Yellow journalism is far from dead, and modern reporting is rife with either lazy research or deliberate misinformation. One of the most common issues that needs more efforts to inform the public is that of firearms. If ignorance of the law is no excuse for an "illegal" action, ignorance of the facts is doubly inexcusable for supporting bad laws.

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Crime Rates

First, as noted in one of my previous posts, violent crime has been on a downward trend since before the Clinton-era gun ban, and continuing to the present where it is at about 50% of the 1991 levels. Any suggestion that violent crime has exploded into an epidemic is objectively false.

The media coverage of violent tragedies has increased due to the 24 hour cable news cycle demand for sensationalism to fill airtime, and while I do not by any means intend to diminish these tragedies or whitewash the criminals responsible, rational analysis must be applied.

Over the past 30 years, many states have dramatically relaxed their restrictions on firearm ownership and carry. If more guns in public resulted in more violent crime, the record would be far different. While this does not prove a causal relationship between an armed public and reduced crime rates, it directly contradicts the hypothesis of the proponents for strict control.

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Terminology

Part of the problem in any firearm-related news report is the use of language to distort public perception through either deliberate or accidental deception. Words mean things, and often not what you may think.

Assault Rifle

An assault rifle is a selective-fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. - Wikipedia

This means a rifle that has the capacity to select a fully-automatic mode that fires multiple rounds with a single trigger press. An AR-15 may superficially resemble an M-16 military rifle, but "AR" refers to being an ArmaLite Corporation rifle, not an "assault rifle." The lower receiver contains a different trigger mechanism that fundamentally differs from that of a military M-16.

Assault Weapon

This is a meaningless term used by weasels who want to ban things that cosmetically resemble military firearms. Never mind that technology progresses over time, and modern materials and ergonomics do not inherently make a firearm more deadly. All it really means is, "BE AFRAID OF THINGS THAT ARE NEW AND DIFFERENT, BECAUSE REASONS!"

Such terminology poisons the well instead of providing useful information for rational discourse. A semi-automatic rifle or carbine is functionally the same regardless of cosmetic appearance and paranoid labels.

Source

Both rifles in the above image are mechanically identical. One has a wood stock, and looks less "scary." The other is an "assault weapon," but what does that mean, really?

• polymer rather than wood (more durable, potentially lighter, essentially immune to temperature and humidity fluctuations)
• collapsible buttstock (easier to store, readily adjusts to fit to different shooters)
• pistol grip (more ergonomic)
• flash suppressor (reduces eye strain, some designs reduce recoil/muzzle flip)
• "high-capacity magazine" (more on this later)

None of these things affect the core functionality of the firearm. All of these things are technological advancements because we live after the 20th century and can take advantage of improved materials and designs. It's not something that should be scary. Bans are knee-jerk reaction to media hype, not protection from something evil.

Automatic

A century ago, the term automatic was often applied to any self-loading firearm - that is, one that uses a portion of the energy from a fired cartridge to eject a spent casing and chamber a new round. There were even a number of automatic revolver designs.

Now, it is more common to use the term semi-automatic to describe a firearm that fires and chambers a single round with each trigger press, and fully automatic or simply automatic to describe a firearm that continuously fires/ejects/loads in a repeating manner for as long as the trigger is held. This includes sub-machine guns firing pistol-caliber cartridges, actual assault rifles, and machine guns.

Semi-automatic firearms are generally not easily converted to fire in fully-automatic modes without completely different internal components. Even so, bans on automatic weapons of any kind are the result of knee-jerk reaction to media hype, not protection from something evil.

High-Powered Rifle/Round

See that "intermediate cartridge" term in the above definition quote? While not as precise a term as I would prefer, it broadly means a cartridge more powerful than that of a typical pistol, but less powerful than that of a main battle rifle.

The .223 Remington cartridge and the related 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge were derived from a light game and varmint hunting round lineage of designs. They are generally considered too weak to reliably and humanely kill a deer by hunters and government game officials. Meanwhile, the AK family's 7.62x39mm cartridge is roughly comparable to the classic .30-30 Winchester round, which is a popular deer-hunting caliber, but not especially powerful.

And yes, these are rounds with a sporting purpose. .223 is superb for small game, varmints, competition shooting, and marksmanship. It is a relatively inexpensive round. 7.62x39 is even a competent deer hunting round.

