Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Assault weapon owners cite diverse reasons for owning the guns
Rapid City Journal ^ | 22 dec 2012 | Aaron Orlowski

Posted on 12/22/2012 11:32:10 AM PST by rellimpank

In the wake of the deadly Connecticut school shooting last week, one question has repeatedly surfaced in the Black Hills and across much of the country: Why would anyone want to own an assault weapon?

One thing is clear — the high-powered rifles capable of shooting multiple rounds in a hurry are in high demand. After President Barack Obama said this week he would push to renew a ban on purchasing the rifles, local gun-shop owners said the weapons have been flying off their shelves.

Meanwhile, gun owners in Rapid City cite diverse reasons for purchasing the weapons. Some say they are durable and accurate; a few see them as a financial investment or a way to exercise their constitutional rights; while others point to their value in self-protection or in the fun of target shooting.

Whatever the reason, assault-rifle owners are committed to the weapon.

"There is something kind of zen-like in setting up a bench and trying to put

(Excerpt) Read more at rapidcityjournal.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: South Dakota
KEYWORDS: banglist; guncontrol; rkba; secondamendment
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 141 next last
To: Darksheare
.223 is an excellent varmint rifle round.

From what I've heard on the media, the .223 is one of the largest rifle rounds available and is only useful to take down elephants and tanks. It must be true, the media said so.

21 posted on 12/22/2012 12:10:13 PM PST by mnehring
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Arlis
The Mini-30's are a neat concept; kind of the modern incarnation of the .30-30 carbine. Take a look at the respective ballistics of the two some time and you'll see what a close comparison it is.

Philosophically, I decided long ago to never purchase/own a Warsaw pact caliber. I've probably missed out on owning some pretty fine weapons, and as unlikely as it seemed at the time I made that decision, some pretty cheap bulk ammo, too.

As I would say to anybody in regards to their choice of weapon, if you like it, and it suits you, go for it :-)

22 posted on 12/22/2012 12:15:46 PM PST by Joe 6-pack (Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Travis McGee

Bingo. ‘Assault weapons’ (high-powered rifles) are the weapons the government fears MOST because those weapons would be THE MOST EFFECTIVE AGAINST THEM.


23 posted on 12/22/2012 12:17:11 PM PST by Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America (IMPEACH OBAMA)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: rellimpank

Forgive me for not reading the article, but isn’t one of the reasons people buy an assault rifle is to lose it in a terrible boating accident?


24 posted on 12/22/2012 12:18:26 PM PST by 1rudeboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: tacticalogic

An assault weapon is anything the government fears could be effectively used against THEM.


25 posted on 12/22/2012 12:20:13 PM PST by Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America (IMPEACH OBAMA)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: rellimpank
Semi-automatic rifles are used in less that 1% of gun crimes.

Gun Facts

Countries with gun control have much higher violent crime rates than those without.

WOULD BANNING FIREARMS REDUCE MURDER AND SUICIDE?, A Review of International and Some Domestic Evidence by Don B. Kates and Gary Mauser, Volume 30, Number 2 of the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy (pp. 649-694)

But Lefties don't care about facts.

26 posted on 12/22/2012 12:21:16 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (You cannot prevent evil. You can only defend against it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Travis McGee
WHERE are the members of our leadership who are willing to stand up and say outloud to these bastards, "You will not throw the Constitution in the trash and if you try, I will personally call out the militia and go to war with your ass?"

The Founders and the leadership of the Confederacy weren't shy about threatening to take up arms against what they saw as their oppressors and they didn't wait until it was too late to do so. They gave plenty of warning. But it's crickets from our "leaders," while the Constitution and the flag are being trampled before their eyes. Some of them have even practically come out and said the 2nd Amendment is obsolete. They ought to be ashamed.

27 posted on 12/22/2012 12:22:11 PM PST by LibWhacker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: rellimpank

The neat thing about the Second Amendment is that as soon as you begin arguing about changing or defeating it, you’ve established the reason for having it...


28 posted on 12/22/2012 12:22:41 PM PST by IncPen (Educating Barack Obama has been the most expensive project in human history)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rellimpank

I would challenge Senator Barackforbrains stop a gang of Crypts from storming her house with 3 rounds in a deer rifle.

Personally, I find 30 round or more mags detrimental to good function, but, I can see a need for them.


29 posted on 12/22/2012 12:23:02 PM PST by depressed in 06 (America conceived in liberty, dies in slavery.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Obadiah; rellimpank

Well.... if we are going to judge the ‘danger’ of something by looks, then CORVETTES should be outlawed.

Then , we should outlaw any movies that use scary guns or scary cars. And anyone who dresses up scary to be in a movie.... and


30 posted on 12/22/2012 12:24:24 PM PST by UCANSEE2 ( If you think I'm crazy, just wait until you talk to my invisible friend.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: rellimpank

I object to the term assault weapons, these are defense weapons.


31 posted on 12/22/2012 12:24:46 PM PST by Taxbilly
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America
An assault weapon is anything the government fears could be effectively used against THEM.

Yes. But not until after we've agreed to ban them. Until we do it will be about "the children".

