More from a stand point of direct effect on yourself than the broader issue of the 2nd amendment and the politics.
Thought I’d see what the SDMB gun community had to say now that the results are in. On an AK board I visit sometimes (for the classifieds and top notch technical advice, mostly) they have a general discussion forum, and as might be expected, people are freaking out. Stuff like maxing out credit cards to buy dozens of hi-cap magazines and rifles; one guy even plans to go out and get a “Molon Labe” (come take them) tattoo over the weekend.
Now I should explain, especially to non gunners, that no one (or very few) on any of these gun boards is expecting an armed confrontation, they are just trying to get the good stuff while the gettings good. For one thing, if you were expecting a war, you would max out your credit cards on a bunch of cheap mags and rifles, not a few rare collectables.
I guess I’m not too worried. I’ll probably pick up and build a couple of parts kits I’ve been wanting and get 3 SBRs built, just in case. This is more a function of having some cash in pocket right now than an Obama victory. If there is a ban coming down the pike, I suppose I would prefer to get an Uzi before the clock runs out, but I won’t lose any sleep if I don’t get one.
Of course, I didn’t really get into the “ban” stuff until the assault rifle ban was in its death throes, so some of the older guys probably had it pretty bad for a while.
I figure if there is a ban, it would be very unlikely there would take anything up, and that it would be like the last one. I would just expect to pay more for things I want. There are thousands of AKs and ARs in the country; I figure any effort to collect them would be shut down when they got around to estimating the cost. I don’t think they would stop making or importing ammo either.
Any opinions here? Are any of you guys doing any serious stock piling or tattoo getting?
I am less confident about gun laws with obama in than I would have been without him, but not so much that it prevented me from voting for him. I’m reassured by Heller, and frankly, I think the country has enough else to worry about that the political will to push an anti-gun agenda just isn’t there right now.
It does worry me that both Obama and Biden have long-established anti-gun sentiments. I’m not worried about any specific action they might intend to take so much as their entire philosophy; basically that there’s little or no legitimate reason for private citizens to own guns, and that there’s no legal obstacle to eliminating them. I’d be a lot more worried without Heller.
Like the others said, cautiously optimistic. If I were convinced Pres. Obama was going to do something about the gun laws, I probably would have reconsidered voting for him. But I think the economy and war will keep him plenty busy, and his speeches have not really addressed the issues of gun control that I’ve seen (even in the wake of two high-profile shooting deaths of children). Thanks to the SCOTUS ruling, I think he’s less likely to touch gun control. I certainly hope so, anyway.
If not, I’ll just have to hope Palin isn’t on the Rep. ticket in 2012.
Eh. I’m not too worried. The Dems know that gun control is a loser issue. If they try to push it, there will be a quick turn-around in the House come 2010.
This isn’t 1994. The gun owners in the US, thanks in large measure to the internet, are far more organized and politically active than they were 14 years ago. The Democrats took a beating in the elections because they passed the 94 ban; Bill Clinton himself admitted it.
If, in the face of all the problems we have right now, Obama chooses to make gun control a priority, he’s a fool plain and simple.
I lost all my guns in a tragic boating accident. All except a sweet little over/under.
Seriously though, I’m stocking up on ammo, mags, and getting a couple of stripped AR lowers. There is no doubt in any reasonable persons mind that Obama/Biden would gleefully ban anything they could get away with, and personally I expect the AWB to be back soon after the midterm elections.
Obama clearly states on his site that he wants to make the expired Assault Weapons Ban permanent. So yeah, I’m kinda worried. But hopefully Congress knows better than to touch the issue.
Well, I wouldn’t say I’m especially worried. Certainly not worried enough to prevent me from voting for Obama, anyway. I’m somewhat concerned that the Democrats might try something, but I’m perfectly ready to gear up for the political fight if or when that happens, and I expect that millions of my fellow gun owners are ready as well. Hopefully that fact (combined with the effort needed to repair Bush’s fuckups) will keep the legislature from trying anything. If they do, they’ll see the moderate conservative support that helped them win this thing evaporate, and we’ll drum them right out of Congress. We’ll see, I guess.
