Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Tragedy in Las Vegas

After the dreadful events overnight, I would like any USA member to please tell me why on earth anyone would want to buy/own a fully automatic weapon?
This is NOT intended as a pro vs anti gun post, I guess that’s none of our business over here, rather an attempt to understand why these particular weapons are not banned.
Simon

RIP the 50 victims and 200 injured, another tragedy in the land of the free still manacled to their constitutional rights!

I really hope none of our members have been involved along the way.

A maniac can kill with an automatic rifle, with a bomb, with a car, with a plane or by poisoning water. As long as the death toll is 50, its nothing compared to a real war (or to a situation where at least two strange guys are located close to a red nuke button...)

Nevertheless any live lost is one too many.
My condolences to all who have lost a beloved one!

Where will it all end.

RIP and thoughts and prayers with the families and friends.

If you read The Second Amendment carefully it is quite clear that it permits "the people", ie the State, to raise a militia in the country's defence. This because that, at the time the constitution was drawn up, there was no standing army. It is not a licence for private individuals to carry arms. Of course no one takes a blind bit of notice.

It always makes me smile when people in th US quote the 2nd amendment and say it’s our right. It’s an AMENDMENT they don’t seem to understand it’s a change!
Simon

I have an aversion to guns, although I admire the engineering which goes into them. In the seventies I did an audit at a very ordinary house near Chesterfield. The Sole Trader was into guns in a big way, and insisted on showing me his Dirty Harry Magnum .44.

It's a big handgun with a long barrel, and was beautifully made with an oiled metal finish. He insisted that I held it and it was at that point that I felt really uncomfortable, holding this weapon of death. What was really interesting about it though was the weight. It took two hands to hold it in the raised position, and I would think that at a distance it would be hard to hit a small object. Goodness knows what the recoil felt like.

Exactly...
But it isn't an argument that goes down very well in much of the USA.
The suggestion that in order to have a gun membership of the National Guard is mandatory is also unwelcome.

The USA is awash with guns. As long as this continues these sort of incidents will happen.

It took Dunblane and Hungerford before the encumbent government changed the gun laws.

It is impossible to prevent such a catastrophe happening but you can attempt to put obstacles in the way.

I fired something like that (think it was a .45) at a gun range in the 90s in the US. Managed to hit the target at 10ft, but doubt I would have beyond that!

Meanwhile v sorry to hear about the Vegas tragedy...