Contrary to popular misconception, fully automatic firearms--"machine guns," in common parlance--are not illegal in many states. The National Firearms Act of 1934 imposed extremely draconian federal restrictions on them, but anyone willing to jump through all the hoops, and pay the $200 tax stamp, could own one (or a hundred). Then, in 1986, the so-called "Hughes Amendment," named after its author, Congressman William Hughes (D-NJ), was passed (albeit questionably), banning private ownership of any fully automatic firearm not manufactured or imported before May 19 , 1986. [More]That's today's St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner. Please give it a look.
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2 comments:
I see the error in desribing the Hughes Amendment has been corrected in the actual article.
Your extract is from an earlier version apparently, 'cause it has the dates backwards. What it banned was the civilian possession of auto weapons NOT made or imported before May 19, 1986.
Arggh--thanks, Sendarius. I caught the error within a few minutes of posting the article, but forgot I'd quoted the messed up part here.
I'm a doofus.
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