US gun ban would protect more than 2,200 firearms

Washington, Feb 18 (AP) The US Congress' latest effort to pass an assault weapons ban would protect more than 2,200 specific firearms, including a semi-automatic rifle that's nearly identical to one of the guns used in the bloodiest shootout in FBI history. One model of that firearm, the Ruger .223 caliber Mini-14, is on the proposed list to be banned, while a different model of the same gun is on a list of exempted firearms in legislation the Senate is considering. The gun that would be protected from the ban has fixed physical features and can't be folded to be more compact. Yet the two firearms are equally deadly. "What a joke," said former FBI agent John Hanlon, who survived the 1986 shootout. He was shot in the head, hand, groin and hip with a Ruger Mini-14 that had a folding stock. Two FBI agents died and five others were wounded. Hanlon recalled lying on the Miami street as brass bullet casings showered on him. He thought the shooter had an automatic weapon. Both models of the Ruger Mini-14 specified in the proposed bill can take detachable magazines that hold dozens of rounds of ammunition. "I can't imagine what the difference is," Hanlon said. President Barack Obama has called for restoring a ban on military-style assault weapons and limiting the size of ammunition magazines, building on public outcry after 20 young children were shot dead at close range at a Connecticut school in December by a gunman using his mother's legally purchased, high-powered rifle. A bill introduced last month by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a fellow Democrat, would ban 157 specific firearms designed for military and law enforcement use and exempt others made for hunting purposes. It also would ban ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. Yet there are firearms that would be protected under Feinstein's proposal that can take large-capacity magazines, like the ones used in mass shootings, that enable a gunman to fire dozens of rounds of ammunition without reloading. Feinstein said in a written response to questions from The Associated Press that the list of more than 2,200 exempted firearms was designed to "make crystal clear" that the bill would not affect hunting and sporting weapons. The gun industry, which is fighting any sort of ban, says gun ownership in the US is the highest it's ever been, with more than 100 million firearms owners. Sales jumped after the Connecticut shooting, with some gun owners protesting any restrictions and pointing to the Second Amendment to the Constitution's guaranteed right to bear firearms. Feinstein's proposal is the only sweeping piece of legislation designed to ban assault weapons currently being considered. But some gun experts say the lists of banned and exempted firearms show a lack of understanding and expertise of guns. "There's no logic to it," said Greg Danas, president of an expert witness business and firearms ballistic laboratory.(AP) BOD 02181914 NNNN