Help me write an editorial

[Hamar]

I just finished reading an article in todays Herald, "Pols aim at hard-core Firepower".

Its full of the typical anti gum flapping. One particular paragraph really has me grinding my teeth. It follows:

"Bullets from a Five-Seven were recovered from the scene of two recent shootings and one of the guns was recovered at a drug suspects home, BPD officials said"

Now wait a minute, The FN Five-Seven isnt on the "approved AG list" for sale in the Commiwealth as it is. Whats the point in banning it? It's illegal to own it in this state as it is.

As for the other two banned items, The Barrett .50 and the S&W .500 Who the heck is going to carrying the Barrett around (33.8lbs)? The S&W isnt the lightest thing that a banger would be tucking into the back of his baggy jeans.

Help me write an educated editorial.

 

[Adam_MA]

It's illegal to own it in this state as it is.

No, remember "the list" ONLY pertains to dealer sales. If someone moves into the state already owning one, they are perfectly legal to own that gun, and do a FTF transfer of that weapon.

Adam

 

[hminsky]

The editorial ought to say that if an illegal gun was found in the hands of a criminal, that that criminal should be put in jail for a long enough time to prevent him from committing any more crimes. If the gun was used in a crime, the criminal should be put to death.

It is not the guns, its the repeat violent offenders running around with slaps on their wrists that are causing the violence.

 

[Hamar]

Thats kind of what I was thinking. A legal gun owner cannot walk into any store in Massachusetts and purchase a brand new FN Five-Seven. Cant do it. Looking at where that supposed firearm was recovered, do you for one minute believe that it was in the hands of a permitted individual?

 

[Cross-X]

No, remember "the list" ONLY pertains to dealer sales. If someone moves into the state already owning one, they are perfectly legal to own that gun, and do a FTF transfer of that weapon.

Adam

Not so fast, Adam. This is a post-ban gun with large capacity magazines. Per MGL Ch. 140, Sec. 131M, possession of gun and mag in MA is illegal, and criminal.

Sorry.

 

[Adam_MA]

Ok.. But assuming you purchased the gun during the federal ban when the reduced capacity magazines (10) were sold with this gun, then you could have it in the state legally.

Adam

 

[drgrant]

Not so fast, Adam. This is a post-ban gun with large capacity magazines. Per MGL Ch. 140, Sec. 131M, possession of gun and mag in MA is illegal, and criminal.

Sorry.

The gun itself is illegal? Then how are guns like the M+P going to be
sold here? They're "new" and certainly capable of accepting
high capacity magazines.

I know the gun is not MA compliant, but with 10 round magazines, it should
still be posession-legal in MA. (Unless theres some part of the law that
im missing that says any "post ban" handgun that is merely
capable of accepting a large capacity magazine isn't legal here, regardless
of what magazines the owner has in their posession).

FWIW, in a few other ban states, you can get the FN FiveSeven IOM or USG
in a "restricted" version that comes only with 10 round magazines. Since
the gun was introduced -during- the AWB, this is how it was sold
originally..... the hicaps have only been sold to LE, of course on Sept of
2004, people in free states could get the high cap mags.

I think the FiveSeven is even CA legal, w/10 round magazines. And
typically posession-wise, CA is worse than MA is... (eg, CA has a law
that says threaded barrels = assault weapons, so a P22 without the muzzle
nut welded in place is an assault weapon! ) But I digress...

-Mike

 

[drgrant]

Ok.. But assuming you purchased the gun during the federal ban when the reduced capacity magazines (10) were sold with this gun, then you could have it in the state legally.

Adam

FWIW, as I mentioned in my post, 10 rounders are still sold with this
gun in some states. And FN still -makes- reduced capacity
magazines.

Rumor has it that FN is even going to produce a version of the PS90 rifle
with 10 round magazines, to be sold in ban states. Since the gun has
no FH (it's a brake), no pistol grip, no bayo lug, it should be ban
exempt.

The obvious issue with the PS90 though, is... with a 10 round magazine...
what the heck is the point?

-Mike

 

[Lynne]

Be sure to ask them, "What part of criminal don't you understand?"

 

[SKS Ray]

The whole main deal to get your point across when writing an editorial is to convey your thoughts from something diferent than an enraged citizen. Good luck!

 

[CaveDog]

Whats the point in banning it? It's illegal to own it in this state as it is.

It's sort of like "double secret probation".

 

[Len-2A Training]

Methinks that C-X mis-spoke!

Possession of the gun is NOT illegal in MA. Possession of the hi-cap mags for the FN would be illegal, even if you didn't possess the gun!

Yes, there are 10rd mags for this gun out there.

Gun isn't on EOPS List and likely due to "politics" it will NEVER be approved for the EOPS List in MA. So it is restricted to FTF with someone moving in with the gun and criminals who can possess anything that their hearts desire (with impunity, as we wouldn't prosecute the poor deprived soul for a gun crime in MA)!

 

[Bruce for NH State Rep]

But banning guns feeeeeeeeels SO good!

Here's my take

All lies, fear-mongering, and hysterical anti-gun rhetoric aside, I have a couple pertinent questions here for Councilor Flaherty.

1. Is it currently LEGAL for CRIMINALS, or ANYONE not in possession of the appropriate license, to walk around "THE STREETS" of Boston carrying ANY kind of firearm or ammunition?

2. Has there been a recent outbreak of LICENSED gun owners committing crimes in the city of Boston using any of the above-mentioned firearms or ammunition?

(insert Jeopardy! theme music here)

What's that, Mike? Could you speak up a bit?

"No"? On both counts, you say?

Well, then what the hell is the rationale behind your desire to impose additional restrictions on these weapons for those individuals least likely to use them for illicit purposes? Do you honestly think another local gun ban of ANY kind will have ANY bearing on what types of guns and ammunition the city's gangbanger population will be packing?

The sad thing is, his answer would be yes.

 

[Bruce for NH State Rep]

Come on, Len, stop exaggerating.

Boston's really cracking down on gun crime. Why, these thugs can get upwards of eleven days in the can now for illegal possession of a firearm (with priors for armed robbery).

If that's not "tough on crime" I don't know what is.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

One point for the editorial - the armor piercing rounds for the FM57 are (a) illegal, and (b) strictly controlled and not available except for shipment directly to police and military purchasers. Absent these high performance rounds, the FN57 pistol is nothing special.

 

[Weerd Beard]

Probably not the best thing put in the editorial, but the 5.7FN is HARDLY a high-powered round. It produces a pitiful amount of muzzle-energy from that itty-bitty bullet.

And if you fired AP ammo of the same construction as the BANNED FN Rounds (Aluminum or tungsten core) out of a 9mm or .40 it would ALSO go through a ballistic vest (And make a bigger hole).

The Ban on the FiveSeveN is much like banning the internal combustion engine simply because you can put a nitrous oxide injector onto one.

The 5.7 is a sissy-pistol that has a bad rap because FN wanted people to think it was powerful.

This is an issue of already banned ammo, not the question of banning a new gun.

-Weer'd Beard