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Read the AP’s ‘Gun Glossary’ — Did They Get ‘Assault Rifles’ & the Second Amendment Right?

Jan. 25, 2013 11:29am Billy Hallowell

The Associated Press has published a “gun glossary,” a primer intended to assist readers in understanding the differences between semi-automatic and automatic weapons, assault weapons, background checks and other issues associated with the Second Amendment debate in America.

Of particular note, the AP mentions the fact that defining “assault weapons” was a difficult task in 1994 when the first ban was put into effect and that President Barack Obama has not defined exactly what he means in the current debate when he speaks about cracking down on “military-style assault weapons” (i.e. which weapons qualify under this label?).

Does the AP do a good and accurate job of framing the issue? Read the article, below, and let us know what you think in the comments section.

–

Read the APs Gun Glossary Did They Get Assault Rifles & the Second Amendment Right?

Credit: Getty Images

WASHINGTON (AP) — Even Americans who have never touched a gun are probably familiar with the looks and names of a few — the military M16, the action-movie’s Uzi, the historic Colt .45. The terms thrown around in the national debate over gun control can be harder to fathom.

What’s a high-capacity magazine? Which guns are “military style”? Why would a person use an assault weapon?

A primer on some key terms in the debate over President Barack Obama’s gun-control proposals:

—

SEMI-AUTOMATICS

There are all sorts of semi-automatics — they can be pistols, rifles or shotguns — and they’re popular sellers. They fire a bullet each time the trigger is pulled, with no need to manually move the next round into the firing chamber. That means they can fire again as fast as a person can release and pull the trigger, so long as the gun’s got more ammunition at the ready. Semi-automatic weapons are popular with hunters, sport shooters and gun enthusiasts.

The sale and manufacture of some semi-automatics deemed to be “assault weapons” was banned for a decade. That law expired in 2004.

The shooters used semi-automatic rifles in the Colorado movie theater attack in July that killed 12 people and injured 70 and in the slaying of 20 children and six adults at a Connecticut elementary school in December.

—

Credit: Getty Images

FULL AUTOMATICS

They’re on the battlefield and show up in action movies, but fully automatic weapons aren’t common among civilians in the United States.

While a semi-automatic can fire one bullet per trigger pull, an automatic keeps firing bullets as long as the trigger is pulled once. Full automatics range from the Prohibition-era machine guns to modern rifles, pistols or shotguns.

Sales of full automatics are restricted by federal law — buyers need a special permit from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. That requires an extensive background check and paying a $200 tax. Some states and local governments prohibit private ownership of full automatics.

—

ASSAULT WEAPONS

In 1994, Congress passed and President Bill Clinton signed into law a ban on some semi-automatic rifles and handguns that were deemed “assault weapons.” Defining the term was tricky then and remains controversial today.

Under that now-expired law, some new guns were banned by name, including the Uzi, the AK-47 and the Colt AR-15, which is similar to the military’s standard issue M16.

The law also covered some other semi-automatic rifles that are used with detachable magazines — devices that hold ammunition and feed the bullets into the firing chamber automatically. Such rifles were banned only if they had two or more additional characteristics listed in the law, such as a folding stock or a pistol grip.

Guns already sold to buyers before the ban were exempt and could be resold. Meanwhile, manufacturers skirted the ban by producing similar guns under new names or making minor design changes, such as removing a bayonet mount.

Obama says he wants Congress to ban what he calls “military-style assault weapons,” but he hasn’t defined the term, so it’s unclear which guns would be covered. He describes his plan as reinstating and strengthening the 1994 assault weapon law.

That 1994 law, however, wouldn’t have covered the military-looking Bushmaster .223 rifles used in the Aurora, Colo., and Newtown, Conn., shootings, had it still been in place in 2012. The old law did apply to another aspect of those shootings — high-capacity magazines.

Why would a person use an assault weapon? They are considered by some people to be fun to shoot; they can be used for hunting, depending on the weapon and the size of the animal; and because they resemble military rifles they can appear particularly menacing when used for personal defense or home protection.

