Yes, this is another gun control thread. But what I am most interested in is 1) seeing whether or not the recent tradgedy has changed anyone's mind about gun control and 2) proposing what I think is a relatively reasonable gun control law that could help prevent future shootings like this one.
First, the preliminary reports on the shooter's armaments:
Bushmaster .223 Calibre.
Then, two handguns, a Sig Sauer and a Glock. No word on the calibre or ammo capacity of those weapons. Though, as far as I understand, the most common Glock in america is the 9mm 12 + 1 round capacity, and the most common Sig-Sauer is either a 9mm or .40 calibre, with varying ammo capacities up to 14 + 1. It is important to note that the Washington DC shooter in 2003 used a rifle similar to this one.
For reference, the closest analogue to the .223 Bushmaster in a common Game would be the .223 Sniper Rifle from Resident Evil 4, though I imagine CounterStrike and other shooters I do not play would have it, as it is commonly used for medium-sniping duty in NATO countires.
There is one thing that all the guns used for these shootings, and indeed the vast majority of gun crimes, have in common: External Magazines.
I propose we ban firearms with external magazines. This would force those commiting these crimes to reload more frequently, and give more people time to run or hide. This would essentially leave some of the most useful weapons for hunting and personal defense untouched, while hopefully preventing these mass shootings.
A List of Firearms that have "Internal Magazines":
The old favorites:
Remmington Pump-Action Shotgun, as well as the double-barrel top-break.
M1 Garand, and its progeny, like the many Bolt-Action hunting rifles, and even modern rilfes being developed with .30-06 semi-automatic five-round internal magazines.
All revolvers, by definition, have internal magazines. Though, I would not be opposed to banning Magnum Revolvers and relying on .38 calibre Smith and Wesson snub-nosed "Chief's Special" and .45 colt revolvers.
In cases of personal defense, revolvers tend to be superior to other handguns, as they require far less maintainence and are easy to use. Ammo capacity is strict, but with proper firearms training that is harldy an issue against most criminals. Also, the Shotgun tends to be the best for home defense.
In cases of hunting, the 30-06 is one of the most powerful man-portable rounds available, and especially with semi-auto fire would be enough to bring down any large game in North America, including a charging bear.
In cases of national defense -if the US was invaded- the medium-to-high sniping duty of the bolt-action .30-06 would be almost as effective as an assult rifle, due to the fact that the best tactics would involve sniping and running. Also, if that happened, Congress could just pass a wartime motorium of firearms laws.
So, with that, we have all the proper, potential uses for firearms covered, and I think this is a very sensible compromise with those that feel firearms are a right in America.