""In recent history, many acts of spectacular gun violence have been linked not so much by the presence of assault rifles but rather by large gun magazines that allow shooters to fire longer without reloading.""

Anders Breivik managed to shoot 69 people with normal weapons which had to be regularly re-loaded.

So it seems to me that he hardly needed large magazines.

What would have prevented many of those deaths is the unavailability of the weapons and/or ammunition.

Large magazines are simply a bonus for the mass murderer. Given that he can apparently, in the US at least, buy as many guns as he can carry, or in fact more, if he so chooses.

""I also find it interesting that many in the UK can't comprehend why we HAVE so many guns and such a permissive attitude about them.""

Let's face it Bill, we in the UK only have to compare our nationalgun casualties with each of at least a dozen US cities, and we are astounded that you people cannot see what guns are doing to you and your children.

We are even more astounded at the way in which a whole civilised nation has been brainwashed into acquiescence to a hard core of gun nuts, who only want the money they earn by supplying the means to kill your countrymen, and don't give a tuppenny damn about how many of you end up dead.

Don T.