipe for impecuniousness…”
But I would so love to share it with my Marine son when he returns from Astan…methinks he’d like it too.
Yeah. Dropped some coin for an M-4 clone two weeks ago for a little over $650. Had to go with the fixed iron sights on account of not wanting to spent five figures for the rail systems etc. . I tell Lipstick 6 that it is like her jewelry only it doesn’t get taken out and worn as often and requires cleaning after use.
As for the tail wheel endorsement- you have free use of my bug smasher should you come up this way. Got a friend who will sign you off too.
Yeah,
Count me in on that sign up sheet as well. I haven’t the coinage until the first of the year, but I figure as long as I can pick it up prior to the 20th of January, that’ll be fine. I am not going through a dealer, but buying a 2nd hand one through a private party. No sense in adding to the waste stream with all that messy and complicated paperwork, eh?
Private sale, cash in hand. It’s what makes America great.
AW1 Tim … yes, “private sale, cash in hand” works great. And after our cash supply diminishes during this recession, that oldest system of all, barter, will work too, especially in Texas, where guns are still [relatively] freely sold and traded.
Marianne
Marianne ,
Up here in Maine, I belong to a group that works on the barter system. You sign up and list what skills, etc, you have to offer, and you get credits in the system when you do the work for someone. You can then use those credits to have work you need done by someone else on the list.
No cash, no paperwork, no bother
AW1Tim, you and Marianne would get along extremely well with my husband. That’s his favourite way to do things.
AW1 Tim … great idea, Tim. You Down Easters live in a great state, full of sturdy folks. Wish you lived down here in Texas, though. In the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, we’re all having our struggles getting back to “normal,” whatever that is. Our undependable daily newspaper, The Houston Chronicle, said this morning that about 90% of Houstonians lost electric power during/after Ike. We, who live inside the Loop near the commercial center of the city, were out for 12 days. And apparently, there are no “reporters” on the staff of the Chronicle able, or willing, enough to investigate why. So, like you folks Up There, we independent Texans are resorting to barter, along with cussing. Whatever works.
My husband and I would offer to show the pusillanimous reporters on The Chronicle, how to do investigative journalism on where the system failed in this, the fourth largest city in the country. But their editors wouldn’t permit it. So they remain the propaganda arm of the Democrat party.
By the way, Tim. My husband dug out the text of his speech on Los Confederados, those Southern soldiers who migrated out of the country after the Civil War. Downs had given the speech to a New Orleans group called Save Our Cemeteries, in 2004. I’m forwarding the text to Lex, in hopes he will forward it to you as you requested. It’s a fascinating and little known story. There were more than three million Southerners who, after the war hostilities ended, left their homes and their states to emigrate as far away as Brazil and start a new life.
Marianne
Made my reservations on this issue back in your last post but I’ll reiterate from a position of “I’ve got mine”.
All those scared folks wanting a pistol for defense (they ain’t worth a crap for anything else except hunting Javelinas and hogs) all wanting hi capacity, bullet spewing, assault rifles does sorta unnerve me, a lifetime member of the NRA…
Not for the reasons you might expect but for the simple reason of “why ain’t I seeing like the rest of them, what’s on the horizon”. Should I buy more ammo? Personally, I think they just want possession of one before some executive order comes down or such..LOL (cynically).
re- “well made katana, Spanish rapier, Roman gladius. Ferrari Testarossa. Ducati Supersport.”
Just where doi you acquire all these expensive tastes, DelMar proper?
b2
Remember, badbob, Lex is a sabre fencer, which is probably why he fancies a Spanish rapier. He knows how to use this elegantly lethal weapon, which most good alpha males of past history could defend themselves and their families with in times of threat. Olympic Fencing is one of the most time-honored of sports, and was included on the Olympic roster dating back to the late 1800s, long before skate-boarding was ever thought of, much less included among ‘Olympic’ sports.
If the panic about ‘recession’ continues, he might even need a rapier, Spanish or otherwise, to defend home, hearth, and the “Olympic Spending Team’ from looters and other folks who feel ‘entitled’ to our money.
The gummint hasn’t yet realized how lethal a rapier can be, or they would confiscate them too.
