Keith, at 21:38 on May 19 1996, you wrote to Bill Grimsley...

BG> At 100m, a shotgun is next to useless, but at the same distance, a 7.62mm 
BG> SLR is just sighting itself in.  There's a fucking HUGE difference.

KR> at close range, an autoloading shottie would be about the most effective 
KR> weapon immaginable.

True, but they're all only 3 or 5-shot weapons, and not really suited to
mass slaughter of "innocent" civilians.  They do tend to make a
mess though.

KR> in that situation, i think that i'd prefer one of the 
KR> yank ones with a drum magazine to an uzi.

Given that the US mandated some years ago for a reduction in shotgun
magazine capacity from 5 rounds to 3, isn't the drum magazine illegal?

BG> It is when it ain't gunna work, Bob.  Do you honestly believe that
BG> even ONE single crim is going to voluntarily surrender his firearm? 
BG> And I for one flatly refuse to sleep here without a weapon underneath
BG> the bed, so that every man and his dog can walk in and shoot, rob, or
BG> rape my family.  Fuck that.

KR> thats called paranoia bill (:

Call it what you like Keith, but as they STILL haven't found the prick who
murdered the woman 2 doors down the street (8 months ago now), the fact
that there is a gun in my house lets me sleep at night, and Lyn actually
feels even more strongly about it than I do.  We've also had fuckwits
driving around our suburb firing heavy calibre guns from their car two
nights in succession now, and tonight probably won't be any different.

BG> As far as I'm concerned, it is my basic human right to be able to
BG> protect myself and my family from predators, and if I need a gun for
BG> that, so be it.

KR> i suppose that logan city may be different, 

It is indeed.  We have the highest OFFICIAL juvenile crime rate in the
country, and the adult crims are almost as plentiful.  I'd move from here,
except nobody would be silly enough to buy my house.  It wasn't a bad place
11 years ago, but it's fucked now.

KR> but for most australians, the need for that level of self defence is tiny.

Sure, I couldn't agree more.  But then most Australians don't live in Logan
City or Campbelltown, do they?

Regards, Bill

--- Msgedsq/2 3.20