Provides that 90 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act, it is unlawful for any person within this State to knowingly manufacture, deliver, sell, purchase, or possess or cause to be manufactured, delivered, sold, purchased, or possessed a semi-automatic assault weapon, an assault weapon attachment, any .50 caliber rifle, or .50 caliber cartridge. Provides that beginning 90 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act, it is unlawful for any person within this State to knowingly manufacture, deliver, sell, purchase, or possess or cause to be manufactured, delivered, sold, purchased, or possessed a large capacity ammunition feeding device. Provides that these provisions do not apply to a person who possessed a prohibited weapon, device, or attachment before the effective date of this amendatory Act if the person has provided proof of ownership to the Department of State Police within 90 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act. Provides that on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act, such person may transfer such device only to an heir, an individual residing in another state maintaining that device in another state, or a dealer licensed as a federal firearms dealer.

If you tell me that a shotgun is a semi-automatic weapon, I’d be skeptical but have no real knowledge to counter what you’re saying. Or maybe I’m reading that part wrong. But I do know a grandfather clause when I see one.

When it comes to your comment

Instead of focusing on “bad” guns, shouldn’t we focus on bad politicians who have the power to send our loved ones into harm’s way?

I’m totally with you.

Me again. You missed most of myt original point, namely that a blue anti-gun state, led by Democratic anti-gunners turned a very blind eye to a group led by a right wing evangelical extremist who has bilked the American taxpayer out of millions and millions of $ Instead of focusing on “bad” guns, shouldn’t we focus on bad politicians who have the power to send our loved ones into harm’s way?

Sorry, but you’re incorrect here. The .22 rifle that I bought for my grandkids to learn on will be rendered illegal. Hunting and sporting shotguns will be rendered illegal: a 12 guage is larger than .50 caliber and virtually all semi-auto shotguns can hold too many 1.5″ shells (virtually impossible to get, but irrelevant) to be “legal. My WWII M-1 rifle, purchased legally from the Citizenship Marksmanship Program (government sponsored), will be illegal. Many folks, myself included, have AR-15 platform rifles set up with long, heavy target barrels for target shooting purposes. They’ll be illegal. Many target rifles use what are called thumbhole stocks for the best possible grip/aim – they’ll be illegal.

Springfield Armory, Rock River Arms and other firearms manufacturers located in Illinois (they also make weapons for our soldiers in Iraq) will leave Illinois if the bill passes. This is in print. More jobs lost to Illinois and four less companies for Blago to tax for his 6 billion $ heallth care/pensio bail out.

What really irks me is that those of us who purchase and use firearms legally and safely and who cause no harm to you or anyone else, are going to be criminalized. And more heavily taxed. What do you think it will cost the state to have all of us who currently own soon to be banned firearms go and register them? Where will the manpower come from? Blago has already cut back on the personnel who process FOID cards and DNR staff, so where are the hundreds of staffers going to come from?

Finally, there is only ONE semi-automatic .50 semi-automatic “assault” weapon: the Barrett .50 that weighs about 15 – 20 pounds and costs over $9000. There are currently no ranges in Illinois (except Blackwater’s!) that will allow you to shoot one – that is if you can afford one. I’d be willing to wager that there are fewer than 10 in the entire state and that’s a real stretch. Lots of money for something you can’t shoot anywhere anyway!

What really galls me is that they were blind to Illinois being invaded by Blackwater. How must our troops, who earn on average 30 – 40K, feel when the guy next to them makes $127K? That’s the pay for a Blackwater mercenary. And why should a kid who wants a career in the military stick around and work for his country when he can screw his country out of an additional 80K+ per year? So far, this company that the elected officials of this state allowed into Illinois, has bilked the tax payers out of $750 million. And the Democratic Party of Illinois wants to make me a criminal?

We are also working on having him speak in the area on this topic.