//> What are they 'on' in the states?
Guns.//
That answer just does not wash. I am the owner of four high powered rifles that could reach an effective accurate range of at least a mile. My colleagues in my rifle club also have a selection of single shot magazine loaded rifles. We all,collectively possess thousands of rounds for those rifles.
All of us are stringently vetted with regarding our wish to purchase and use these weapons. We have to justify there purchase.
We have to allow the licensing authority access to our personal medical files to assess what medication we are prescribed, any mental illness or problems with alcohol intake and how much our daily/weekly intake is. Our cars are flagged by DVLC as likely to be conveying firearms . We are restricted where we shoot our firearms. Only on a Home Office approved rifle range suitable for the calibre of weapon held. Our houses have to be inspected and suitable approved door/window locks,burglar alarms,(CCTV a plus)installed. Our firearms and ammunition have to be installed in Home Office approved safes that are inspected. We are not allowed to tell anyone including family members where the keys to these safes are kept. Records have to be shown of the sale and purchase of each firearm to the Licensing authority . Failure could result in imprisonment. A record of useage of ammunition expenditure with limits imposed on amount possessed and purchased. No self loading high calibre firearms or automatics. They are deemed Prohibited weapons. I could go on and on with a miriad more of restriction quite rightly imposed on our sport. NO ONE I have seen shooting at Bisley is likely to go on the rampage in a shopping centre and kill people by the score these days. Hungerford and Dunblane victims were, in the main , killled by serlf loading handguns with multiload magazines.
As a result all handguns are illegal except those held by military and law enforcement Our own British Olympic team are no longer allowed to practise in the UK.
The question again.I ask what the heck are these crazy Americans on. The Australians have stringent firearms legislation now,similar to ours. The Americans can follow our model if they could be bothered.
It would appear that Phsycological profiling would not go amiss on any gunowners or new permit applicants over in the states and that includes their police.
One rookie American cop panicked when a woman's dog ran towards him in a playful manner,drew his firearm and discharged several rounds. He wounded the dog and killed the female owner.
https://www.news.com.au/world/breaking-news/rookie-us-cop-shoots-at-dog-kills-woman/news-story/8ec82be83f101628cf102256481ac720