Own an AR15 or AK? This guy thinks you shouldn't

[7.62X25mm]

The truth is that I have no problem with sensible gun-control laws, such as licensing.

Anytime someone says "sensible" I'm reminded that "sensible" government helped spawn this current economic melt-down that we're looking at, and that "sensible" government has opted to commit about 7 TRILLION to "fix the problem."

"Trillion" -- that's a thousand, thousand, thousand, thousand: 1,000,000,000,000

It's the money we spent on WWII, Korea, Viet Nam, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan . . . COMBINED.

When I hear "sensible" I get really skeptical.

 

[7.62X25mm]

"Shall not be infringed."

The "concept" behind this is to provide THE PEOPLE with the means to defend themselves against a tyrannical government. You don't put the government in charge of a concept like that.

 

[benEzra]

The author's bolt action rifles were the assault weapons of their day up to the middle of the 20th century. What was he smoking?

I think it's a generational thing. He appears to be close to my parents' age, and the "latest and greatest" rifles during his formative years undoubtedly were the Mauser-pattern bolt rifles. And his parents or grandparents probably wagged their heads about the newfangled military-style bolt-actions that the young whippersnappers were hitting the hunting fields with, since real shooters used lever-actions and single shots and "the only reason to want a bolt rifle would be to satisfy Sergeant York fantasies."

Fast forward to the present, and shooters of my age and younger (38) are now the young whippersnappers interested in the more modern designs and being berated for it. But a lot of my generation cut our teeth on small-caliber autoloaders, and it's even more true of those younger than I.

He harps on the "Rambo" connection he sees...but I was only eleven years old when the Rambo movie came out, and a lot of AR/AK owners today probably weren't even born yet in 1982. So Rambo doesn't even enter my head when I see an AR-15 (I wasn't even old enough to see the movie and have no idea if he used AR's or not), but to someone of his age, perhaps it does.

So I understand why he may not have any inclination to shoot modern-looking rifles. That doesn't excuse his insults or closed-mindedness, though.

 

[RPCVYemen]

So Rambo doesn't even enter my head when I see an AR-15 ...

Unfortunately, a lot of folks thinks of "North Hollywood Shootout" when they see an AR15.

Mike

 

[ByAnyMeans]

I also agree it's a generational thing. When I talk to my dad about my AK he feels "you have the right to own it but I see no use for them." He does feel my uncles Garand is useful and fun. My grandfather however thinks they are all "weapons of war" and should be left "on the battlefields" yet he loves his Springfield 1903. None of them see the irony that they all had a place in wars and all were "weapons of war". They also don't see the fun in unloading a 30 round mag into various objects so what can you do.

 

[BADUNAME37]

I have a "black" semi-automatic .223 that I hunt deer and black bear with using 62g Barnes TSX bullets.

I'd rather carry that all day than my varmint gun that is a bolt action and weighs about 5 pounds more.

Oh, my bolt action has a wooden stock that is stained BLACK.

 

[rbernie]

Unfortunately, a lot of folks thinks of "North Hollywood Shootout" when they see an AR15.

I have been surrounded by non-shooters for most of my life. Not a single one of them knows about the North Hollywood Shootout. A few of them know about the Miami shootout, and all of them know about Columbine (but none know the weapons used other than that the handguns were 'hi-capacity'). Based on this lack of awareness of firearnm specifics, I do not think that any of the public shooting incidents of the last twenty five years has made a dent in the public perception of a specific type of firearm. They do not look any deeper into things beyond the characterizations given to the weapons by the media (e.g. 'assault rifle', 'hi-capacity', and so forth).

I once had a woman look at the ventilated YHM float tube on one of my AR builds and state that it was scary because 'it looks like a machine gun'. We certainly have Hollywood to thank for that perception issue, but we also have ourselves. We pride ourselves within our ranks on how much our hardware looks 'tactical', and then we get annoyed when that comparison is made by others. The fact that this AR15 (chambered in 7.62x39) was my primary deer and hog hunting gun didn't matter; the key issue was that it looked like the guns in Predator and Rambo and other militaristic movies. She made the connection.

She, and most of the folk that comprise the electoral base for the anti-gun types, didn't care so much about specific features like bayonet lugs and flash hiders. They don't care about AR15s vs Winchester Model 70s, at least not directly and in terms of model names or such. They simply want to think of their world as enlightened and advanced and devoid of interpersonal conflicts and danger, and they wish to dwell in that fantasyland as much as possible. The notion that the guy two houses down has scary military-looking hardware is troubling to that worldview, certainly much moreso than that nice OU shotgun that the cute guy in the office uses at the trap range.

 

[David904]

JohnL2,

I disagree. Responsible parenting would have prevented Columbine from happening.

 

[.38 Special]

I have been surrounded by non-shooters for most of my life. Not a single one of them knows about the North Hollywood Shootout.

I'm guessing none of these folks are familiar with 9/11, the shuttle disasters, or electricity.