Hello,
I need some soothsayer advice.
My dad is thinking of investing in a serious rifle. His price range is around $2500. Why does this belong on the Legal and Political forum you ask? Because he wants to buy a rifle that isn't going to get confiscated and have him lose his investment. The people on this forum are some of the most knowledgeable in the world of the law and political climate in America. I think that only you guys could even hope to tell me what the future legal and political situation could bring in this situation.
With the way things are going in this country now, I cannot say whether or not certain guns are going to end up being banned and collected, including semi-auto rifles and pistols, within the next decade. On the other hand, my dad said that in his youth he thought the same thing, and they still haven't been banned 40 years later. He really thought that all guns would be gone by now, so who knows.
His choices have come down to two rifles:
The one he really wants is the Knights Manufacturing "Stoner" SR-25 carbine. It holds sub-moa groups out to 600 yards or more and IMHO is the ultimate battle rifle. The problem is, it looks like an assault rifle and I could see it being confiscated later. The problem being, if it is confiscated, even with a buy-back they would probably treat it as a AR-15 and give him like a few hundred dollars for it.
The other option is to get a more benign looking Steyr Scout. This is a bolt action rifle that is made for a little closer range work, but fills the same task for him. Let's not get into what he really needs, but stick to the Legal/Political side. Not that I don't welcome advice, but he has specific needs in mind, and both these rifles fit the medium range, light, fast rifle role. The SR-25, IMHO, fills the bill better because with the right optics on top, it does everything the Steyr can do, but it can do it in Semi-Auto.
Anyway, he wants the SR-25 but is nervous because it looks like an "assault rifle", and he might invest the cost of a small car into it, and then get it confiscated a few years later from the gun grabbers. At least if he bought the Steyr, it is a bolt-action rifle and will probably never get taken because it is a "hunting" rifle. By the way, he is going to use the SR-25 "assault rifle" as a hunting rifle. So, anyone out there that happens to read this and say that the "assault rifles" are "no good for hunting" is full of beans. Just because it is black and has a handle does not mean it is only made for killing people or make it any different than any other rifle. This rifle would make an outstanding hunting rifle, it just "looks scary", but fills the same exact role.
So, what would you do? Do you think that assault rifles are going to be confiscated in this country in the next few years or so? What about in the next decade? If "assault rifles" are banned, do you think they would be grandfather claused so at least he could keep it?
If it were just an inexpensive Colt Sporter, it would not be such a concern, but to have a $2500 rifle confiscated because it "looks scary" is a real concern.
thanks,
thaddeus
[This message has been edited by thaddeus (edited August 10, 1999).]
I need some soothsayer advice.
My dad is thinking of investing in a serious rifle. His price range is around $2500. Why does this belong on the Legal and Political forum you ask? Because he wants to buy a rifle that isn't going to get confiscated and have him lose his investment. The people on this forum are some of the most knowledgeable in the world of the law and political climate in America. I think that only you guys could even hope to tell me what the future legal and political situation could bring in this situation.
With the way things are going in this country now, I cannot say whether or not certain guns are going to end up being banned and collected, including semi-auto rifles and pistols, within the next decade. On the other hand, my dad said that in his youth he thought the same thing, and they still haven't been banned 40 years later. He really thought that all guns would be gone by now, so who knows.
His choices have come down to two rifles:
The one he really wants is the Knights Manufacturing "Stoner" SR-25 carbine. It holds sub-moa groups out to 600 yards or more and IMHO is the ultimate battle rifle. The problem is, it looks like an assault rifle and I could see it being confiscated later. The problem being, if it is confiscated, even with a buy-back they would probably treat it as a AR-15 and give him like a few hundred dollars for it.
The other option is to get a more benign looking Steyr Scout. This is a bolt action rifle that is made for a little closer range work, but fills the same task for him. Let's not get into what he really needs, but stick to the Legal/Political side. Not that I don't welcome advice, but he has specific needs in mind, and both these rifles fit the medium range, light, fast rifle role. The SR-25, IMHO, fills the bill better because with the right optics on top, it does everything the Steyr can do, but it can do it in Semi-Auto.
Anyway, he wants the SR-25 but is nervous because it looks like an "assault rifle", and he might invest the cost of a small car into it, and then get it confiscated a few years later from the gun grabbers. At least if he bought the Steyr, it is a bolt-action rifle and will probably never get taken because it is a "hunting" rifle. By the way, he is going to use the SR-25 "assault rifle" as a hunting rifle. So, anyone out there that happens to read this and say that the "assault rifles" are "no good for hunting" is full of beans. Just because it is black and has a handle does not mean it is only made for killing people or make it any different than any other rifle. This rifle would make an outstanding hunting rifle, it just "looks scary", but fills the same exact role.
So, what would you do? Do you think that assault rifles are going to be confiscated in this country in the next few years or so? What about in the next decade? If "assault rifles" are banned, do you think they would be grandfather claused so at least he could keep it?
If it were just an inexpensive Colt Sporter, it would not be such a concern, but to have a $2500 rifle confiscated because it "looks scary" is a real concern.
thanks,
thaddeus
[This message has been edited by thaddeus (edited August 10, 1999).]