Quote:
Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus
Too bad, if you can't hit your intended target/prey in 5 shots you shouldn't be shooting a gun, if you feel the need to shoot 100 shots without reloading it means you're a crazy gun freak and you should apply for US citizenship  |
Hmmmmmm.... OK, that's quite the jump from 5 to 100
Let's break down your argument on the two main points and see if we can bridge the gap here.
To be clear, before I got into shooting of any kind I thought the exact same thing. It seemed like a common-sense thing to prevent mass shootings like in the U.S.. It
feels like the right solution, but once we look at the facts and reality the argument falls apart.
Argument #1 - You're a bad shot and should feel shame
If you're a hunter, you're generally ethical, and would like to kill the animal in 1 shot, not 5. Most, if not all, hunting rifles are bolt-action, so there are inherently no magazine limitations according to firearms regulation. Hunting regs are different. I and everyone I know have passed up many shots that guarantee a clean kill with a single shot.
Shotguns, you can only hunt with 3 rounds max in the shotgun (2 in mag + 1 in chamber).
If you're a competitive shooter, it's a whole other ball of wax. You're not shooting at 1 target over and over. Check out this
"3 Gun" Competition video and tell me 5 mag limits make sense
Just because people argue against magazine limitations of 5, doesn't mean that they are a "gun freak" and want a Tommy-gun style drum of 100+ rounds. Let's be real here. Also, ammo is expensive!
Argument #2 - It Prevents Mass Shootings
Statistically it does not. Research shows that the number of shots fired in a mass shooting is very low (< 8 something like that). I'll dig up a link and post it when I find it. Obviously LV probably blows that average out of the water.
However, if one has a criminal intent to use a firearm, and wishes to use a standard capacity magazine, one merely has to use a power drill to remove the rivet which pins it at the legal capacity. The rivet therefore only prevents lawful firearm users from using standard capacity magazines (which are typically 20 or 30), not criminals.
Secondly, a magazine change can be effected on the go in less than two seconds by someone who is skilled. The magazine capacity limits therefore do nothing to enhance public safety as the concept of a “pause” or opportunity to take down an active shooter during a reload. So again, the prohibition on standard capacity magazines has no effect on the criminal, only on the law-abiding firearm user.
These restrictions not only serve no public safety purpose, but they also pose a grave risk to law-abiding gun owners for the simple reason that the rivet fell out in their magazine (the offence carries a penalty of up to 5 years in prison, even if the owner does not realize the rivet fell out).