I do find it kinda funny how much hysteria there is in some parts of the pro-gun community, though.
You say “nothing more,” but to gun enthusiasts, “assault weapon” restrictions are already an outrageous infringement. (Not to mention being terminally stupid from a crime policy point of view, but hey, that’s never stopped them before.) If you know the first thing about guns, you’ll know that the differences between so-called “military” weapons and “civilian” firearms (aside from fully-automatic fire, which is already heavily restricted under the NFA) are purely cosmetic.
I know far more than the “first thing about guns” and although there are soem weapons that come close (the Ruger Ranch is an example) generally large magazine capacities are not needed for hunting (often illegal for hunting, in fact) nor for target or collecting use.
No assault weapons bill has regulated weapons like the Model 70 rifle or the Ruger M77. There is little need for a Mini- 14 for hunting or target use.
Now, personally, that’s a great little gun and I’d hate to see it banned. But it would not effect the great majority of gun users. I agree that such bans are silly and mostly useless. If you look at my posts here, I said over and over that gun control laws do not cause any significant decrease in violent crime.
I’ve heard (no cite) that there are more AR-15 owners than non AR-15 owning hunters in the United States. There was a writer for a hunting magazine who lost his job for blasting AR rifles in a hunting article after the backlash. I’m an AK man myself, but there does seem to be a bunch of AR-15 enthusiasts out there.
As for the collecting hi-cap mags, I think having the right magazine for a rifle is pretty important.
I didn’t think of the fact that the pro-gun folks are better organized now, but it’s certainly true. Hard to believe that 1994 was way back before the internet.
I’m fairly certain the AWB is coming back and coming back more strict than the 94 version. I don’t know how they’re planning to work around Heller, but I think they’ll worry about that bridge when they get there since it will take years to get to SCOTUS and they may have appointed a justice or two by then.
They won’t wait until the midterms. I have a bet with a friend of mine that they’ll push it through in the first 100 days as a thank you to the base.
As to “working around Heller”, it’s apparent to me that they don’t understand it any more than they understand the 2nd, so they’ll run rough-shod over the top of it and tie up the courts, if the NRA doesn’t knuckle under and let it ride (I’m not a fan of the NRA either, but like so many other things they’re the best we got)
My guess about the midterms is just because I think a few of the smarter ones remember what happened under Clinton, when the Dems were thrown out of Congress and the Newt thing. They’ll keep everything hush-hush in the hopes of insuring a majority for his full term. The second half is the part I dread.
It could be I’m an optimist
Unless the catastrophes that Biden promises come to pass, they’ll eventually get around to it. Fudds are glad to sacrifice AR’s and AK’s since no one needs one*, not realizing that the anti’s are targeting far more than just “assault rifles”. A ban on semi-auto’s would include the ubiquitous Ruger 10/22, not just the much maligned AR-15. But I’m straying off topic, so I’ll stop.
I’m not talking about DrDeth’s post, it’s a common sentiment in the community.
I expect there to be another 1994 Style Ban. Perhaps somewhat stricter than the last. I wasn’t a one issue voter on gun rights this election though. Quite frankly, after the extremely poor way that so many fellow gun owners treated Zumbo, the immigration debate, non-Whites, and non-Christian religions, they deserve a kick in the nuts.
I’m somewhat concerned that the Democrats might try something, but I’m perfectly ready to gear up for the political fight if or when that happens, and I expect that millions of my fellow gun owners are ready as well. Hopefully that fact (combined with the effort needed to repair Bush’s fuckups) will keep the legislature from trying anything. If they do, they’ll see the moderate conservative support that helped them win this thing evaporate, and we’ll drum them right out of Congress. We’ll see, I guess.