playon wrote:
Actually it's a non-issue, the whole assault rifle ban was a big, fake
bandaid from the start. The only difference between what they are
calling an "assault weapon" and the automatic weapons that are now
legal, is a silencer and (I think) a night scope... otherwise, it's
the same gun.


Al, read this article:

http://tinyurl.com/3hwvy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Police officials from across the country on
Wednesday warned that dangerous assault weapons will flood U.S. streets
if the ban on those guns expires next week but Republican congressional
leaders expressed no concerns about letting the restriction lapse.

"I think the will of the American is consistent with letting it expire,
and so it will expire," Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee
Republican, told reporters.

Asked why Congress wanted to legalize the military-style weapons again
when public opinion polls found broad public support for keeping them
illegal, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, a Texas Republican said, "We
don't do things by polls."

The politically powerful National Rifle Association gun lobby has made
killing the ban a top priority, and some lawmakers are fearful of
crossing the NRA weeks before congressional elections.

The Consumer Federation of America released a report this week, based in
part on manufacturer catalogs and Web sites, that concluded that
"assault weapons will be more lethal and less expensive... Prices will
drop as supply dramatically increases."

Under the 10-year ban enacted in 1994, weapons such as AK-47s, TEC-9s,
and Uzis were outlawed, as were high capacity ammunition magazines
holding more than 10 rounds. That law expires next Monday and Congress
does not plan to extend it.

The Senate did vote earlier this year to renew the ban but that measure
was part of a larger gun bill that was defeated at the NRA's behest. The
House leaders have not allowed a vote on the ban this year.

Even groups that back renewing the law acknowledge the gun industry
found loopholes and that dangerous weapons do remain on U.S. streets.
But they argue that without the ban, the problem will grow worse.