A new gun law is on the ballot, and the same players are playing the same old games. National Rifle Association members are screaming, “They’re going to take away our guns!” Gun-control groups are screaming, “We must stop mass shootings!” Issues like mental health and terrorism are trotted out by advocates on both sides of the gun control debate.
Proposition 63 requires background checks for ammunition purchases and bans the sale of ammo in extended clip sizes after 2018. It sets a minimum sentence of three years’ jail time for felony gun theft, and requires reporting lost or stolen guns within 48 hours. Failing to do so will be a misdemeanor with jail time.
I’m all for common-sense gun laws. I believe people should be allowed guns for self- and property-defense and for legal hunting.
However, there’s no point in loading more ammo than you need. It usually only takes two to three shots to incapacitate someone with a rifle or pistol. You don’t need 100 high-speed rounds when 10 to 12 will do.
Owning a gun comes with responsibility. Practice on the range to hone your aim. Keep your gun and ammunition locked up securely. Be aware of what’s happening in your neighborhood. These basic preparations are far better than high capacity ammo clips.
Jason • Oct 26, 2016 at 1:53 pm
Your common sense is more foolish sense. 2 to 3 bullets to incapacitate. What if its my wife amd 3 scum bags break in. I think she need more bullers. What if one or two breaks in and i miss? Honestly, how bout you let me decide how much ammo I need.
naffenea • Oct 26, 2016 at 1:04 pm
I’m so glad we have the bill of needs in the constitution. That way someone else can determine what I need and don’t need. I sure wish they would do the same about computers or cars. No one needs 12 gig of ram or a fiber optic connection capable of near instantaneous communication all around the world. I also am grateful that my car doesn’t have more than 196 horsepower. 200 and above is just illogical and not necessary.
Owning a gun does come with responsibility. But it isn’t a collective responsibility. Just because some criminal breaks the law with their gun, doesn’t me or anyone else should be punished. Personal accountability needs to be retaught in this country, and those who seek to limit the rights of others need to reexamine their own ends.
Ulysses Noman • Oct 26, 2016 at 11:27 am
Don’t need some ignorant propagandized kid telling me what I ‘need’.
Go tell this tripe to your peers from Temple Univ in Philly, still in the hospital after a gang of 100+ youts rampaged on their campus and severely beat several students –
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3868324/Students-beaten-horse-punched-mob-attacks-university.html
You think 10-12 rounds would be enough, when you are down on the ground being punched and kicked by a MOB?
Stupid sheltered kid.
Common Sense Citizen • Oct 26, 2016 at 7:56 am
Here are a few helpful tips when writing about gun control if you want people to take you seriously.
1) No one will take you seriously without a basic knowledge of firearms. Clips load magazine and magazines load firearms.
2) The Second Amendment has NOTHING to do with hunting. Its about self defense. As soon as you mention hunting 99% of firearm owners just laugh and stop reading.
3) Avoid using catchy buzz words like “high-speed rounds” and “Assault Weapon” which have no real meaning. They sound cool, but it immediately makes you sound like a gun hating liberal and any chance you had at actually changing someone’s mind is gone.
Paul • Oct 26, 2016 at 7:52 am
This paragraph right here,
“However, there’s no point in loading more ammo than you need. It usually only takes two to three shots to incapacitate someone with a rifle or pistol. You don’t need 100 high-speed rounds when 10 to 12 will do.”
lets us know you have no idea what the hell you’re talking about and have strayed well outside of your lane. There is ample (overwhelming) police video evidence that two to three rounds is not adequate in 99% of shooting situations.
Prop 63 is a moronic bill designed to help the ignorant feel safer while actually doing nothing for safety. This is nothing but a billionaire attempting to impose his will on little people.
Vote NO on 63.
Hugh Mungus • Oct 26, 2016 at 7:33 am
There’s always a point to more ammunition. The author has never been in a gunfight and clearly knows jack about them, and also conveniently forgets all the numerous instances of home invasions perpetrated by MULTIPLE ATTACKERS.
I’m sure the author doesn’t own guns himself, or if he does, he thinks he can rely on his sweet deer hunting skills to subdue potentially multiple 2 legged predators that shoot back . Este hombre es nada mas que una chusma liberal.
Ralph Smith • Oct 26, 2016 at 7:27 am
Go fuck yourself for telling me how I should or shouldn’t exercise my God given right. Anyone who has ever been in a active shooter situation finds you to be woefully ignorant.
Nick • Oct 26, 2016 at 6:54 am
You only need 10 or 12 rounds, because, as we all know, people that intend to do you harm only ever come alone.
Fool!
Joe Criminal • Oct 26, 2016 at 6:49 am
Please help us criminals out and vote yes to Prop 63. Since we don’t abide by laws anyway, this new one will increase our profits by opening up a new line of black market goods. Ammo will be a great money maker for us, as guns and drugs already are. Thanks be to the media and politicians for promoting this. Keeping things illegal has allowed us bad guys to become quite prosperous. We thank you for having our back.
