Can we as a party please come up with a better idea than the AWB?

[spin]

44. That may sound like a reasonable idea. ...

The problem is to first get the law through Congress. The last attempt to pass a new federal assault weapons ban after Sandy Hook couldn't even pass in a Senate controlled by Democrats.

The next problem is how to enforce this ban. Many gun friendly states would simply ignore the law and not require firearms to be turned in or confiscated just like some states ignore the federal laws on marijuana.

Under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of 1970, marijuana is classified as a Schedule I substance. By definition, Schedule I drugs have a high potential for abuse and dependency, with no recognized medical use or value. Any marijuana possession, cultivation, or use is a federal crime, subjecting a defendant to fines, prison time, or both. Large scale cultivation and trafficking (transporting or selling marijuana, often across state lines) incurs harsher penalties, and tends to be the main focus of federal drug enforcement attention.

In spite of this wholesale federal ban, since the mid-1990s 18 states have enacted laws that allow or protect the medicinal use of marijuana. Most of these states have decriminalized medicinal marijuana use (removed the risk of criminal prosecution and penalties) for patients who follow the law with respect to amounts, registration, and so on. State-level penalties still apply to those who break these state laws.
http://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/resources/criminal-defense/federal-crime/medical-marijuana-federal-laws.htm

While many gun owners would voluntarily turn in their semi automatic firearms a percentage would not. Attempts to confiscate their weapons could lead to violence and armed standoffs with media coverage. If the police were to use force that resulted in bloodshed it would only fire up other "patriots" to defend their Second Amendment rights which would result in even more bloodshed. It might even cause armed terrorist style attacks on our infrastructure. It's not all that difficult to take down major power lines, rip up railroad tracks or blow up the supports for freeway bridges.

It is even conceivable that some states might secede from the union. Sending in armed troops to quell the rebellion would result in even more violence and bloodshed even if successful. A number of states such as Texas already have secessionist movements.

The simple fact is that a high percentage of our citizens no longer trust our federal government enough to turn in their weapons.

Plus you only suggesting banning all semi-automatic long arms with the exception of .22LR. It may be even easier to massacre a large number of people with a couple of easier to conceal semi-automatic pistols. If you successfully managed to ban and confiscate ALL semi-automatic firearms it is still possible to fill a bag with revolvers and when one runs out of bullets to simply grab another one.

In my opinion all too often reality is the biggest enemy of good ideas.