—

HIGH-CAPACITY MAGAZINE

Obama wants to reinstate the ban on sales of new high-capacity magazines, defined as those that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

These magazines allow a shooter using a semi-automatic weapon like the Bushmaster .223 to fire more bullets before pausing to reload. Police said Connecticut school attack suspect Adam Lanza had several 30-round magazines with him. In the Colorado theater attack, police have said suspect James Holmes used a 100-round drum magazine.

—

GUN OWNERS

More than a third of Americans — 36 percent — say someone in their household owns a gun, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll conducted Jan. 10-14.

Millions use guns for hunting, sport and target shooting. Hunting guns include an array of shotguns and rifles of various types and sizes, including semi-automatics and the traditional bolt-action rifles. The prey and a hunter’s personal preference determine the weapon and the kind of ammunition used.

Some people keep guns solely for protection. Carrying a concealed handgun is legal in every state but Illinois under certain conditions; for example, the gun owner might need to pass a background check first. Some states require safety classes. Some state and local laws, including in California and New York, make it difficult if not impossible to get a license to carry a concealed weapon. Illinois law bans carrying concealed weapons, but a federal appeals court overturned that law in December. The ruling is likely to be appealed.

In this photo illustration a Rock River Arms AR-15 rifle is seen on December 18, 2012 in Miami, Florida. The weapon is similar in style to the Bushmaster AR-15 rifle that was used during a massacre at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. Firearm sales have surged recently as speculation of stricter gun laws and a re-instatement of the assault weapons ban following the mass shooting. Credit: Getty Images

Federal laws prevent the government from tracking how many guns are sold every year and who buys them, so there are no definitive statistics.

Roughly 310 million guns were owned or available for sale in the United States in 2009, according to a study by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. That’s about 114 million handguns, 110 million rifles and 86 million shotguns.

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BACKGROUND CHECKS

Federal law requires anyone who buys a gun from a licensed dealer to submit to a background check. Convicted criminals and people who have been declared by a judge to be “mentally defective” are among those barred from buying a gun.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence says as many as 40 percent of all gun sales are completed without a background check. That’s because sales between private gun owners and sales at gun shows are exempt under federal law.

Only California and Rhode Island require background checks for sales between private sellers and buyers. Colorado, Illinois, New York and Oregon require background checks for all sales at gun shows. Three other states, Connecticut, Maryland and Pennsylvania, require such reviews for handgun sales.

Obama has proposed a federal law requiring universal background checks for every gun sale.

—

SECOND AMENDMENT

It’s the Constitution’s Second Amendment that guarantees the right to “keep and bear arms.”

The actual text reads: “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” What that means has been debated and argued for decades.

The Supreme Court in 2008 ruled that Americans have a right to firearms, regardless of whether they serve in a militia. The justices also have signaled that some gun regulations could survive legal challenges, but they haven’t resolved which ones are permissible.

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Comments (77)

DrMorgellon
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:16pm
It’s all a joke and everyone should calm down. The only reason this bill was past is to quell the whole issue with morons who will become victims of natural selection and tyranny eventually.

It’s kind of like an old lady who thinks that girl in the T-back is disgusting and complains. Government doesn’t want the T-back gone at all, they just have to satisfy all the old lady’s so they will STFU!

You can still own assault weapons, But you just have to purchase the models without “PISTOL GRIPS” That’s all!!! That’s the only difference.

The only thing that really ****** me off is the magazine limit. I grew up in the ghetto and I can tell you this… “IT’S “NEVER” JUST 1 GUY COMING TO BREAK IN AND ROB YOU”

These punks run in packs! 7 bullets won’t do **** when 2-5 guys are doing a B&E on you
I see major lawsuits coming as a result of the Government limiting these magazines. As soon you hear a story about a guy who had 3 people break in and kill him and his family even though he had a (7 shot) gun, then the **** will hit the fan.

7 shots? What is this high noon Bullchit mentality? 3 guys + 3 guns = 30 bullets and a free boat ride up ****’s creek! And guess what?… After they kill you? now they have your gun that they can take to the next break in. Because you had 7 shots, now your dead, family’s dead, and your gun that was used to protect, is on it’s way to a new career of killing and crime. That’s putting guns into the hands of crooks in my opinio

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- Michael61
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:31pm
  United States Code
  
  Section 311
  
  (a) The militia of the United States consists of ALL able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section 313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard.
  (b) The classes of the militia are—
  (1) the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard and the Naval Militia; and
  (2) the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the Naval Militia.
  
