Posted on Oct 4, 2015
Why are Machine Guns legal? What does anyone need with one?
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http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2011/04/robert-farago/question-of-the-day-should-americans-be-able-to-own-machine-guns/
I am all for the 2nd amendment. I myself do not own a gun....I have a brother that owns so many I lost count and couldn't possibly tell you what they are.
I'm all for owing a rifle or a shot gun or many numerous types of hand guns....Guns to go hunting, guns to protect one self and their family/loved one.
BUT! Why is it necessary to own a Machine gun? Machine guns are great for the Military. The military has a real purpose/need for machine guns....BUT! why does an average American citizen need to own a machine gun? What is the purpose or reason to have one?
Do we really need machine guns? I for one would like to see Machine guns stopped from being sold in the US....
Nearly every drive by shooting I have read about involved a machine gun...AK this or that...semi automatic this or that.
Seriously...I know a lot of you out there know a hell of a lot about guns...I don't....I know just enough....But I do know that nothing good seems to come from those who have possession of Machines guns...except for the military or maybe except for gun collectors who buy them for the collection.....otherwise what do you use one for? To go hunting? Naw....really not a way to go hunting....to defend onself....nope...not really efficient and or safe way to defend yourself of your family...
So....why exactly is it legal to own a machine gun? ....and who feels machine guns should be available and who feels they should not be?
Just curious.
I am all for the 2nd amendment. I myself do not own a gun....I have a brother that owns so many I lost count and couldn't possibly tell you what they are.
I'm all for owing a rifle or a shot gun or many numerous types of hand guns....Guns to go hunting, guns to protect one self and their family/loved one.
BUT! Why is it necessary to own a Machine gun? Machine guns are great for the Military. The military has a real purpose/need for machine guns....BUT! why does an average American citizen need to own a machine gun? What is the purpose or reason to have one?
Do we really need machine guns? I for one would like to see Machine guns stopped from being sold in the US....
Nearly every drive by shooting I have read about involved a machine gun...AK this or that...semi automatic this or that.
Seriously...I know a lot of you out there know a hell of a lot about guns...I don't....I know just enough....But I do know that nothing good seems to come from those who have possession of Machines guns...except for the military or maybe except for gun collectors who buy them for the collection.....otherwise what do you use one for? To go hunting? Naw....really not a way to go hunting....to defend onself....nope...not really efficient and or safe way to defend yourself of your family...
So....why exactly is it legal to own a machine gun? ....and who feels machine guns should be available and who feels they should not be?
Just curious.
Gun Control
Collecting Guns
2nd Amendment
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 138
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My first question would be: "What is your definition of a 'machine gun'?"
I ask that because people that don't know guns are often confused by terminology.
I often use the attached picture to illustrate my point... Which of the two rifles shown is ok, and which one should be banned?
The answer is they are both the same...Both are magazine fed, semi-automatic (meaning that when you pull the trigger, only 1 bullet is fired) rifles that are chambered in 5.56 caliber. One looks like a hunting rifle so most people say that one is ok... The other is black and military looking so it automatically becomes an evil "assault weapon".
In reality, there is no difference between the two,and neither one is a "machine gun".
I ask that because people that don't know guns are often confused by terminology.
I often use the attached picture to illustrate my point... Which of the two rifles shown is ok, and which one should be banned?
The answer is they are both the same...Both are magazine fed, semi-automatic (meaning that when you pull the trigger, only 1 bullet is fired) rifles that are chambered in 5.56 caliber. One looks like a hunting rifle so most people say that one is ok... The other is black and military looking so it automatically becomes an evil "assault weapon".
In reality, there is no difference between the two,and neither one is a "machine gun".
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SSgt Christopher Brose
@CPT (Servicemember) "Gun free zones? Again I am all for guns, as long as the good guys have the guns and not crazy people." You consider the NRA to be a domestic terrorist organization. So do you consider NRA members to be good guys or crazy people?
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SPC (Join to see)
Sgt Kelli Mays - You're talking about the infamous AR-15; this poor rifle is as misjudged as is the pitbull breed among dogs. The truth is that this rifle is the exact same thing as a Mini 14 with a few differences; however, the rifle is not a machine gun by any means and it ONLY fires in semi-automatic (one round is fired with each trigger pull). I know plenty of people that have used this rifle to hunt deer, hogs and coyote very effective and humanely. One last thing, the "AR" in AR-15 actually stands for ArmaLite rifle, which is the company that first developed it in the 1950s, and the 15 is just a model number such as the AR-"10" or Mossberg "500" you get the point.
Hopefully that answered your question, the AR-15 is the rifle the news talk about and the liberals obsess over. Bottom line is, the AR-15 is simply a hopped up .22, and it's not the flame throwing, bullet spraying, child killing, baby destroying ghost gun the media plays it out to be.
