Explanation sought about previous gun bans

[Pony]

I've only lived in the US for 3 years. I wasn't here when "assault weapons" were banned in '94.
Can anyone explain what it was like in that era; for example did lots of people rush out and buy them before the ban? Has the US faced any other similar periods of time?

I'm concerned Obama may win the election; if he does we all know gun rights erosion will intensify. Should I be thinking about purchasing any weapon now, that you think could be outlawed if the democrats are elected?

 

[Vellcrow]

People were being screwed by dealers left and right, I do remember that. For example, dealers bought up all the Glock mags from distributors @ $12-15 each, then they priced them at $50-100 (or more) each to those who were desperate enough to pay the price...which there were a lot of.

It was a bad time. One the likes of which I never see again.

(and no, I was not one of those that got gouged by mag prices)

 

[ChicagoTex]

for example did lots of people rush out and buy them before the ban?

Not as many as are now. The first time around plenty of people were in denial that such large-scope regulation could actually be implemented - there were some profiteers, of course (Dealers gathering up the Glock mags were already mentioned) but I think it'd be safe to say it took the bulk of the American populace more or less by surprise.

For the record: I believe most of the gun buying populace is now overcompensating, rushing out to buy ARs they can't afford in anticipation that Obama MIGHT be elected and that if Obama is elected he MIGHT present an AWB that MIGHT be similar to the previous Clinton ban. The ones who really irk me though are the folks trying to stock up on mags and guns in order to reap a profit if a new AWB goes through.

Has the US faced any other similar periods of time?

To the best of my knowledge, the Clinton AWB was the only gun regulation in US History to "sunset" - there have been, of course, acclimation periods to new gun laws (the Gun Control Act of 1968 springs to mind), but things never got better afterwards.

I'm concerned Obama may win the election; if he does we all know gun rights erosion will intensify.

While I, like any gun owner, worry over a presidentially-backed new wave of gun regulation, I'm not really convinced an Obama AWB is the "sure thing" so many other gun owners have worked themselves up into believing. Barack Obama has pretty much not campaigned at all on the gun platform this election because he realizes that gun legislation is not a priority even among the bulk of his democratic base.
This election has been fought over two key issues: the Economy and Foreign Policy (most specifically, the War in Iraq) and, despite the fact that both Obama and Biden have long histories of running on the anti-gun ticket, I believe both politicians are competent enough to know that indulging such nonsense when there are proverbial "bigger fish to fry" is a surefire path to the dissatisfaction of the American people.
Now, I agree that if, in three years the economy has stabilized (I don't actually believe this, but I can dream, can't I?) and the American people have been lulled back to their standard mode of complacency such a bill would be likely to pop up, but most gun owners seem to be operating off a set of somewhat illogical assumptions that serve only to enhance their own fear factor and cloud their judgement - this to me seems unwise.

If Obama is elected the 4th, your guns won't be banned on the 5th. They just won't.

In short...

Should I be thinking about purchasing any weapon now, that you think could be outlawed if the democrats are elected?

If you can afford it, go ahead. If I had a few thou laying around I'd pick up a few things I've been meaning to get to at some point in my life just to be safe, but I'm barely paying my bills as is and I am NOT going to sell my savings for 75 cents on the dollar just because largely arbitrary mania says I will probably never get the chance again. Don't let fear compromise your fiscal responsibility.

EDIT: Adjusted some phrasing to make more sense, I was very sleepy when I wrote this.

 

[Texas1911]

The next AWB is already in committee. It's already here, and it's awaiting a Democrat government to push it through.

The House Bill is H.R. 6257

Here is what they want to ban. Yes, this is VERY real.

• (b) DEFINITION OF SEMIAUTOMATIC ASSAULT WEAPON- Section 921(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding after paragraph (29) the following:

• `(30) The term `semiautomatic assault weapon' means--

• • `(A) any of the firearms, or copies or duplicates of the firearms in any caliber, known as--

• • • `(i) Norinco, Mitchell, and Poly Technologies Avtomat Kalashnikovs (all models);

• • • `(ii) Action Arms Israeli Military Industries UZI and Galil;

• • • `(iii) Beretta Ar70 (SC-70);

• • • `(iv) Colt AR-15;

• • • `(v) Fabrique National FN/FAL, FN/LAR, and FNC;

• • • `(vi) SWD M-10, M-11, M-11/9, and M-12;

• • • `(vii) Steyr AUG;

• • • `(viii) INTRATEC TEC-9, TEC-DC9 and TEC-22; and

• • • `(ix) revolving cylinder shotguns, such as (or similar to) the Street Sweeper and Striker 12;

• • `(B) a semiautomatic rifle that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least 2 of--

• • • `(i) a folding or telescoping stock;

• • • `(ii) a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon;

• • • `(iii) a bayonet mount;

• • • `(iv) a flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor; and

• • • `(v) a grenade launcher;

• • `(C) a semiautomatic pistol that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least 2 of--

• • • `(i) an ammunition magazine that attaches to the pistol outside of the pistol grip;

• • • `(ii) a threaded barrel capable of accepting a barrel extender, flash suppressor, forward handgrip, or silencer;

• • • `(iii) a shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles, the barrel and that permits the shooter to hold the firearm with the nontrigger hand without being burned;

• • • `(iv) a manufactured weight of 50 ounces or more when the pistol is unloaded; and

• • • `(v) a semiautomatic version of an automatic firearm; and

• • `(D) a semiautomatic shotgun that has at least 2 of--

• • • `(i) a folding or telescoping stock;

• • • `(ii) a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon;

• • • `(iii) a fixed magazine capacity in excess of 5 rounds; and

• • • `(iv) an ability to accept a detachable magazine.'.

