Feinstein’s Assault Weapons Ban Introduced

Senator Feinstein introduced her assault weapon ban legislation today in the Senate. If you don’t remember, this is the bill that pretty much eliminates semiautomatic firearms altogether. 

Here’s a quick summary, from Senator Feinstein’s senate.gov website:

• Bans the sale, transfer, importation, or manufacturing of:
  • 120 specifically-named firearms;
  • Certain other semiautomatic rifles, handguns, shotguns that can accept a detachable magazine and have one or more military characteristics; and
  • Semiautomatic rifles and handguns with a fixed magazine that can accept more than 10 rounds.
• Strengthens the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban and various state bans by:
  • Moving from a 2-characteristic test to a 1-characteristic test;
  • Eliminating the easy-to-remove bayonet mounts and flash suppressors from the characteristics test; and
  • Banning firearms with “thumbhole stocks” and “bullet buttons” to address attempts to “work around” prior bans.
• Bans large-capacity ammunition feeding devices capable of accepting more than 10 rounds.
• Protects legitimate hunters and the rights of existing gun owners by:
  • Grandfathering weapons legally possessed on the date of enactment;
  • Exempting over 900 specifically-named weapons used for hunting or sporting purposes; and
  • Exempting antique, manually-operated, and permanently disabled weapons.

Additionally, this article contains a scan of the 158 firearms that would be banned by name. This list is pretty much moot though if you consider the summary above.

What To Do

Contact your Represenatative and Senators today. Do not wait. We also need to push for this to be brought for vote ASAP. The reason is that we do not want this bill to sit around being debated and pushed down the road until something else happens (another shooting, etc), only to have them vote on the bill during a wave of fear and uncertainty, or worse, when no one is watching. We need this to be voted on today.

This bill should be dead on arrival in the Senate, let alone the House, but we can’t sit around and hope that it happens. Make it happen. Contact your Senators and Representative.