As for your "machine gun" discussion, a machine gun is primarily a Class 3 weapon which requires a tax stamp and number from the BATFE and isn't easily acquired, which means that only law abiding citizens with a clean record and enough money to purchase a weapon that will usually cost well over $3k can own one of these said machine guns.
Hopefully that answered your question, the AR-15 is the rifle the news talk about and the liberals obsess over. Bottom line is, the AR-15 is simply a hopped up .22, and it's not the flame throwing, bullet spraying, child killing, baby destroying ghost gun the media plays it out to be.
As for your "machine gun" discussion, a machine gun is primarily a Class 3 weapon which requires a tax stamp and number from the BATFE and isn't easily acquired, which means that only law abiding citizens with a clean record and enough money to purchase a weapon that will usually cost well over $3k can own one of these said machine guns.
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MSgt James Bowers
Under federal law a special license is required along with a FFL ( Federal Firearms License, or dealers license) to own a machine gun.
You state "I have a brother that owns so many I lost count and couldn't possibly tell you what they are" it's a collection, and many of the weapons I own are antiques or relics. Do I "need" them, no but I collect, repair and shoot them. The best correlation I can think of is How many pairs of shoes do you own? Why do you need so many (i'm guessing you have more than 4 pairs).
You state "I have a brother that owns so many I lost count and couldn't possibly tell you what they are" it's a collection, and many of the weapons I own are antiques or relics. Do I "need" them, no but I collect, repair and shoot them. The best correlation I can think of is How many pairs of shoes do you own? Why do you need so many (i'm guessing you have more than 4 pairs).
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SSgt James Howerton
MSgt James Bowers - I agree with you. There is nothing wrong with owning guns or collecting them. I wish I still had every gun that I purchased during my life but many were lost to reasons I won't go into here. I now have a smaller collection. Due to a bad back, shooting is the only sport I can still do and even that is at a limited amount of time. I believe owning guns is an American's birthright (or not owning them, since we have freedom of choice).
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Prepare to have your feelings hurt. This is a rough group. If I could get away with owning my own OH-58D and a Bradley, I would have the most AWESOME firing range.
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LTC (Join to see)
SFC James Sczymanski want me to keep an eye out for one for you? DOes it have to be a M1... would you be interested in a M60?
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SSgt James Howerton
SFC James Sczymanski - LOLOLOL. Love that comment about your neighbor losing his parking spot in front of your house!
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SPC Dave St.Andrew
Sgt Kelli Mays - They aren't for sale to everyone, like others have said, they are either imported illegally or converted to automatic weapons illegally, in fact, the process for owning an automatic weapon is lengthy and expensive for those of us that do it legally.
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I hope this is an educational discussion for you. There have been two recorded homicides with legally owned automatic weapons since they were strictly regulated over 80 years ago (see attached reference article). You are actually 6 times more likely to be elected President than to be killed by a "machine gun" in the US. If you were born in the 20th century, you were also more likely to land on the moon than to be killed by a legally owned private machine gun in the US. Now that you have been exposed to better information, I hope you will work with the rest of us not to perpetuate falsehoods.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/12/17/1171047/-There-are-240-000-fully-automatic-guns-in-the-US-and-only-2-deaths-in-80-years#
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/12/17/1171047/-There-are-240-000-fully-automatic-guns-in-the-US-and-only-2-deaths-in-80-years#
Fully automatic guns in the US are highly regulated, and regulation works
When most of us think of an "assault rifle" we think of the fully automatic Tommy guns used by Al Capone's henchmen during prohibition. Did you know those guns have been restricted since FDR?...
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LTC Yinon Weiss
CPT L S - There is only one correct English definition for a machine gun, and that is of an automatic firearm. If a civilian is using the term incorrectly then you shouldn't compromise your own knowledge of the English language, and should correct them so that they don't continue to spread misinformation to others. It's just like if a civilian wants to call an up armored HMMWV a "tank" -- the right thing to do is to correct them. It doesn't matter how many people are wrong... you still do the right thing.
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MSgt Alex Taylor
Excellent post Major Yinon Weiss. The article does fail to additionally mention that most fully automatic weapons produced are forbidden from even being resold to those purchasing the license. Suffice to say, the actual numbers of privately held full auto weapons is not increasing.
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SSgt Phil Sigman
I would love to get my hands on an old M-60 and an endless supply of ammo (and a couple spare barrels). Throw in a few wrecked cars for target practice.
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SCPO Joshua I
MSgt Alex Taylor - To amplify on your point a bit, Not one single civilian legal machine gun has been manufactured in the US since 1986. The pool of transferable machine guns continues to shrink, and the price continues to go up. The few M16 variants are 20k and up. The only legal SAW sold for over 100k a few years back if I recall correctly.
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