should we be allowed semi-autos?

[Cosmik de Bris]

I legally own a 12-gauge semi-automatic ... what's the problem?

There isn't one at the moment, but some people would like to remove your right to own one.

Cheers

[F5 Dave]

Was filling up in Greymouth yesterday and there were all these young chaps wandering around with pretty serious looking weaponry. Was pretty freaky. And you say we don't have a gun problem. Probably some rampant Souf Island Militia, you know, all wearing the same camouflage gear etc.
I tried not to make eye contact and they left me alone but it was a close thing for sure as I have been known to look at people funny before.

[caspernz]

A self loader isn't as inherently accurate as a bolt action, meaning more skill required - especially as distances increase.

Oh I don't know, the M82s we played with seemed to leave their mark in much the same place every time one squeezed the trigger...quite a bit more cost effective than the 20 mm Gatling, although much less intimidating

[jasonu]

Was filling up in Greymouth yesterday and there were all these young chaps wandering around with pretty serious looking weaponry. Was pretty freaky. And you say we don't have a gun problem. Probably some rampant Souf Island Militia, you know, all wearing the same camouflage gear etc.
I tried not to make eye contact and they left me alone but it was a close thing for sure as I have been known to look at people funny before.

They were prolly slug guns.

[Swoop]

The 2A is part of the first 10 Amendments - known as the Bill of rights - And it could be argued that those rights have formed the foundational basis of the US, which is why they are held as quasi-sacred.

Given the time this was written the US had no standing army and the militia had fought off the British - so this is not about the generalized right to bear arms .. this is about having a militia to defend the USA ...

Arguably - but to me self-evident - now that the US has a standing army it does not need a militia - or the generalized right to bear arms. OR All gun owners can be called into a militia at any time and sent to face the enemy .. I doubt many of them would be happy with either choice - especially the latter ..

It is a reference to freedom from tyranny and not just that of foreign invaders.

The idea of "changing / altering the 2nd Amendment" is an interesting discussion, as by doing so it would send a message that all others are open for changing "as and when required".
I can see a government being quite happy to modify the 1st Amendment...
The 5th would be happily changed by the police and prosecutors...

So, it has the potential to open a bigger can of worms.

[pritch]

One idea that has been raised in the past which seems not unreasonable is registration of firearms to owners, it doesn't seem like a terrible plan to keep track of what's out there in the world, whether it would prevent anything bad from happening is a different matter altogether.

It used to exist in the past but it was in complete disarray and nobody could ever point to it having solved a single crime. The Police are doing a better job of controlling the restricted categories of firearm these days. Possibly overdoing it? The old addage applies though, "The only people who are policed are those who permit themselves to be policed".

Interesting how our first firearms laws came into being. It was nothing to do with crime, it was in 1917 or 1918 following the Russian revloution; politicians here were worried that the idea of revolution could catch on. They hugely underestimated our national apathy.

[Akzle]

".

Interesting how our first firearms laws came into being. It was nothing to do with crime, it was in 1917 or 1918 following the Russian revloution; politicians here were worried that the idea of revolution could catch on. They hugely underestimated our national apathy.

for civilians maybe. the armed constabulary go back to 1840 or so. and the office of constable is a public one... so.

[pritch]

for civilians maybe. the armed constabulary go back to 1840 or so. and the office of constable is a public one... so.

You lost me there. Was there a requirement for the AC to register themselves or their firearms?

It was basically open slather until the Russians frightened the pollies.

[pritch]

I'll watch the Documentary - but from what I've read of the Vietnam war (again - full Arm Chair General mode here) - is that the US could have won, but no one wanted to escalate it to that point.

That's fair. The US military didn't lose a major battle. The TV coverage of the Viet Cong running around the US Embassy during Tet 1968 rattled the people back home and the subsequent TV coverage caused the public and the politicians to lose faith. The north Vietnamese definitely won the propaganda war.

In the period following Tet though the Viet Cong were pretty much a spent force as they had suffered enormous casualties, but the NVA had moved south to take their place.

This is basically an account of the arrival of the NVA in an area of interest to the Australian and Kiwi troops. http://artilleryhistory.org/moments_...b_coral_v7.pdf

[Akzle]

That's fair. The US military didn't lose a major battle. The TV coverage of the Viet Cong running around the US Embassy during Tet 1968 rattled the people back home and the subsequent TV coverage caused the public and the politicians to lose faith. The north Vietnamese definitely won the propaganda war.

In the period following Tet though the Viet Cong were pretty much a spent force as they had suffered enormous casualties, but the NVA had moved south to take their place.

This is basically an account of the arrival of the NVA in an area of interest to the Australian and Kiwi troops. http://artilleryhistory.org/moments_...b_coral_v7.pdf

and lest we forget america wasn't the first to try. french and russian had been having a go for some time prior.

and still murka couldn't fuck them.

[eldog]

That's fair. The US military didn't lose a major battle. The TV coverage of the Viet Cong running around the US Embassy during Tet 1968 rattled the people back home and the subsequent TV coverage caused the public and the politicians to lose faith. The north Vietnamese definitely won the propaganda war.

In the period following Tet though the Viet Cong were pretty much a spent force as they had suffered enormous casualties, but the NVA had moved south to take their place.

This is basically an account of the arrival of the NVA in an area of interest to the Australian and Kiwi troops. http://artilleryhistory.org/moments_...b_coral_v7.pdf

A very interesting read.

[Akzle]

You lost me there. Was there a requirement for the AC to register themselves or their firearms?

It was basically open slather until the Russians frightened the pollies.

they were issued pistol, rifle and horse (all public property), it would have been registered.

1867, armed constabulary act. i'll look closer when i'm on a pc

[eldog]

and lest we forget america wasn't the first to try. french and russian had been having a go for some time prior.

and still murka couldn't fuck them.

They had plenty of practise and nothing to lose.

getting supplied underground ......

simple to operate weapons, not necessarily have to kill

[pritch]

and lest we forget america wasn't the first to try. french and russian had been having a go for some time prior.

The Russians? WTF have you been smoking lately? Before the French, the Vietnamese had been at war with the Chinese on and off for about a thousand years.

[Banditbandit]

it could be used in the comission of a crime.
consider yourself lucky you're not limited to 3 shot plugs. yet.

It's a six-shot - If I get caught with more than two in it when I'm shooting ducks I'll be in the shit ...