  Report this comment
- Secret Squirrel
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 2:36pm
  “Police said Connecticut school attack suspect Adam Lanza had several 30-round magazines with him. In the Colorado theater attack, police have said suspect James Holmes used a 100-round drum magazine.”
  Typical crap reporting.
  “Adam Lanza had several 30 round magazines.” Did he use them? No. The AR was left in the car.
  “James Holmes had a 100 round drum magazine.” Yeah, it jammed, so he shot people with a shotgun instead.
  
  These people will never stop until we all live in a commune.
  
  Report this comment
- Armed Patriot
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 6:09pm
  Molan Labe…
  
  Report this comment
- rig_jumpr
  Posted on January 28, 2013 at 12:12pm
  @michael61 what is the point you are trying to make?
  
  Report this comment
JoeEnglish
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:11pm
Mr. Faux pResident:
Do you even know what an assualt weapon is? Look it up. ANY OBJECT that can be used to hit or cause harm to another can be called an assualt weapon. If you drink and drive and kill someone you have used your car as an assualt weapon. If you use your carving knife to stab your wife/husband/girlfriend, that knife is an assualt weapon. If you use a single shot handgun to shoot someone it is an assualt weapon. The knife, car, gun were not made to be used as an assualt weapon.
Then we get the ignorants that say a GUN has only one purpose and that is to kill. Well, shooting at a metallic target is a sport called “target shooting”. They do not kill the target. Cowboy’s have a sport called “cowboy shooting” where they shoot a 6 gun as fast as possible to hit a target . They also do not kill that target. Certain shooting ranges have competitions using semi-auto’s where they shoot as many targets as fast as possible while hitting as many as possible in a timed event. They do not kill their targets.
Those of you who fear guns will be the first to promote their use when one is used to save your life. Hopefully that time will never occur, but if it does you better hope someone other than a cop is around because the cop is probably 10-15 minutes away and you will not be around when he or she arrives.

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- ...EriK
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:22pm
  I suspect the definition will change to suit their need… Yeah, kind of scary, but hey, they want to do it to marriage, and was Slick Willy ever successful with the word, “is?” I know he was with oral sex no longer being considered a sexual activity… Just ask most tweenagers!
  
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MDECKER
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:37pm
When the authors of this article stated, “Meanwhile, manufacturers skirted the ban by producing similar guns under new names or making minor design changes, such as removing a bayonet mount”, they have also implied that the President likewise skirted his responsiblity when he decided to thwart the Second Amendment by saying, “he wants Congress to ban what he calls “military-style assault weapons,” but he hasn’t defined the term, so it’s unclear which guns would be covered.” By the way, if I were to punch the author of this story in the mouth with my fist, would I not be using an “assault” weapon? Sounds “particularly menacing”, doesn’t it?

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- ...EriK
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:05pm
  It probably will depend on how they define your hands, as two individual magazines of 5-rounds each, or your upper body as a weapons systems capable of 10-round bursts that can be quickly reloaded. Also, do you have a bayonet lug implant? That may be an issue. Also, make sure you don’t use any camo gloves, that will definitely make them military-style!-)
  
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- jwpowers41
  Posted on January 26, 2013 at 8:45am
  Semi automatic guns are not assault weapons the lame stream media has been touting this for years
  A Military assault team, SEALS< DELTA FORCE do not I REPEAT do not use semi automatic weapons
  their guns are fully automatic!!!!! They are assault weapons…..So quit classifying semi autos a assault
  they are not!!!!!
  
  Report this comment
midnightsun
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:05pm
WRONG! The AR 15 WAS NOT used in the Sandy Hook school shooting.

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- Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:22pm
  Yes it was, the AP said so, they never get a story wrong. Sarcasm off.
  
  Report this comment
- VRW Conspirator
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:14pm
  Yes it was…seriously…if you go back through the reports and the footage…and filter out the confusion… the murderer used a Glock 9mm a Sig 9mm and the Bushmaster AR-15 .223
  The autopsy reports also confirm this.
  
