Was the 94 AWB ban really a blessing?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Was the 94 AWB ban really a blessing?

Posted: 1/22/2013 6:51:22 AM EDT

I keep thinking back and all I remember is EVERY LEO screaming about how they needed this and when it was about to expire how the streets would flow in blood. Now after seeing how little it did many are singing a different tune. Really seems to me it has worked in our advantage. For the old timers (so to speak) what do you remember about the previous AWB

Posted: 1/22/2013 6:54:22 AM EDT

[#1]

It was a test run.....hence the built in sunset.

People saying that a new AWB will be "1994 all over again" as far as the Dems losing don't seem to realize that this time there will be no "sunset". Sure, the Dems will all lose their seats, but we'll lose forever.

Posted: 1/22/2013 6:55:14 AM EDT

[#2]

'94 kicked the civil rights movement into high gear.

Posted: 1/22/2013 6:57:16 AM EDT

[#3]

Old timer here.

What I remember about this? It bent U.S. citizens over and fucked them dry.

What I have learned from this?

NEVER EVER EVER COMPROMISE! NEVER GIVE THEM ANYTHING! NEVER SAY IT CANNOT HAPPEN! NO INFRINGEMENT MEANS NO COMPROMISE!

NINC!

Posted: 1/22/2013 6:57:57 AM EDT

[#4]

Blessing?

No, it was the prime motivation of McVeight to blow up the Federal Building in OKC resulting in multiple deaths. Most definitely not a blessing IMO.

Posted: 1/22/2013 6:59:22 AM EDT

[#5]

Now your thinking outside the box OP.

Yes... in some ways it was.

The same may hold true for the state bans.

Posted: 1/22/2013 7:00:28 AM EDT

[#6]

You are viewing the fight through a logical mindset, logically someone would look at how foolish it was and how little it did other than harm liberty and conclude it is a bad idea. Now put on a liberal mindset and it is a completely different story.

Posted: 1/22/2013 7:01:01 AM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
It was a test run.....hence the built in sunset.

People saying that a new AWB will be "1994 all over again" as far as the Dems losing don't seem to realize that this time there will be no "sunset". Sure, the Dems will all lose their seats, but we'll lose forever.

Yeah, pretty much this.

Posted: 1/22/2013 7:01:23 AM EDT

[#8]

If by blessing you mean created mag horders, then yes, it was a blessing

Posted: 1/22/2013 7:05:34 AM EDT

[#9]

I think that the only "blessing" would be that because of that ban. Many more Americans became aware of AR-15, AK-47, FAL, MSAR type stuff. Hence many more owners now than used to be or possibly would have been. Now, these weapons are mainstream and will be a cast iron bitch for tyrannical politicians to take away. This push though seems much more concerted and propogandized by Left Media. The fight is far from over.

Posted: 1/22/2013 7:14:00 AM EDT

[#10]

Here's the blessing in disguise of revisiting the gun control issue...

It gets the conversation off Republicans and the abortion issue. Gun control is an issue swing state Democrats do NOT want to talk about. Abortion is the issue swing state Republicans don't want to discuss. Now, maybe 2014 will yield a favorable Senate.

Posted: 1/22/2013 7:19:42 AM EDT

[#11]

If IIRC from reading about it ( I was a child at the time) it put the AR into the mainstream.

The result is the market we have today.

Posted: 1/22/2013 7:21:41 AM EDT

[#12]

The sunset combined with the connectivity of the Internet changed the AR15 from being a slightly popular rifle at best to the most popular rifle in the US for 5+ years now. Much harder to pass a ban quietly now.

Posted: 1/22/2013 7:25:26 AM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
The sunset combined with the connectivity of the Internet changed the AR15 from being a slightly popular rifle at best to the most popular rifle in the US for 5+ years now. Much harder to pass a ban quietly now.

This

Posted: 1/22/2013 7:25:36 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
'94 kicked the civil rights movement into high gear.

Yes it did. Guns weren't even on the radar for millions of people, including me. The ban changed all that.

ETA: I didn't own a single firearm prior to CT's AWB in 1993 and the federal ban in 1994. There must be millions of people in the same boat.

Posted: 1/22/2013 7:26:42 AM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:

Here's the blessing in disguise of revisiting the gun control issue...

It gets the conversation off Republicans and the abortion issue. Gun control is an issue swing state Democrats do NOT want to talk about. Abortion is the issue swing state Republicans don't want to discuss. Now, maybe 2014 will yield a favorable Senate.

Ahh, a fellow who can count. This is what the payout for a gun ban will be. The Democrats are too stupid to see it coming.

Posted: 1/22/2013 7:29:47 AM EDT

[#16]

I'll agree with some of the others, in that it truly helped solidify the idea of "No Compromise" within the gun community.

