User talk:Tolkienreader

The information on the Brady Campaign's wikipedia page is incorrect. The organization has an extensive fact sheet on their views regarding such firearm-related issues as "automatic" vs. "semi-automatic" weapons (http://www.bradycampaign.org/facts/faqs/?page=awb):

"Q: What is the difference between an automatic and a semi-automatic weapon?

A: An automatic weapon (machine gun) will continue to fire as long as the trigger is depressed (or until the ammunition magazine is emptied). A semi-automatic weapon will fire one round and instantly load the next round with each pull of the trigger. Semi-automatic firearms fire as rapidly as you can twitch your finger. This means that a semi-automatic fires a little more slowly than an automatic, but not much more slowly. When San Jose, California police test-fired an UZI, a 30-round magazine was emptied in slightly less than two seconds on full automatic while the same magazine was emptied in just five seconds on semi-automatic.

Ownership of machine guns has been tightly controlled since passage of the National Firearms Act of 1934, and their manufacture for the civilian market was halted in 1986. However, semi-automatic versions of those same guns were still being produced until the federal assault weapons ban was enacted." (form the above site)