Point Click, Fire: An Undercover Investigation of Illegal Online Gun Sales

[PavePusher]

254. A light fisking:

1. The Second Amendment isn't about hunting.
That said, an AK-pattern rifle with a hunting-legal magazine (generally 5 rounds or less) is slightly more modern but ballistically equivalent to the .30-30 lever action rifle (many of which hold well over 10 rounds). Some people do use them for hunting, all quite legal and ethical. I use the AK's slightly older cousin, the SKS, with a removeable magazine. Same ammo, same performance, very reliable, reasonably accurate, built like... well, a soviet tank; durable and simple.
Numerous handguns, including some semi-auto's, are specifically designed with hunting in mind. You can mount scopes on them and some come in calibers big enough for bears. Grizzlies, in fact. Moose. Wild hogs (very hard to kill).
.50 "sniper" rifles with light loads would be good for large game as above.

2. All of the above have legitimate sport-shooting (target competition) purposes. Just because that may not be your cup of tea doesn't de-legitimize the usage.

3. The Second Amendment is at least partially about home- and self-defense, as the security of a free state argueably starts with the security of the home and the individual. All of the above items are legitimate home-defense items. Admittedly, you probably would only use a .50 if you had a lot of land, and only against some very specific and low-probability threats. AR/AK/many other "assault weapons" are excellent home defense items, especially in their shorter-barreled versions. With purpose-designed defensive ammo, they are accurate, light weight, easy to manuver. Bull-pup designs are superbly ideal for this. Try defending the average home with a 24" barrel bolt-action (almost certainly far more powerful ballistically than an AR or AK) and see the difference. My bolt-action hunting rifles will go through numerous walls, and of at least two houses here in my development. My AR, not so much.
Hand-guns of all types are also excellent for defensive purposes. Easily portable (Have you ever carried a rifle all day, every day for any length of time? Serious P.I.T.A.), capable of one-handed operation while holding a phone and/or child, or grappling with an attacker, simple to use, easy to learn. Semi-autos have an advantage of carrying more ammo, simpler reloads, easier trigger pull (which can lead to better accuracy in some circumstances) and easier to carry concealed on average.
As far as shotguns go, well, you'd probably classify mine as an "assault weapon" because it is black, has a plastic stock (that holds additional shells) that is adjustable (useable by people of varying body size/clothing state), can be (is) fitted with a bayonette and holds more than 2 rounds. I can also swap barrels on it in only a few minutes, giving me a modular firearm useable for defense, sport (skeet/trap/etc) and hunting with shot or slugs.


Now, what is it you still don't understand?


Edit: All of the above have militia usage, if you really want to go down that road....