It can also serve as a defensive round to stop an attacker. Remember, civilians aren't barred from more effective ammunition, and have access to expanding bullets and other designs that the military doesn't get to use.

Admittedly, some firearms considered "assault rifles" can fire the 7.62x51mm NATO/.308 Winchester cartridge, and that round is suitable for most game and predators in North America, it is still weaker than many venerable hunting rounds and not something unusually deadly.

High-Capacity Magazine

The Browning Hi-Power was produced in 1935, and was the first widely-used firearm with a double-stacked "high-capacity" magazine. This is not new technology. It is smart use of space to maximize the utility of a firearm. It is a standard capacity for the design. It is not something scary. Likewise, the 30-round magazine is standard for an AR-15 or AK-pattern rifle.

And no, hunters don't need 30 rounds to kill deer. But having a follow-up shot for game plus a full magazine in case of encounters with aggressive predators is not a drawback at all. The individual who must respond to an unexpected threat, whether it be a predator in the wild or a hostile human, benefits from more rounds in a gun. Multiple assailants, people under the influence of mind-altering substances, and other extenuating circumstances where a fast response with no reloading interruptions is necessary justifies having a "high-capacity" magazine. The victim is not in control of a violent situation imposed upon him, and needs the most effective means possible to regain control.

On the other hand, the aggressor chooses the time, place, and circumstances for violent conflict. He has far less need of such firepower, and is not handicapped by arbitrary restrictions should he want it anyway - especially if he acquires his weaponry by illegal means. People who can make or smuggle illegal things and engage in black market activity already aren't exactly hampered by political dictates.

Actual high-capacity magazines beyond the design standard intent of a firearm tend to be bulky, unreliable, and unwieldy. Nonetheless, bans are the result of knee-jerk reaction to media hype, not protection from something evil.

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Movie Fails

Film adds another layer of false impressions to the ignorance demonstrated by many people when it comes to firearms.

Trigger Discipline

Keep your booger hook off the bang switch until you are ready to shoot, idiot. 'Nuff said? Movies and TV shows have improved over the past decade or so in this respect, and many depict proper gun handling with the index finger kept straight and held along the frame rather than permanently held on the trigger.

Silencers

A silencer or suppressor works like the muffler on a car. It allows gasses to expand in a controlled fashion to reduce the report of their sudden release of pressure into the atmosphere. It does not actually make a gun silent, and it is very hard to achieve movie-silencer pfft-sounding gunshots without a high-quality can and subsonic ammunition from a suppressor-friendly firearm design. Under most circumstances, a suppressor merely reduces the report from "permanent hearing damage" to "loud." It makes sense to put hearing protection on the gun instead of making sure everyone has earmuffs. Again, bans are the result of knee-jerk reaction to media hype, not protection from something evil.

Laser Sights

In video games, it can be a rational way to balance the sniper's extreme threat, but in real life a laser is a short-range aiming assist or a long-range target designation tool for fire support. A laser points two directions, and can easily give away a sniper's location under many circumstances. Meanwhile, a laser cannot compensate for bullet trajectory, and since the bullet drops from gravity's constant acceleration at long range, the laser is guaranteed to point to the wrong place at any distance other than that for which it is zeroed. In short, the lack of benefit and ample drawbacks make laser sights on sniper rifles as depicted in film and on TV shows incredibly stupid.

Gun sounds

Gratuitous weapon cocking, or the obnoxious rattling whenever guns are handled in general. Yeah, a 1911 or an AK rattles a little bit when you shake it, but come on. Regular handling does not produce a cacophony of metallic sounds, though, and unless you're in a cowboy movie with a single-action revolver, you probably have no business attempting a dramatic gun cock.

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Conclusion

Whenever you hear or read buzzwords being thrown around by media personalities, especially if such terms are used to demonize something, be skeptical. Is there a hidden propaganda agenda? Is there lazy reporting using poorly-defined or misapplied terms? Is someone trying to use news as an excuse to push an ideology? Well-meaning ignorance is far more destructive than deliberate malice. And never base your opinions on entertainment media depictions.

And for the record, I support the rights of homosexual immigrants in plural marriages defending their marijuana grow ops with suppressed fully-automatic rifles, all without any licenses, permits, registration, or taxes.

It appears Youtube cropped the source video, but the content is good.