Guns and Japan

[Sangetsu]

Originally Posted by shonsan

While that is true, it is easy to convert your semi auto rifle into a fully automatic rifle with a kit than can be bought quite easily and is legal to buy in the united states.

It is a messed up law like the "drug paraphernalia" law, You buy it ofr a different purpose but it is actually used in an illegal fashion.

Converting your semi-auto rifle to full auto is not as easy as you might think. Semi-auto rifles have different receivers than automatic guns, so you can't just simply replace the semi-auto mechanism with a full-auto one.

And, even the possession of some of these "kits", like a drop-in auto sear for an AR-15 rifle require a license. Get caught possessing an automatic firearm or auto sear without the license and you are going to be looking at bars for a long time.

A license is not that hard to get, and in many states machine guns are unregulated. But, since the manufacture of new machine guns available to the public was stopped in 1986, the prices of those guns which come onto the market are quite high. The cheapest you'll find are old Sten guns and such, and they cost a couple of thousand dollars. A legally licensed M-16 will set you back close to $10k, and you'll pay upwards of $50k for an M-60.

I have a licensed H&K G3K, which is a shorter version of the H&K G3 automatic rifle. When I worked for the police department, we were only allowed to carry rifles which fired 5.56 or 7.62 NATO ammunition. I didn't like 5.56 rifles because during my time in the Army I learned that a person could often be hit many times by one of these guns before they finally went down. The 7.62mm rifles tended to put people down with a single shot.

It is impossible to buy an H&K G3K because only a few were made for the British SAS, so I made one myself, using a custom-made 12.5 inch polygonal barrel, and a surplus G3K locking piece. The only other parts necessary were the shorter handguard from an H&K 93 rifle, and the long flash suppressor from a H&K 53 rifle. The license for this rifle cost only $5, but it took 6 months to approve.

[shonsan]

Originally Posted by MMM

But who uses bongs and glass pipes to smoke tobacco?

Exactly, so why are they even sold?

[MMM]

Originally Posted by shonsan

Exactly, so why are they even sold?

Like I said, it was hard for me to understand what angle you were taking.

[alasdair]

Originally Posted by MMM

In general "guns" are illegal in Japan. As far as I know hunting rifles and shotguns are allowed under strict guidelines for hunting purposes in certain places, but nowhere near major metropolises. I worked for The Hokkaido Shimbun and was told it was easier to own a gun in Hokkaido than in other parts of Japan, but still was strictly regulated.

First you said you cant have them in japan...now youre saying you can...
If youre going to lie to people...the lies are a lot more believe able if you dont change your story.

Originally Posted by SSJup81

I don't see why people feel this need to own guns period, [/size][/font]

Some people chose not to be a victim...Good luck.
Some people like to hunt and its a lot easier than using a bow and arrow.

Originally Posted by samurai007

Automatic weapons are already illegal in the US and have been for a very long time.

Assault rifles in the military usually have 3 settings available:

Full auto guns ARE LEGAL in the USA if you get a tax stamp from the government.
Can you please not post BS anymore?

oh, and assault rifles... What a lame term used by irrational gunhaters.
You can assault someone with a shoe, but you dont hear people talking about assault shoes...
Why not just call it a rifle?
Oh, right. it doesnt sound as scary.

Oh, military rifles sold to the public...
Like the military would sell anything to a civilian...

[MMM]

Originally Posted by alasdair

First you said you cant have them in japan...now youre saying you can...
If youre going to lie to people...the lies are a lot more believe able if you dont change your story.

Welome to Japan Forums. How about turning down the attitude and acclimating a bit before jumping down people's throats?

[SSJup81]

Originally Posted by alasdair

Some people chose not to be a victim...Good luck.

I've gotten along fine all these years without having access to a gun or being around one. I know others too in the same boat.

Some people like to hunt and its a lot easier than using a bow and arrow.

I don't agree with hunting either, unless it's for food purposes. I don't agree with hunting for sport.

[TalnSG]

Originally Posted by alasdair

Some people chose not to be a victim...Good luck.
Some people like to hunt and its a lot easier than using a bow and arrow.

