Message-ID: 
Newsgroups: AIRGUN.LIST
In a message dated 98-04-12 15:07:59 EDT, you write:
<< The stated goal of HCI is to ban all firearms, unless they've changed it
here
 recently. >>
Well lets take a look at what HCI is actually saying. 
Some pretty tough stuff here. And I can see why some folks wouldn't be very
happy with it, but it isn't anything close to a stated goal of banning all
firearms.
dtf
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Please note that this is direct from the HCI site (without any little extras)
and is posted for eductation and discusion purposes only and does not 
ndicate
any type of endorsement by dtf.
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The Gun Violence Prevention Act--Brady II 
                                         Questions and Answers
What is Brady II?
Brady II is a comprehensive approach to reducing gun violence. It will
regulate the way guns are manufactured and sold in this
country, and stress the need for responsible gun ownership.
Like cars, guns are dangerous. Cars are not designed to kill, and yet are
heavily regulated: You must be of a minimum age, take
a training course, pass a proficiency test; get a license; obtain insurance;
and the car must be registered. And automobile
manufacturers are subject to stringent safety regulations. Guns carry none of
these restrictions. In the interest of saving lives,
Brady II would require gun owners and manufacturers to adopt safety measures
similar to those required of car owners and
manufacturers.
 
Why do we need Brady II?
Gun violence is on the rise. In 1991, more than 38,000 Americans were killed
by firearms--in homicides, suicides and accidents.
Since 1987, the rate for non-handgun murders has declined by 11%, while the
rate of handgun homicides increased by 52%.
The National Center for Health Statistics predicts that in less than ten
years, firearm fatalities will exceed motor vehicle fatalities
nationwide. This is already true for six states and the District of Columbia.
And the Department of Justice reports that crimes
committed with handguns have reached nearly 1 million per year. 
Yet, the illegal gun market flourishes; adults are allowing children access 
o
guns--which are then brought to school, or used to
settle disputes; gun manufacturers are not held to the same level of
accountability and safety that governs all other consumer
products. A problem of such proportions demands more than piecemeal solutions
that leave gaping loopholes through which
illegal guns continue to move.
 
How will Brady II combat this epidemic?
Brady II will stem the flow of guns and ammunition to the illegal market by:
        requiring the licensing of handgun owners and the registration of all
handgun transfers, including private sales; 
        limiting handgun purchases to one per month; 
        strengthening the dealer licensing system so that "kitchen table"
dealers will be put out of business; 
        requiring that ammunition be sold only through licensed dealers, and
that it only be sold to license holders; and 
        requiring that licensed dealers sell only at their place of
business--thereby reducing the number of guns sold at gun
        shows. 
Brady II will deter possession of guns by high-risk persons by:
        adding new categories of prohibited buyers--convicted spouse and 
hild
abusers; 
        prohibiting transfer of handguns to and possession by minors under 
he
age of 21; 
        imposing criminal penalties on gun owners who leave guns accessible 
o
children under the age of 16; 
        making it more difficult for convicted felons to legally own a gun;
and 
        requiring an arsenal license for those who are stockpiling guns and
ammunition. 
Brady II will prevent unintentional shootings by:
        requiring safety training as a condition of receiving a license; 
        holding parents responsible for proper storage of their weapons--and
holding them liable when they do not; and 
        requiring gun manufacturers to install certain safety features in
every gun--including load indicators and magazine
        safeties. 
Brady II will restrict the distribution of guns and ammunition designed for
crime by:
        prohibiting the low-quality, easily concealable handguns known as
Saturday Night Specials, the gun most often
        used in crime; and 
        halting the sale and manufacture of non-sporting ammunition, like the
"Dragon's breath" bullet, and large caliber
        bullets. 
Brady II will strengthen enforcement of existing federal laws by:
        allowing gun violence victims to sue gun law violators in federal
court for damages caused by gun dealers selling
        guns to prohibited buyers; 
        requiring registration of handgun transfers so that traces of guns
used in crime will no longer result in dead ends; 
        closing the loophole that allows the unregulated sale of firearm
parts; and 
        requiring common carriers to check a dealer's license before 
livery.
                 
What is the advantage of licensing handgun purchasers? 
Licensing allows for a more thorough background check, including fingerprint
identification, which stops felons from acquiring
guns through the use of false identification; and residency verification,
which stops buyers and gunrunners from going interstate
to take advantage of weaker gun laws in other states. Eleven states currently
have some form of licensing.
Licensing also makes it possible to regulate private or secondary transfers 
f
handguns or firearms. Under current law--the
Brady law--only persons buying handguns through licensed dealers are subject
to background checks. Subsequent buyers are
not. The licensing requirement of Brady II ensures that all purchasers will 
e
subject to a background check, and that those who
sell handguns to unlicensed individuals are breaking federal law.
 
