I have many US friends, some who think guns and Trump are good.
Here are a few comments:
The thread started by a friend who was in the military and wants guns banned:
Assault is defined as, "a threat of imminent or offensive contact with a person, or a threat to do so." Anyone guilty of assault we deem to be a criminal. So then why are assault WEAPONS not illegal?
Some responses:
Because if I attacked you with a hammer that then becomes an assault hammer and would then have to be banned.
No the AR15 was not 'designed' to kill and kill a lot and you (being ex military) should know that
AR-15-style rifles are NOT “assault weapons” or “assault rifles.” An assault rifle is fully automatic — a machine gun. Automatic firearms have been severely restricted from civilian ownership since 1934.
so just for my info as an outsider, what would the actual purpose of owning an AR-15 rifle
be for the average household?
Target shooting. Hunting.
These rifles are used for many different types of hunting, from varmint to big game. And they’re used for target shooting in the national matches.AR-15-style rifles are no more powerful than other hunting rifles of the same caliber and in most cases are chambered in calibers less powerful than common big-game hunting cartridges like the 30-06 Springfield and .300 Win. Mag.
The AR-15 is not an assault rifle. An Assault Rifle, by definition, has a selective fire switch than can toggle between semi-automatic, a three round burst, or full automatic fire. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assault%20rifle
Maybe they should make a semi-automatic hammer....
Let me make myself clear, I am absolutely not defending anything concerning guns of any kind. I just think we should call them what they are if we're going to have a conversation about them.
AR 15 isn't an assault rifle. We shouldn't label it as such. I am in favour of tighter regulations, but not an all out ban. I have seen what an all out ban on guns do to a country.