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Perhaps you could fully explain the great NEED for people to have AR-15's. Why is possession of them so NECESSARY? What exactly do people use these for? I think many of the "ignorant" may not understand how people can not get by without these essential items.
I'm not going to get into the "why someone needs a gun" debate. If you don't want a gun, don't get one. But I'd like to at least attempt to explain why the AR platform is the most popular rifle in the country.
The appeal of the AR15 is it's modularity. You can literally build them into 100's if not 1000's of configurations other than the standard style that "look" like a military issued rifle. So if you want to do some hunting, you can select various components that would make it an ideal hunting rifle (yes people do hunt with these). If you live on a ranch and needs a ranch gun (for coyote and such) you can build a setup to suit your needs. If you want to do some light plinking with a .22LR, you can build them with components to fire .22. If you're desire is long range target shooting, there are components you can swap to do that. Bolt on scopes, bipods, etc etc. Basically the platform is the equivalent of a erector set for adults where you can build it to suit your needs and customize based on the type of shooting you plan on doing. You can also swap out uppers, so with one rifle, you have a few different platforms based on your needs. You can build one setup for hunting, and another for plinking .22 at the range. Takes 5 seconds to swap it out.
I laugh when someone says "who needs an AR15 to hunt?" because if you've seen a true AR rifle setup for hunting, it's a capable platform that has legit use in the field. They are limited to 5rd magazines same as any other hunting rifle, and are very accurate, and MUCH lighter than wood-stocked hunting rifles. Also, if you are hunting something like boar, you definitely might want more than 1 round available to you. And they are built with calibers more suited to hunting, like 7.62x39, or .300BLK. The standard .223 round might not have enough power against larger game like deer and elk and bear. You can even build bolt action AR rifles
THAT is why it's the most popular rifle platform in the country. Parts and components are readily available, everyone had parts in stock, it's reliable. Break a part during hunting season and you can usually walk into any gun shop and walk out with a replacement. Try the same for another hunting rifle and you might have to resort to mail order. It's the same reason certain cars are popular. Easy to work on, cheap parts, readily available, etc. When items are popular, costs go down. Someone living in downtown Boston might not "need" one, but not everyone lives in the city, so it doesn't make sense to apply "city logic" to the rest of the country. Someone living in rural areas might actually have a need for such a rifle, and need cheap, reliable availability of parts and such.
What does banning it actually accomplish? Ban the AR15 and there are plenty of other choices of firearms that do the exact same thing. But they aren't as modular, parts are more expensive and harder to come by, and overall just not as simple. You now might need to buy 3-4 rifles to do what you did with one AR and multiple upper assemblies.
Plenty of far more powerful weapons out there, but unless you are into firearms, you would never know they exist. Everyone knows what an AR15 is these days due to it's poor reputation due to the actions of a few individuals. Last I checked, all firearms can kill. So the anger directed at one particular one is silly when so many that you probably never even heard of or never would even know about can do the same exact thing.
So no, I don't expect to answer the "why do you need xyz" debate, but just trying to stress that there is a good chunk of the population outside of the call-of-duty fanboy crowd that does use this rifle platform for legit purposes for reasons other than it's appearance to military looking rifles.
Quote:
Originally Posted by massnative71
I was rear ended by an illegal in East Boston. Lost a bumper. Thankfully it wasn't worse, easily could have been. So yes, I'm much more worried about that than getting shot by someone with a legally obtained semi-auto.
Auto insurance rates in places like Lawrence are through the roof. Just like the insane utility costs, not Healy's problem I guess...
I've been rear-ended twice in my driving career by illegal aliens. You know how frustrating it is having a cop tell you there's nothing they can do and it's probably not even worth trying to pursue anything from them.
Last edited by BostonMike7; 08-22-2016 at 09:49 AM..
I'm not going to get into the "why someone needs a gun" debate. If you don't want a gun, don't get one. But I'd like to at least attempt to explain why the AR platform is the most popular rifle in the country.
