Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: Notesfiles $Revision: 1.6.2.17 $; site uiucdcs.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!renner
From: renner@uiucdcs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: response to Gun Control advocates
Message-ID: <29200189@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 4-Jan-85 05:26:00 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.29200189
Posted: Fri Jan  4 05:26:00 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 9-Jan-85 03:53:32 EST
References: <224@ttidcb.UUCP>
Lines: 30
Nf-ID: #R:ttidcb:-22400:uiucdcs:29200189:000:1213
Nf-From: uiucdcs!renner    Jan  4 04:26:00 1985

>  Three questions immediately come to mind:
>  
>  1.  What is the precise definition of a handgun?
>  2.  What is the precise definition of an automatic pistol?
>  3.  Why should these two weapons be treated differently, legally?
>			  -- Gary Samuelson (garys@bunker)

(Feel free to correct me, folks; this is coming out of my head, not out of
a book.)

A handgun is designed to be fired while gripped in one or both hands.
Other firearms, such as rifles and shotguns, have a stock which is placed
against the shoulder.

The term "automatic pistol," as commonly used, refers to a semi-automatic,
or self-loading handgun.  The recoil of each shot is used to work the slide,
placing a new round in the chamber.  These weapons fire one shot with each
pull of the trigger.  The other kind of handgun is the revolver.

When Jeff was speaking of "automatic pistols," I believe he meant machine
pistols, also known as submachine guns.  These are weapons which can fire 
handgun ammunition in a fully-automatic fashion; that is, many rounds for
each pull of the trigger.

Submachine guns are more dangerous than handguns, and therefore should be
under more strict controls.

Scott Renner
{ihnp4,pur-ee}!uiucdcs!renner