Jerome81 Member Username: Jerome81
Post Number: 1049 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 205.153.103.15
| Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 1:15 pm: | |
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs .dll/article?AID=/20060726/NEW S99/60726002 Maybe I'm just imagining it, but it seems the reports of shootings/hold-ups with AK-47's is increasing. I've heard many here who report hearing AK fire. Is it true? Is this the latest "fad" for criminals or does it have to do ANYTHING with the lifting of the assault weapons ban? Something tells me they would have AK's anyway, banned or not, but worth asking. This is downright scary. Your little 9mm, and anything the police likely have is useless against such weapons. What a mess. And another life taken. Unfortunately they'll be just another number on a homicide list that is already way out of hand. |
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus
Post Number: 113 Registered: 06-2006 Posted From: 24.169.224.43
| Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 1:22 pm: | |
"This is downright scary. Your little 9mm, and anything the police likely have is useless against such weapons." it's good that congress didn't renew the assault weapons ban though...it's not fair that criminals could get these types of weapons but they are illegal for the law-biding citizen...not anymore... |
Solarflare Member Username: Solarflare
Post Number: 482 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 65.112.56.3
| Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 1:37 pm: | |
Has nothing to do with the expiration of the assualt weapons ban. All the same weapons were still available, they just had certain "features" not available to them. You could still buy them, they just had no bayonet lug, no muzzle devices, basically nothign that had to do with actual function. The dems got a bill passed and were happy, the bill had no teeth so the repubs were happy. The ban was toothless, 100%. BTW, there are no "AK-47's" available, only knock-offs. And a bolt action hunting rifle is far more powerful and accurate than an AK knock off. |
Solarflare Member Username: Solarflare
Post Number: 483 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 65.112.56.3
| Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 1:39 pm: | |
and actually the current BATFE imported barrel ban is having WAY more effect on these AK knock-offs than any legislation passed previously, and I'm not even sure it was legislated, it may just be a BATFE restriction. |
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus
Post Number: 114 Registered: 06-2006 Posted From: 24.169.224.43
| Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 1:51 pm: | |
Solarflare: I was kinda refering to the part of the article where it said at least a dozen rounds were fired. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the 1994 ban outlawed the sale of magazines holding more than 10 rounds... I supposed the shooters could have reloaded or have been firing with multiple weapons, but I'm just speculating that they were using a higer-capacity magazine. |
Solarflare Member Username: Solarflare
Post Number: 484 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 65.112.56.3
| Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 1:56 pm: | |
It outlawed the sale of magazines holding more than 10 rounds that were produced after the ban, and no more could be imported. Pre-existing magazines could still be sold, and trust me, there are/were MILLIONS of high capacity magazines already in country. When the ban expired there wasn' even a price drop, which indicates to me the ban had no effect on their availability. |
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus
Post Number: 115 Registered: 06-2006 Posted From: 24.169.224.43
| Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 2:04 pm: | |
hmmm...the info on Wikipedia says there WAS a price hike up until the ban ended...either way, it's still not right IMO to pass laws making illegal for the law-biding citizen to buy them, especially if they are so readily available "Possession of illegally imported or manufactured equipment was outlawed as well, but note that the law did not ban the possession or sale of assault weapons or high-capacity magazines that were manufactured before the ban took effect. This provision for "pre-ban" weapons created an artificially inflated price point in the free market for such items, a disruption in the market that lasted until the ban sunset." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A ssault_weapons_ban_(USA) |
Warriorfan Member Username: Warriorfan
Post Number: 471 Registered: 08-2005 Posted From: 68.43.81.191
| Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 2:15 pm: | |
I highly doubt these criminals went to a gun store and went throught the requisite federal criminal background check to obtain these weapons. Lots of AKs, including fully-auto weapons, are illegally smuggled into this country from Mexico and most end up in America's inner cities in the hands of thugs and criminals. |
Ron Member Username: Ron
Post Number: 243 Registered: 03-2006 Posted From: 66.174.79.230
| Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 4:29 pm: | |
This is one issue that I am somewhat conservative on. (Livernoisyard, are you out there listening?????????) I agree that criminals are not the ones obtaining weapons legally. I also agree that the government should not limit law-abiding citizens access to guns. To those who criticze this position, I simply reflect on the history of our country. One of the primary reasons we exist as a country is because we had guns and the Native Americans did not. (Not that it is the only reason). We are country founded because we had access to firearms. We will never get rid of them. So we have to "even the playing field." And to address the issue of criminal access to firearms. A good friend of mine was killed with an AK in 2000, before the ban expired. Another good friend of mine has an AK. Yep, they have certainly been available for many years. Thanks Mr. Kalishnikov (I was being sarcastic there). |
Supersport Member Username: Supersport
Post Number: 10375 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 64.118.137.226
| Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 4:51 pm: | |
I have a feeling that anytime somebody hears a fully automatic weapon, they assume it was an AK47. Ban or no ban, fully automatic weapons were illegal unless you were granted a special license by the feds to purchase one. If you were one of the lucky ones to obtain such a license, your reasoning was hardly one that included selling them on the street. I'm even willing to bet that a lot of people may actually be hearing multiple shots from a hand gun in rapid fire, possible a few people firing at the same time. Combine that with echos off the surrounding buildings in the area and they conlude "Oh yeah, it was definitely AK47 fire. |
Warriorfan Member Username: Warriorfan
Post Number: 473 Registered: 08-2005 Posted From: 68.43.81.191
| Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 4:54 pm: | |
The AK is no better or worse than any other rifle, the only difference is that the AK is ingrained in global pop culture and is seen as a "status symbol." It's popular because of the famous name and appearance, that's why criminals carry it and that's why you read about lots of murders in Detroit being committed with one. Just like it is with clothes and cars, the ghetto thugs of Detroit only want to carry "name brand" guns that give them street cred and make them look tough instead of the pussies they actually are, so that means an AK. |
Jerome81 Member Username: Jerome81
Post Number: 1051 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 64.142.86.133
| Posted on Friday, July 28, 2006 - 12:41 am: | |
Warriorfan, agreed. However, the power of the AK (or any other rifle) is far far greater than your everyday handgun. That is what I find scary. Sure a bolt action rifle is crazy accurate and powerful, but it can't pop off as many shots as quickly as an automatic rifle. If handguns are scary, automatic rifles just take that to the next level. |
Paulmcall
Member Username: Paulmcall
Post Number: 837 Registered: 05-2004 Posted From: 68.40.119.216
| Posted on Sunday, July 30, 2006 - 5:50 pm: | |
This post will sure entice more folks to move back to Detroit. Shootings with an AK-47 (or not) are out of control. |
Iseries840 Member Username: Iseries840
Post Number: 233 Registered: 08-2005 Posted From: 68.40.155.67
| Posted on Sunday, July 30, 2006 - 6:05 pm: | |
AKs are popular because they are easy to use and don't require much maintenance. A ten year old could use one. |
Jerome81 Member Username: Jerome81
Post Number: 1055 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 64.142.86.133
| Posted on Monday, July 31, 2006 - 2:09 am: | |
And 10 year olds probably are.... |