The Debate -- Assault Weapons Ban?

I agreed with the president on all of the points he was making except one that really stuck in my craw: reinstating the assault weapons ban.Let me start off by saying I don't have any of the big scary rifles that people think of when they hear "assault weapon." But I do have an instance of what was designed as an assault weapon -- in World War II (.30 M1  Carbine in case you're wondering). I also have a collection of pistols that have magazines that hold more that 10 rounds.Are they assault weapons? Should they be banned? What would happen if they were banned?The last time around anything that was out there pre-ban was still legal. In essence the genie is already out of the bottle. Let's pretend there was a giant round-up of these "evil" guns... the only people that will have guns are the criminals. Me, the law abiding one, is the one who loses.The 10-round magazines... don't get me started. All you need if you happen to want more rounds is more magazines. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Un-practiced I can swap a Glock magazine in a second or so.The general public is very uneducated about this. A great example is the ban of .50 BMG guns in California. Guns that are chambered for that are for the most part sniper rifles. Scary. What would you need one for? Well, long range target shooting because it makes you happy. They also cost as much as a good used car (easily over $10K in many cases!) and weigh a frickin' ton, are four feet long, and cost $5.00 every time you pull the trigger. Yes, they are banned in CA, but due to the economics of this beast, weren't used in gang violence or crime in general.But they are scary.The fact that someone is scared means we need legislation to make it illegal, right?Like gay marriage.Oh, wait, I want that legal too..Actually, I just want the government to not regulate either.