I am a hunter and own several rifles and shotguns. The rifles I own are the bolt-action type with the ammunition loaded one by one into a magazine that holds five or six shells. My sons and grandsons own semi-automatic rifles that are used for recreation target shooting, and I agree that these rifles are fun to shoot. However, these are the guns that can have large removable clips that have been used in tragic mass shootings.
It seems to me that what makes these guns unsafe for society is not the semi-automatic feature, but the removable large-capacity clips. Maybe the solution is to ban removable clips and limit the magazine/clips to five or six shells. The sportsman would still get to enjoy the semi-automatic feature but would just have to stop and reload the shells one by one. Gun manufacturers would still get to produce semi-automatic guns but only with non-removable clips and with limited shell capacity.
For the millions of semi-automatic rifles already in existence in the U.S., gun manufacturers would be required to design and produce conversion clips that would be limited to five or six shells and once installed couldn’t be removed without special tools. For instance, clip removal could require two tools so the gun would have to be laid down to change out the clip.
These non-removable clips could be phased in over several years and this program would work in combination with a buyback program for the removable clips and any guns that can’t be converted or guns that owners would like to give up. This requirement of non-removable clips also could be applied to handguns so that only law enforcement would be allowed to have weapons with removable clips. After a reasonable specified time, weapons with removable clips would be illegal.
I recognize that many other good solutions are being promoted to reduce the gun violence in our country. I strongly recommend this suggestion be added to those being considered.
Jim Harrison
Aspen