Automatic firearms--what's the draw?

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Lack of experience with 'em, wanting it 'cuz it's cool'.
Who wouldn't want an American 180? In my case, it's not about fun - it's about taking out the vicious, man-eating herds of chupacabras...
 
I believe full-auto can be a fun thing, though I've never had the privilege of shooting one. I also believe ownership of almost any weapon should be legal. The misuse of weapons can be criminal, but ownership and safe use cause no harm so, IMO, should not be banned.

I once worked with an individual who was a cannon enthusiast. Not replica cannons, though these exist, but just cannons he made in his basement. Apparently a group got together somewhere in eastern Oregon and tried to hit 55gal drums at a ridiculous long range.

He got tired of the price of lead, so he made one with a bore that would fit Snappy-Tom tomato juice cans. If the can was half-filled with grout, it made a decent projectile, with the open end acting as a gas seal.

Every time I read about people having harmless fun with guns, or oppressive gun regulations, I remember this guy. I hope our future permits this kind of free-spirited fun and doesn't criminalize it.
 
Fully auto weapons are fun, but they get old pretty quick. I think I have the Marine Corps to blame for ruining full auto for me.

Once you start shooting them alot cleaning them, reloading them, dealing with the ammo, and cleaning up after your done just isn't worth it anymore.

Especially cleaning up after the MK-19. Sure shooting a fully automatic belt fed grenade launcher is fun. Until you have to close the range, call in EOD and wait an hour for them to show up, then wait another hour while they walk 10 yards down range and find one unexploded round, then wait another hour while they blow it up.

It's probably a blast when you don't have to deal with it every day.
 
think you guys have to pay silly prices for full auto weapons now.
but would you be comfortable with $200 dollar sten's being on the market or the tech 9 or hi point with da switch :(
 
I have to say I am surprised that it took until post #24 for the 2A reason, and a little more surprised that there were really only three so far that mentioned 2A as the reason for wanting FA.

Not that I could own FA here in NJ, but the main reason I believe that I should be able to has been stated below. The fact that they are fun is just gravy.

Post #24
coat4gun said:
Because "We the people" should always be at least as well armed as our Government.
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Post #45
Zoogster said:
Because the 2nd Amendment is about the right of the people to form organized effective groups and challenge tyranny if necessary. Whether that is domestic, or an occupying force (UN or Chinese forces for example) or other forms of tyranny.

They need to possess at least up to date infantry weapons. Up to date for over a hundred years has included select fire.
... edited for space...
The most important tool for freedom is the right to free speech. The second most important tool is the right to keep and bear effective arms.
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Post #48
Dragoneye9 said:
<snip>
3.) IMO a big part of the second ammendment was about being able to stand up to your goverment if they go to far. I belive I read it either here online or in a book "People should not be affraid of there goverment, there goverment should be afraid of them." Wich means to me we eleect and give the goverment there power the goverment should not forget they represent us there not our parnt. </snip>
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I may have missed a post or two, my apologies if I did.
 
think you guys have to pay silly prices for full auto weapons now.
but would you be comfortable with $200 dollar sten's being on the market or the tech 9 or hi point with da switch
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Why not? These weapons were available at those prices from 1934 until 1985.

During that time frame only one legally owned machine gun was used in a crime, and the shooter was a cop at that......

So, what exactly is your argument? That we should be afraid of low cost firearms in the hands of law abiding citizens?

No, I don't think I'd be afraid of that at all.......
 
hmmmmm I'm old enough to remember the sterling SMG when it was on issue:uhoh:
I also remember how much fun range sessions were with the cooks and bottle washers who got issued them not a lot short barreled fully automatic weapons in the hands of th inexperienced not fun:(.
SMG perfect tool for the gang banger type spree shooter etc.
So if theres a slight restriction on full auto weapons back to the 85 situation I'd agree with you woodystens.com buy one get one free not a good idea:(
 
I have shot a lot of them in the past 20 years in the military. For HD, if you understand how to properly employ a select fire carbine it offers obvious advantages (stopping power especially).

