Reply #63: This is a military weapon, is it not?

[PhillySane]

The gun you have so accurately described, and pictured in all its splendor, was designed for military purposes. The original had a full-auto mode, but even in its semi mode, it is a pretty handy combat weapon. Which is why it has been used by the US military for close to 50 years.

My original question centered on how much is enough and how much is too little. You shoot for recreation, a weapon whose design and conception was intended to create a combat weapon that could kill as effectively and completely as possible, with accuracy, high ammunition capacity, quick feed, reload and all that.

I know most people who have them don't use them for illegal purposes, but if someone needed and wanted to do as much harm as possible, like the shooter in Arizona, this would be a really good choice.
Instead, he had a smaller, less expensive, Glock hand gun with a 30 round clip. I would say, on the scale of how much damage one can do, the AR-15 probably rates a little higher than a 9mm Glock. And yet, he was able to kill 6 people and wound 13 more for a grand total of 19 with his 30 rounds of ammo. Not too shabby.

What's the need for either of these weapons, in the stated configurations, in our current civil society?

Is the 30 round clip for the Glock okay? Or are you opposed to those? If so, what's the difference between the 30 rounds of 9mm ammo vs 30 rounds of 5.56mm? Isn't the higher powered ammo even more deadly?

I'm really trying to understand your rationale.