Take This Editorial With A Grain Of Assault

Reading the Washington Post for intelligent commentary on guns and gun control is rather like looking to Road and Track for advice about knitting.

To see what I mean, take a look at today’s editorial arguing that the ban on “assault weapons” should be renewed. The Post says that one reason more assault weapons haven’t been used in crimes lately “is a federal ban on 19 types of such weapons.”

19 types? What on earth is the Post talking about? Perhaps it means 19 specifically names weapons. Here is the legislation at issue:

Title 18, Chapter 44, Section 921 of the United States Code:

The term ”semiautomatic assault weapon” means –

(A) any of the firearms, or copies or duplicates of the firearms in any caliber, known as –

(i) Norinco, Mitchell, and Poly Technologies Avtomat Kalashnikovs (all models);

(ii) Action Arms Israeli Military Industries UZI and Galil;

(iii) Beretta Ar70 (SC-70);

(iv) Colt AR-15;

(v) Fabrique National FN/FAL, FN/LAR, and FNC;

(vi) SWD M-10, M-11, M-11/9, and M-12;

(vii) Steyr AUG;

(viii)INTRATEC TEC-9, TEC-DC9 and TEC-22; and

(ix) revolving cylinder shotguns, such as (or similar to) the Street Sweeper and Striker 12;

(B) a semiautomatic rifle that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least 2 of –

(i) a folding or telescoping stock;

(ii)a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon;

(iii)a bayonet mount;

(iv) a flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor; and

(v) a grenade launcher;

(C) a semiautomatic pistol that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least 2 of –

(i) an ammunition magazine that attaches to the pistol outside of the pistol grip;

(ii)a threaded barrel capable of accepting a barrel extender, flash suppressor, forward handgrip, or silencer;

(iii)a shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles, the barrel and that permits the shooter to hold the firearm with the non-trigger hand without being burned;

(iv) a manufactured weight of 50 ounces or more when the pistol is unloaded; and

(v) a semiautomatic version of an automatic firearm; and

(D) a semiautomatic shotgun that has at least 2 of –

(i) a folding or telescoping stock;

(ii) a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon;

(iii)a fixed magazine capacity in excess of 5 rounds; and

(iv) an ability to accept a detachable magazine.

No telling where “19 types” comes from, but as one can tell from reading the above, the legislation bans only semi-automatic weapons (fully automatic weapons have been strictly controlled since 1934) that have an evil, military-like appearance. There is no difference whatsoever been the functioning or lethality of these semi-automatic weapons and all the other semi-automatic weapons that remain unbanned. Anyone who had been planning to use one of the banned weapons in the commission of a crime could substitute any one of hundreds of other legal weapons with absolutely no loss (and in most cases, a gain) in efficiency.

Attempting to fight crime and violence by banning “assault weapons” is about as effective as fighting speeding by banning cars with tail fins.