The appeal of the AR15 is it's modularity. You can literally build them into 100's if not 1000's of configurations other than the standard style that "look" like a military issued rifle. So if you want to do some hunting, you can select various components that would make it an ideal hunting rifle (yes people do hunt with these). If you live on a ranch and needs a ranch gun (for coyote and such) you can build a setup to suit your needs. If you want to do some light plinking with a .22LR, you can build them with components to fire .22. If you're desire is long range target shooting, there are components you can swap to do that. Bolt on scopes, bipods, etc etc. Basically the platform is the equivalent of a erector set for adults where you can build it to suit your needs and customize based on the type of shooting you plan on doing. You can also swap out uppers, so with one rifle, you have a few different platforms based on your needs. You can build one setup for hunting, and another for plinking .22 at the range. Takes 5 seconds to swap it out.
I laugh when someone says "who needs an AR15 to hunt?" because if you've seen a true AR rifle setup for hunting, it's a capable platform that has legit use in the field. They are limited to 5rd magazines same as any other hunting rifle, and are very accurate, and MUCH lighter than wood-stocked hunting rifles. Also, if you are hunting something like boar, you definitely might want more than 1 round available to you. And they are built with calibers more suited to hunting, like 7.62x39, or .300BLK. The standard .223 round might not have enough power against larger game like deer and elk and bear. You can even build bolt action AR rifles
THAT is why it's the most popular rifle platform in the country. Parts and components are readily available, everyone had parts in stock, it's reliable. Break a part during hunting season and you can usually walk into any gun shop and walk out with a replacement. Try the same for another hunting rifle and you might have to resort to mail order. It's the same reason certain cars are popular. Easy to work on, cheap parts, readily available, etc. When items are popular, costs go down. Someone living in downtown Boston might not "need" one, but not everyone lives in the city, so it doesn't make sense to apply "city logic" to the rest of the country. Someone living in rural areas might actually have a need for such a rifle, and need cheap, reliable availability of parts and such.
What does banning it actually accomplish? Ban the AR15 and there are plenty of other choices of firearms that do the exact same thing. But they aren't as modular, parts are more expensive and harder to come by, and overall just not as simple. You now might need to buy 3-4 rifles to do what you did with one AR and multiple upper assemblies.
Plenty of far more powerful weapons out there, but unless you are into firearms, you would never know they exist. Everyone knows what an AR15 is these days due to it's poor reputation due to the actions of a few individuals. Last I checked, all firearms can kill. So the anger directed at one particular one is silly when so many that you probably never even heard of or never would even know about can do the same exact thing.
So no, I don't expect to answer the "why do you need xyz" debate, but just trying to stress that there is a good chunk of the population outside of the call-of-duty fanboy crowd that does use this rifle platform for legit purposes for reasons other than it's appearance to military looking rifles.
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Well said BostonMike.
People who have never shot have no idea about firearms except what they see in movies, see on the news which is always bad or what a politician tells them to think.
You mention how people that live in cities generally have no need for one of these AR type rifles yet they are the ones with the loudest voice to get them banned. Once again people who have no clue dictating to the rest of us.
The ban is nothing but politics and pushing an agenda to disarm the law abiding while doing nothing about the criminals that don't use rifles anyways that will just go on breaking laws no matter what.
Healey said that the assault weapons ban/law has been being broken for 18 years with the copycat guns that skirt the laws. The question is why did it take 18 years for someone to step up and enforce this existing law??
She has over stepped her bounds and opened a can of worms which will squeeze the law abiding responsible gun owners while doing absolutely nothing to fight crime.
A)MA would love to address illegal guns, but guess what? It's politicians cannot influence what gun friendly border states like NH and VT decide are doing. According to reports on gun tracing, 45% of guns recovered by the BPD came from NH, ME, GA, VA, and the Carolinas. Additionally, states like VT are an importer of illegal guns (and MA an exporter of heroin), suggesting the percentage likely exceeds 50%. MA has tight gun laws but with states rights regarding gun access and porous borders, it's can only regulate so well.
B) Do you really think illegal aliens driving drunk and crashing into people is a pressing issue for MA? Where are you getting your news? Sincerely curious.
Yep. It's the usual lunatic fringe issues. Guns. Abortion rights. School prayer. Opposing any social services because black people would get them.
