And of course, no one can get shot without some mention of gun control...

[spidey07]

Why is a 30 round magazine even needed?

So you can fire 30 rounds without reloading. If 5-6 guys are intent on doing you harm, those 30 rounds could save your life. Most uses of a firearm more than 50% of the bullets miss their target, a little more so with a handgun.

 

[irishScott]

Why is a 30 round magazine even needed?

Home defense during a Katrina-like situation/riot/whatever. The police were overwhelmed. What if a gang of several guys decides to loot your house? It's happened.

It's also a philosophical matter. Why wrongfully punish 99.x&#37; of any group (in this case gun owners) a freedom just to attempt to (and fail at) punish(ing) the <1%? Our legal system is based on better 100 guilty men go free than one innocent be wrongly punished. Why should our laws not reflect that?

If we only issue freedoms based on the "need" for those freedoms, then you can kiss about half the Constitution good bye.

 

[Amused]

Why is a 30 round magazine even needed?

Who is anyone else to judge what I need, or do not need? Who is anyone to tell me I can't be free to own something simply because they don't see a need for it?

Is that how my freedom is to be measured, by what I need? If I don't need it (or the elitists deem I don't need it) than I am to no longer be free to have/do it?

Really?

 

[JSt0rm]

so you only need this during a zombie invasion or great Britain trying to take over the country.

This guy was stopped during the reload process. I think its very likely less peolple wuld of been hurt/killed had he not had access to this magazine.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I think you meant the current laws surrounding gun ownership.

I'm not so sure this guy wouldn't have been able to get a gun anyways. The university didn't report him in which messes things up. Strictly speaking he would have had a clean record. I don't think a stricter gun law would have stopped him from getting a gun.

A law, that I would be happy about, would be to force gun owners to get licensed before they can buy a gun. Don't make gun ownership illegal, but make it like getting a car license or truck license. Have the person do 6 weeks of supervised gun usage with the supervisor monitoring the fitness of the person to keep a gun.

There is no reason to have stricter laws over driving than we have with gun purchases.

You're probably right. It's not as though it is difficult to get a gun if you're a criminal or insane.

 

[Amused]

so you only need this during a zombie invasion or great Britain trying to take over the country.

This guy was stopped during the reload process. I think its very likely less peolple wuld of been hurt/killed had he not had access to this magazine.

Actually, I believe his gun jammed, and he stopped to clear and change mags.

See, the hilarious downside to highcap mags, and why the armed forces don't even use them very often, is that they are highly prone to jamming.

 

[irishScott]

so you only need this during a zombie invasion or great Britain trying to take over the country.

This guy was stopped during the reload process. I think its very likely less peolple wuld of been hurt/killed had he not had access to this magazine.

And if the proper records had been made he never would have. But gun laws are more exciting then procedural errors, so by all means blame them for the problem.

Zombie invasion?

Hurricane Katrina. It happened.
The Rodney King Riots. They happened.
Other riots have happened in various locations where groups of people have engaged in destruction of property.
Home Invasions involving several determined people. Rare, but they happen as well.
Criminals acquiring already illegal automatic weapons and using them to kill people. Happens quite often regardless of the restriction of automatic weapons sales to the mainstream populace (which has been around for close to a century).

And if your only criteria is hypothetical body count, say one day I'm living in a hurricane zone and use a 30 round mag to stop a gang and save lives. Will that even things out for you?

 

[schneiderguy]

Why is a 30 round magazine even needed?

Why do people need a computer with a quad core processor? Why do people need a fancy sports car? Why people need a 4000 square foot house? Why do people need a smartphone?

They don't, so do you want to ban all of that stuff too?

 

[matt0611]

The only thing I would support is looking into how this kid who was obviously mentally ill got access to a gun. If there is a hole in the law, fix it weather its on the state of country level.

No across the board bans on "guns that look scary" etc

And don't rush some bill and ram it through congress this week either.

 

[Amused]

The only thing I would support is looking into how this kid who was obviously mentally ill got access to a gun. If there is a hole in the law, fix it.

No across the board bans on "guns that look scary" etc

And don't rush some bill and ram it through congress this week either.

There's no hole in the law. He was never officially diagnosed nor convicted of a felony. Had the school had him charged for the threats he made, things may have been different.

 

[spidey07]

There's no hole in the law. He was never officially diagnosed nor convicted of a felony. Had the school had him charged for the threats he made, things may have been different.

The three big things a background check prevents:

1) Felon - no gun for you, the threats would be hard to get as felonies
2) Mentally ill - only if a court order judging you as such is against you
3) Restraining order - possible, if the sheriff followed through on the threats

So as they say, the system worked and the sheriff dropped the ball it seems.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

so you only need this during a zombie invasion or great Britain trying to take over the country.

