Of course there has been manufacturing improvements, as well as performance improvements. But the improvements aren’t so drastic that the technology to shoot a bunch of people didn’t exist back then. That is my point. Even if I concede this point that older guns weren’t in the same class - the AR-15 was out in the 1960s. The technology is literally so old you can buy AR-15s made before 1971 with a Curios and Relics license and not have to go through a traditional FFL.
Their availability, in that more people own them, is greater now, true. But anyone who wanted one could buy an AR for over the last 50s years, or similarly capable firearm for over the last 100 years.
The existence or availability of the thing isn’t what is new.
I am not really sure your two posts back up your assertion that gun laws have been “gutted”.
First off, the National Firearms Act of 1934 the first article mentions at first is still in full force, and more restrictive thanks to the additions in the FOPA law. Thanks for the interesting article though, as I was not aware that 7-10 states defined machine guns differently and/or included semi-autos in their bans. My question is - when were those laws changed? It must have been decades and decades ago. Not in the more recent times when mass shooting have become more prevalent.
The wild west laws I was aware of - and there are still municipalities who have their own different restrictions. I did say the one area where we have enumerated more rights was CCW laws.
Are you really citing laws from the 1930s or late 1800s that were change decades ago as what you meant by “gutting” gun control laws? Do the dozens (hundreds) of state and federal laws passed since then not add to my point?
There may be more guns, but the percentage of gun owners is actually down in the last 50 years (ownership data is murky, but here are two sources.)
