Ok, I don't know as much as I'd like about the subject, but from what I understand, if Bush doesn't renew this automatic weapons ban, we can have automatic weapons, correct?

Should I get excited about unearthing my twin .50s and mounting them on top of my house or not?

Not autos but assault type weapons. It would allow the importation of assault weapons without the need to swap US parts for foreign ones. Not sure about the high capacity magas but I think that sunsets as well.

It would remove the ban on high cap mags and sub machine/pistol guns (semi-auto of course).

Despite what the media has lead you to believe, when the AWB sunsets you cannot purchase machine guns (as cool as that would be). All this AK47 and Uzi talk has been a ploy to incite fear the general public because they autmatically assume those guns are all fully automatic weapons that "we don't need/want those on our streets! will kill children and cute animals! etc!"

Anyway, non-LEOs can purchase newly manufactured high capacity magazines and rifles with previously banned features, such as bayo lugs, collapsible stocks, and threaded barrels. I also beileve that it removes the ban on importing assault weapons, but I'm not too clear on that part on the law.

[edit on 9/8/04 by para] - for clarification about AKs and Uzis

[edit on 9/8/04 by para]

It would lift the ban on imported assault weapons.

It's definitely a 'feel good' kind of ban anyway. You can buy an AK-47 or an Uzi now anyway, and it's completely legal. The catch is they had to be in the country before the ban. However, there are other loopholes. Such as, if I remember correctly, if 51% or more of the parts are made in the US and the gun is constructed in the US, then it can slip through the ban. You can go but a brand new AR-15 right now that was probably only made weeks/months ago.

All the ban really did in the first place was to give gun makers the incentive to build semi-automatic look alike weapons that have functions that are like the weapons on the banned weapons list. They are not on the list because they didn't exist at the time the law was passed, so they are legal to sell in the US. The other thing it does/did that makes more since is to outlaw Mags over 20, I think rounds. They will let it sunset. It was stupid to begin with IMO.

it outlawed anything over ten rounds