02 - Fixed Magazines

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Before there were removable magazines, you put bullets that were held together with a "clip" into a fixed magazine all at once. (This is why many people mistakenly call a removable magazine a "clip"). This kind of system predates metal cartridges, and goes back to the 1700's.

Here's the 1930's era M1 Garand that was standard issue in WWII, or Soviet SKS from the same era. Both these guns are Curio's & Relics, meaning they're antiques (more than 50 years old), or historical guns to collectors -- which means they often have different / easier rules to buy/sell/gift. Even some M16 are about to go into that category.

When NY or California outlaws removable magazines people can do one of 3 things:

  1. Go to fixed magazines, and use clips or speed loaders which doesn't change the rate of fire or reload times at all. Here's some of those in action:
  2. Go to defeat mechanisms (magazine locks). The law is written to say that you have to disassemble the gun to remove the magazine (that qualifies as a non-removable magazine). What the gun-illiterates don't realize is that is pushing a button on an AR-15, and the gun opens up, the magazine drops, and you close the gun, and put the magazine back in. It's so fast and easy, that some guns (especially belt and drum fed ones) used to work like this by default. It doesn't change the rate of fire or reload times in any significant way. Here's some of those in action:
  3. Break the law. You have to remember the parts you have to put on the AR-15 (or other gun) to make them California/NY legal are extras. You can break them off, or replace them with standard part, for like $10 and 5 minutes (max). The idea that a mass shooter is willing to commit multiple felonies and train sometimes for months, but won't order a $10 part and put it on is silly.
  4. Use something else as or more effective. Features that make a gun an "assault weapon" are things like a pistol grip or collapsable stock -- so you take them off, or by a gun with the same rate of fire and same or bigger caliber (firepower), and you're fine.

These laws don't change firepower, so they do nothing against criminals, but annoy the hell out of other collectors or sport shooters. It's as dumb as outlawing red Porsche's to help with speeding, but not white ones, or other cars that go as fast.


Reload Times
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There's a fallacy amongst hoplophobes (gun phobics) that limiting magazines to 10 rounds will help against mass shooters, or that assault rifles are somehow unique. However:
  • The time it takes to reload is less than the reaction time to know that a shooter is reloading.
  • We fought all wars prior to the Korean war without removable magazines, and all wars prior to Vietnam with 10 round magazines (or less).
  • The FBI studied mass shootings and found that the average mass shooting is 10 rounds over 5 minutes, most never even need to reload.
  • In all the mass shootings in the U.S. there has never been a case where a shooter was charged and disarmed during a reload, even with revolvers.
  • Shooting sprees end by them leaving, surrender, suicide or getting shot: virtually never by takedowns during reloads.

Magazine limits, assault rifle bans, outlawing removable magazines, and so on, sound great to those who don't know any better, but is just an infuriating ineffective annoyance to gun owners. Each bad law like this, makes it harder to pass "good" laws, as the tolerance for any more legislation was been wasted dividing us, instead of making a real difference. more...

Gun Bans

Gun bans of any one kind of gun can't work, because the next kind is still dangerous and usually upgradable, thus even if you could get compliance, you'd still get similar kill rates. And banning all guns can't work, because that would make guns too powerful a lure and too valuable not to create a great black market for smuggling or illegal manufacture. (Like happens in most places that have gun bans). Police states like Russia, or Islands with no history of guns (like Japan, Australia or the UK) have problems with illegal guns, shooting and mass murders: and their rates have been increasing while ours has been generally trending down. Let's break down why each type of gun ban can't work, and thus all of them together can't work. more...

Reload Times: The Basics Removable Magazines Revolvers Pump Action Lever Action Bolt Action Break Action Air Rifle