Firearm bans

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

Is there a purpose to or basis for banning a firearm based on anything other than:
- rate of fire,
- ammo capacity and
- caliber?

[rrneck]

1. Nope.

And I'm not too sure about your second example. Come to think of it, I'm not too sure about any of them. Firearms laws are about as good as they can get unless I see something I haven't seen before.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

2. I'd agree

[DonP]

3. Size/concealability?

That was the excuse they used to try and get rid of "Saturday Night Specials"

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

5. It's also the basis for laws targeting 3d printed guns

that can be made without enough metal to set off metal detectors.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

10. In spite of Die Hard 2...

...the Glock 7 is entirely fictional. It is no simpler to make a firearm of sufficiently minimal metallic content that would not show up on a TSA scanner via 3D printing than by regular fabrication means. Accepting for the sake of discussion that this was possible and that composite materials of sufficient strength existed such that said firearm would be reliable, the ammo (lead, copper and brass) would be hard to miss. In addition, the TSA generally is using, or quickly moving to use in all airports, the millimeter wave scanners for all lanes except crews, TSA employees and trusted travelers. Both the standard metal detectors and the millimeter wave scanners incorporate sniffers that detect chemicals such as gun powder in bullets and traces of it that would remain on a firearm metallic or not.

Aside from all of that, my watch sets off metal detectors and is much smaller than any useful gun.

These laws sound like solutions in search of a problem.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

6. How small is too small? n/t

[DonP]

8. IIRC, there were no specific parameters on size

Just things like; "small, cheap and easy to hide" definitions.

That was where the HCI people got their start, trying to ban small handguns.

With the crop of small and pocket pistols like 3 inch barreled .45 ACP 1911s, single stack 9mms, Kel Tecs and a the whole crop of .380s everybody keeps cranking out, it'd be hard to keep up with banning them.

But I'm sure they'd try again in a heartbeat if they thought they could pull it off.

[blueridge3210]

4. Rate of fire is the only one I could support.

And that only because it is currently enforced and everyone is basically up to speed. Ammo capacity has no discernable impact on crime and if caliber is a reference to .50 rifles the same would apply.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

7. Currently...

...full auto and calibers over .50 are not generally available. I'm okay with keeping that. I'd also be okay with a mag limit of whatever the police and government have, if the FOPA of '86 was updated to allow new firearms.

[blueridge3210]

9. Sounds good. (nt)