  There isn’t a conspiracy, it was just the “fog of war” and the rapidity of information that resulted in conflicting reports. The gun being removed from the car was the shotgun.
  
  That is the report that I read all day as I followed the story and why I was amazed people were saying the murderer was let into the school. It only came out in the days after that he broke in and started immediately shooting at the office staff as they tired to call for the lock-down and escape the central office.
  
  I followed the updates and watched the live FOX affiliate in Sandy Hook when I could and there was a consistent reporting on the coverage I saw and read that the murderer used an AR-15 and two handguns and had a fourth gun, a shotgun, out in the car.
  
  Report this comment
Lloyd Drako
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:00pm
Why is no one mounting a counter-offensive to rescind the ban on full automatics? Ordinary citizens should have the right to defend themselves as much as John Dillinger and Pretty Boy Floyd did, no?
Not to demand the right to full automatic weapons is tantamount to conceding that the government has the right to infringe your right to bear arms. Arise, patriots and all ye who love liberty!

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- GhostOfJefferson
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:05pm
  Actually, I do call for the repeal of the unconstitutional pre-emption on my right to own and use fully automatics.
  
  They aren’t banned, by the way, even the article states this. I can go buy one today, though at these prices and with the idiocy the FBI puts you through, I’m not likely to. They’re a Class III item, which are legal. Hell brother, I’m actually considering (for real) buying a nice silencer or two, a couple of stores around my neighborhood sell them and set you up with the paperwork as a free service. ;)
  
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- r3dbull4dd1kt
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:10pm
  Several States have a blanket ban on Class 3 licenses as well…Iowa being one of them…while the firearms are technically not banned, they banned the licenses instead making Full-Autos illegal in the process without banning them
  
  Report this comment
- GhostOfJefferson
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:18pm
  Yeah, forgot about state bans. Ohio you can buy one though. I simply do not have an extra $15,000 lying around to donate for a sheet metal cheap full auto.
  
  Report this comment
- Lloyd Drako
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:19pm
  Ghost, glad you are on top of this! Since the military has full automatics, and since the 2nd amendment’s manifest intent is to secure your right to bear arms against a tyrannical government with a standing army, I would place the right to own a full automatic at the top of my gun rights list.
  
  Report this comment
- jcldwl
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:24pm
  “an automatic keeps firing bullets as long as the trigger is pulled once.”
  This is an incorrect statement. You have to keep the trigger depressed for the automatic to keep firing. Not just pull it once.
  
  Report this comment
- GhostOfJefferson
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:27pm
  I already can own a fully automatic weapon. There are however pre-emptions to the exercise of that right that need removed. Currently, we’re trying to stop the ban of standard semi-automatic rifles, shotguns and sidearms. Had Obama not been re-elected, there’s a fair chance that a concerted push to get the automatic weapons idiocy repealed, since we’ve restored a huge number of 2nd Amendment rights by repealing laws since the late 1990′s. Right now though, we’re focusing on keeping this current monstrosity from happening.
  
  Also, of course, I know you’re being cynical. ;)
  
  Report this comment
davethe10r
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:00pm
The “40% of gun sales” stat has been handily debunked:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/the-stale-claim-that-40-percent-of-gun-sales-lack-background-checks/2013/01/20/e42ec050-629a-11e2-b05a-605528f6b712_blog.html

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/337958/gun-sales-and-background-checks-obamas-bogus-40-percent-stat-john-fund#

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- Wolf
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:08pm
  Not to mention, many people I know who buy used guns don’t even attend gun shows or have any loopholes other than knowing someone who has something they want to sell. The next ban will be ‘basement loophole sales’.
  
  Report this comment
Chuck7884
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 12:58pm
The word gun derives from maritime law meaning canon.the very first hand held firearm was named a hand canon ,therefore the name handgun.both long arms and short arms are handguns because of the use of the hands not the barrel.gun refers to a smooth bore barrel and not a rifled barrel. guns were redefined with the introduction of the lans and groves for said firearm.

This is why most gun Laws are dropped in the court of law. Smart Lawyer VS. Dumb Lawyer.