Marianne
Apparently, Obama’s transition team has been asking potential appointees detailed questions about their gun ownership. It’s only one of 63 questions but it asks: “Do you or any members of your immediate family own a gun? If so, provide complete ownership and registration information. Has the registration ever lapsed? Please also describe how and by whom it is used and whether it has been the cause of any personal injuries or property damage.” Wonder if those who own guns are disqualified from serving in the Obama administration?
A friend of mine works at the Cabela’s in East Hartford, CT. She happens to work in the gun department, processing all the paperwork. She said since Obama’s victory was announced, they haven’t been able to keep ahead of demand. They have been balls-to-the-wall ever since.
Oh yeah, and I join Lex is lusting for a Ferrari of the Testarossa variety. Hubba Hubba.
Anvil Arms, and many other companies sell the bare lower receiver. That IS the firearm for legal purposes. They are currently retailing for $130.00. They have to be shipped to a licensed firearms dealer and transferred to you.
The rest of the rifle, all the small parts, the barrel, hand guards, stock, etc. , can be had as a kit for about $480.00, from Del-ton Inc., and many others. Shipped right to your door, it’s just stuff.
So, for about $600.00, an AR-15 can be purchased. Assembly takes about a 1/2 hour.
Optics, either a scope or a red-dot sight will run from $50.00 to about $400.00, depending on what you want. Throw in a handful of magazines and 500 rounds of ammo, and you’re pushing a grand. Still, it is a practical weapon, and I shoot mine fairly regularly.
In California, you already can’t have one without significant modifications. No bayonet lug, no flash suppressor, a fixed magazine, no pistol grip, or some incomprehensible combination of all that.
Start at http://www.ar15.com/
The links to the vendors, lots of information, forums, how to videos, and more.
The one thing you’re going to find now is that everything is back ordered, all of it is going up in price.
Marianne,
Ain’t that fencing suff like ballet? Gotta wear tights and all and a mask?
Just kidding. I ain’t getting in no sorta sword fight wid a dude like ‘lex.
Kris,
I KNOW E.Hartford or usta quite well….Sorta funny. I left there many decades ago so I could visit the Empire of Cabelas off’n the hi-way in Sidney, NE (small town on the Platte). Now there’s one in East Hartford. Progress fer sure!
b2
Cap’n:
Nothing wrong with a good carbine, but no need to go hog wild with the jewelry associated with it. No need for an Eotech with magnification, unless you are planning on sniping or competitive shooting. A nice mini-red-dot sight will give you equivalent performance for all intents and purposes (Aimpoint’s T-1 or Trijicons MRD both seem decent). No real need to buy the quad rails unless you plan on mounting a whole lot of toys on your gun, either. A rail top and bottom will give you plenty of room for a sight, a grip, and a light. Who needs more?
I guess I’m with Badbob.
If you NEEDED one of these weapons, you should already own it. I don’t understand the mad rush, or sudden need, for one now. The recession’s not an excuse, it’s been going on for at least 6 months…..
AR-15.com is a good place to start. You can get in to an AR-15 for about $600.00, buy a stripped receiver and a parts kit. The receiver is the gun, has to go through a firearms dealer. The rest is just stuff.
Make sure you understand the laws of your state. California’s rules for AR’s are very restrictive.
Lot’s o’techie talk ’bout guns, George. It’s all part of the millenial malaise syndrome including this-a- here internets where we are all one click away from info, right?
I understand their motivations to a certain degree George and I encourage all who want to be armed, do so. It’s their right under the 2nd amendment. However IMO, fear and guns don’t mix. To me guns are a hunting tool or something to get rid o’nasty ‘varmints’!
b2
B2 – the Cabela’s opened up just over a year ago. It’s quite a place – in between Pratt & Whitney and the UCONN Football Stadium. Cabela’s did a booming business there before they opened, if you catch my meaning…
We also now have an LL Bean in South Windsor.
No fear in this for me. I’ve been a hunter/shooter/competitor for a long time. I started with shooting trap when I was boy. I was the high shot in my squadron when I was in the Marines. I shoot military rifle and pistol competitions now. The only thing I’ve bought since the election was ammunition, and that was locally because I knew prices would spike with the next shipments.
But hunting is not the the purpose of the 2nd Amendment, anymore than chatting with a friend is the purpose of the 1st. Here’s a quote from a name you might remember:
Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples’ liberty’s teeth.
