3 ms·

It's almost unheard of for civilians to actually have automatic weapons, and it was in the 80's too. I think this is at least partially satire.

• bmelton 12y ago
  To be fair, there were likely a lot more fully automatic firearms on the market in 1987 than there are today. The law passed in 1986 basically prohibited civilian ownership of automatic firearms manufactured after that date, so almost exclusively, legally owned fully automatic firearms owned today were manufactured before 1986.
  • LyndsySimon 12y ago
    Right. I doubt it was "A lot more" though. Knowing that the Registry for automatic weapons was closing, some manufacturers registered as many as they could before the deadline. To this day you can get "new" Sten SMGs if you're willing to pay enough (~$5-6k last I looked). There are piles of metal pipes with serial numbers stamped on them in a couple of warehouses that are legally considered automatic weapons.
    • bmelton 12y ago
      Your point is undoubtedly solid. Since the tax stamps in 1936, I don't think that there's ever been a large percentage of full auto owners, ignoring how costly and pointless they are in the first place. It's the rare bird that is willing to endure the months of waiting and background checks for the pleasure of spending their money as quickly as possible.
• PhasmaFelis 12y ago
  Undergrads having recreational firefights on Main Street while their elders sip tea and look on approvingly is also relatively uncommon.