From: clewis@ferret.ocunix.on.ca (Chris Lewis)
Subject: Re: Gun Control Petition
Originator: clewis@bcarh1d7
Organization: oof
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 19:23:58 GMT

In article <3866@isgtec.isgtec.com> robert@isgtec.com (Robert Osborne) writes:
>Jim Mercer (merce@xenitec.on.ca) wrote:
>: duquet@astro.phy.ulaval.ca (Jean-Remi Duquet) writes:

>: not really.  most hunters carry multi-shot rifles.  two-shot guns are mostly
>: used by farmers to rid themselves of pests.

>A double barrel shotgun is far more dangerous than many so called assault
>rifles and can be sawed of to be just a concealble as a pistol.

Per-shot yes, but it takes a long time to reload a double-barrel
shotgun after the two shots you get.  Compare that to, say, a semi-auto
with a 30 round clip and hunting rounds.  (ie: mushroom/expanding/exploding/
tumbling 222s).  In a Lepine-style situation, I'd rather face the former than
the latter.

>: anyone hunting any reasonable size game would not want to get caught out
>: of bullets.  the gun used by lepine was narginal as to whether it was a
>: hunting rifle or an assault rifle.

>First:  there is no such thing as an 'assault rifle'.  It's a emotive
>    term invented by the media to describe guns that look 'bad'.

It's a good description of military-style semi- and full- auto rifles.
Rifles that have relatively little use in hunting (too small a calibre for
big game) and aren't particularly popular in target shooting (where
single-shot and repeaters cover most of the categories).  People who
desire such weapons (except for collecting) usually have a severe attitude
(Rambo) problem...

>Second:  it is illegal to use the gun Lepine used for hunting in many
>    regions because it is *underpowered*.

Qualify this.  Even .22s are legal for hunting.  Depends on the game.
US military weaponry are the same calibre as a .22.  (just bigger
charges and no rifling so as to promote tumbling)

>    This is why hunters get worried
>    when people start talking about 'bad' guns.  If Lepine had used a
>    deer rifle or a shotgun,  the death toll may have been higher.

Probably not.  If he had a bolt-action 308 with hunting rounds, there'd
have been a much higher kill/hit ratio, but probably a lot fewer
people hit.  Especially with a shotgun.  Plus better chances to
overpower him.

>: >BINGO ! And what's the source of this lack of control in the USA ? 
>: >All together: gimme a N, gimme a R, gimme a A...
>: >Ok, block the border.
>: >If the lack of control in the USA is such a big problem (a point I agree with
>: >100%), let's prevent this here with better control.
>: >Just the point I was trying to make, nothing more. 

Customs is *really* strict about firearms - aside from smuggling, it's not as
if we have an open border.

>At this point I'd like to point out that the gun laws in parts of the
>US are far stricter than those in Canada.   Washington DC has a complete
>ban on firearms.   New York City has a ban on all handguns and many
>semi-automatic rifles.  The State of California has restrictive legislation,
>registration, a 15-day waiting period and will soon have a mandatory
>training course.  Also it is illegal for gun dealers to sell hand-guns
>to an out-of-state buyers.

It's hard to tell exactly what rules these places have from your description.

Of the three, only one of them seems obviously to be tighter than Canada
if "total ban on firearms" really means what it says.  NYC still has
handgun permits, and rifles - the ban on semi-auto is recent and similar
to the already existing situation in Canada.  In my understanding, the
only thing that NY has that we don't is a set of legislation about
crimes comitted with firearms.

California's rules sound very similar to Canada's (if you pick and choose which
bit applies to what kind of weapon - ie: is waiting period for handguns or all
guns?  Our handgun waiting period is longer than 15 days).

>Does any of this mean you think Oakland, the Bronx, or Washington's slums
>are a safer place to live?

Safer than Dallas Texas [last time I saw the stats].

City comparisons are bogus.  There are many other factors.
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