I do not own guns anymore, but when i did, they were ALL post-1994 Clinton assault weapons/hi capacity magazine "ban" passed in September of a midterm election year! (what even Bill said was stupid and lost them the House and Senate. Not HillaryCare or his budget, but the gun bill lost a shitload of rural seats...but a national tragedy hadn't occurred prior).
Frank Lautenberg in the Senate and Carolyn McCarthy in the House are BOTH proposing limitations on high capacity gun magazines. And people are VERY falsely assuming that that gunman could NOT have had a 30 round mag IF the assault weapons ban hadn't expired in 2004 under the odious W.
I owned an Olympic Arms Ultra Match Grade AR-15 with a heavy barrel, tripod, muzzle break, flash suppressor, trigger job, and fantastic scope. I could hit a golf ball at 250 yards. I had TEN 30 round mags for it. I also owned a Glock 17 9mm with its standard issued 10 round mags (two), but I bought two 30 round mags for it in 1996. Now, how on Earth was i able to do this after this law? Well, the "limitations" on high-capacity magazines bore NO teeth. Why not?
Because the law banned the FURTHER manufacture of these hi cap mags after the law went into effect. It did NOTHING to affect the hi caps that already were in existence. And we're talking millions and millions of them. Silly language defects in the law in 1994
- It did NOT ban the sale.
- It did not ban the transfer.
- ALL the hi cap mags in existence were grandfathered in (which MAY be sensible).
- The magazine manufacturers churned out high cap mags like gangbusters before the law went into effect...even running 24-hour manufacturing operations.
Thus, I was able to buy any and all hi cap mags i wanted (or existing assault rifles, for that matter) unabated after this law - that was well-intentioned - but lacked teeth (other than the GOP teeth that cost us Congress because the assholes on the Right portrayed it as a "gun-grabbing" bill). In fact, the hi cap mags didn't even go up in price because there were sooo many of them. Assault rifles went up, but marginally.
What needs to be done, is for this community, as well as ALL communities who wish to see mags limited to ten or 15 rounds each (like i do), call ALL the Senators and Representatives who are courageously proposing these bills to be sure the language is correct, i.e., ban the TRANSFER OR SALE of these despicable murderous high capacity magazines. They need to get the language correct in the bills or it won't do a fucking thing other than turn out right wing voters in 2012. Please lobby/call the Sens and Reps who are pushing this sensible legislation. And it is NOT gun control anymore. Call it "gun SAFETY."
Here is Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy's DC Office number: 202.225.5516
Here is Senator Frank Lautenberg's (i love him) DC Office number: 202.224.3224
Please call them and ANY other member on Capitol Hill who is sponsoring/co-sponsoring such sensible legislation. And please keep this in mind for your states. MY state is a fucking lost cause on guns, sadly.
Oh, and PLEASE give me the names of any other Sen or Rep who is proposing similar legislation so i can contact them as well. Thank you.
EDIT: Okay, banning the POSSESSION of what is CURRENTLY legal is a bit too far...even for me. HOWEVER, banning the sale and/or transfer of these hi cap mags makes sense. The only handgun i ever wish to own again is a Glock .45 ACP. A .45 is THE best stopping power round if you are ever threatened. And TEN rounds is plenty for a .45. Afterall a Colt 1911 is only a 7 + 1. And a .357 revolver only has six and that should be enough!!!