Actually bow and arrow hunting is FAR easier than with firearms, if you learn to use the weapon properly and aren't too lazy.

oh, and assault rifles... What a lame term used by irrational gunhaters.
You can assault someone with a shoe, but you dont hear people talking about assault shoes...
Why not just call it a rifle?
Oh, right. it doesnt sound as scary.

I find it intersting that one who uses hyperbole to denegrate another's use of it. (Why isn't there a smilie for a scowl?)

Assault rifles are classified as such because their primary function and reason for development was to be used for armed assault.
While any solid object can be used for such purposes, they are not classified as such when their primary function does not even take that possibility into consideration.

I am skilled and appreciate the use of all of the above, but I do NOT approve of the average person owning a fully automatic weapon unless they are serving in armed combat on a continuous basis - in other words not for civilians.

[dirtyroboto]

Actually bow and arrow hunting is FAR easier than with firearms, if you learn to use the weapon properly and aren't too lazy.

That type of hunting sucks unless you like to watch an animal in pain then have to track it for miles before killing it with something more effective.

Guns are used in hunting due to the higher chance of a good clean kill, so the animal does not suffer. It is rare, or the fault of a bad marksman to wound an animal then have to track it.

[Sangetsu]

Originally Posted by SSJup81

I've gotten along fine all these years without having access to a gun or being around one. I know others too in the same boat.I don't agree with hunting either, unless it's for food purposes. I don't agree with hunting for sport.

Here is an interesting story.

Years ago I used to live in Southern California, and I often liked to take my old 4X4 Blazer up into the San Bernadino mountains or the Mojave desert to get away from the city.

While returning from one of these trips, I decided to take the old Route 66 instead of the interstate through the Cajon pass. Route 66 is more or less abandoned for most of it's length, but long stretches of the road still exist. I liked driving along the old highway and looking at the old buildings and motels which are commonly found alongside it. There are few-to-no cars on the old highway anymore, which was another reason I liked to use it.

As I was driving down the highway on this particular day, I saw a man walking alongside the road carrying a gas can. He heard me driving up, and waved me down, I stopped and offered him a ride to the next gas station, which was 5 miles or so up the road.

He seemed like a nice enough guy, and there was nothing at all suspicious about him. I stopped at the station, and he filled up his gas can as I filled the tank to my Blazer. He then asked me if I would mind giving him a ride back to his car. "Sure" I said.

The drive back was quite a ways, 7 or 8 miles. He pointed a turn-off on the ride side of the highway which led through a gap in the trees. Sure enough, there was an old Pontiac Firebird parked there. There was someone sitting in the passenger seat of the Firebird.

As soon as I put my Blazer in "Park", the man quickly reached across and turned off the ignition switch and pulled out the keys. As he did that, the man sitting in the passenger seat of the Firebird jumped out of the car and came walking up carrying a large piece of pipe.

I looked at the man in my Blazer, and then I quickly turned my head toward the windshield. He turned his head to see what I was looking at, and as he did, I reached down next to my seat and pulled out the pistol I kept there. I quickly pushed the barrel of the gun against his face, and he raised up his hands and began yelling "don't shoot! don't shoot!".

By this time, the man with the pipe was near my door, but he froze when he saw the gun. I told the man in my Blazer to drop my keys on the floor, and to slowly open the door and step out. He did as I said. I told him to close the door, which he also did. I then locked both doors, and keeping the gun pointed at him, I reached down with my other hand and picked up my keys.

This was in the days before cell phones, so I drove all the way back to the gas station and called the Sheriff's Department. It took nearly 30 minutes for the deputies to arrive. They followed me back to where the Firebird was parked, but it was gone. However, the pipe which the other man had been carrying was laying on the grass.

I don't want to think about what would have happened that day if I hadn't been carrying a gun with me. Here in Japan I have no need or desire to own a gun, but in America I feel it's almost essential, depending on where you live.

[SSJup81]

Scary. I hope I'm never in that type of a situation, although, seeing as how I'm a woman (bad excuse), I couldn't see me stopping to help a man on the side of the road. I'm just overly cautious since I don't know if the person is legit or not. In other words, I'd be more hesitant to stopping for a male hitchhiker, so to speak as opposed to a woman and even then, I still would probably be hesitant on stopping, especially with all those notices and stuff that goes out warning drivers of that type of thing.