Some days, those who would command govern represent us just make it too easy for, among other things, finding “post fodder.”

In the shadow of Michael William Nash’s demonstration of his 2nd Amendment rights on Saturday, according to The News

Twelve Michigan House Republicans have sponsored a bill this month to the name the AR-15 “the official rifle of this state,” drawing criticism from opponents who labeled the proposal unserious and inappropriate.

For those who don’t know, the AR-15 is a semi-automatic rifle. Bear that in mind when reading the following.

State Rep. Brian BeGole, R-Antrim Township, a former Shiawassee County sheriff, was the primary backer of the AR-15 measure and said in a statement issued Tuesday that thousands of people in Michigan own an AR-15. […] “This distinction recognizes these law-abiding gun owners who are often vilified just for having a firearm as a hobbyist or to keep their homes and families safe," BeGole said.

That’s some hobby. Keep their homes and families safe. Safe from the government BeGole has represented most of his life, according to the oft-debated 2nd Amendment.

However, Ryan Bates, director of End Gun Violence Michigan, said BeGole’s bill was about “worshiping the rifle that is the preferred weapon of mass shooters.” […] Bates noted that on Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on bump stocks, a rapid-fire gun accessory that was used in a mass shooting at a music festival Las Vegas in 2017.

“That shooter used 23 AR-style rifles modified with bump stocks to kill 58 people and injure nearly 500 in mere minutes,” Bates said. “We now live in a world where any deranged person can turn an AR-style rifle into a machine gun capable of firing 400-800 rounds per minute, a level of firepower that quite simply overwhelms law enforcement.”

We all know that rabbit and pheasant can get pretty mean. And who doesn’t like their venison pre-ground? To quote my favorite philosopher and thinker, myself

It’s forever High Noon in this nation of cowboys.

Ah, almost forgot! Use it everyday!

Alt link for your convenience via archive.is


If you can’t see the crazy person on the bus, it’s you.
!detroit@midwest.social!michigan@midwest.social!music@midwest.social

  • Blackout@kbin.run
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    40
    arrow-down
    11
    ·
    5 months ago

    The AR-15 is an absolutely shitty rifle unless you were going to kill people with it. The selection is also completely oblivious to what most residents use for hunting deer. So these repubs are posers that know shit about guns. As a liberal former deer hunter I’d recommended the .308 Winchester or the 30-06 Springfield. Actual rifles people use in this state for anything but the mass killing of children.

    • Liz@midwest.social
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      15
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      5 months ago

      Ignoring the confusion between caliber and platform, .556 out of an AR-15 is still a great choice for anything roughly cat-to-human sized. Prairie Dogs, antelope, goats, sheep, foxes, coyotes, that sort of thing.

    • Fecundpossum@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      11
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      5 months ago

      See my comment above. 450 bushmaster and 350 legend are both cartridges developed the for AR platform that are lower range, lower velocity, larger bore projectiles meant to limit effective range and still have deer stopping energy.

      .223 / 5.56 is illegal to deer hunt with in Michigan because it isn’t a reliable caliber for a kill, and is more likely to wound. Your .308 or .30-06 flies way, way farther in the event of a miss, creating a concern of striking unintended targets far past your line of sight. Which is why it’s illegal to hunt with below the lower peninsula rifle line.

    • frezik@midwest.social
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      5 months ago

      AR15 is very popular for wild boar hunting. Not in its original caliber, though. See, one of the advantages of the platform is that it’s highly modular, and can put out 6.5 grendal just fine by switching the upper.

      • Blackout@kbin.run
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        4
        ·
        5 months ago

        Everyone is ignoring the fact I was talking about the official gun for Michigan. You can’t hunt deer like you hunt boars. The AR-15 is a stupid rifle to associate with this state. A deer hunting rifle is a better choice. But I’ve been shooting my whole life and I fucking hate everything related to that platform. I don’t think about boar hunting when it’s mentioned, I think about the San Bernardino slaughter.

        • HelixDab2@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          5 months ago

          A .223 with something like a 75 grain ELD-M bullet would be perfectly adequate for hunting deer. A number of states allow hunting deer with .223; I don’t believe that Michigan does though, and certainly not south of Lansing. (I think that’s the cut-off for rifle? That might have changed since I lived there.)

          There’s no reason that you can’t hunt deer with .300AAC, or even 7.62x39, both of which an AR-15 can be adapted for.

          But I’ve been shooting my whole life and I fucking hate everything related to that platform.

          That’s an incredibly fudd-y attitude. I’m guess that when you say “deer rifle”, you probably mean something with a wooden stock, probably bolt action but maybe lever action, and probably chambered in .30-06, or (gag) .30-30. Or god forbid, .45-70 (because yeah, I want to use a slug with the ballistics of a mortar for hunting). The AR-15 has become popular because it’s highly modular, and can get better accuracy cheaper than you can on a more traditional rifle.

      • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        5 months ago

        And the 2nd amendment is federal. Why should Michigan base their “state gun” off it? Choose a gun that Michiganers actually use.

      • Blackout@kbin.run
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        arrow-down
        6
        ·
        5 months ago

        It absolutely is for hunting cause that’s what everyone was using in the 80s. Probably outdated now but so is Michigan

    • raoulraoul@midwest.socialOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      arrow-down
      17
      ·
      5 months ago

      Wow! Where the hell did you pop up from?! Finally, as anti-firearm as I am, a statement I can reasonably get behind! 👏 👏 👏 Thank you.