Chapter 31 Section 12

"I need a pistol," I said. "What model?" The clerk had a beard and a ponytail. "The one with the strongest firepower and the most bullets fired." "Send it," said the clerk. "what?" "They're not called bullets, they're called rounds. A bullet is the part that shoots out of the magazine and hits the target." "Okay, the kind that can hold the most hair." "For shooting practice or to protect your home? I ask because some people believe that a shotgun is the best weapon against burglars." "How about that?"

"A pistol? It only fires six rounds. These semi-autos shoot more. But you still have to decide which caliber you want: 9mm or 45mm?" "Which one is the biggest?" "Forty-five." "I want it." "You know your options, the biggest isn't usually the best. The forty-five caliber only holds seven rounds in the box and one in the chamber. But here's a ninemm It can hold ten rounds in the chamber, and one round in the chamber. Of course, eight rounds are much more than those with less power, but they are still not as good as eleven rounds."

"How small is it?" "Ninemm? Let's just put it this way, it serves its purpose. The fact that the ninemm magazine only holds ten rounds is because in mid-1999 Congress passed an anti-violent weapons act , to limit the capacity of pistol magazines. But until the law is enacted..." "What's wrong?" "There's a pistol show in town on Saturdays and I'll introduce you to a friend who'll be willing to sell you a pre-law nine-caliber crown gun that holds fifteen rounds in the box and one in the chamber. " "That's a lot."

"Of course. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing illegal about him selling weapons. The law just prohibits the manufacture or import of magazines that hold more than ten rounds. But my friend bought it before the law was issued, and it's legal. That model is in There aren't many of them on the market, so I hope you'll pay a good price." "That's natural." "But then..." The clerk looked uncomfortable. "What happened after that?" "Don't take offense. Obviously, you're new to this, so don't knock your foot off, you might have to learn a bit."