The Current Gun Laws in this country are enough as they are. As Politicians press to make the laws tougher, the people need to be aware of the measures already in place. The following makes up a few out of a list of many:
1. No citizen under the age of 18 may purchase a rifle. No one under the age of 21 may purchase a hand gun.
2. All purchasers must pass a criminal background check. For purchasing handguns (and rifles in some states) there is a waiting period anywhere from three to ten days. Few places actually enjoy a “gun show loophole” except in private sales.
3. In some cities and states, guns must be registered with local municipalities.
4. With the exception of some western states, guns may not be concealed without a permit.
5. In California, only ten round magazines are allowed. Unfortunately, California has some of the highest gun crimes in the country.
6. In Chicago, guns are essentially banned. However, Chicago took the first place in highest murder rate of 2012 statistic, with “illegal” guns being a major culprit. CCW’s in Chicago could have saved no less than 200 lives.
7. Firearms may not be ordered online except for delivery to people with the Federal Firearms License where a transfer fee is then paid, or can be privately ordered in some cases by holders of the C&R license, and in all cases for guns made before 1898.
8. Guns can not legally be sold to anyone who has a substance dependency, including Marijuana.
There are some serious misconceptions about the laws. For one, Machine Gun production and imports have been banned since 1986. This drove the cost of pre-ban automatic weapons into the thousands, making it only possible for the rich to afford them. If you hear of a criminal using an “AK-47,” odds are it was semi-Automatic as an automatic AK runs for over $7,000 dollars. Any other AK in the automatic category would have either been a pre-86 model which was stolen, or an illegally produced version either smuggled up through Mexico or converted, again, illegally.
Another common misconception is that “people don’t need thousands of rounds of ammunition!” (CNN, 7.27.12) Actually, we do. Why? For one, the cost of ammunition is always fluctuating. Today a box of 20 rounds of 7.62x39mm cartridges can be had for as little as $4.75 for the cheap kind. Ten years ago the same box was less than $3.00. In 1992, the Democrats sneaked a provision into HillaryCare that would have taxed ammunition at 10,000%. This would have made purchasing bullets impossible for all but the most wealthy in society. The fear of ammunition being banned or excessively taxed, combined with the fluctuating ammunition prices, as well as people legally shooting as a hobby are all common reasons for people to have plenty of ammunition locked away for their firearms. 2,000 rounds may seem like “a lot” to some people, but to others, it’s only good for six months of weekend shooting with their buddies at the range.
This list will be updated as more misconceptions are noticed. As you can see, the current laws on the books are strong. More of them can be found by clicking here.