Letter of the Law must be Ruled on Before Intent of the Law can EVER BE DISCUSSED. FACT: Go look it up for yourselves.

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- Chuck7884
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:24pm
  I Have just showed you how any you can defeat any gun law written . the must use the title as well as sub-titles when the rule on the actual. if the say handgun law the accidentally or purposely refer to a smooth bore firearm. when a word is in question the court must go to the origin of the word or words.Hence the letter of the law.
  
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- Chuck7884
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 4:06pm
  If you are unlucky to go to court DO NOT WAVE YOUR RIGHT TO READING OF THE LAW This is a Court Trick to get rid of the burden in letter of the law. yes they bypass the LETTER.OF THE LAW and go to INTENT OF THE LAW. Your Lawyer may be working for the courts or just plain to dumb to know the difference (back room agreement with or without the defendant) .The courts will not educate you or your lawyer And this is why your are a fool to defend yourself in a court of Law. also why some lawyers charge the big bucks.
  
  Report this comment
spfoam1
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 12:47pm
A militia can be assembled quickly from the citizens whose right to keep and bear arms has not been infringed. A militia may be an organized group that meets regularly, or it can be a group of average citizens who meet in a time of need. A mob cannot secure freedom against a tyrannical government, so “well regulated” refers to the need for a proper command structure, controlling the militia when it has been assembled, so the militia is not a disorganized and ineffective mob. It does not mean the weapons of the militia are strictly regulated, because that definition could be used by the government to make any militia ineffective by limiting the weapons they could use. That’s my take as an average citizen and Marine from the 70s.

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- SiP
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:05pm
  I disagree. There is no way to assemble an effective militia from among the people who own guns and do not know each other very well, and certainly don’t have a command structure. The federal government and states have neglected the militia to the point that it no longer exists, with every political decision maker claiming that the National Guard is the modern militia…it is not. The states need to do what the founders suggested, and gather up the militia regularly (not all at once necessarily) to ensure a state of readiness. If the National Guard is the elite militia from which officers are chosen, that’s fine; but the rest of the militia needs to be a part of the structure.
  
  Report this comment
- JQuentinEvermann
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:24pm
  “Well regulated” is an 18th century term for “well trained.” It has nothing to do with the modern form of the word “regulation” or “to regulate”, but rather refers to someone’s responsibility to be trained, safe, accurate, and when necessary, deadly with their weapon of choice.
  
  The Constitution is actually promoting the idea that those who would be most effective against a tyrannical government should be the ones with the most firepower.
  
  The only questions now are: When will the shooting start? Who will shoot first? And what lines will define enemy from friend?
  
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- Chuck7884
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:31pm
  There are no National guard bases in our beloved country. Only Armories and Guard post.Reason The 3rd amendment and or well regulated Militia from our 2nd Amendment. again look it up.Marine Corps Base Camp Pendlton, Army Base Ft.Bragg. With each title Goes the State in Which they reside.
  
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- spfoam1
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:04pm
  The idea that average citizens can not be assembled into an effective militia is absurd. The average citizen CAN be trained to become an effective part of a militia, in short order. No one is saying a crowd off the street is instantly an effective militia, but with some BASIC TRAINING they can become an effective militia. The military starts with the same civilians.
  
  Report this comment
- Wolf
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 6:18pm
  Since you’re the only one who brought up the Second Amendment… The article headline asks if the story got the Second Amendment quote correct.
  
  It did not.
  
  The Founders put punctuation in their phraseolgy for a reason, and there’s a comma between ‘well regulated militia’ and ‘being’. Read it thus and it makes a whole other meaning.
  
  Report this comment
- spfoam1
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 9:03pm
  @ WOLF….I saw the comma. Why don’t you elaborate on what this “whole other meaning” is.
  
  Report this comment
Navyguy62
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 12:41pm
Keep in mind that if there was a properly trained individual with a CCW able to legally carry in any of these situations all of them would have ended with many less casualties.

All of the perpetrators used illegally obtained weapons and all the new law/bans in the world would never have stopped them.
One legally carrying citizen would have.

