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			    GENERAL-RKBA Digest 323
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) FAXALERT: BATF Surveying Select Groups Regarding Properly 
             Importable Firearms by NRA Alerts 
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Topic No. 1
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 10:38:58 -0500 (EST)
From: NRA Alerts 
To: general-rkba-real.nra
Subject: FAXALERT: BATF Surveying Select Groups Regarding Properly 
                   Importable Firearms
Message-ID: 
                        NRA-ILA FAX ALERT
           11250 Waples Mill Road * Fairfax, VA  22030
    Phone: 1-800-392-8683 * Fax: 703-267-3918 * GROOTS@NRA.org
SPECIAL                                                  12/17/97
                                
                   THE NEXT LINK IN THE CHAIN:
             BATF Sends Letter & Survey to Determine
           Certain Rifles' Suitability for Importation
     On December 10, BATF Director John Magaw sent a letter and
survey to select groups and individuals seeking their input on
whether certain modified semi-automatic rifles are "properly
importable" based upon whether they "are particularly suitable
for or readily adaptable to hunting or organized competitive
target shooting."  (Many of you may have already seen these
items, as they've created quite a buzz on the Internet as of
late.)  This language is another link in the "sporting purposes"
chain that was established by the Gun Control Act of 1968 -- a
criteria which NRA has long rejected as arbitrary and
unacceptable.  For starters, the Second Amendment makes no
mention of "sporting purposes" in its guarantee of our right to
keep and bear arms, and this test totally ignores other
important, legitimate reasons for owning firearms, e.g., self-
defense and collecting.  Moreover, under this factoring criteria,
firearms are not considered useful for sporting purposes unless
they are actively being used in an organized target shooting
event or for hunting.  Translation: the BATF considers practicing
for a shooting event or "plinking" -- two activities that
dominate the shooting community -- as illegitimate for the
purposes of whether a firearm should be legal for importation.  
     Does any of this sound familiar?  It should. This philosophy
is in line with Senator Barbara Boxer's (D-Cal.) bill, S. 70 --
the "American Handgun Standards Act," that would ban any handgun
deemed not appropriate for importation -- a bill that, by her own
concession, would ban upwards of 50% of handguns in America. 
BATF's latest actions, coupled with bills such as S. 70,
demonstrate with clarity that the anti-gunners are fighting their
anti-freedom battle on many fronts.  
     Add to the Boxer bill, Sen. Dianne Feinstein's (D-Cal.)
recent outrage over BATF technical staff informing gun
manufacturers of what modifications they would need to make to
their firearms to bring them in accordance with federal law --
including the 1994 Clinton gun ban which Feinstein herself
authored in the U.S. Senate!  Don't forget, it was Sen.
Feinstein, who, when confronted with FBI data showing rifles of
all types are used in only 3% of homicides, noted, "I don't doubt
that at all...It is probably less than 3%." (San Diego Union
Tribune, 1/30/94).  This latest attempt to gather information on
the usage of some semi-automatics to determine their suitability
for importation has nothing to do with crime.  It is a blatant
political move -- plain and simple.  
     In light of this latest development, we're asking all NRA-
ILA Volunteers who have been contacted by BATF to let us know
that they've received Mr. Magaw's letter and survey (we suspect
many of you in the competitive shooting community were not
contacted by BATF for your input).  For those who would like to
see a copy of this mailing and survey, you can call the NRA-ILA
Grassroots Division at 800/392-8683 for copies.  In the meantime,
all members are encouraged to contact their U.S. Representative
at 202/225-3121, and encourage them to support H.R. 2734 -- Rep.
Bob Barr's (R-Ga.) bill which calls for the repeal of the
"sporting purposes" test.
Stay tuned for additional information in future FAX Alerts.
=+=+=+=+
This information is provided as a service of the National Rifle
Association Institute for Legislative Action, Fairfax, VA.
This and other information on the Second Amendment and the NRA is
available at: http://WWW.NRA.Org
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End of GENERAL-RKBA Digest 323
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