Feinstein's bill: What it says, and reading between the lines

David Codrea at Examiner.com links to a copy of Senate Bill 150.

As of 8:55 am Saturday morning, the bill's still not posted at the government's Thomas site.

A quick read suggests that, despite their bluster, the gun banners are in retreat mode.

For example, most Ruger Mini-14s appear to be exempt from the ban even though they're about the same size, shoot the same ammo, and can provide the same sustained rate of fire as an AR-15, of  which all varieties would be banned.

Ruger Mini-30s are exempt too, and some might argue it's a better platform than the AK-47 counterpart.

Of course, mags for all of 'em would be banned under the bill. This remains an unacceptable condition. As Dianne Feinstein says, the intent is to dry up supply over time.

The bill's bad, but not as bad as its proponents promised it would be. Delays in presenting it have apparently been used to narrow its scope, with backers hoping the naive would go along seeing a longer exemption list. But some of the guns on the exemption list have designs dating back more than 120 years. At least one (a Henry 1860) predates the American Civil War. The list is intentionally padded.

Public protest has paid off. Resistance is working.

Let's keep up the pressure and push the Feinstein crowd into more than retreat. Based on their retrenchment so far, I'd say complete defeat is well within reach - if pro-gun pressure remains consistent. Even better if the outcry escalates.

We don't dare let up now.