Adam Smith • Oct 26, 2016 at 6:40 am
You just made up the terms “ammo in extended clip sizes” and ” 100 high-speed rounds” they aren’t even real things. You have zero understanding of firearms and terms. That means you should be the last person giving any advice on what people need. Do you want to explain why law enforcement officers will sometimes shoot over 100 rounds at a person attacking them? Look at many of the police chases of violent criminals,, multiple officers shooting very fast will end up shooting 100 rounds at one suspect. That suspect usually only gets hit 8 to 10 times. Meaning in a stressful violent situation trained law enforcement accuracy drops to 10%. So yes often more than 10 rounds are needed. Try educating yourself on issues before you make ignorant statements.
Burn • Oct 26, 2016 at 6:30 am
When I see articles like this it gives me the assumption that the person writing it has never fired a firearm in a dynamic situation with multiple targets or even single targets while both the shooter and the target are moving. You can be a great shot while standing still and the target is broadside to you standing still and guess what miss the target. Add movement, fear, adrenaline and other factors to that scenario and all manner of strange things can happen.
We live in real life and not in a world of television or movies. I would say less than >0.00001% of people alive could do a flip while simultaneously making a pistol shot onto a static target much less a moving one.
I am a great shot I practice all the time I carry more ammo than most people because I truly understand the limitations of the firearms we use.
Handguns are also horrible at stopping people (this is why they are considered “Defensive” weapons and not offensive weapons.) Good hits matter in a gun fight and sometimes good hits are hard to make.
Read this Police officers account of why he carries a minimum of 145 rounds of ammo every day.
https://www.policeone.com/police-heroes/articles/6199620-Why-one-cop-carries-145-rounds-of-ammo-on-the-job/
And when referring to “high capacity ammo clips” are you asking about magazines that hold more than 10 rounds like say a glock 17 with a flush fit “non-extended” standard capacity magazine. Or a standard 30 round magazine for an AR that are erroneously labeled as high capacity? Because media buzz words make guns seem scarier than the inanimate objects that they are.
When you can have a six shot revolver and be running full speed in a diagonal or horizontal movement to your target that is also moving in a non- linear fashion and make hits 100% of the time. Then you can make the personal choice to not carry more then those six rounds. Being fully aware that if you were that good that all six shots center mass into an attacker might not stop them.
Six shots are for Hero Cowboys in the movies and not real life.
Kirk in Utah • Oct 26, 2016 at 6:25 am
How about we discuss why in the last couple of mass shootings, the victims had been disarmed by their government. They were not allowed to carry a firearm to defend themselves. A silly little sign is not going to stop a murderer, only a person armed with a firearm and as many bullets as they feel is necessary.
Steve Johnson • Oct 26, 2016 at 6:23 am
Good thing an AR15 using a magazine and not a clip. Also if you have 6 bad guys come at you is 10 rounds enough?
Also will the failure to report a lost gun in 48 hours apply to police? In the past 5 years in CA there were over 320 guns “missing” from police depts. with nobody getting in trouble.
http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/09/24/california-police-might-not-know-where-their-guns-are-and-the-law-says-thats-ok/
T Atkins • Oct 26, 2016 at 6:20 am
Mr. Gonzalez-Martin,
You are the Senior Staff Photographer, correct? You usually only include two or three photographs for an article, so do you limit yourself to only have enough film to take 10-12 photos when you cover an event? Every worry about a missed shot, or more subjects to shoot when covering a story?
Likewise, can you guarantee that it will only take two or three shots to incapacitate someone with a firearm? Can you guarantee that there will never be more than one or two individuals that break into your home, assault you in an alley, or riot in your neighborhood? Will you personally be responsible for the lives, property, and damage done every time your assumption is wrong?
Jjack • Oct 26, 2016 at 6:06 am
Arthur, you are an expert shot, except when someone is shooting at you. Yesterday 3 hits will stop most people. Ask the FBI about the dozens of rounds they put into the North Hollywood criminals. And the hundreds of shots they needed to do that. This isn’t a video game, Arthur. This isn’t practice at the range, ITS LIFE OR DEATH AND YOU ARE A FOOL, A DANGEOUSLY STUPID, IGNORANT FOOL.
american citizen • Oct 26, 2016 at 6:02 am
this is literally one of the dumbest things I’ve ever read. You have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. At. All.
Jason D. McEwan • Oct 26, 2016 at 5:14 am
You are incorrect, numerous people have taken incredible punishment. A 17 YO female Viet Cong had taken 6 rounds of .45ACP and 10 rounds of 5.56 and was trying to stay in the fight. Clyde Barrow’s brother had a severe head wound from a previous gunfight and was reaching for a weapon with his brains exposed between the bandages. Now imagine several such attackers.
Arthur Gonzalez-Martin Is an Idiot • Oct 26, 2016 at 5:13 am
How about you don’t tell me what I need? Who are you to decide whats good for me? What part of SHALL NOT INFRINGE are you having problems with?
marcus • Oct 26, 2016 at 5:09 am
nobody needs a car that goes over 55mph.