George Washington
It’s not the incoming President that represents the problem, as much as Reid, Feinstein, Clinton, Biden, et al. The Congress will pass the laws. The President just has to sign them.
You may not consider it likely, but the Nazis were elected to power in 1933. In 1934, they passed comprehensive gun control. Once the people were disarmed, all the rest was possible, and it happened very quickly. If you had asked Jewish businessmen in Berlin in 1932 how likely it was that there would be no Jews in Germany in 10 years, what sort of scoffing response would you have gotten?
I would not have to think that the people currently in power were a threat, the act of disarming the people ensures that sooner or later, a government will arise and grasp for control.
The recession is not the cause, it is the election. 48% of the people didn’t vote for the socialists, and those people are deciding to exercise the rights that the Constitution enumerates.
Incidentally, if the right to keep and bear arms was stripped from the Constitution, or infringed by law or executive order, it would not change the right, it would only mean that the current government had lost it’s moral authority to govern.
As far as NEEDING a firearm. You may never need it, but if you do, you may need it very badly and immediately.
Here’s some things to think about. I didn’t write them, but I agree with the ones I have quoted here:
(from http://www.snubnose.info/wordpress/)
______________________________
I don’t carry a gun to kill people. I carry a gun to keep from being killed.
I don’t carry a gun to scare people. I carry a gun because sometimes this world can be a scary place.
I don’t carry a gun because I’m paranoid. I carry a gun because there are real threats in the world.
I don’t carry a gun because I’m evil. I carry a gun because I have lived long enough to see the evil in the world.
I don’t carry a gun because I hate the government. I carry a gun because I understand the limitations of government.
I don’t carry a gun because I’m angry. I carry a gun so that I don’t have to spend the rest of my life hating myself for failing to be prepared.
I don’t carry a gun because I want to shoot someone. I carry a gun because I want to die at a ripe old age in my bed, and not on a sidewalk somewhere tomorrow afternoon.
I don’t carry a gun to make me feel like a man. I carry a gun because men know how to take care of themselves and the ones they love.
I don’t carry a gun because I feel inadequate. I carry a gun because unarmed and facing three armed thugs, I am inadequate.
I don’t carry a gun because I love it. I carry a gun because I love life and the people who make it meaningful to me.
Semper Fidelis,
ASM826
b2-
No fear here, just don’t get to talk about my job so much – the accoutrements seem to matter less than the weapon to most folk
Been checking out the black rifles on LWRC. According to their info they have a ’short stroke gas piston’ with 80% commonality. Also in 6.8
I don’t NEEDan AR. And neither do you, or you, or him. Honestly, we could all go back to the Brown Bess and 99.9% of the gun-owning public’s “needs” would be satisfied. Point is we all WANT it.
It’s cool, it’s fun, it’s different than my other guns.
And it looks like it may be now or never. Or rather, “now or wait 10 years.”
Me? I think I’m going with the AK.
Heh — I let Husband go on a gun buying spree — but he was supposed to stop. I think I’ve lost count… Now he’s buying ammo.
Just heard that a semi-local (it’s 45 minutes and 40 miles away) shooting range has Glock shoots now. We’re thinking of joining. Maybe I might could learn to shoot my Baby Glock better after all.
I noticed that Obama’s change.gov site has his agendas all back up again, slightly edited. He still wants to ban all “assault weapons,” repeal the Tiahrt Amendment (which originated because Chicago went on a fishing expedition for purchasers of multiple guns living in Chicago when they instituted their ban on handguns), childproofing guns (huh?), and stopping the gun show loopholes, plus other stuff I’m sure he’ll think of later.
I remember Obama saying he thought no one should have a CCW permit — ever. And all semi-automatic weapons should be banned. I still wonder if that’s because he doesn’t know what a semi-auto is…and that it covers shotguns, handguns, and long guns.
Oh well. Seems that Chinese curse is coming true. “May you live in interesting times.”
Lex, I think there will come a day in the near-future that you will wish you had bought one when you still could. My advice is for you to at least get an AR-15 lower receiver. You can always make a complete rifle (albeit illegally) afterwards. (or buy an AK from a “friend” “out of state”.) If things get to the point where you need it, it won’t really matter whether it’s illegal or not…
Well, being closer to 60 than 50, I don’t _think_ I need a “voting rifle”. I’m content with bedside revolver and .22 food-shooter. Which latter piece may be right important, the way things seem to be going. I flushed a yummy-looking cottontail on the way back from the Wal-Mart the other night. I’m on foot, lately, real-estate assholes have towed my truck and are holding it for ransom.
