U.S. Firearms Laws

1791-12-15 00:00:00

Second Amendment to the United States Constitution (1791)

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Went into effect on December 15, 1791 when the Bill of Rights had been ratified by three-fourths of the States.

1929-02-14 00:00:00

Saint Valentine's Day Massacre

7 gang members shot by a rival gang was featured in media coverage

1934-06-26 00:00:00

National Firearms Act (NFA) Gun Control Act of 1934

73rd Congress, Sess. 2, ch. 757, 48 Stat. 1236, enacted June 26, 1934. TITLE 26, UNITED STATES CODE, CHAPTER 53 Imposes a tax on the manufacture and transfer of all Title II weapons and mandates the registration of those weapons. NFA of 1934 (NFA) is Title II of the U.S. federal firearms laws Enforced by the ATF Restricts importation of machineguns, silencers and other Title II weapons Where we get definitions of "Title II weapons": - Machine Guns (Full Auto) - Short barreled rifles (SBRs) - Short barreled shotguns (SBSs) - Suppressors - Destructive Devices (DDs) - Any Other Weapons (AOWs) http://www.atf.gov/pub/fire-explo_pub/2005/p53004/26usc_chap53.pdf Violations of the Act are punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison and forfeiture of all devices or firearms in violation, and the individual's right to own or possess firearms in the future. The Act provides for a penalty of $10,000 for certain violations

1963-11-22 00:00:00

Assassination of John F. Kennedy

Enter story info here

1965-08-11 00:00:00

Watts Rebellion

Six day riot in Watts, CA 34 deaths 1,032 injurieshttp://www.tiki-toki.com/timeline/entry/90145/U.S.-Firearms-Laws/# 3,438 arrests $40 million in property damage

1968-01-01 00:00:00

Gun Control Act of 1968

Pub. L. No. 90-618, 82 Stat. 1213 Chapter 44 of Title 18, United States Code United States federal law that regulates the firearms industry and firearms owners. The Gun Control Act of 1968 focuses on regulating interstate commerce in firearms by prohibiting interstate firearms transfers except among licensed manufacturers, dealers and importers - GCA is Title I of the U.S. federal firearms laws - Enforced by the ATF - Added a "sporting purpose" test which bans import of military rifles - ATF Form 4590, Factoring Criteria for Weapons, evaluates imported handguns http://www.atf.gov/firearms/firearms_guidebook/FEA-Docs/4590a2X.pdf Where we get: The 10 restrictions on firearm ownership (the questions on Form 4473) - Created the FFL License System, Gunsmiths and Manufacturers - Required Serial Numbers on Firearms - Prohibits persons under 18 from possessing handguns or handgun ammunition - Effectively prohibited the direct mail order of firearms - 922r (firearm assembly regulation) http://www.atf.gov/pub/fire-explo_pub/2005/p53004/18usc_chap44.pdf The following groups of people are ineligible to own firearms under the Gun Control Act of 1968 - Those convicted of felonies and certain misdemeanors - Fugitives from justice - Unlawful users of certain depressant, narcotic, or stimulant drugs - Those adjudicated as mental defectives or incompetents or those committed to any mental institution and currently containing a dangerous mental illness. - llegal Aliens Citizens who have renounced their citizenship - Those persons dishonorably discharged from the Armed Forces - Minors defined as under the age of eighteen for long guns and handguns - Persons subject to a restraining order - Persons convicted in any court of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence (a later addition) - Persons under indictment for a crime punishable by imprisonment for more than one year are ineligible to receive, transport, or ship any firearm or ammunition

1968-06-19 05:12:41

Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968

(Pub.L. 90-351, June 19, 1968, 82 Stat. 197, 42 U.S.C. § 3711) The assassination of President John F. Kennedy raised public concern over the sale and possession requirements of firearms in America - Increased the minimum age to 21 for buying handguns - Created the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA) which was abolished in 1982 Followed by the Gun Control Act of 1968

1976-01-01 00:00:00

Arms Export Control Act of 1976

22 U.S.C. § 2778 gives the President of the United States the authority to control the import and export of defense articles and defense services. It requires governments that receive weapons from the United States to use them for legitimate self-defense. It places certain restrictions on American arms traders and manufacturers, prohibiting them from the sale of certain sensitive technologies to certain parties and requiring thorough documentation of such trades to trusted parties. Regulates the importation of certain firearms, firearms parts and ammunition, Night Vision, etc

1986-05-19 00:00:00

Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986

Firearm Owners' Protection Act (FOPA) 1986 Pub. L. No. 99-308, 100 Stat. 449 (May 19, 1986) - 18 U.S.C. § 921 United States federal law that revised many statutes in the Gun Control Act of 1968. Banned the sale to civilians of NFA weapons manufactured after the date of enactment May 19, 1986 Restricted sales of newly manufactured NFA weapons to military and law enforcement Ended record keeping on ammunition sales, except for armor piercing "Safe passage" provision allows persons to travel with firearms through states that have strict gun control laws Forbid the U.S. Government or any agency of it from keeping any records linking non-National Firearms Act firearms to their owners Because of this Act, records of background checks from the NICS Check are legally required to be destroyed after 24 hours

1989-03-14 00:00:00

Semiautomatic Rifle Import Ban (1989)

Section 925(d)(3) of Title 18, United States Code Report And Recommendation Of The ATF Working Group On The Importability Of Certain Semiautomatic Rifles Gun Control Act (re-interpretation) (1989) On March 14, 1989, ATF announced that it was suspending the importation of several “assault-type” rifles http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/usr/wbardwel/public/nfalist/atf_1989_report.txt

U.S. Firearms Laws

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