Guns need food. Starve them [View all]

[babylonsister]

Guns need food. Starve them
Marc Ambinder
December 17, 2012, at 8:43 PM

snip//

So as odious as it sounds, the argument that "criminals are going to get guns" is a valid one. Closing the private sale loophole might make it harder, as would common enforcement across states, but let's face it: These instruments of hunting, aggression, and self-defense are here among us. There aren't perishable. But bullets — bullets are a different story. An interesting story.

If you frequent "Survivalist" websites, you'll find that one of the most pressing topics discussed is gingerly called ammunition life span management. Ammo has a shelf-life. Even good ammo. Guns are forever, but ammo degrades, even if stored in precisely proper conditions and humidors that criminals don't often have.

Gun owners buy ammunition frequently. The website ammunitiontogo.com, which pops up when you search for "ammunition life," features a scantily clad busty beauty holding a rifle along with a warning: "Due to the extremely high volume of orders that we are receiving at this time we are experiencing a processing delay of 6 to 7 business days. We are working very hard every day to keep the delays minimal. Your patience is greatly appreciated! Thank you for your business!."

Ammunition degrades because the gunpower inside of it does not last forever in the compressed state that it lives. The accuracy of a bullet declines slowly over time. Heat is especially bad for ammunition of all types. The more times you chamber a round, the likelier it will degrade. For most people, the decline in accuracy is mitigated somewhat by the fact that they never use their firearms for self-defense purposes. But it really can be a problem in the long-run. And that's why ammo manufacturers are even more profitable than gun manufacturers.

Because ammunition is gun food, if we can starve the guns a bit, or change the way ammunition sales are regulated and controlled, perhaps we can change the way guns are used.

more...

http://theweek.com/article/index/237947/guns-need-food-starve-them