Isn't registration just the first step towards confiscation?
Today, eleven states provide for the registration of handguns or firearms:
        Hawaii 
        North Carolina 
        Maryland 
        Oregon 
        Michigan 
        Pennsylvania 
        Mississippi 
        South Carolina 
        New Hampshire 
        Washington 
        New York 
These laws have clearly not prevented law-abiding citizens from having access
to guns--nor has there been any attempt to
disarm residents in those states.
 
How will registering handgun transfers reduce crime? 
The required registration of all handgun transfers, together with licensing,
will make it possible to identify and prosecute those
who illegally sell or transfer guns to criminals, youth and other prohibited
purchasers. 
Currently, local law enforcement must go to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco 
nd
Firearms for assistance in tracing guns linked
to crime. ATF contacts the manufacturer of the gun, who in turn, identifies
the licensed gun dealer to whom the gun was sold.
ATF must then contact the gun dealer to determine who bought the gun at the
store.
Gun owners, however, are not required in most states to record any subsequent
sale of the gun. Many traces, as a
consequence, are unsuccessful and criminal prosecutions do not result. 
Under Brady II, any person selling a handgun without recording the sale will
be subject to prosecution.
Requiring the registration of secondary transfers allows for faster tracing 
f
weapons used in crimes and puts "straw
purchasers" and illegal gun dealers at risk of criminal prosecution and civil
lawsuits for selling guns to prohibited purchasers.
 
What other measures in Brady II address illegal gun sales?
Brady II includes a provision to limit handgun purchases to one per month.
Similar legislation was passed in 1993 in Virginia,
when legislators in that state became concerned about their growing 
eputation
as the gun running source for the Northeast.
Virginia's instant background check was not enough of a deterrent--but
limiting purchases to one per person per month made
Virginia an inefficient destination for gun traffickers. Because who, other
then a gun trafficker, needs more than one handgun a
month?
 
What's the purpose of requiring handgun buyers to pass a safety course?
Safety training will help to reduce unintentional shootings and handgun
suicides. Handgun buyers need to be trained in the proper
handling of a handgun so that the weapon is not accidentally discharged.
Handgun owners should also know how to store their
weapon, so that unauthorized users, including young children and teens, do 
ot
gain access to it. 
Finally, handgun owners should be familiar with their legal responsibilities
as gun owners.
 
How does Brady II address the dangers of guns in the home?
In addition to requiring handgun buyers to pass a safety course, Brady II
requires parents to keep a loaded handgun out of the
reach of children under the age of 16. It also requires manufacturers to
design and produce guns that reduce the chances of
tragic accidents. Magazine safeties and load indicators will prevent the
mistaken belief that the gun is not loaded or will not fire. 
 
How does Brady II affect the manufacture of handguns?
Manufacturers would be required to make much-needed improvements in gun
safety. All firearms would have to come equipped
with load indicators. Handguns would be required to have child-proof 
afeties,
so that a child under the age of seven would be
unable to release it. Finally, pistols would have to be designed so that they
are rendered incapable of firing the bullet in the
chamber once the magazine has been removed. Manufacturers of handguns would
also be forbidden from producing handguns
that are defined as Saturday Night Specials.
 
How does Brady II tighten the regulation of licensed gun dealers?
Brady II raises the fee (presently $200 for 3 years) for Federal Firearms
Licenses (FFLs) to $1,000 per year--an increase that
would reduce substantially the number of FFLs while giving the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) the additional
resources needed to adequately regulate gun dealers. Today there are only 240
ATF inspectors to monitor the activities of more
than 280,000 federally-licensed gun dealers.
Brady II also imposes stricter requirements on gun dealers. Dealers would be
required to: 1) make all sales from their licensed
business premise, stopping the sales from car trunks and "kitchen tables;" 
nd
2) carry liability insurance to cover damages
resulting from the wrongful or negligent transfer of a handgun. 
 
How does Brady II affect gun owners?
Brady II will not stop any law abiding citizen from buying or possessing a
firearm. It does require the buyer of a handgun to get a
license, pass a safety test, and record any subsequent sale, but that's no
different or burdensome than what we ask of those
who want to drive a car.
 
Brady II is a gun-grabbing, gun-banning bill that will take guns away from
law-abiding citizens, right?
Wrong. This bill does not stop anyone from buying a gun for sport or self-
protection; it simply requires that people who buy
handguns know how to handle them, know how to store them, and know their
responsibilities as gun owners. This bill does not
stop manufacturers from making handguns; it simply requires that they make
guns that meet minimal safety standards. And this
bill does not take guns out of the hands of law-abiding adults. It keeps guns
out of the hands of children, convicted felons and
those who have a history of domestic violence.
 
Will Brady II save lives?
Absolutely. Look at what we have done over the past twenty-five years to
reduce automobile deaths. We tightened up the
licensing requirements for drivers. We built safer cars and safer highways.
And we prosecuted drunk drivers. As a result, the
auto fatality rate dropped by 36 percent. And we can do the same thing with
firearms. We can license gun purchasers, we can
build safer guns, and we can vigorously prosecute those who illegally sell
guns to children and criminals. And that will save lives.
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