01/01/2003 Entry: ""
Posted by Maynard @ 04:27 PM MST
A Fun Day Converting Gunpowder Into Smoke
My roomates Jeff and Chris have an uncle who has a Federal Firearms License, which means he can obtain selective-fire weaponry (machine guns) legally. He has several, and today I was invited with their family out to the desert to go shooting. I was allowed to shoot a Thompson Submachine Gun, a Desert Eagle .50 Caliber pistol, an M-11 9mm machine pistol, an Uzi, and an M-16 fitted with a 7.62x39 mm upper receiver.
Each one of these guns was tremendously fun to shoot. The one thing I didn't like, though, was that the .50 cal ejects the spent brass cartridge directly up and to the rear; that is, directly into the shooter's forehead or face. Most annoying. This is a very powerful gun: the brass case of the cartridge is large enough to hold an entire .45 ACP cartridge, which was the round used in the M1911 pistol of the U.S. Armed Forces. In a word, it's ginormous (jy-nore-muss).
Many of you may be wondering: what do I need a machine gun for? Well, first of all, they weren't my guns, they were someone else's who was kind enough to let me use them. They have no hunting purpose (they are in fact illegal to use on the hunt) and are far more powerful than necessary to defend a home. Other than that, there is no use for them. So why enjoy having and using one? Simple.
I like to shoot.
The Founding Fathers put it best. They knew that the 2nd amendment was guaranteed by the first two rights of the first amendment, and they recognized that rights were given by God to men. Among these rights were certain unalienable rights, that is, rights that could not be violated. Therefore, they wanted to ensure that individuals had the right to keep (that is, possess) and bear (or carry) arms. They have a right to defend themselves.
Many people who ask why I need a machine gun do not understand the issue at hand. It is not one of need. It is an issue of already having a right, and going out to shoot guns is an expression of that freedom. Besides, it is fun in a way that can only be understood by experience.
Add A New Comment
