So-Called ‘Assault Weapons’ Ban Introduced in Congress… Yet Again
Jose Nino
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House Democrats are bringing the Assault Weapons Ban back.
This time they want to add a few tweaks to it.
U.S. Rep. David N. Cicilline, D-RI, recently introduced H.R 1296, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2019. Cicilline is not alone as 190 co-sponsors from his party have joined him in pushing this piece of gun control legislation forward.
Guns.com provided a sobering breakdown of what this latest gun grab entails.
For a start, the bill would “would bar the importation, production, or transfer of 205 firearms by name to include a myriad of semi-auto AR-15 and AK-47 variants.” Beyond that, “any semi-auto rifle with a detachable magazine and any “military-style feature” such as a barrel shroud, pistol grip or threaded barrel” would also fall under the ban. Semi-auto rifles with a fixed magazine “capable of holding more than 10 rounds” would also face the wrath of this ban.
A companion bill in the Senate, which seasoned gun controller Dianne Feinstein introduced in January, has similar language This version of the AWB includes a “nationwide ban on adjustable stocks, Thordsen-style stocks such as used in “featureless rifles” marketed in states like California, “assault pistols” that weight more than 50 ounces when unloaded, and popular pistol stabilizing braces that have become widespread in recent years.” This bill has 28 co-sponsors so far, which are all Democrats.
The latest iteration of the AWB is just a sneak preview of the slew of gun control that has oozed out of Congress. Although the AWB has a small chance being signed into law, anti-gun Democrats understand that it’s a conversation starter.
The original Assault Weapons Ban was signed during the Clinton Administration in 1994 and expired during the Bush administration in 2004.
Despite warnings from gun controllers that crime would soar after the AWB expired, murder rates actually decreased by 3.6 percent from 2003 to 2004. However, this decline was no isolated trend. From 1993 to 2013, gun ownership per person increased by 56 percent, while gun violence dropped by 49 percent. Additionally, homicide rates hit a 51-year low in 2014.
At the end of the day, “assault weapon” is a politically invented term that is meant to arouse fear among the general public. Although so-called “assault weapons” like the AR-15 appear like fully automatic rifles, they actually function closer to handguns in terms of fire settings.
However, perception is reality in politics. Gun control advocates will stretch the truth as much as possible to have their way politically.
For that reason, pro-gun activists must not fall for the “assault weapon” farce.
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