AMS,
You’re kidding me! Really? You miss my entire point.
re- “But hunting is not the the purpose of the 2nd Amendment, anymore than chatting with a friend is the purpose of the 1st”
Well said. I certainly acknowledge that but I don’t want to see anyone shoot their eye out, either. Today on the way home I heard an excited liberal woman commentator on CNN going off about children and guns IVO the recent double murder the 8 year old committed in AZ…She sounded shrill but she had a point re public safety that will unfortunetly resonate with the bluezone masses. We both have seen/keard this before…
By all means Lex should buy whatever black rifle he wants..I mean, between that StarTrek watch with email, the Rolex and the BMW I mean it can’t be that he can’t pick out fine tools or gadgets. Wouldn’t ya say?
BTW, just in case you think I’m a “teetotaler” , my -15 was bought when only one company made ‘em across the river from that Cabelas Kris was talking about. I understand it is worth a little more than I paid in ‘85 and it’s only been fired twice. Yep. I even understand Humble’s appreciation for machinery but if it can’t whack an elk at 300 yds what good is it? Call me stubborn. ;- )
TubeSailor,
Ain’t accoutrements a French word? Point noted. Carry on.
OBTW. Just what are you alluding to, the Bronze?
b2
As far as what?
OK Bronze, I’ll play SGT Schultze.
b2
I know everybody is talking up the AR in it’s various guises and whatnot. Ok, Fine.
Now when the magic gas operated thing has it’s difficulties, What is your backup or secondary?
Hmmm, in my case it is my Primary: 1918 SMLE in .303 British. Don’t laugh, it works, all the time. But good quality SMLEs are getting hard to find. Thought should be given to the acquisition of say an Enfield Ishapore 2A(.308 version), 98 or Yugo 24/48 Mauser or Moisin-Nagant. The Mauser is an 8mm and the Moisin is in 7.62×54. If wanted the 6.5 Swedish Mauser would work.
03-A3 Springfields simply cost too much when found. And most folks would not like the recoil of the 06 round.
Notice that these are all bolt action rifles Were a self loader of higher interest, it would be the Springfield Armory M1A or DS Arms 58(FN Clone). Both are chambered in the 7.62 x 51 Nato round, also known as the .308 Winchester Center Fire.
Alternate for in house: Mossberg 500 series and the Maverick brand they offer, Remington 870, Savage/Stevens in 12 gauge. Good 12 ga. pumps are out there. OK? Mine is a Mossberg 500. Buckshot, no slugs.
Side arm should be a revolver in .357 mag. .38 plus P will work in said revolver. .44 Mag and Special probably have too much recoil for the average person. Even a single action in .44 and .45 Colt would work in a pinch. Auto pistols should be left to the well trained. A double action revolver will work when needed.
Bullets should be at least 150 grains. Military ammo was cheap at gun shows. FMJ does penetrate but even a hunting load will stop and intruder/goblin/scumbag cold. The key is energy as in foot-pounds. Even a Remington 180 grain Core-Lokt will stop a man in basic body armor. The sheer force of impact will cause injury. The modern ballistic armour is designed to stop penetration but it doesn’t dissapate energy very well. Basic High School Physics, OK?
And always aim for the center of mass.
So go out and pick up a new Shotgun News and Happy Shopping!
To b2,
If I missed your point, I apologize. I am an old Marine, and as Lex will tell you, that makes me sort of dense. I will go back reread your comments.
Glenn,
Now there’s a different opinion, we hadn’t talked about other options. I like the ‘03, shoot one in Garand Matches from time to time. The Mauser is a great choice, as is the SMLE. I even like the Swiss K-31.
The advantage of the ‘03 is the availability of ammo. 30.06 is everywhere. Really, any bolt action Savage, Browning, or Marlin in a commonly available caliber is a good choice. Topped with an inexpensive scope and you’re ready for anything in North America.
I kinda was trying to stay on the topic of the AR’s, but there’s no need to stick with the .223 cartridge. The original design was in .308 Winchester, and AR’s can be purchased in 6.5 and 6.8. as well as other calibers. Some designs insert a pushrod piston in place of the gas tube.