Certainly you will have a hard time convincing most paint ball warriors that a pump action is better than a full auto.
 
Gee, actaully there were a few gangbanger shooting sprees with full auto guns in America. Most of them occurred more than 70 years ago though.
 
but would you be comfortable with $200 dollar sten's being on the market or the tech 9 or hi point with da switch
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Half of them going FA would blow up in the gang bangers hand.

As for spree shooters, with legally owned FA's the was only one homicide that can be noted, it was back in the 70's,

Illegal ones, well it still happens, even though new FA's are illegal now.
 
It's hard to lay down effective covering fire with SA weapons. Rather, it's easier with FA guns. :)

After all, isn't the point of the Second Amendment to have citizens as well armed as the government? We can't very well defend ourselves against the military by conventional means now.
 
...because no one I know owns one, and I NEED to find out how much fun they are. MG shoots dont happen to much in CT if I'm correct.
 
Ive owned 1 automatic weapon, a Krinkov. was great for plinking and car defense. not so great sourcing ammo/explaining possession to LEO's.
 
not so great sourcing ammo/explaining possession to LEO's.
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I was pulled over for speeding once on the way to a South Texas machinegun shoot with an NFA dealer buddy of mine.

We had in the neighborhood of 75 machineguns of various types in the car.

The Trooper asked if we had any firearms in the van. I handed him a 3 ring binder with all the paperwork and said "they are in the back, help yourself".

He thumbed through a few pages, said "jeezus...", laughed, handed the book back and said "slow down, be careful" and handed me only a warning ticket.

That was and still has been my sole LE encounter concerning full auto firearms.
 
FUN -

And, it's nice to know you CAN have the option. Just like what is the point of having X car that CAN go 120mph. Or other toys that CAN do things that are pointless in the real world.
 
If you have not shot one you won't know. Once you shoot full auto, you will know why you want one.
 
woodybrighton said:
hmmmmm I'm old enough to remember the sterling SMG when it was on issue
I also remember how much fun range sessions were with the cooks and bottle washers who got issued them not a lot short barreled fully automatic weapons in the hands of th inexperienced not fun.
SMG perfect tool for the gang banger type spree shooter etc.
So if theres a slight restriction on full auto weapons back to the 85 situation I'd agree with you woodystens.com buy one get one free not a good idea
Click to expand...

I honestly don't understand your objections.
First, your statement about how the inexperienced recruits handled their weapons doesn't suprise me. The worst firearms handling I've ever seen anywhere was when I was in the army. When you get that many guys together with rifles, muzzle sweeps will happen. But the worst part was that all the city guys who had never handled guns before thought they were toys. They were literally running around the barracks playing cowboys and indians and paid absolutely no attention when we country boys tried to correct them.
The inexperience is the problem, not the firearm.
Second, I can see how an SMG would be appealing to a criminal but we're not talking about getting rid of background checks here. I'd be happy if the check was paid for by the government instead of being tacked on to my purchase price, but the instant check itself isn't an infringement so I have no objection. Even if you could buy an SMG at Walmart, you'd still have to undergo the same background check that you do when you buy a Remington 700 or a NEF single barrel. For that matter, I could see a crazed shooter choosing a pump action shotgun loaded with buck shot - from 50 yards you have nearly the equivalent of a claymore mine. An SMG isn't any more dangerous than that.
As for the gang banger, it comes back to where the blame should be placed. I say place it on the gang banger rather than on the Sten.
Personally, I say the more law abiding citizens who have guns of any kind, including full automatics, the better.
 
If there is a fully automatic weapon that I really want, it would be a BAR.

Historical significance, beauty, and patriotic resemblance, all in one package.
 
Full-auto firing is fun. And you don't even need the tax to do it...

Here in Illinois, we have learned to take full advantage of bump-firing. The AR-15s seem to bump fire just as fast as a taxed full-auto.
 
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