These Are the Loopholes to Ban Assault Weapons That Marco Rubio Talked About.
CNN held a town hall discussion last night with those affected by the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, Florida officials and an NRA spokesman. Senator Marco Rubio was present and said something about the recently proposed and rejected ban on assault weapons. He specifically mentioned the “plastic handles” as loopholes that make the ban unnecessary, but what exactly was he talking about?
If you haven’t seen the town hall, you can watch it all in the YouTube video embedded above. Or you can read the full transcript here . At one point, Fred Gutenberg, the father of one of the students killed in the shootout, spoke out against Rubio for going against the proposed government ban on many semi-automatic shotguns and high-capacity magazines. The ban applies to popular models such as the AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifle, the Sig Sauer MCX and several versions of the AR-15, the rifle with which Nicholas Cruz killed 17 people last week. This is how Rubio answered :
“But I want to explain to you for a moment the problem with the law they call the assault weapon ban. And if you let me – let me explain the problem to you for a moment. You must first define what it is. If you look at the law and its definition, it basically bans 200 weapon models – about 220 specific weapon models … But it does – – but this – but this – it allows legal 2000 other types of weapons that are identical. They are identical in how they function, how fast they shoot, what caliber they shoot and how they behave. They are indistinguishable from those that become illegal (he later says they can do the same as the weapons used by Marjorie Stoneman Douglas). And the only thing that separates the two types is – the only thing that separates the two types is that if you put a plastic pen on one, it will be prohibited, if it does not have a plastic pen, it will not become prohibited. … “
This caused the crowd to ridicule and ridicule, but he is not entirely wrong. Basically, Rubio said that while the ban would affect several types of popular assault weapons from the outset, that would only be the tip of the iceberg. Why? Because of the weapon mods and how easy it is to add or remove them from the rifle, and because of the weapon industry itself. Rubio goes on to explain that similar bans on assault weapons have essentially failed in both New York and California. For example, California’s prohibition on assault weapons required owners of said assault weapons to either surrender their weapons or register them with the state. But there is a third secret option that completely bypasses these laws: removing the features that make the rifle an “assault weapon”. These features include:
- Pistol Grips : A modification that modifies the traditional “straight” stocks of the weapon and allows the operator to hold the rifle with the trigger in a straight upright position, like a pistol. You usually see this on AR-15 and M16 rifles because they allow the operator to operate the trigger, magazine trigger, and safety or fire switches with one hand.
- Vertical grips : Also known as “front grips” or “front grips”. These modifications are located under the front end of the barrel and under the butt of the rifle (sort of like a front pistol grip) and give the operator more control and stability.
- Flame Arresters : A device attached to the muzzle of a rifle that reduces visibility or the flash of a shot by cooling and dispersing burning gases escaping from the barrel.
- Collapsible lodges : that’s exactly what it sounds like. This makes the rifle more compact and easier to store or transport.
All the gun owner has to do is remove these things and make their AR-15 or similar rifle a “faceless” model, and they can leave their gun without registering it. And arms manufacturers usually find a way to get around the law anyway . They are always looking for ways to make new weapons and modifications that circumvent current laws and regulations with just a few minor changes. You can’t have your old modified AR-15, but you can buy a new AR-15 that does the same things in a different, technically legal way.
Or you can just carry his rifle in the gun shop and buy the item, similar to a hell of an illegal fashion, but still legal. Regarding previous ban attempts and quick workarounds, Rubio said: “… it took them 15 seconds to do it. The plastic tip is simply removed from it. They just remove the plastic handle from the front or back … ”The beginning of this 1999 article from the LA Times speaks for itself :
In a small gunsmith shop in the Santa Ana business and industrial complex, owner Sean Tugwell removes an offensive pistol grip from a semi-automatic rifle that California will soon outlaw as an assault weapon. Instead, Tugwell screws on a replacement grip made of high-strength plastic molded to match the original pistol stock. Now, what was a banned weapon under California’s recently tightened assault weapon control appears to have been reinvented into more conventional sporting firearms for hunting or paper purposes.
If you are wondering what will actually change after this tragedy, then so will everyone else. Is a serious approach to gun control finally on the table? Of course, the proposed ban on only 220 easily circumvented weapons will not bring about the major changes that gun control proponents seek. However, there are some things at work.
Next week, Congress will try to carry out a process known as “unanimous consent”, where there is no vote on the law, but only objections. So far, no senator objects, a new law will be passed to “fix” background checks on gun buyers. The idea is to make background checks include more information, be more versatile from state to state, and prevent those deemed “too dangerous to fly” from buying any firearms. Congress is also likely to completely ban percussion butts, a weapon mod used in Las Vegas shooting, and they will also try to change federal law governing age requirements for rifle purchases. If it passes, then it will take 21 years to buy such a weapon, not 18.
Rubio also suggested that he has a new stance on high-volume journals; what he did not support before this tragedy. Smaller logs may not prevent similar attacks in the future, he says, but in general they can make them less deadly. So the assault weapon is going away? No, but for now, Congress seems to be taking small steps towards a system that makes schools safer and still gives citizens their Second Amendment rights. Time will tell.