STRIKER:
I WANT one.................or two.
Posted on 07/11/2004 10:01:45 PM PDT by Mr. Mojo
Ledger Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- John Peck, a convicted felon, paid $350 to the private owner of an SKS semiautomatic rifle and used it three weeks later to shoot his former girlfriend 11 times.
The May sale to the North Carolina college student was legal as far as the seller was concerned. No background check is required when individual owners sell their guns, nor at gun shows where such weapons routinely sell for less than $200. Peck, who later killed himself, even got a receipt.
The SKS -- which federal officials say is the leading assault rifle used in crimes -- is common, cheap and not covered by the 1994 assault weapons ban.
"They're everywhere," said Chief Deputy Tom Parker of the New Hanover County Sheriff's Department, which investigated the North Carolina shooting and has begun arming its deputies with surplus military weapons to counter guns like the SKS.
Last November, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, now the likely Democratic nominee for president, cosponsored legislation by Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., that would make permanent the 1994 assault weapons ban, tighten control of highcapacity magazines and expand coverage to include the SKS and dozens of other rifles, pistols and shotguns. The bill, which has since languished, would ban manufacture and import of those models and require all sales of those already in circulation to go through licensed dealers, complete with background checks.
Making the one-on-one sale to another Peck would be illegal under such a law.
But Kerry is likely to seek renewal of the existing assault weapons ban rather than advocate an expansion as he reaches out to rural voters with guns, campaign aides said last week. That reflects a broader effort by Democrats to come to political grips with the Second Amendment.
Kerry and newly minted running mate John Edwards of North Carolina set out last week to wrestle rural votes in the South and Midwest from President Bush. Several analysts said they must strike a moderate tone on guns for that to work.
Gun control could become a volatile issue just as the campaign season heats up because the current ban on 19 notorious weapons, such as Uzis and AK-47s, is set to expire on Sept. 13.
President Bush supported renewal of the current ban during his 2000 campaign, but Kerry officials and gun control advocates fault him for not prodding Republicans in Congress to pass it since being elected.
Congress shows no signs of renewing the current ban, barring intervention from Bush. Expiration would prompt outcries from gun-control activists who predict TEC-9s and revolving cylinder Street Sweeper shotguns would be back on store gun racks well before Election Day.
Some gun-control groups say expiration of the current law would propel their campaign to ban more weapons and clamp down on gun sales. They say the current ban is popular but already so narrow that gun manufacturers can make similar weapons that are legal.
"If they fail to renew this, then we can really make this an issue," said Arthur Hayhoe, executive director of the Florida Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.
`A MAINSTREAM AGENDA'
That could put Kerry on the spot. He has gone out of his way to be seen hunting during his campaign. Strategists for his campaign last week were pushing for a promise in the party platform to "protect Americans' Second Amendment right to own firearms."
"It's a statement of respect for their rights under the Constitution. . . . It's something that John Kerry, as a believer in the Second Amendment and as a hunter, thinks is important," said Robert Gordon, director of domestic policy for the Kerry campaign.
The same statement called for renewal of the current assault weapons ban and closure of the loophole that allows sales at gun shows without background checks. The combination was meant to balance Democratic goals and political realities.
"It's a mainstream agenda that reaches out to Americans from all parts of the country and keeps guns out of the hands of criminals," Gordon said.
Democrats worry about alienating potential swing voters in competitive states like Louisiana, North Carolina and Florida where gun rights hold some sway. Many analysts think fear of Al Gore's gun control beliefs hurt him in West Virginia and his home state of Tennessee, and other Democrats have been ginger with guns in recent elections.
But expiration of the current ban would mean risks for both parties.
When supporters of renewing the ban and requiring gun-show background checks planned to attach those provisions to a Senate bill protecting gun makers from lawsuits, the White House opposed any amendments. When the Senate approved them anyway, Republicans, backed by the National Rifle Association, killed their own bill.
The Bush re-election campaign did not respond to interview requests about this issue. But last week Bush flew to Edwards' home state and predicted he would win the South again.
