Letterman Throws Down on Guns: 'For the Love of Christ! When Are We Gonna Do Something?'

[gejohnston]

76. Before 1977, they were less regulated in Canada

than handguns. How many crimes with full autos were there in Canada before then? From what I read, they were regulated about the same as bolt action rifles, other than having to register them. Yet, they weren't used in crimes.
In the US before NFA, such things were pretty nonexistent as well. Why did the vice principle of Bath Elementary use bombs instead of buying a Thompson and a case of .45 ACP?
In the US, they were rarely used in crimes before NFA. There was the Mafia during Prohibition, and the high profile roving bandits like John Dillinger.
The St. Valentines Day Massacre caused became a public relations disaster for the mob. Capone went from Robin Hood, to hated villain among the public. Public pressure on the government to do something about the mob. Bad PR was bad for business.
Dillinger etc. stole theirs from police and national guard armories. The Thompsons Dillinger used were returned to the PDs he stole them from a few years ago. NFA didn't do anything about the mob's public executions, it was the Commission noticing that it was bad for business. Increased security at police and national guard armories helped in the other regard.

Yes, they are highly regulated in the US. They are banned in Mexico, so that prevents them from being used in mass murders there too..... Oh wait, the cartels are even making their own M-16s and they have Chinese assault rifles and Korean grenades flowing across their southern border and huge coast line.
Handguns are strictly regulated in California, how did that go?
IIRC, we discussed this a few times. Nice non sequitur though.