There’s even a “bolt-action” variant available.
And I would really like an M1-A, but they are priced out of my budget.
Wherever one may reside, the M-1 Garand can always be found, and is a fine, sturdy, reliable choice.
While life in the People’s Republic may restrict so much of the above desired intent, as described all of youse guys (My primary reason for divorcing the place), who’s to say that one might not have a second residence in another jurisdiction, say AZ or OR, where ownership is a matter of respect rather than disdain?
LWRC…baby. The website has just changed a bit, but their offerings are admirable. The SABR is worth calling and asking about. For those with a larger budget, HK416 or 417…coming soon to an outlet near you.
Barrett 416 is on my list, just as soon as they do it in an M82A1 version. I do so love long distance communications.
G29 came home with me today and the G21 will in another couple of weeks. I carried a 21 for a number of years, and always found it able to git ‘er done; zero failures. A lovely feature of WA is a non-refusal policy for concealed carry, except for those who have been caught misbehaving. The G29 will fit the concealed carry need, and some of the higher end ammo is second in performance to no other caliber.
Prvi Partsan through MidwayUSA is great for feeding the beasties at a reasonable rate of duckets. Doubletap for those moments when ya just hafta.
Murcielago, Lex. Murcielago…
B2 I wasn’t being obtuse, I just didn’t know what you’re asking about.
If you’d like to explain what you were asking, I’ll be glad to answer. But if not, I’m sure I’ll survive…
the Bronze,
I think I do know what you’re talking about. Discussing it doesn’t bother me but it might bother certain feds…is all. If people were to modify the machinery that is.
IMO, these weapons are ‘offensive’ vice defensive..unless you expect some type of ‘conflagration’ requiring firepower beyond the perimeter of the ‘castle’ . Unlike a whim for a new watch or speedboat or airplane, ownership requires a certain ’sobriety’. IMO. Seems frivolity above, unlike a longing for tools like these. Again, IMO:
http://www.connecticutshotgun.com/guns/Repro.htm
Know what I mean? Even if you don’t agree?
AMS missed my point or chooses to ignore it under a mantle of Marineship (elevated citizenship) commonly placed front and center for those not of the Green… Almost like I urge an onslaught on the 2nd amendment or something and required pushback or marginalization. LOL.
I promise. My last words on this subject. No further understanding required/desired.
b2
b2,
I went back and carefully read you original comment. I think I understood it clearly. I read the other comments. I conclude that you do not see a need for me to own a pistol unless I want to hunt hogs, or a “bullet spewing assault rifle” for any reason.
I disagree with your viewpoint on this. It is clear to me that the Founding Fathers would have disagreed as well. Thomas Jefferson said, “The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.”
The men who took their muskets to the bridge at Concord put their lives on the line to underline what they thought was important. The reason they picked that day and place, and the reason the British had marched up out of Boston are telling as well. It had nothing to do with hunting.
Of course these are weapons with offensive capability, that’s the reason for wanting them. Even a single shot, or bolt action rifle has an offensive capability. 100 years ago, they were the weapons of the day.
There are proposals to eliminate any medium and large caliber rifles, even single shot, and to ban civilian ownership of rifle scopes. All under the same mantle you drape over my rifle, “what do you need that for?”
I think this country has only managed to be as free as it is because of the Bill of Rights. The Constitution would not have passed ratification without the Bill of Rights. I also understand that the rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights are not granted by the government. They are mentioned there to hold them up for public display. They are natural, or “God given” rights depending on your religious beliefs. In other words, they cannot be taken away. They can be infringed on, but the government that does so becomes morally unfit to govern, as the actions it will undertake to support it’s position will be illegitimate.
My standard would be that any citizen, not a felon or mentally deficient, would be able to own the same individual weapons and equipment as the current army soldier is issued. I would be willing to consider other proposals for what weapons militias would be able to own, train with, and deploy, but clearly it would include crew served weapons.
Lex’s original post, on the number of rifles and associated equipment being sold in advance of the Change, makes it clear to me that I am not the only one who is thinking this way, although they might not be as articulate.
Finally, I did not intend to use my military service as a shield. I genuinely did not have time to reread the posts until today. Having done so, I have tried to be brief but clear in my reply. If you do decide that you would like to reply, I will not hold you to your “last comment”. Please note, my screen name is: ASM826, not AMS.
