Scary thought

[.45FMJoe]

Just heard and read on modern marvels (one of those we're about to go to commercials cue card screens)

"Today, one half of the machine guns in this country are owned by Law enforcement and other government agencies."

Seeing as how the Gov't agencies and LEO Agencies make up what, maybe 1 or 2% of the population??? Makes me feel safer.

 

[Bowlcut]

well just think of all the crimes those guns would commit if they werent restrained by LEO's....

 

[THA]

That's kinda like the optimist saying the glass is half full and the pessimist saying it is half empty. Wouldn't it have been more effective if they had said half of the machline guns are owned by the general public.

 

[Kaylee]

Well... granted I don't have any numbers, but my guess is that the more appropriate line is:

"Today, one half of the registered machine guns in this country are owned by Law enforcement and other government agencies."

-K

 

[.45FMJoe]

Not exactly, THA.

The problem is the other half is so miniscule in size compared to the civilian sector!

 

[Airboss]

Machine Guns

There are approx.210000 legal Machine guns in the country now.About 1/2 are owned civilians.The problem is that this number about 110000 is fixed because of the 1968 Gun Control Act and the 1986 gun control act which fixed the number ie.What is on the NFA Registry is it;unless the law is changed.This is why form 4 guns (ones that can be transfered)Have Gone up in value fixed supply increased demand.I have seen 1921 Colt Thompsons going for $20000 5years ago you could find one @ about $8000 to $10000.Where will it end?How high is up?

 

[DWS1117]

I liked the "commercial cue card screen" that pointed out that 1934 only 1 crime has been committed with a legally owned machine gun, and that was by a police officer.

No this is not meant as a bash against LEO. Just what was stated on the cue card.

I like that the History channel is willing to air shows that show guns in at least a neutral and sometimes positive light instead of trying to make them look evil.

 

[THA]

The history channel did not say tha only one crime has been committed. It said only one murder had been committed. I had always heard it was crime, but the show said murder. That is why it caught my eye.

 

[CleverNickname]

I liked the "commercial cue card screen" that pointed out that 1934 only 1 crime has been committed with a legally owned machine gun, and that was by a police officer.

Make that "legal, privately owned machinegun". There was a case a year or two ago where a cop in Maryland(?) used his dept. issue MP5 to off a couple of his neighbors.

 

[Mark Tyson]

Make that "legal, privately owned machinegun". There was a case a year or two ago where a cop in Maryland(?) used his dept. issue MP5 to off a couple of his neighbors.

That was Edward Lutes in Seaside Heights New Jersey who used his department MP to kill some neighbors who had been involved in some kind of dispute involving indecent exposure to his daughter. He also shot his supervisor in the department. He was a SWAT team member too.

As far as I know, the other crimes with legal machine guns were some kind of noncompliance with regulations, not violent crimes.

 

[Quartus]

I see some folks here are a little confused:

The problem is the other half is so miniscule in size compared to the civilian sector!

There are the Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard). These are the military.


Then there are the rest of us. The civilians. That includes you, me, the Border Patrol, FBI, BATFE, DEA, county sherriffs, local cops, U.S. Marshalls, and everyone else who is not part of the military.



The distinction is not so clear cut in police states, which is why it is important to keep it clear in America.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

And to further clear up the confusion, Border Patrol, FBI, BATFE, DEA, county sherriffs, local cops, U.S. Marshalls, etc. are government agencies.

 

[Quartus]

So is the post office. So is the Department of Motor Vehicles. So is Parks and Recreation. So is....

 

[Tag]

it's all fun and games until joe blow has to break out the mini-gun.

vote from the rooftops.

 

[El Tejon]

Mark, a Dayton Ohio copper used his Form 4 MAC for a contract killing. I believe this is the murder referenced.

 

[son of a gun]

The worst part is all missiles are owned by government agencies I can see your point of view but the average civilian doesn't have the ammo supply for machine guns, semi-autos work fine on jack booted thugs

, like G Gordon Liddy said "shoot for the head or crotch."

 

[Mark Tyson]

El Tejon: Of course you're right about the Dayton cop who used a registered MG in a murder. I was referring to CleverNickname's reference to a cop who killed a bunch of folks with his department's MP5. Only it was in New Jersey, not MD as CleverNickname wrote.

A bigger point is: with such a sterling record by private machine gun owners, who are overwhelmingly no threat to the general public, how could they have justified the 1986 amendment? We don't disband the police department every time a cop does something wrong.

 

[CleverNickname]

How could they have justified the 1986 amendment?

Pick whichever you feel like, it probably fits.

1. They wanted to kill the GOPA, and hoped this would do it.
2. The ban would gain them votes in certain segments of the population.
3. 'The children' would be safer without millions of machineguns 'on the street'.
4. They're conniving, gun-grabbing bastards, so they don't need a reason.

I'm sure you could come up with more.

 

[El Tejon]

Mark, the justification of the Hughes Amendment was a marked extension of the Fabian strategy that the anti-civil rights crowd has been using. With the machine gun freeze, an entire category of weapons was affected. Note that semi-autos were targeted next, then scary shotguns (stroke of the pen made certain shotguns DDs--can do that with your 870 next) and .50s.

You don't NEED ______________.

 

[c_yeager]

Wasnt there a case not too long ago about a couple of kids shooting at signs next to a highway with their fathers (police officer i believe) legal FA ar15? This resulted in the accidental death of a motorist. A crime of negligence (and stupidity) but still a crime nonetheless.