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[mainiac]

Kinda, yeah.  Most gun control laws are, unsurprisingly, written by people who don't understand guns.

Oh contrary.  Gun laws are a bunch of kludges written by no one at all.  People are falling over themselves to rewrite the laws and make them sensible.  Sadly a bunch of kneejerk idiots throw a hissy fit anytime the legislation is done so small corrections are politically impossible.

[Amperzand]

That modification, depending on the gun, can be quite simple as well. I've seen a few weapon designs where it would be a matter of half an hour with a file to render the gun full-auto. Most military rifles are rather more complex, but nevertheless.

[Playergamer]

Local NRA member butting in: I heavily doubt the full-auto he used was a legal weapon. Any automatic in this country'll go for tens of thousands. As for the "modified semi-auto" cliche, again, tens of thousands. Under FOPA, drop-in auto sears (the thing you use to convert a semi-auto to an automatic) are also classified as machine guns. Ergo, any DIAS on the market was registered before 1986, and, due to low supply, will cost at minimum 10k.

That modification, depending on the gun, can be quite simple as well. I've seen a few weapon designs where it would be a matter of half an hour with a file to render the gun full-auto. Most military rifles are rather more complex, but nevertheless.

Erm. "Filing down" a rifle to make it fully-auto is kinda like turning a stick-shift into an automatic transmission. It's possible, yes.

Unless you're talking about the "30-round burst" style of full-auto. Because those things are really just AR-brand hand grenades, to be honest.

[BlackHeartKabal]

I've never understood why gun related hobbies are so interesting anyway. At it's core, it's just taking apart, cleaning, and reassembling a handheld machine before firing metal out of it at ludicrous speed. It just looks and sounds so boring. (If you're expecting to hear gunshots, if not, gunshots are anything but boring.).

If you want home defense, odds are that a thief isn't coming in in kevlar plate, so a peashooter or some sort of barreled shotgun should be just fine. I don't really have a stance on gun control because I don't understand why people want this advanced weaponry when something that can deal with 3-4 intruders should be enough anyone needs.

It just sounds inane.

[Cthulhu]

I'll never understand why people like to look at little curses characters moving around on a screen and deciphering what real-world activity is being simulated by a smiley face standing next to a full block while that full block disappears.

[mainiac]

I'll never understand why people like to look at little curses characters moving around on a screen and deciphering what real-world activity is being simulated by a smiley face standing next to a full block while that full block disappears.

Most likely a mixture of OCD and insanity.

[Loud Whispers]

I've never understood why gun related hobbies are so interesting anyway. At it's core, it's just taking apart, cleaning, and reassembling a handheld machine before firing metal out of it at ludicrous speed. It just looks and sounds so boring. (If you're expecting to hear gunshots, if not, gunshots are anything but boring.).

There is something so contentful about turning menial tasks into carefully perfected skillsets, like sitting down for some hours to make your shoes shine, spending days and days making aquarium fish thrive or assembling, reassembling, maintaining and marksmanship. Hones a sort of discipline and satisfaction from even the smallest of things, like sweeping the house
For me, a hobby of lights and fancifulness is one of distraction, not one where you can focus your mind

If you want home defense, odds are that a thief isn't coming in in kevlar plate, so a peashooter or some sort of barreled shotgun should be just fine. I don't really have a stance on gun control because I don't understand why people want this advanced weaponry when something that can deal with 3-4 intruders should be enough anyone needs.
It just sounds inane.

Higher power = more stopping power
Most stopping power = intruder is stopped fastest

I'll never understand why people like to look at little curses characters moving around on a screen and deciphering what real-world activity is being simulated by a smiley face standing next to a full block while that full block disappears.

Most likely a mixture of OCD and insanity.

And a dash of autism

[syvarris]

Yeah, I'll readily admit that a firearms hobby is stupid and dangerous, despite it being one of my own hobbies.  Like most hobbies, it's just something that a person likes doing, and is used to doing.  It just has the added traits that new people are inducted into all the time, through military and police service, and it's a pretty common myth that it's useful for self-defense.