"The senator from Massachusetts doesn't share their values," he said.
GAUGING THE IMPACT
Gun-control advocates are split on whether the current ban does very much. Some argue the ban is so narrow it is worthless. Others say the ban has reduced gun crime across the board -- and reduced crimes involving the 19 banned weapons by 66 percent since 1995.
Jens Ludwig, a public policy professor at Georgetown University who has written about the assault weapons ban, said he doesn't think the current law is responsible for the drop in gun crimes.
"The assault weapons ban is sort of like trying to reduce motor vehicle crashes by banning cars with flames painted on the side," Ludwig said.
Government data analyzed by the Violence Policy Center show semiautomatic weapons not covered by the ban but on the target list for gun control groups have been linked to thousands of crimes.
The SKS, for example, tops the center's list of assault weapons traced to crime scenes from 1995 to 2000, at more than 11,500. Similar to an AK-47, the high-velocity SKS was linked to 240 crime scenes in Florida.
The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence supports expanding the ban but has made renewal of the current law its first priority. Other advocates of a stricter assault weapons ban said Democrats shouldn't retreat.
"There's a belief that the gun issue hurts Democratic candidates and other candidates in rural areas," said Kristen Rand, legislative director of the Violence Policy Center. "The flaw in that is people with strong pro-gun beliefs are never going to vote for John Kerry."
Michael Martinez, chairman of the political science department at the University of Florida, said strict gun-rights voters are usually a fierce minority. But he said expiration of the ban could catch fire and help Kerry.
Republicans accuse Kerry of pandering.
"He has represented himself as a hunter. He has an `F' rating from the National Rifle Association," said Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C. "That's an inconsistency."
Bang!
Convicted felon huh?
Those are the people the democrat party wants to have voting in November.
They are currenty destructive devices requiring a tax. would this chang when the AWB expires?
So much BS in this article.
So the SKS is the "leading assault weapon" in crimes? Doesn't tell you that the VAST majority of gun crimes are NOT committed with an SKS or any other gun (mis)called an "assault weapon."
The SKS is the most common rifle in America. Of course they'll be used in crimes--probably as much as a 30/30 lever-action Winchester (the close 2nd most common rifle). But ask yourself just how many crimials run around with a rifle under their coat?
Crime is almost always done with handguns--unregistered and in the hands of criminals with previous records. IE, registration and gun-grabbing doesn't do a thing, period.
Criminals aren't following the laws regarding ____________.
Stay safe !
STRIKER:
I WANT one.................or two.
I have one of these......
http://www.serbu.com/shorty.htm
Much nicer and easier to use as a Oh Dark Thirty CHL tool.
Stay safe !
bump
Okay, you talked me into it!
I want one of those, too!
WTF......That's it, I'm getting one.
Don't SKS's go for about $89, and when did they become high velocity? Maybe my collection is worth more than I thought.
The 12 gauge was my choice as they didn't have the 20 gauge. I'm currently looking at the aguilar 1 inch rounds as possibly expanding the capacity to 5 vs the three regular round capacity. I think the mex 12 gauge shorty rounds won't work as they do not work well in any pump ior semi auto per my current experience with em......
More testing....:o)
Stay Safe !
On just a technical note...I load ny Benneli M1-90 with two BRI sabot, followed by 000 buck, 00 buck, and fill the tube with 4 buck...guaranteed crowd pleasers!
I have the benelli M1 also. My loads vary with the environment or threat conditions. If reports on local vermin say they have kevlar hides then two slugs up front for breaking ribs is important. If not I lead with #4 buck and go to slugs for last 4 of 9 rounds (carrier trick to load total of NINE(9)). The benelli is so fast that if I'm not making headway with the buck in most cases then I'll get to slugs in less than a second.
Stay safe !!
I have 30 rounds of .556 40 grain frangibles in an M4, 20 rounds of 9mm in a Beretta carbine and my wife has a 10-22 with 2 25 round mags stuck together. That's just what's handy and loaded in the bedroom and what we'll use to fight our way to the gun safe.
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