Why don't most people care whether a gun is semi-automatic or automatic?

[Recursion]

109. Really? I'm seeing assistance called "derailing"

I think a lot of people are making fundamental category errors here by equating a weapon's cosmetics with its power, but anytime somebody points that out here we're immediately accused of derailing or spouting NRA talking points.

I'm trying to help. So are a lot of people here. Seriously.

If you want to make mass shootings impossible, you'll have to get rid of all semi-automatics with detachable magazines. I don't think that can be done, but that needs to be your goal. That will involve getting rid of the majority of guns people own, the majority of guns hunters use, and the majority of handguns that people own for self and home defense. This is a huge task: you're not simply going after a fringe of gun owners who like rare weapons, you are actually going to have to live up to the NRA predictions that you're going to come and take away most people's guns. Maybe that's a good idea, maybe it's not, but we really are trying to help you when we're pointing out that that's what you want to do.

And even then, after doing all that, that's only going to be of marginal use in preventing the significantly more common type of gun homicide where one person shoots one other person he knows with a single bullet.