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SiP
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 12:32pm
Why do people keep saying that fully automatic weapons aren’t banned? This article says semi-auto “assault rifles” were banned in 1994 but full autos are just “restricted”…well the 1986 full-auto ban works the same way as the 1994 ban: it bans machine guns manufactured after the date of the ban. Actually, the 1986 ban is harsher, because it requires NFA registration for the grandfathered guns while the 1994 ban does not. This article is even more misleading, because it says without mentioning the fact that they’re banned, that fully automatics include modern rifles and pistols, when modern full autos can’t be legally purchased at all.

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pap pap
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 12:29pm
When wacko’s do the Aurora Co and the Sandy Hook thing they know that they are going to end up shooting themselves so why don’t they just do that first.

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...EriK
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 12:26pm
I am a veteran, and I always thought of myself as having more than a casual understanding individual weaponary, but I have always had this question… Under the descriptions provided by the article and some of the commentors, why would a revolver not be considered a semi-automatic? It seems to me that a round is fired with each pull of the trigger until the cylinder has cycled through. Does semi-automatic refer to the firing action or the loading action? Or, both? Maybe I’m over analyzing, but I keep hearing the media/gun-control nuts throwing around terms, and I’m pretty sure most of them have no clue as to what they are referring. And, before someone wants to flame me in response, I really do feel ignorant on the questions I asked.

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- colascguy
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 12:55pm
  Could be because revolvers are double action meaning that you c.ck and fire the weapon with the same pull of the trigger.
  
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- GhostOfJefferson
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:01pm
  Good question actually. Semi-automatic loads the next round (assuming there is one) when the trigger is pulled and the first casing ejects. So, trigger pull, eject, self load next round through a gas mechanism of some sort. The revolver does *not* load the next round when the trigger is pulled as an after-action. Meaning, when you pull the trigger, you either **** the hammer first which presents the next round to be fired, if there is one unspent, and when you pull the trigger the round is fired but the casing stays in the same position and doesn’t automatically “self load” the next cartridge.
  
  I’m not sure if that’s the official difference, but it’s always struck me as a defining difference. The revolver is simply not self loading in a technical sense, you have to load it before firing each time.
  
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- r3dbull4dd1kt
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:08pm
  Revolvers: a Single-Action Revolver is the same as a Bolt-Action Rifle…not semi-automatic
  A Double-Action Revolver is still not semi-automatic because its mechanically cocked and fired by the trigger mechanism
  Semi-Auto Handguns and Rifles:these are Mechanically or Gas-Operated by the expelled gases from a fired round>>several configurations exist but all operate by using the fired round as a Kinetic Force to operate the Bolt/Carrier/Slide which rebounds on spring pressure to facilitate automatic reloading of the chamber from a magazine…
  
  Report this comment
- ...EriK
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:13pm
  Thanks, I didn’t think of it that way… Makes sense to me, which leads me to anouther question: I have a couple of P-38′s, which I guess would be considered semi-automatics. However, my understanding is they were the first to have a double-action on the first round providing it had been previously chambered. Which maybe makes them semi-semi-automatics! Now I just getting stupid! It’s been a long day, and it snowing! But, I do appreciate your insight!
  
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- GhostOfJefferson
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:30pm
  No semi-auto automatically loads the first round, that’s always a manual procedure. Unless, you know, your firearm is alive and posesses a demon soul and self loads the first round all on its own. :)
  
  To be honest, I think I may have misunderstood what you are getting at, can you clarify? I’m betting you’re noting that the pistol model in question is a single action semi-auto, like the 1911A1?
  
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- ...EriK
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:46pm
  GOSTOFJEFFERSON:
  Actually, my question on revolvers was just a stand alone inquiry. But then I remembered my P-38′s were double-action on first pull, and as long a round was chambered, then the blow-back action took over for the rest of the magazine/trigger pulls. If I understand your responding question correctly, the P-38 was the replacement for the Luger. The luger, like the 1911A, were both single action. But, at least the 1911A had an external hammer. BTW: I have two lugers & one !911A. When all this “control” talk started, I pulled them out of mothballs (25yrs in a footlocker) and I am going to get a gunsmith to look them over for integrity. Thanks for your insights!
  
