preview

The Firearm Owners Protection Act

Better Essays

A large part of America’s identity is rooted in gun ownership. From the Revolutionary War to modern day, a significant number of Americans own firearms for hunting, sporting, and self-defense. While the Supreme Court ruled in Heller v. D.C. that the Second Amendment guarantees citizens the right to privately own firearms, whether that right is open to regulation or not has been hotly debated. Major pieces of legislation such as the National Firearms Act of 1934, the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (1993), the Firearm Owners Protection Act (1986), and the Federal Assault Weapons Ban (1994) have regulated firearms in the United States. However, even though there are national laws that regulate ownership of firearms, the individual state laws differ greatly. The division of authority between the national and state governments has produced significant differences in firearm regulations. There are laws at the national level regarding firearms. These laws apply across the board to every state. For example, in 1986, the Firearm Owners’ Protection Act banned the possession or transport of fully automatic weapons, also known as machine guns, made after May 19, 1986 (National Firearms Act). Another national gun law was the Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 (expired in 2004), which banned certain semi-automatic firearms if they had multiple of certain features such as: a collapsable stock, a pistol grip, a flash suppressor, a detachable magazine, etc.. It also banned magazines that

Get Access