Is Mise asks:
"Where did you get the figure of thirty thousand?
Are they Steele's 'Homicides' or do you just exaggerate on general principles?"

Where I got the figures was from somebody's post. Now when was it? Whose was it?

Oh I know, it was in this thread on October 9 2017 at 10:56:52 PM. The exact figure was 33,636. Whose post was it?

Well....I'm afraid it was Is Mise's

Is Mise assures us: "The American Government already does ban certain arms from civilian use, notably machine guns and all other arms capable of automatic fire, including 'assault' rifles."

Oh, they are S T R I C T, aren't they. They still ban Gatling guns and Sherman tanks, too. For now.

//It would be hard to justify banning pistols, rifles and shotguns as they were the arms that were in common use at the time.//

Not the ones that were invented after 1791. So no more semi-automatics, they can have muskets instead.

Dear o sung wu,

Sorry again old chap but we are going to disagree on this as well.

Firstly it is not Is Mise's capacity to do harm that I am really worried about. I think the threat from that quarter is highly unlikely. However an arsenal of 14 weapons must surely be a tempting target for our criminal classes and I resent that target being offered. Is Mise's response would be that we need to increase the penalties for gun theft but that is denying his responsibility. His hobby by its very nature puts other Australians at risk. His response would be that they need to be armed to protect themselves which of course is an inane, self-serving and circular.

A .22 calibre weapon in close quarters is still extremely deadly. It might not serve as a weapon of choice if you are targeting a crowd below a casino. However it is the most common weapon used in homicides, suicides and accidental shootings in Australia.

A 22 was Ivan Milat's primary weapon. Cliff Bartholomew killed 10 in South Australia in 1971 with a 22. In 1981 Fred Daoud killed 5 in NSW with a .22 before turning it on himself. In 1993 Leonard Leabeater and Robert Steele (no relation) killed 5 with 22s in Cangai, NSW.

I am not inclined to dismiss Is mise's stockpile of weapons quite as easily as you are. These are not chocolates but weapons of the type that have murdered numerous Australians devestating the lives of countless others.

Am I being overly emotive? Perhaps. But I'm not inclined to reside from any of it. His 'hobby' puts other Australians at risk. I am perfectly happy to engage with him on other topics in an even handed manner but not this one. Particularly when he has claimed in the past that the Port Arthur shooter may well have been right handed while Bryant was left handed. It is dangerous and deluded nonsense deserving of scorn and repugnance.

Dear Is Mise,

Can a civilian purchase a fully automatic weapon in the US? Yes or no.

Julian,

"Oh I know, it was in this thread on October 9 2017 at 10:56:52 PM. The exact figure was 33,636. Whose post was it?

Well....I'm afraid it was Is Mise's"

Very cute but as usual misleading, that figure includes suicides.

Steele,

"Can a civilian purchase a fully automatic weapon in the US? Yes or no"

Yes.

Toni,

Fully automatic muskets existed before 1791 as did machine guns.