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geo01
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 12:23pm
.
WHAT IS AN ASSAULT WEAPON? When you get right down to it . . . anything the Government want’s it to be…..THIS LANGUAGE MUST NOT BE ALLOWED IN ANY LAW.
.
as·sault
[uh-sawlt]
.
noun
1. a sudden, violent attack; onslaught: an assault on tradition.
2. Law. an unlawful physical attack upon another; an attempt or offer to do violence to another, with or without battery, as by holding a stone or club in a threatening manner.
(dictionary.com)
.
You can assault some one with a single shot pistol….once used to assault someone…..BIG BROTHER COULD DEEM IT AN ASSAULT WEAPON…….same with a stone, a knife, a tire iron……
.
Using the words ASSAULT WEAPON in any law leaves the door open to ANYTHING THEY WANT TO CALL IT.
.
Perhaps it might be considered like one of those “temporary taxes” than never seem to go away.
.

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- tncruly
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:11pm
  Absolutely correct! The term “Assault Weapon”, in the current debate, is a manufactured PR term intended to be used to turn the public opinion against these weapons and the people who own them. So when the government deems it so, they can declare anything they desire an “Assault Weapon” and then ban it. It really is that simple.
  
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- guz75
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:07pm
  @GEO01
  
  What’s the point in posting definitions of the word assault and then leaving out the relevant ones??
  
  2. Military
  
  a. A military attack, such as one launched against a fortified area or place.
  b. The concluding stage of an attack in which close combat occurs with the enemy.
  
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azjnson
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 12:17pm
“That’s because sales between private gun owners and sales at gun shows are exempt under federal law.”

Federal law doesn’t exempt gun shows from background checks. If you buy from a dealer you have to have a background check by federal law. If you buy from a private individual at the show their is no federal requirement for a background check.

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- SiP
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 12:40pm
  More importantly, if you buy from a private seller ANYWHERE there’s no background check…there is no special exemption at gun shows, private seller or not; and some states actually created a special requirement that private sales at gun shows must include a background check just like dealer sales, while private sales outside of gun shows do not.
  
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RaydocX
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 12:12pm
AP ignores the 1986 automatic weapons law that prevents you or i from purchasing anything fully automatic after that year… the automatic weapons in private hands today are aging, and while i am not opposed to additional checks for the public consumption of such, any law the prevents someone with the cash and law abiding status to afford its purchase, restricting it seems one of the ‘little steps’ to a complete ban.

that any journalist writing about the issue STILL confuses semi-automatic and automatic, and is unaware of existing statutes exemplifies the global fall in the quality and thoroughness that modern journalism applies in generating a story…

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- GhostOfJefferson
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:09pm
  That’s incorrect. You can still buy and transfer fully automatic firearms, provided that they were registered prior to May 19, 1986. I know people who have fully automatic weapons, who are not cops. My shooting range rents out fully auto if you desire, and none of them are government or cop.
  
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Thighmaster
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 12:03pm
When hunting for migratory game birds and
waterfowl (i.e., doves, ducks, geese, woodcock,
etc.), it is illegal to use a shotgun capable of
holding more than three shells, unless it is
plugged with a one-piece filler that is incapable
of being removed without disassembling the
gun (See pages 28-29).
There are no restrictions on magazine
capacity for hunting of any other species.

This is the law in INdiana, taken from the Indiana hunting guide. Why can’t we use this same restriction for those who want to do harm to other law abiding people ? We should ONLY restrict those who would break the law and not those who follow all the laws that are passed to restrict only law abiding citizens. Make sense ?

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NorCalBlazer
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 12:00pm
30 round magazines are what the rifles were designed to use. They should call 10-rounders (like we’re stuck with here) LOW capacity magazines.

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- Yeah_Buddy
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 6:47pm
  Excellent point. New law in New York just about makes about 90% of hand guns illegal, limiting mags to 7 rounds.
  
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DonaldH
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 11:59am
By the desription of what a semi-automatic pistol is– then look for double action revolvers to be banned– if being semi-automatic will end up on the band list

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- Cavallo
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 12:06pm
  Likely nothing will end up on a banned list. They’ll likely strengthen some of the background checks, but it is unlikely they’ll require them of private citizens (which creates defacto lists of who owns what weapons).
  