They aren't going after just the magazines this time. They want it all.

 

[SiNNiK]

Norinco, Mitchell, and Poly Technologies Avtomat Kalashnikovs (all models)

That AK seems so far away.

 

[XDguy]

I fully expect another AWB if Obama wins. I've already purchsed an AR15, and am going to buy an AK47 at the next gun show this weekend. Then I'm going to buy a bunch of mags. Call me paranoid, but IMHO the writting is on the wall. And hey, if it doesn't happen, then all I've really done is added to my collection.

 

[Kbear]

The Dems and Reps who voted in the 94 AWB paid a heavy price the following two election cycles. There has also been a sharp rise in gun ownership due to such events like Y2K, 9-11 and Katrina. Throw in the fact country seems evenly split this election. I think who ever POTUS is, they will have a tough hill to climb with new legislation.

I was at the HGCA show this weekend and saw what amounted to a feeding frenzy.

 

[Pony]

Thanks for sharing. It gives me some perspective as to what to, or what not to, expect.
It was very interesting to read.

 

[TJ Willy]

I fully expect another AWB if Obama wins. I've already purchsed an AR15, and am going to buy an AK47 at the next gun show this weekend. Then I'm going to buy a bunch of mags. Call me paranoid, but IMHO the writting is on the wall. And hey, if it doesn't happen, then all I've really done is added to my collection.

Let's say you do go and buy weapons at the next gun show, meaning you do all the paperwork that goes with an FFL purchase... then let's say they do pass this ridiculous AWB mentioned above and in another thread I read. Does that mean the 1st Brigade Combat Team - the President's personal Army circa 2006, IMHO, created to enforce martial law thus gun collection - will come knocking on your registered address door asking for your purchases????

Just curious...

 

[ChicagoTex]

Let's say you do go and buy weapons at the next gun show, meaning you do all the paperwork that goes with an FFL purchase... then let's say they do pass this ridiculous AWB mentioned above and in another thread I read. Does that mean the 1st Brigade Combat Team - the President's personal Army circa 2006, IMHO, created to enforce martial law thus gun collection - will come knocking on your registered address door asking for your purchases????

Just curious...

Only if Confiscation is part of the bill (HIGHLY unlikely).

 

[Texas1911]

The Dems and Reps who voted in the 94 AWB paid a heavy price the following two election cycles. There has also been a sharp rise in gun ownership due to such events like Y2K, 9-11 and Katrina. Throw in the fact country seems evenly split this election. I think who ever POTUS is, they will have a tough hill to climb with new legislation.

That hill gets shorter all the time because of the media portrayal of so-called assault weapons, and the idiots that use them.

Let's face it, the 50/50 split doesn't run anything in this country. For the past decade we've faced a number of knee-jerk reactions from Congress and the POTUS alike. The bans in the UK, and in Australia, both came about as a reaction to a single event.

I'm normally very pessimistic about rumor and tin foil ideology, but I feel very unsafe about the current environment. Not only in terms of the political atmosphere, but the economic downturn as well.

I really hope it's nothing but a flash in the pan and it completely blows over ... for both the economy and the societal trends, but I know hope is worthless at the bank.

I went ahead and hedged a M1A. If I'm wrong, I have an M1A, if I'm right, I have an M1A. I can't lose.

 

[Texas1911]

Only if Confiscation is part of the bill (HIGHLY unlikely).

I highly, highly doubt that would ever take place. Especially given the fact that automatics remain transferable, much less "on the streets".

I know for certain it would cause civil unrest.

 

[ChicagoTex]

If I'm wrong, I have an M1A, if I'm right, I have an M1A. I can't lose.

At the risk of playing Devil's Advocate, the content of the proposed bill you showed wouldn't illegalize M1As anyway.

 

[TJ Willy]

Only if Confiscation is part of the bill (HIGHLY unlikely).

Did not think about that. I guess it is the current democratic candidate that has me uber worried about such things. You know... stuff like taking weapons away from the infidels and such.

 

[Texas1911]

At the risk of playing Devil's Advocate, the content of the proposed bill you showed wouldn't illegalize M1As anyway.

I know, I just wanted to show off my M1A.

 

[ChicagoTex]

You know... stuff like taking weapons away from the infidels and such.

I sincerely hope that's a joke. I can't tolerate the disinformation campaign to portray Barack Obama as a muslim and therefore an extremist muslim half-terrorist.
Barack Obama is many things, a muslim (much less an extremist one), he is not.

 

[ChicagoTex]

I know, I just wanted to show off my M1A.

Well, then, that's a different story

I'm hopin' to pick up a Garand in the next few months myself (I prefer it to the M1A because the stance I prefer for shooting a rifle standing requires me to place my support hand just in front of the trigger guard, having the magazine in the way on the M1A makes my hold feel awkward and unstable)

 

[TJ Willy]

I sincerely hope that's a joke. I can't tolerate the disinformation campaign to portray Barack Obama as a muslim and therefore an extremist muslim half-terrorist.
Barack Obama is many things, a muslim (much less an extremist one), he is not.

Yes. It was a joke. Hence the "rolleyes" emoticon near the bottom I scoured the interweb for...

Having said that, I would be giddy and feel all warm inside if he denounced some of the verbiage in his book Dreams Of My Father.

 

[Pony]

I can't tolerate the disinformation campaign

How dare you accuse political campaigners as being mud slingers, as often having little basis, and rarely ever factual. You go wash your mouth out . . .

 

[TAZ]

Prices for pre ban stuff will go thourhg the roof like they did before and like they are with Class 3 stuff.