Assault weapons ban

[alsatian]

It seems that I recall one of the features that go into the classification of an "assault rifle" in the infamous 1994 assualt rifle ban is a pistol grip.

I have evidently injured my wrist recently, and it is painful for me to hold a rifle vertically by the pistol grip and lower the rifle into shooting position, where my wrist is highly flexed forward (my words may not articulate the physical motion of my wrist, but do this -- at least in your mind -- with your Winchester Model 70 or similar rifle and you'll visualize the wrist flexion I'm trying to describe). While it is my hope and expectation that my wrist will heal over time -- it is improving now -- I could well imagine someone with a chronic wrist problem such as this who might NEED and REQUIRE a pistol grip in order to securely and safely hold a rifle.

So, I would argue there are legitimate reasons to want to own a rifle with a pistol grip. I don't know why a pistol grip would be considered prejudicial to the sporting character of a firearm, and yet -- provided my memory hasn't misled me -- the assault weapons ban of 1994 does in fact use a pistol grip to lean towards judging a weapon to be an assault rifle.

I have no assault rifles and have no desire to own them, but I don't see the point in banning them.

 

[HunterHarry]

There in lies the whole problem.
The people that end up making the descriptions don't know their ass from a hole in the ground!
They could include my Browning tube fed semi-auto .22 as an assault weapon!
Personally I can't stand most of that military styled crap,but I know the reasons that the 2nd amendment was scripted and it aint' about huntin!
I am not a fan of handguns either for that matter,but it is better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them!
HH

 

[264Magnum]

it's actually a combination of 5 things: bayonet lug, flash hider, collapsible stock, detachable magazine and pistol grip stock that were banned. any current rifle can have a pistol grip and/or detachable magazine only. a bolt action rifle with a pistol grip stock would be legal.



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There are three reasons to own a gun. To protect yourself and your family, to hunt dangerous and delicious animals, and to keep the King of England out of your face. -- Krusty the Clown

 

[ford_boy]

If I have my story right. The guns that were put on the banned list were chosen by some aides to ultra-liberal Sen. Barbara Boxer. They were surprised that the legislation passed and in a rush to throw something together they picked the 17 guns by looking at pictures in a catalog. Also, John Kerry the hunter and gun owner left the campaign trail to fly to D.C. to vote in favor of extending the assault weapon ban when it came up as an amendment to the lawsuit bill to prevent gun manufacturers from being sued. He couldn't make the vote on extending benefits to the unemployed but he couldn't make the vote against gun owners.