People hate it being restricted 'cause not only is it like playing the aforementioned roguelike putting you in jail for years, but also 911 being disabled on your cellphone at the same time.  It isn't nearly like that, but people perceive it that way.

Higher power = more stopping power
Most stopping power = intruder is stopped fastest

Even then, a shotgun's generally better than an AR.  The only real advantage of the AR is that it has a faster refire, but if that's seriously necessary you're probably already doing illegal things anyway.

[Frumple]

I've never understood why gun related hobbies are so interesting anyway. At it's core, it's just taking apart, cleaning, and reassembling a handheld machine before firing metal out of it at ludicrous speed. It just looks and sounds so boring. (If you're expecting to hear gunshots, if not, gunshots are anything but boring.).

Beyond the maintenance, it's a really rather simple bit of hand/eye coordination practice that (usually) involves relatively little actual effort or exertion. It's enjoyable in the same way pretty much any physical activity that involves a modicum of skill is, with fewer of the normal personal downsides. Helps somewhat that the impacts are also usually quite... demonstrative, I guess, in a way not much else is.

It's fairly enjoyable as those sorts of activities go, it's just, y'know, relatively deadly for a hobby.

[BlackHeartKabal]

I've never understood why gun related hobbies are so interesting anyway. At it's core, it's just taking apart, cleaning, and reassembling a handheld machine before firing metal out of it at ludicrous speed. It just looks and sounds so boring. (If you're expecting to hear gunshots, if not, gunshots are anything but boring.).

There is something so contentful about turning menial tasks into carefully perfected skillsets, like sitting down for some hours to make your shoes shine, spending days and days making aquarium fish thrive or assembling, reassembling, maintaining and marksmanship. Hones a sort of discipline and satisfaction from even the smallest of things, like sweeping the house
For me, a hobby of lights and fancifulness is one of distraction, not one where you can focus your mind

If you want home defense, odds are that a thief isn't coming in in kevlar plate, so a peashooter or some sort of barreled shotgun should be just fine. I don't really have a stance on gun control because I don't understand why people want this advanced weaponry when something that can deal with 3-4 intruders should be enough anyone needs.
It just sounds inane.

Higher power = more stopping power
Most stopping power = intruder is stopped fastest

I'll never understand why people like to look at little curses characters moving around on a screen and deciphering what real-world activity is being simulated by a smiley face standing next to a full block while that full block disappears.

Most likely a mixture of OCD and insanity.

And a dash of autism

1. Menial tasks are menial tasks. I want freshness and change in what I do, not routine and stagnation.

2. Sudden, violent introduction of an accelerated piece of metal to your body tends to dull reaction time and reflex for some odd reason. It's also unhealthy. Apply repeatedly until the intruder is gone, unless you happened to be using a shotgun, in which case he's probably something resembling the curtain in the other house's guest room the time I tried to use knives as grappling hooks to climb it.

3. Mmm, I don't think I've ever been compelled to play Dwarf Fortress to get rid of thoughts or overwhelming feelings. Insanity must be optional, but encouraged, then. 2/3, good score.
Right, I guess I'll just put that line of questioning in the "Just people's preferences" bin.

[Orange Wizard]

Home defense argument is asinine for anything beyond a hunting rifle. Unless you live in the Congo or some crap, I guess.

Guns (and military stuff in general) are pretty interesting. I can understand wanting to own a gun. I'd buy a howitzer if I could; howitzers are cool. But selling howitzers to the general population is a bad idea. Same with semi/automatic guns, unless you want your freedom to be riddled with bullets.

Local NRA member butting in: I heavily doubt the full-auto he used was a legal weapon. Any automatic in this country'll go for tens of thousands. As for the "modified semi-auto" cliche, again, tens of thousands. Under FOPA, drop-in auto sears (the thing you use to convert a semi-auto to an automatic) are also classified as machine guns. Ergo, any DIAS on the market was registered before 1986, and, due to low supply, will cost at minimum 10k.

Okay, that's interesting. Though my issue is that he was able to get his hands on it at all, not that it was expensive.

[Strife26]

If the guy was using a legally purchased fully automatic rifle, I will be amazed. They're not easy to come by and almost always come with background checks everywhere.