32 posted on 12/22/2012 12:27:57 PM PST by tacticalogic ("Oh, bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: rellimpank

On a related note, there is not a .22 LR round available in this whole county right now. A truck arrives at the big hardware store Monday, and the salesman recommends being here a couple hours early.


33 posted on 12/22/2012 12:28:24 PM PST by lurk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All

To the MSM and liberals, any weapon that “looks” like a military weapon is an “assault” weapon....

An assault weapon is a weapon that can fire on semi-auto and be switched to fully auto...

Fully automatic weapons are already banned without an FFL....


34 posted on 12/22/2012 12:28:24 PM PST by JW1949
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: Darksheare

Saiga has a very simple work-around. They simply “sporterized” the AK by going with a plain rifle stock...no pistol grip, no fore-grip, no folding stock and a base model 10 rd magazine. Meets all the non-assault weapon requirements but...and here’s the really cool secret part...it’s a friggin AK.


35 posted on 12/22/2012 12:31:23 PM PST by wtc911 (Amigo - you've been had.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: rellimpank

If an unknown intruder is coming up the stairs at oh-dark-thirty, pretty much all relevant questions have been answered enough to stop him. I want something which is pretty much assured to one-shot-stop, something which can penetrate pretty much any body armor a perp might have, something which will likely fail to exit a second layer of Sheetrock (avoid over penetration of interior walls), something which I can carry in one magazine enough to end pretty much any fight (running out is very bad), something which can be suppressed to at least tolerable noise levels, something which can do all this in a fairly short package for indoor maneuvering.
The solution is a suppressed AR15 SBR loaded with carefully chosen ammo.
Don’t tell me nobody needs an “assault weapon”. I do.


36 posted on 12/22/2012 12:34:45 PM PST by ctdonath2 ($1 meals: http://abuckaplate.blogspot.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum
But Lefties don't care about facts.

That’s not true!

Lefties love facts that support their argument; whether those facts are fictitious or not.

37 posted on 12/22/2012 12:35:03 PM PST by Pontiac (The welfare state must fail because it is contrary to human nature and diminishes the human spirit.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Pontiac

The burst or automatic mode in military rifles is pretty much irrelevant as to the deadliness of these rifles. Auto fire modes are intended to be used for suppression of enemy troops - basically scaring them into keeping their heads down and not shooting.

If the government were to permit these to be sold in full-auto versions I doubt there would be any increase at all in casualties from these weapons. The few additional bystanders hit would be counterbalanced by fewer intended targets hit.

The killing/wounding mode is semi-automatic. These rifles are efficient killers because they are capable of very rapid aimed fire, a use which is easy to teach because of low and well-handled recoil. The large ammunition capacity and the magazine system is the second critical factor. Accurate fire can be sustained over many targets without requiring a magazine change. Magazines are also rapidly changed.

For the purpose of killing people these give a great increase in effective short-range firepower over most semi-automatic civilian rifles, that generally use over-powered ammunition and small magazines.

This great firepower also makes these rifles constitutionally relevant precisely because they are militarily effective. They make excellent guerrilla weapons for a “well regulated militia”, at least under modern urban conditions. They are less effective for the purpose of offensive combat against regular soldiers as they are less capable of suppressive fire, but are excellent for ambush or hit-and-run tactics.


38 posted on 12/22/2012 12:43:09 PM PST by buwaya
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Travis McGee
Our oldest is home on leave this week and we just had a brief conversation about this. He pointed out that the common factor are "humans" not weapons. A human committed the atrocity with an amoral object. He said that he's had people tell him that the types of weapons we're discussing should only be in the hands of the military and police. He pointed out that what the left fails to realize is that "humans" are the common denominator and that like it or not, the military and police are made up of the same "humans". They all have the capacity to perform evil, and some of them do. It's illogical at best to disarm one group of humans and leave another group armed, given that human nature has the capacity to commit violence against each other at such levels.

We will disarm when the police and military do likewise. But truthfully, we wouldn't even disarm then. :-) Even then it would be foolish at best. We'll disarm when the Lord has returned and the very nature of this earth and life on it is different... when we're told by God Himself to convert weapons into plowshares and "stuff" like that.

Those in power who seek to disarm, ban, and/or confiscate should tread carefully in the coming days. They're liable to awaken a sleeping giant. They should leave well enough alone while they're ahead.
39 posted on 12/22/2012 12:44:06 PM PST by hiredhand
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Joe 6-pack

I love the weapon, and have no philosophical issues with the round. Have an old Mini-14 too, love both because as a kid my two fav rifles were the Winchester 30-30 lever action, and WWII M1 Carbine. Owned both, but sold the M1 Carbine as it was so inaccurate. Weak round too. 7.62 x 39 ballistics are a bit better. So as you said, the Mini-30 is a close imitation.

My son saw it at a gun show and wanted it but didn’t have the money. Price was great, so I said, “Hey, I like it! I’ll get it.” Loved it ever since.
It and the Mini-14 make a good pair.


40 posted on 12/22/2012 12:51:32 PM PST by Arlis (.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 141 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson