I will start by looking at information that took place in the last month. After looking through the forum subjects, it looks like the vast majority of talk takes place in the politics section. I'll give priority outside of politics if I happen to notice something.
First, when will Americans finally concede that there is no good reason for citizens to own semiautomatic rifles with high capacity magazines?
This is an ambiguous statement.
The Girandoni rifle was carried on the Lewis and Clark expedition which trekked across the United States from the east all the way to the pacific ocean, starting in 1803. The standard capacity for the magazine was around 20 lead balls.
The Secret Service which employs civilian LEO's charged with protecting the President of the United States has been known to utilize the FN P90 rifle. The standard capacity flush fit top mounted magazine is 50 rounds of 5.7x28 centerfire ammunition. The semi-automatic version, generally with a longer barrel, is known as the PS90.
The original Henry repeating lever action rifle made during the 1860's equipped with a 24 inch barrel has a tubular magazine which can house 15 rounds of 44 caliber rimfire ammunition, if you can find 44 Henry ammunition.
Modern rimfire rifles with tubular magazines typically hold about 12-20 rounds of rimfire. Rifles capable of cycling 22 short are often capable of housing more than 20 rounds because of the shorter length of that cartridge.
The M1A rifle is designed so that the magazine naturally protrudes from the bottom of the rifle. Flush mount magazines exist, but more typical is 10-20 rounds of .308 Winchester ammunition. The rifle was made with 20 round magazines in mind.
The Kel-Tec CMR-30 rifle and the Kel-Tec PMR-30 pistol both utilize the same magazines. Standard magazines that come in the box hold 30 rounds of 22 magnum ammunition and fit flush inside of the handle.
And what is the reason it’s important for citizens to be allowed to own semiautomatic rifles with high capacity magazines?
Semiautomatic means that if you pull the trigger, the action of the firearm will self-actuate from pressure and automatically chamber the next round. After the round is chambered, you have to manually reset the trigger by releasing it, and then pull it again to fire another round.
A rifle is used because rifling in the barrel induces spin on a projectile, which makes it more accurate at distance.
People may prefer semi-automatic rifles because it removes the human element from the equation. Some people find that it provides practical consistency.
The reason high capacity magazines are important is generally because the standard capacity the firearm was designed around does not hold enough ammunition.
Here is a tangible example. Many people bring a firearm with them when they travel. It's nice to be able to separate the ammunition from the firearm. You can purchase a firearm along with an upgraded detachable magazine that holds as many rounds as you need for a camping trip. When you are done using it you can remove the magazine which makes it inoperable. When you want to use it again, it can be ready to go within a few seconds.