Glenn,
WRT your list of handguns, I saw a list of potential ammo bans that the anti-gun crowd (?? someone, I can’t remember who now) had as a wish list — which was any caliber that could be considered a military caliber. In other words, if the military used it, then it would not be allowed for civilian use. The list included conventional handgun loads, hunting rifles, and shotguns rounds. The only round I could see not on the list was the .22. Clearly, banning ammuntition is a backwards way to banning guns, which was this particular goal.
I wish I could remember where I saw it…
Husband’s sticking with 9mm for now since it cheaper to buy than reload currently, but he’s saving the brass. He’s still has *lots* of .45 brass from his shooting days in the Navy, so that’s not a concern yet (but the old powder might be). Besides, I can shoot the 9mm without a problem and he’d like to keep it fun enough for me to keep going with him once in a while.
You know, that Husband and Wife bonding thing.
ASM826,
You know something? you are living up to your own own self professed inadequacies re intellect with that diatribe….I can tell you are a vertical thinker who sees the world in black/white, 1 or Zero, left/right. I’ll be brief.
I am a lifetime member of the NRA who had his first hunter safety course in 1964..Don’t go off with the 2nd amendment thing on me…complete with Concord Minutemen patriotism and all the trimmings. I know all about that and a lot more. By all means buy all the guns you want..sleep with ‘em if you want.
That is yours and every citizens right.
Let me try one last time- directly: I am concerned with the rush to purchase weapons for many who can’t even housebreak their friggin dogs..IE, purely from a safety standpoint. You may look at all weapons incidents as Darwinian Winnowing but I don’t. Do you get it now you knucklehead? Or don’t you care?
Now. As to your “Swiss model” proposal :
“My standard would be that any citizen, not a felon or mentally deficient, would be able to own the same individual weapons and equipment as the current army soldier is issued”
Does this means individual automatic weapons in the military variant described above, grenades of various types, body armor and night vision for all? Any citizen eh. This means all the people who vote (citizens)including those who can’t pass that civics test that Lex posted last week? Think carefully. Who will provide the training? No answers required.
Yes, while I agree with Jefferson quoted up above there some ‘logistical’ questions to be answered with your one paragraph proposal. Wouldn’t you say?
Sorry about the AMS vs. ASM- dislexia. Nothing personal or disengenuous intended.
b2
A few years ago one of the locals running for Congress wanted to address a meeting of the sportsman’s club that I belong to. When he was done he asked if there was any way that he could borrow a rifle to have his picture taken with him holding it. Several rifles were offered, but he turned most of them down. Finally he chose a nice semi-automatic with a hand made cherry stock (I can’t remember which type it was, I shoot pistols) and said that he couldn’t have his picture taken with one of those “nasty black assault rifles”. Well he said the wrong thing to the wrong guy. The owner of the “nice rifle” was a local gunsmith who proceeded to give the wannabee Congressman an education in firearms by taking the stock, grip and other parts off of one of the “nasty black rifles” and installing them on to the “nice rifle” right there in front of the guy. Needless to say the guy didn’t get his picture and didn’t survive the primary election.
B2,
I suspect that we are not as different as our postings here would suggest. All the issues you raise about safety and inexperience are valid.
In fact, I would suggest that many things that can be legally purchased, from automobiles to swimming pools, require more knowledge and common sense than many people display.
Firearms clearly fall into the category of tools that require understanding and training to use and handle safely. I am an NRA instructor, I believe wholeheartedly in training. I work with new shooter orientations, I teach hunter safety classes for my state. I am in favor of more training, education, and practice for everyone, including myself. The danger at a certain point is becoming too comfortable and allowing complacency to creep in.
Should there be a requirement to get that training prior to purchase? Should regular participation in a militia be required? I have my own ideas, and all of us that are serious about civilian ownership need to be involved in that discussion. Most of the proposals I hear about involve banning certain types and classes, restricting ownership and carry, and seemingly moving in the direction of the elimination of private ownership. I am opposed to that, and will continue to be.
Web postings do not allow for nuance, inflection, or the social cues we depend on in face to face communication. I have again read this entire series of comments, and if I have come across too stridently, I apologize both to you and to our host, Lex. My blog is available by clicking my name at the top of the comment, and you would be a welcome guest.
ASM826