One Photograph, Two Bullets, And 26 Reasons We Need To Take Action For Newtown, Connecticut

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166. I did see that post ...

and since mass shootings by definition involve firearms I was asking how far you wished to go to stop these events.

Largely due to all the media publicity rifles such as the AR-15 have been used to commit several of our most recent tragic mass murders.

But realistically banning and confiscating all the assault style rifles and their hi-cap magazines would not prevent future mass shootings. Seung-Hui Cho used two semi-auto pistols with 10 round magazines during the Virginia Tech Massacre.

Obviously to prevent all mass shootings we also have to ban and confiscate all semi-auto pistols. But semi-auto shotguns and pump shotguns are extremely dangerous and can be reloaded fairly quickly so they should also be banned.

Revolvers could also be used for mass murders. There are 10 shot .22 caliber revolvers and 8 shot .357 magnum revolvers on the market and even a 6 shot revolver can be reloaded very quickly with some practice and a couple of speed loaders. A shooter who intended to kill a large number of people could easily hide several revolvers in his pants and discard each as he emptied them.

Bolt action rifles have also been used for mass murder. In 1966 Charles Whitman the shooter in the Texas Tower Massacre used a Remington 700 bolt action hunting rifle. Therefore in order to prevent all mass shootings, "sniper rifles" must also be banned.

Perhaps our citizen could be allowed to own single shot black powder rifles, single shot handguns and single shot shotguns. That would probably accomplish your goal of passing laws until mass shootings are a rarity.

Still it is possible that the ultimate goal or destination of the first steps that you mention might not be what I just described. That's why I asked you for further clarification.