Fully automatic machine gun-type weapons have been tightly regulated since Congress passed the National Firearms Act of , largely in response to the growing prevalence of weapons like the Thompson submachine gun "Tommy gun" , a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol.
Originally developed for use in World War I, the Tommy gun later became popular among Prohibition-era bootleggers and gangsters before the ban [source: Higginbotham ]. From there, the story of gun control in the United States has been a cat-and-mouse game of sorts with gun control activists pushing for laws reflecting ever-developing firearm technology, while gun owners and Second Amendment buffs resist further regulation of their constitutional right to bear arms.
In , U. The Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act, which expired 10 years later, did little to appease folks on either end of the gun control debate. Nevertheless, politicians, citizens and lobbyists on both sides continue to debate whether the law, or something similar to it, should be revived [source: Plumer ]. For those seeking to thwart high-capacity "assault" weapons, the ban was marked by loopholes that allowed manufacturers to skirt the law with a few design changes here and there.
For starters, the law did not prohibit all semi-automatic weapons, a move which would have applied to the vast majority of guns on the market. Instead, the act banned 18 specific gun models, including certain types of ARs and AKs and only those manufactured after [source: Plumer ]. Gun control advocates called the ban toothless, noting that several of the prohibited design features -- bayonet mounts, grenade launchers, silencers and flash suppressors -- don't get to the heart of why these weapons are dangerous: Their ability to fire off several rounds in a short period of time.
The law did, nevertheless, limit magazines capable of carrying more than 10 bullets [source: Plumer ]. For many gun owners and the well-funded lobbyists at the National Rifle Association NRA , the ban was an unnecessary invasion on their constitutionally guaranteed right to bear arms.
Nor, according to these folks, does a gun ban do much to deter violence. Take away a criminal's pistol and he'll use a knife or a crowbar is one argument. The NRA says that from to , the murder fell by half while the number of semi-automatic guns rose by 50 million [source: NRA ].
As the debate continues, recent gun control efforts have focused on establishing a more robust ban on semi-automatic weapons, as well as a clamping down on highly unregulated gun shows, at which private individuals who are not considered dealers can sell guns without conducting a background check.
Meanwhile, local gun control efforts have moved forward in cities and states across the country. Although the U. Supreme Court ruled in that an all-out ban on guns is unconstitutional, very tight restrictions remain in effect in places like New York and Massachusetts [source: Plumer ]. We haven't run out of firepower just yet. Check out the links on the next page for more information on machine guns and semi-automatic weapons. Gorging ourselves at the buffet of excess, our guts are swelling, arteries are clogging and muscles are atrophying, one jelly donut at a time.
Meanwhile, the costs associated with obesity-related heart disease, diabetes and cancer continue to balloon. So is carb control. Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Notify me of new comments via email.
Notify me of new posts via email. Search for:. Like this: Like Loading Semi-Automatic vs. Squad automatic weapon why not squad full automatic weapon? Leave a Reply Cancel reply Enter your comment here Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:. Email required Address never made public. Name required. Follow Following. The Writer's Guide to Weapons Join 1, other followers. Sign me up. Already have a WordPress. Log in now. There are other legal options for achieving the same effect.
A device known as a trigger activator is essentially a crank or similar device that fits into the trigger guard and depresses the trigger repeatedly. There are myriad other options, such as trigger assemblies that work in a similar fashion to bump stocks, or even a cumbersome glove that will activate a trigger over and over. Editor's note, Oct. The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter. Stand up for the facts! More Info. I would like to contribute.
One Time Monthly Yearly. The difference between automatic and semi-automatic weapons. By Joshua Gillin October 2, Sources are linked in the story. Read About Our Process. Sebastian Gorka stated on November 1, an appearance on 'Hannity':. Bloggers stated on October 6, Internet posts:.
Bloggers stated on October 29, Internet posts:. Says actor Morgan Freeman said, "Jailing Hillary" is the best way to "restore public faith in government. Michael Moore stated on October 4, a Facebook post:.
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