H.R. 1022

So the Zumbo incident got gun owners, rightly, to vocalise their objections. Thus far, I haven't heard of a mass campaign for American gun owners to contact their representatives to make sure that H.R. 1022, the new "Assault" Weapon Ban, is killed outright. Every elected representative in Washington should by now know of the mass opposition to this piece of legislation.

(30) The term `semiautomatic assault weapon' means any of the following:

`(A) The following rifles or copies or duplicates thereof:

`(i) AK, AKM, AKS, AK-47, AK-74, ARM, MAK90, Misr, NHM 90, NHM 91, SA 85, SA 93, VEPR;

`(ii) AR-10;

`(iii) AR-15, Bushmaster XM15, Armalite M15, or Olympic Arms PCR;

`(iv) AR70;

`(v) Calico Liberty;

`(vi) Dragunov SVD Sniper Rifle or Dragunov SVU;

`(vii) Fabrique National FN/FAL, FN/LAR, or FNC;

`(viii) Hi-Point Carbine;

`(ix) HK-91, HK-93, HK-94, or HK-PSG-1;

`(x) Kel-Tec Sub Rifle;

`(xi) M1 Carbine;

`(xii) Saiga;

`(xiii) SAR-8, SAR-4800;

`(xiv) SKS with detachable magazine;

`(xv) SLG 95;

`(xvi) SLR 95 or 96;

`(xvii) Steyr AUG;

`(xviii) Sturm, Ruger Mini-14;

`(xix) Tavor;

`(xx) Thompson 1927, Thompson M1, or Thompson 1927 Commando; or

`(xxi) Uzi, Galil and Uzi Sporter, Galil Sporter, or Galil Sniper Rifle (Galatz).

`(B) The following pistols or copies or duplicates thereof:

`(i) Calico M-110;

`(ii) MAC-10, MAC-11, or MPA3;

`(iii) Olympic Arms OA;

`(iv) TEC-9, TEC-DC9, TEC-22 Scorpion, or AB-10; or

`(v) Uzi.

`(C) The following shotguns or copies or duplicates thereof:

`(i) Armscor 30 BG;

`(ii) SPAS 12 or LAW 12;

`(iii) Striker 12; or

`(iv) Streetsweeper.

`(D) A semiautomatic rifle that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine, and that has--

`(i) a folding or telescoping stock;

`(ii) a threaded barrel;

`(iii) a pistol grip;

`(iv) a forward grip; or

`(v) a barrel shroud.

The M1 carbine is now considered an assault weapon? A semi-automatic with a full wooden stock- how long before those deadly semi-auto hunting rifles, which fire much more powerful ammunition, are far behind? Take a long hard look at that list- AKs, ARs, FALs, collaborating Ruger doesn't escape this time- even the Dragunov sniper rifle is included. Does anyone really think that if this ban goes through the hoplophobes won't come after other semi-auto or bolt actions next?

Let the UK be an example top you- the gun grabbers aren't just after so-called assault weapons- it's just a step along the way to banning all the weapons they possibly can. If they get their way on this it will clear the field for them to focus on the next kind of gun they can raise sufficient public alarm over- handguns that can easily be concealed perhaps? Or "cop killer" rifles (i.e. any weapon capable of defeated police issue body armour)? Do you really want to see all semi-auto centerfire rifles banned? That's what happened here.

Don't let America end up the way Britain has. For too long now, the Second Amendment has been encroached upon and eroded by decades of pointless legislation that has done nothing to reduce crime and everything to disarm free men and women- it's time to organise and fight back. Seems to me that we've reached something of a tipping point- the Zumbo affair has shown that gun owners united have a strong voice and cannot be ignored. The question is, will they capitalise on it or not? If it's the latter, I fear that more UK-style legislation will be on its way.