Thanks, PG, for the facts about firearms
Concerns regarding personal safety are a major driver of gun sales currently (Jan. 25, “Gun Retailers Struggle to Keep Up as Protests, Election Spark Demand”). Thousands of people who likely never considered or were opposed to gun ownership have become gun and ammunition buyers. Antigun types trumpet claims that “the police are there to protect you.” The truth is far different. Courts at various levels have ruled that the police owe no particular service to the individual. The police are there “to protect society.” You tell me what that means.
The guns in greatest demand are semi-automatic handguns and AR-style rifles. AR stands for Armalite Rifle, the company that originally developed this type of semi-automatic with easily interchangeable parts, according to the article by the Post-Gazette’s John Hayes. These weapons and their derivatives, manufactured for civilian use, do not have military capability. Semi-automatics fire one shot and reload with one pull of the trigger. Automatic rifles, or machine guns, fire multiple rounds with a single trigger pull. True “assault rifles,” capable of firing one shot, a burst of three shots or continual fire with a single trigger pull, are generally not available for civilian use, writes Mr. Hayes.
Contrary to “accepted wisdom,” federal law does not preclude the possession of automatic weapons (machine guns), by the private citizen. The paperwork process is tedious, long waits are usually the rule, and there is a required payment. More troubling than that is the Hughes Amendment, which essentially blocked the sale of newly made machine guns to “civilians,” thereby significantly raising the price of the limited number of existing transferable arms. Additionally, some of the states forbid the ownership or possession of machine guns by the private citizen. Pennsylvania is not one such.
Allow me to compliment Mr. Hayes on keeping the facts and fancy of firearms separate. At least he made a legitimate effort, more than too many journalists trouble to do, not that any great effort is involved. Thanks. ALAN SCHULTZ
McCandless