Why would we want to do that? MAYBE oil but there would have to be a sheitload more to put up with the obnoxious spelling and your horrible accents. Besides, we'd never invade, we'd buy you from China.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

And if the proper records had been made he never would have. But gun laws are more exciting then procedural errors, so by all means blame them for the problem.

Zombie invasion?

Hurricane Katrina. It happened.
The Rodney King Riots. They happened.
Other riots have happened in various locations where groups of people have engaged in destruction of property.
Home Invasions involving several determined people. Rare, but they happen as well.
Criminals acquiring already illegal automatic weapons and using them to kill people. Happens quite often regardless of the restriction of automatic weapons sales to the mainstream populace (which has been around for close to a century).

And if your only criteria is hypothetical body count, say one day I'm living in a hurricane zone and use a 30 round mag to stop a gang and save lives. Will that even things out for you?

What if the gang uses their legally purchased firearms but filed off the serial numbers and they shoot out your entire neighbourhood including you? Well those guns are illegal guns so no need for gun control because of those, right?

 

[matt0611]

The three big things a background check prevents:

1) Felon - no gun for you, the threats would be hard to get as felonies
2) Mentally ill - only if a court order judging you as such is against you
3) Restraining order - possible, if the sheriff followed through on the threats

So as they say, the system worked and the sheriff dropped the ball it seems.

OK then, he should have been caught on number 2 so what can be done to fix this?

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

The three big things a background check prevents:

1) Felon - no gun for you, the threats would be hard to get as felonies
2) Mentally ill - only if a court order judging you as such is against you
3) Restraining order - possible, if the sheriff followed through on the threats

So as they say, the system worked and the sheriff dropped the ball it seems.

1) Used gun can be legally sold to anyone without any background check in some states, since no background check is needed they won't know if you are out of state or even an escaped convict.
2) See 1
3) See 1

Just file off the serial number before use and it's an illegal firearm and will never show up in statistics about legal firearms used for crime.

 

[JSt0rm]

Actually, I believe his gun jammed, and he stopped to clear and change mags.

See, the hilarious downside to highcap mags, and why the armed forces don't even use them very often, is that they are highly prone to jamming.

I think the first magazine worked proper, it was the second that was jammed and he was jumped while trying to reload it again.

 

[JSt0rm]

And if your only criteria is hypothetical body count, say one day I'm living in a hurricane zone and use a 30 round mag to stop a gang and save lives. Will that even things out for you?

Is that a reality? Please show me anywhere that a 30 round pistol clip was used for good.

 

[Amused]

I think the first magazine worked proper, it was the second that was jammed and he was jumped while trying to reload it again.

Ah, you may be right. Just curious, can you point me to that info? I'd like to get that straight before I post something mistaken again.

 

[DucatiMonster696]

Would this be an issue if the nutcase involved had used a car to plow into and kill these people? Answer is no.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Thats fine. there should probably be a ban on 30 round handgun magazines and 300 round drum magazines for assault rifles.

Even though they're used in about .0001% of all crimes. they somehow pose a super threat?

 

[irishScott]

What if the gang uses their legally purchased firearms but filed off the serial numbers and they shoot out your entire neighbourhood including you? Well those guns are illegal guns so no need for gun control because of those, right?

Tell me a method of preventing such a hypothetical without punishing the innocent majority and ensuring that the slippery slope argument doesn't apply, and I'm listening.

 

[JSt0rm]

Ah, you may be right. Just curious, can you point me to that info? I'd like to get that straight before I post something mistaken again.

I think it was in a press briefing with the sheriff on Sunday. So it was audio. I heard it on npr.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Why is a 30 round magazine even needed?

Why is an suv or 4x4 needed for most people? Why are mcmansions needed? Why is anything other than food, clothing, shelter, water, and air needed?

 

[JulesMaximus]

Why do people need a computer with a quad core processor? Why do people need a fancy sports car? Why people need a 4000 square foot house? Why do people need a smartphone?

They don't, so do you want to ban all of that stuff too?

That's really kind of a stupid comparison. Guns are designed to discharge bullets with the ultimate goal of killing and/or incapacitating people. You can't kill 30 people with a quad core processor. Ultimately, a gun's use is either for killing people or practicing to kill people.

I enjoy going to the shooting range but really I'm just practicing so that I am proficient with them. I hope to never have to use one to defend myself but ultimately killing or incapacitating people is the intended use of most firearms. Not so with any of the other things you mentioned.

 

[JSt0rm]

Even though they're used in about .0001% of all crimes. they somehow pose a super threat?

Well considering what just happened I think that yeah they do kinda pose a "super threat" but whatever...

2 planes fly into a building and we go to war for decades and lose lots of our rights.

A bullet enters the head of a congress person and you will never see any congress person without a security detachment and a bunch of laws will be written by those people to protect themselves.

Seems logical considering the proportional responses we are known for.