As Combat Controller put it when he sent me this link, “While the NRA buys Wayne LaPierre’s suits and luxury junkets, the GOA does what they were supposed to be doing.”
Gun Owners of America (GOA) is proud to support the introduction of GOA-drafted legislation in West Virginia by Senators Chris Rose and Z. Maynard that would authorize the creation of a state entity to purchase and transfer machine guns to qualified law-abiding citizens pursuant to existing federal law.
The legislation utilizes a clear statutory exception contained in 18 U.S.C. § 922(o), commonly known as the Hughes Amendment. While that provision generally restricts civilian possession of post-1986 machine guns, it expressly states that the prohibition “does not apply with respect to … a transfer to or by, or possession by or under the authority of” a State or any department or political subdivision thereof.
Under the bill introduced in West Virginia, the State would establish state-run distribution centers authorized to acquire machine guns and conduct transfers “by” the State to qualified members of the general public. By structuring transactions within the text of the federal exemption, the legislation seeks to restore access to constitutionally protected arms while adhering to existing federal law.
My only question then and now is: when will Texas follow suit?
Here’s the thing: I have no interest, zero, in owning a full-auto firearm for myself. (Okay, I could make a exception for the wonderful WWII-era M2 Subbie*, but they just cost too damn much, as would the ammo I’d be blasting away at whatever the $$$$ price of .45 ACP is these days.)
But I do support the idea of anyone who does want to own one being allowed to do so. (My old line: “AK-47s in Aisle 14” applies here.)
*Yes, I’ve fired one, on several occasions, and I frigging loved it.
“….being allowed to do so.”
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Why do I always cringe like hell when I read stuff like that?
Maybe it’s because I realize the 2nd amendment does NOT give rights to any one.
The 2nd amendment creates RESTRICTIONS on the gov’t that prevent it from violating a persons natural rights.
As we all know the criminal gov’t violates it’s own rules and laws all the time.
THAT is why I cringe, and ball my fists.
Yep.
My only question then and now is: when are they going to fuck off and leave me alone.
I already know the answer, but my ammo stash is nowhere near capable of producing the body count required.
I think that’s M3 not M2?
Correct. Without the cocking handle is the M3A1. Here is a fun video of Jerry Miculek shooting one. Be advised that YooToob has once again run over the horizon with their collective hair on fire, and you will have to sign in to confirm your age.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXKps4RRnQ4
Nice Miculek video. I just wish he had demonstrated squeezing off single rounds, which is something my dad told me they were trained to do at his radio technician school in 1944. He said he only fired a Garand informally after he was deployed as part of occupation forces in mid 1945. He had a Springfield in basic and was trained on the carbine, the .45 pistol, and the grease gun in radio school. He was sent to Europe after the end of combat there, but the job he was trained for would have involved setting up radio navigation beacons at newly established (or captured) airfields.
I’d be too upset over the cost of ammo to enjoy any extended use of full-auto (although I’d probably pay to do it just once). But I would like to try the 3-round burst function on a standard AR sporting rifle.
I’ve read some stuff about the pre-86 automatic weapons and it’s strictly a rich man’s club, but the BATF still fuck with them every chance they get. “Because fuck them, that’s why” appears to be the official motto of the BATF, along with fuck the 2nd amendment too. The BATF should be abolished and any residual taxing issues rolled into the IRS, also set to be abolished. When I become president, of course.
The trigger pull on the three round burst is atrocious. Yes, it’s heavy and has creep as one might expect on military issue, but the pull weights vary, depending on what mode you are in–semi, burst, or you stop and then start in mid-burst.
Well shit, didn’t realize that. Maybe I’ll just stick with the regular semi-auto fire and be content with hitting my target.
I’ve fired both (on Uncle Sam’s dime). If I was given a choice, the full auto if far superior to the 3 round burst. The 3 round burst was only developed to compensate for poor training (and the resulting waste of ammo). It’s easy enough to learn how to fire just three rounds with a a select fire trigger in the full auto position.
As the late, great Colonel Jeff Cooper wrote once, full-auto is much more fun when “Uncle Sugar” is supplying the ammunition.
An M3 “Grease Gun” would be great fun, but why stop there? Get the infrared scoped version!
https://www.reddit.com/r/ForgottenWeapons/comments/xs526u/a_m3a1_subgun_with_a_m2_sniper_scope_infrared/
Don’t worry. When/if the legislation gets enacted, the NRA will be there at the signing ceremony claiming victory
Way back in The Long Ago, I was in the Gulf for a bit of a dustup we had with the Fidels. On a chance site visit to a very quiet FOB, my medical team was enjoying a little down time and we watched a field test of an M134 (Minigun) mounted to an up-armored Humvee. I happened to mention that it was the only time I’d ever see one close and the Captain (O3) running the show said “you wanna fire it?” Naturally, I gave the only appropriate answer: “Is a 40-pound canary fat?”
Time. Of. My. Life.
Not sure how many rounds were fired in total, but it’s safe to say it’s more 7.62×51 rounds than I’ve fired in my life and that’s more than a couple thousand.
The only compelling reason I can see in not owning one is the absolute financial devastation it would cause to my retirement funds, so bump firing my AK will have to do it for me for now.
Why not just repeal the Hughes Amendment, since it was passed in violation of House Rules?
It’ll never happen. Congress would have to admit they made a mistake.
Kim,
pre-1986 “transferable” full auto firearms (machineguns under the law) only cost an arma and a leg, in general, because of the artificial scarcity imposed. Prior to the closing of the Machine Gun Registry a select fire AR-15 (M16) cost about the same as a semi-auto AR-15.
If you look at the prices paid by LE purchases or non-USG overseas sales (because Uncle Sam likes to waste money like a drunken sailor) the prices are far lower than those you’ll see attached to civilain “transferable” machine guns here in the US.
The cost of the ammo would really be the sticking point, but I wouldn’t per upset at all if someone tooled up and started producing AM-180’s for sale through West Virginia’s state run gun store.
Also, on my quick perusal of the bill I did not see anything that limited sales of said firearms to residents of West Virginia. If there is not such, then that store could sell to anyone in any US state that doesn’t have a state law banning machine guns. Possibly even sell to other SOT’s and distributors.
That would indeed be the nail in the coffin.
Was going to say the only full auto I could afford to feed would be a AM-180, although if you are going to have to start making them from scratch might be better to just convert all the 22 knock offs of ar15s and subguns.
My brother has an Ingram M10 in .45, got it 40 years ago. Inaccurate, heavy, forget about one-handing it like some movies show, and OMG expensive to shoot. BRRT, 30 rounds gone in less than 2 seconds. Yes, it was fun, but it cost too much to run on factory ammo and it made me want to cry to see it chew through hours of reloading in seconds. It’s been 30 years since he last had it out.