Roger 123 - when the Constitution was written, there was little
difference between the weapons used for war and those used for
hunting and personal defense. But the reason the amendment was
adopted wasn't so that folks could go hunting, or even to
provide for their own defense. The provision exists because the
recent experience of the Founders was that an oppressive
government had to be resisted by revolution and warfare. The
government today could easily become far more oppressive than
the one under which the colonists suffered. It doesn't want us
to have assault rifles because those weapons make it a fairer
fight if we were ever at war with that government. If it were
not for that threat, why does anyone need such weapons?