Gun laws: Good, bad and ugly [View all]
Starting with the good, we need a provision for universal background checks. Right now in more than half of the states it is impossible for a private sale to include the same background check a buyer would have to pass if s/he were buying a gun from a licensed dealer.
A bad law we have now is the one making suppressors (silencers for you TV and movie fans) almost impossible to get. A typical suppressor reduces a gunshot from 140 dB or more by about 25 dB. A suppressor will make a gunshot about as quiet as a leaf blower at best. (See the picture below.)
The ugly is the idea of an "assault weapons ban". The definition of these items has changed over time and varies from state to state among states that have these types of bans. There is a type of rifle known as an "assault rifle". Assault rifles are select fire meaning that a single trigger press can fire a single shot, a multi-round burst or full-auto. Examples would include an M-16 and an MP-5. Assault weapons have been defined as semi-auto (one trigger pull = one shot) along with features like a folding stock or bayonet lug. The assault terminology serves only to confuse the matter. The group of folks who believe all guns are bad and all restrictions are good will argue for any AWB. Other folks who disagree with the idea that having telescoping stock or accessory rail makes a gun deadlier will oppose laws that include an AWB. Political fights over things that make no difference cause credibility to suffer.
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