Posted: 1/22/2013 7:32:46 AM EDT

[#17]

Even sadder than the fact that Americans only learn from tragedy, is that they quickly forget what they learned.

Posted: 1/22/2013 7:34:31 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
'94 kicked the civil rights movement into high gear.

and this time around, NY gave us a picture of what we will lose if we do not fight.

Posted: 1/22/2013 7:38:54 AM EDT

[#19]

the AWB sucked, I was denied use of future assault weapons and hi cap mags for 10 freakin' years. Nothing good about it

Posted: 1/22/2013 7:53:22 AM EDT

[#20]

Every conflict has unintended consequences. I don't think the ban is an exception to this. It gave us a taste of what we could lose permanently and showed the gun grabbers how it will affect them in elections.

Posted: 1/22/2013 7:58:36 AM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
I keep thinking back and all I remember is EVERY LEO screaming about how they needed this and when it was about to expire how the streets would flow in blood. Now after seeing how little it did many are singing a different tune. Really seems to me it has worked in our advantage. For the old timers (so to speak) what do you remember about the previous AWB

I never saw any around here say that.

Anyway past the drama.

Before the AWB AR-15's were barely a blip on the map. Other than my dad I didn't know any other gun owners who owned one.

Today, the vast majority of my friends own them.

Posted: 1/22/2013 8:13:55 AM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
Before the AWB AR-15's were barely a blip on the map. Other than my dad I didn't know any other gun owners who owned one.

Today, the vast majority of my friends own them.

Agreed. AR15s were a niche rifle owned by few people back in '94. The "ban" kick-started widespread interest in the rifle to the point where it became the #1 rifle in the country.

Posted: 1/22/2013 8:29:12 AM EDT

[#23]

This potential ban has FINALLY gotten some family members in gear. So it has kind of been a blessing.

I've preached for years about this stuff. FINALLY they are getting the message.

ARs have been bought. CCWs have been done. HK rifles have been bought... Ammo has been stocked up on (at cheap prices). But more importantly, education has happened.

Posted: 1/22/2013 8:35:46 AM EDT

[#24]

I was a broke college student in 94 didn't know one single person that owned an ar15 or was a nra member I think the ban did wake a lot of people up and make them realise their rights were under attack. I also remember my first ar mags were pre ban USA junk

still have a few around to remind me

Posted: 1/22/2013 8:36:15 AM EDT

[#25]

Ironically... two of the biggest "winners" out of the '94 debacle were the 1911 industry and Glock. The magazine capacity restriction all but killed the development of the full-sized service pistol.

Posted: 1/22/2013 8:47:59 AM EDT

[#26]

I would not call it a blessing, but a good wake up call for gunowners, in that we can lose our guns very quickly.

Random thoughts:

2014 the D's may pay a heavy price and get thier asses handed to them but they can come back, look at 2008 they owned all three branches.

EBR's were a very small part of gun ownership, now they are a very large part, ban them and many more people will be pissed.

The NRA back then said the gun grabbers were using a divide and conquer stategy, and they are now also trying to do the same. EBR's today, "sniper rifles" tommorrow and handguns the next day. Yes they have not been talking about that, but if they pass an AWB they will be that night, mark my words.

We need to stop any bans, limits on mags, and kick these fucks out of office. Then not let any gun grabbers back into office.

Posted: 1/22/2013 9:53:02 AM EDT

[#27]

My sister's husband is a huge military history buff has quite a few hunting guns and a collection of ww2 bolt guns but is all for a EBR and mag ban also hates handguns . Drives me bat shit crazy trying to talk sense into them.

Posted: 1/22/2013 10:13:06 AM EDT

[#28]

It was all part of the domino effect, that gun grabbers say won't happen.
1934 NFA
1968 more gun control
1993 Brady Bill
1994 AWB

There are many more, especially at the state level.

Now they're trying again, first with "assault weapons", even though they are used by very few criminals, then they will be back for our handguns, because they are used the most in "gun crimes".
The only thing the antis have learned is how to make a more restrictive ban. They will use the mayors, appointed LEOs, and women and children to get their way, even though the facts don't fit their agendum. The public is still gullible. They fell for Obamacare, higher taxes, (instead of major spending cuts), and this year they will fall for embracing illegal immigrants. The average person believes what the liberal new media tells them about guns. They are the sheep, and as we saw with the last election, there are all kinds of them in the country.

This is all a wake up call for gun owners; that's it.

Let's face it, there are more guns than ever before, more people CCWing, and less violent crime, except in areas with the most restrictive laws, like D.C. and Chicago, but nobody is paying attention except us.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Was the 94 AWB ban really a blessing?

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