From: alizard@pil
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: re: a few words about election returns
Date: 12 Nov 92 10:43:51 GMT

Re: Re: A Few Words About Election Results
By: altheimm #0 @nextnet.csus.edu (Murray Altheim) USEnet      
 
> From: altheimm@nextnet.csus.edu (Murray Altheim)
> Newsgroups: alt.pagan
> Subject: Assault Weapons [Was: a few words about election results]
> Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 18:32:46 GMT
> >As for assault weapons... I think it's time to find out what people are bein
> >hysterical about, the descriptions of the power of assault weapons I've seen
> >around here look like science fiction death rays, not any product of
> I hope I'm not sounding hysterical. I have no particular belief in the
> death ray theory. As discussed at some length in my earlier post, I have
> a problem with two parts of "assault weapons": those that are automatic
> weapons (or are easily modified to be automatic), and large magazine 
> capacity. Neither are necessary for hunting, nor are appropriate for 
> defensive purposes in an urban environment. And yes, I do understand how

I was combining my responses to more than just your own post when I inserted
the death ray comment, someone else said something absurd about spraying
hundreds of bullets per second (quite possible, but we are talking about
a Mini-gun too big for a human to carry) out of an assault rifle. Which is
not possible.

"Automatic weapons"? Still not sure what you mean, and from some of the
personal info about yourself you've posted, knowing something about guns 
might keep you alive. A semi-automatic rifle fires one round every time the
trigger is pulled. A fully automatic rifle will fire when the trigger is
pulled until the magazine is empty. Neither has to be cocked by the user
except maybe for the first shot. 

Without a Federal Firearms License, it is illegal to possess a fully automatic
weapon. The license will cost you several hundred dollars. Uzis are a fully
automatic weapon. 

A military assault weapon is "selective fire". It can be switched into
semiauto, burst (e.g. 3 round), and full auto modes. However, a civilian
"assault weapon" is the same without a selective fire switch. Magazines
vary in size.

A civilian semi-automatic deer hunting rifle is a semi-automatic weapon.
One shot at a time. Just like a civilian "assault weapon". The differences
are that the factory magazines are smaller (look through some mail order
catalogs for larger... or much larger ones) and the stock is carved wood or
plastic made to look like carved wood. And the caliber is heavier, meaning
it punches bigger holes at longer ranges.

I think this is why I don't get excited about assault rifles. It's just
another way of packaging a hunting rifle.

As for why I prefer semi-automatics, there's always the chance of missing on
the first shot. A semi-auto means a second chance, maybe.

Sorry for the extended discussion, but this kind of info should be common
knowledge, misinformation on firearms tends to kill the people who suffer from
it. I prefer live pagans to dead ones.

well, usually. ;-)
blessings
                                                 A.Lizard
====== 93 ====== mea saurus, mea saurus, mea maxima saurus! ====== 93 ======
                  (slogan contributed by Jessica McGeary)
Mail to me should be sent to:       |  There are no fnords in this sig file.
alizard%tweekco%boo@PacBell.COM     |  autoreply to address I posted this
     ^^^ preferred site ^^^         |  from only if you want to wait a
PacBell.COM!boo!tweekco!alizard     |  solstice or two for my answer.
alizard@seer.mystic.com(backup site)|              Kallisti!