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- GhostOfJefferson
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:11pm
  Revolvers don’t self load the next round after a trigger is pulled.
  
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- rig_jumpr
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:54am
  Ghost, not to nitpick but, with the very wide definitions used by the powers that be yes, a revolver could be considered auto-loading as in….. “pull” the trigger bang, reset pull the trigger again the cylinder rotates with next cartridge.
  
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Bonnieblue2A
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 11:56am
Technically speaking, a semi-auto will not fire as fast as an individual can operate the trigger; but rather, as fast as the bolt can cycle, extract and eject a round, and load/chamber the next round, with each trigger pull. It is possible to operate the trigger on a semi-auto faster than the bolt can cycle.

High Capacity Magazine: a magazine larger than that the firearm was designed to hold by the factory OEM (original equipment manufacturer). AR-15s are designed to use 30 round magazines. AR-10s are designed to use 20 round magazines. A Glock 17 is designed to use a 17 round magazine. What does this mean? Just because the Clinton administration designates more than 10 rounds as “high capacity” doesn’t make it so. In fact, firearms malfunctions resulted in LEO injuries as a result of the Clinton AWB and the magazine capacity reduction requirement. Of course, the gun banners won’t admit that the magazine capacity reductions they require cost lives rather than save them.

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OJMDC
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 11:53am
As a 16+ year member of law enforcement, This article is actually correct. The definitions are clear non gun enthusiasts.

I don’t know why the militia portion is debated, the Founders were clear in many of their comments, inlcuding the one below.

“A militia, when when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves…and include all men capable of bearing arms.” –Senator Richard Henry Lee, 1788, on “militia” in the 2nd Amendmen

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- Bonnieblue2A
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 12:05pm
  Wow, that’s actually quite sad that you didn’t recognize the errors. 16+ years carrying a side arm as part of your job too.
  
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00100111
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 11:44am
“In the Colorado theater attack, police have said suspect James Holmes used a 100-round drum magazine”

FINISH THE SENTENCE, BLAZE! The AR-15 JAMMED. He switched to his shotgun which was his primary weapon for the rest of the shooting and caused most of the deaths and injuries. Stop letting statements like this go unchallenged.

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- jblaze
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 12:56pm
  Read the whole article before you criticize and accuse!
  
  “Does the AP do a good and accurate job of framing the issue? Read the article, below, and let us know what you think in the comments section.”
  
  “……..–WASHINGTON (AP) — Even Americans who have never touched a gun are probably familiar with the……… “
  
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GhostOfJefferson
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 11:44am
“The shooters used semi-automatic rifles in the Colorado movie theater attack ”

False, he used a shotgun mainly, his rifle was jammed.

” and in the slaying of 20 children and six adults at a Connecticut elementary school in December.”

There are conflicting reports on this. I’m not sure which ones are right or wrong.

“— devices that hold ammunition and feed the bullets into the firing chamber automatically. ”

Cartridges. If they only fed the bullets into the chamber, they’d leave behind the brass, primer and powder.

“The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence says as many as 40 percent of all gun sales are completed without a background check. That’s because sales between private gun owners and sales at gun shows are exempt under federal law.”

If private sales are not tracked, and they’re not, how could this number hold up to even casual scrutiny? It can’t as there’s no way to know; the Brady group invented it out of whole cloth, like they do for most of their supposed “facts”.

Otherwise, not too shabby actually.

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banjarmon
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 11:43am
What part of “SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED” do they NOT UNDERSTAND???

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- Landon410
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 12:04pm
  well, it depends on what your definition of the word “is” is… but I think the part of shall not be infrindged they don’t understand is ‘not’
  
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DougHarvey
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 11:40am
The article says multiple times that an AR-15 rifle was used at Sandy Hook but NBC reported less than a week after the shooting that while an AR-15 was found in a car in the parking lot, only pistols were used in the shooting. I wish they would stop spreading the lies.

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Cavallo
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 11:39am
There isn’t an extensive amount incorrect. There is some misdirection. From what I understand James Holmes weapon jammed and he had to use a shotgun for most of his killing and shooting.

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