Gun Control & RKBA
In reply to the discussion: I think this paragraph from The New Yorker really sums up the gun control debate here on DU [View all]krispos42
(49,445 posts)is that any gun optimized for self-defense is also optimized for offense, and vice versa.
There is no getting away from this fact. Any feature you can add to a gun to make it work better when trouble is smashing in a window in your house will also make it work better when some nutjob or overstressed worker decides that mass murder is the answer.
There. Is. No. Way. Around. This. Fact.
Period.
Semiautomatic long gun versus a pump, bolt, or lever gun? Semiautomatic works better for both defense and offense.
Detachable magazine? Ditto.
Full-capacity magazines? Ditto.
Gun-mounted high-intensity tactical light? Ditto.
Gun-mounted laser sight? Ditto.
Holographic/red dot close-quarters sight? Ditto.
Matte-black finish? Ditto.
Flash suppressor? Ditto.
Protruding pistol grip? Ditto, with the caveat that it's personal preference.
Telescoping/folding buttstock? Ditto, with the caveat that these are also useful for pretty much all long guns regardless of purpose.
Bayonet mounting lugs? Ditto, rare as they may be.
This is why, in countries like Australia, guns optimized for self-defense are not legal anymore. Self-defense is not a valid reason for the government to grant the privilege of gun ownership, and thus guns optimized for that purpose are outlawed. No handguns, and no semiautomatic rifles or shotguns.