On Mon, 17 Dec 2012 15:45:29 -0500, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Mon, 17 Dec 2012 14:49:41 -0500, iBoaterer wrote:

What use do assault rifles have to the average gun owner? Going to start
a war?

===

It turns out that the "AR-15 style guns" make pretty decent hunting
and target rifles. They are not truly "assault rifles" however since
they can not (in most cases) fire in fully automatic mode. I agree
that it's hard to justify 30 round magazines when 5 or 10 is more than
adequate for hunting or target practice. The big mags do look cool
however and a lot of folks want them for that reason alone. Others
view them as a survival weapon if civilization as we know it breaks
down. Is that far fetched? Who can say.

The whole problem with this unfortunate incident in Connecticut lies
with the now deceased mother. She had a child with a long history of
emotional instability, taught him how to shoot, and gave him full
access to her well stocked arsenal. How stupid and irresponsible is
that?

Tempting fate? I don't get it either. Maybe the brother will shed
some light someday.

The 30 round clips are riduculous. They should be outlawed.

The other thing that I'm pondering is the physical attributes of the
gun. I understand all the internal parts are the same as a hunting
rifle but the external parts scream war.

I wonder what the psychological implications of having an "assault"
style weapon in your hands. Does it's style support these lunatic's
assumption that they're at war with the world?

Would they feel less empowered to kill if the rifle were dressed as a
normal hunting rifle?

This may sound simple but the human brain is open to visual cues that
help synapses fire that might otherwise remain dormant.

This probably isn't the group of people to discuss this with but
there's a couple of folks who are intelligent enough, if it's
interesting.