A bolt action centerfire deer rifle does a perfectly good job killing Bambi. It would also do a perfectly good job assassinating Hillary if the Trumpkins follow his marching orders when he gets crushed in the election in November.
The illegal gun issue is already handled through mandatory minimum sentencing. If you get caught committing a crime while armed with an illegal firearm, you go directly to jail and do not pass go. It's why Massachusetts has so little gun crime.
Yep. It's the usual lunatic fringe issues. Guns. Abortion rights. School prayer. Opposing any social services because black people would get them.
Lol, that second sentence makes you look like the nut. Now that's some extreme left-wing logic right there. Unreal, all I can do is shake my head.
And you're clearly drinking the kool-aid if you believe the utter garbage being spouted by the media that Trump is telling gun owners to assassinate Clinton. You sir, appear to fit the definition of a left-wing moonbat.
Lol, that second sentence makes you look like the nut. Now that's some extreme left-wing logic right there. Unreal, all I can do is shake my head.
And you're clearly drinking the kool-aid if you believe the utter garbage being spouted by the media that Trump is telling gun owners to assassinate Clinton. You sir, appear to fit the definition of a left-wing moonbat.
Typical though, if anyone deviates from the latest huffpost or fox spin, however slight, they are the lunatics on the other team. It's almost like there is a spectrum out there
And trumpkin doesn't really bolster anyone's argument, whatever it means.
A bolt action centerfire deer rifle does a perfectly good job killing Bambi. It would also do a perfectly good job assassinating Hillary if the Trumpkins follow his marching orders when he gets crushed in the election in November.
The illegal gun issue is already handled through mandatory minimum sentencing. If you get caught committing a crime while armed with an illegal firearm, you go directly to jail and do not pass go. It's why Massachusetts has so little gun crime.
I think it is ridiculous that people jumped to the conclusion that Trump was calling on gun owners to assassinate Hillary if things don't go their way. When he said what he did I thought it was a call to action to get out and vote, protest and march for the rights that you believe in. That is what I heard.
We do have a law that if someone is caught with an illegal gun it is a mandatory one year in prison but that often gets plea bargained away by liberal judges and I don't know why. When you think about it if someone is willing to carry an unlicensed gun chances are they are doing so because they are involved in other illegal activities such as drugs and they are more willing to pull that trigger to protect their "business".
Mass does have gun crimes but very little of it if any involves the now banned AR15.
Healeys actions are a result of a political agenda and nothing to do with actually stopping crime and protecting the public.
Q: Are there examples or categories of weapons that are not assault weapons?
Any Ruger Mini 14 or substantially-similar model weapon;
Goes back to what I wrote earlier. A ruger Mini 14 is essentially the same thing as an AR15...but with a nice, hunting type wooden stock. Fires the same round, accepts magazines. Basically a wood stock AR15. You can the AR15, and people just pick up a mini14. How many of you that are not into firearms have ever even heard of a mini14?
Goes back to what I wrote earlier. A ruger Mini 14 is essentially the same thing as an AR15...but with a nice, hunting type wooden stock. Fires the same round, accepts magazines. Basically a wood stock AR15. You can the AR15, and people just pick up a mini14. How many of you that are not into firearms have ever even heard of a mini14?
And definitely backs up why pro gun people push the anti's to have some knowledge on the subject. So she basically ended the ban on assault weapons that MA originally had....LOL How do these dolts get in office....oh wait, I know.
I've been rear-ended twice in my driving career by illegal aliens. You know how frustrating it is having a cop tell you there's nothing they can do and it's probably not even worth trying to pursue anything from them.
No kidding, twice? Ever thought of taking driving improvement training?
BTW cops are right - buying insurance against accidents involving under-insured/uninsured motorist is solely your responsibility.
I think it is ridiculous that people jumped to the conclusion that Trump was calling on gun owners to assassinate Hillary if things don't go their way. When he said what he did I thought it was a call to action to get out and vote, protest and march for the rights that you believe in. That is what I heard.
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Well, what he said gets twisted all the time by corrupted American media, which currently is on Wall St payroll, Hillary's sponsor - banks want to take control again. Please Hillary voters, help the "poor" banks to rip you off hard again.
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