[Cthulhu]

I've never understood why gun related hobbies are so interesting anyway. At it's core, it's just taking apart, cleaning, and reassembling a handheld machine before firing metal out of it at ludicrous speed. It just looks and sounds so boring. (If you're expecting to hear gunshots, if not, gunshots are anything but boring.).

There is something so contentful about turning menial tasks into carefully perfected skillsets, like sitting down for some hours to make your shoes shine, spending days and days making aquarium fish thrive or assembling, reassembling, maintaining and marksmanship. Hones a sort of discipline and satisfaction from even the smallest of things, like sweeping the house
For me, a hobby of lights and fancifulness is one of distraction, not one where you can focus your mind

If you want home defense, odds are that a thief isn't coming in in kevlar plate, so a peashooter or some sort of barreled shotgun should be just fine. I don't really have a stance on gun control because I don't understand why people want this advanced weaponry when something that can deal with 3-4 intruders should be enough anyone needs.
It just sounds inane.

Higher power = more stopping power
Most stopping power = intruder is stopped fastest

I'll never understand why people like to look at little curses characters moving around on a screen and deciphering what real-world activity is being simulated by a smiley face standing next to a full block while that full block disappears.

Most likely a mixture of OCD and insanity.

And a dash of autism

1. Menial tasks are menial tasks. I want freshness and change in what I do, not routine and stagnation.

2. Sudden, violent introduction of an accelerated piece of metal to your body tends to dull reaction time and reflex for some odd reason. It's also unhealthy. Apply repeatedly until the intruder is gone, unless you happened to be using a shotgun, in which case he's probably something resembling the curtain in the other house's guest room the time I tried to use knives as grappling hooks to climb it.

3. Mmm, I don't think I've ever been compelled to play Dwarf Fortress to get rid of thoughts or overwhelming feelings. Insanity must be optional, but encouraged, then. 2/3, good score.
Right, I guess I'll just put that line of questioning in the "Just people's preferences" bin.

I once heard a hobby defined as a job you don't get paid for.  Menial is subjective. 

[Loud Whispers]

1. Menial tasks are menial tasks. I want freshness and change in what I do, not routine and stagnation.

Then you'll have to accept not everyone on the planet is you

2. Sudden, violent introduction of an accelerated piece of metal to your body tends to dull reaction time and reflex for some odd reason. It's also unhealthy. Apply repeatedly until the intruder is gone, unless you happened to be using a shotgun, in which case he's probably something resembling the curtain in the other house's guest room the time I tried to use knives as grappling hooks to climb it.

If you fail to cause sufficient shock, mandem with metal in them is still operating. Takes nerve damage or a shit ton of shock to stop someone, more mass in bullet = more energy imparted = more shock
I'm not commenting on shotgun since that's an entire family of gun so results will vary depending on specifics

Home defense argument is asinine for anything beyond a hunting rifle. Unless you live in the Congo or some crap, I guess.

-Use your assault rifle for hunting
-Is now hunting rifle
gj

Guns (and military stuff in general) are pretty interesting. I can understand wanting to own a gun. I'd buy a howitzer if I could; howitzers are cool. But selling howitzers to the general population is a bad idea. Same with semi/automatic guns, unless you want your freedom to be riddled with bullets.

Imo gun control is its own argument and counter-argument. Disarmed populaces can't fight, so if the government wants to fuck them that's their prerogative, but at the same time disarmed populaces find it harder to fuck one another lethally, sticking to intimidation and hospitalization. Oh and knives and black market guns but that's a given

Okay, that's interesting. Though my issue is that he was able to get his hands on it at all, not that it was expensive.

Expensive means only rich people can get their hands on them, and rich people can get their hands on everything because money

[Orange Wizard]

Imo gun control is its own argument and counter-argument. Disarmed populaces can't fight, so if the government wants to fuck them that's their prerogative, but at the same time disarmed populaces find it harder to fuck one another lethally, sticking to intimidation and hospitalization. Oh and knives and black market guns but that's a given

A government that doesn't have a monopoly on force can hardly be called a government.

Expensive means only rich people can get their hands on them, and rich people can get their hands on everything because money

The real solution is to kill all the rich people