Posted on 12/02/2019 9:50:39 AM PST by Black_Rifle_Gunsmith
Mike Bloombergs gun control group outspent the NRA in Virginias election by multitudes, hoping to clinch new seats and make unconstitutional inroads against the Second Amendment in the Old Dominion. Bloombergs plan unfortunately appears to have paid off: Senator Richard L. Saslaw, Bloombergs bought-and-paid-for Democrat, recently introduced legislation that would effectively outlaw most semiautomatic firearms in the state. Bill SB 16, introduced by Saslaw on November 18, states, It is unlawful for any person to import, sell, transfer, manufacture, purchase, possess, or transport an assault firearm. The bill greatly expands the states arbitrary definition of an assault firearm to include most modern firearms:
A semi-automatic centerfire rifle with a fixed magazine with a capacity greater than 10 rounds, or with a detachable magazine that has one of the following characteristics:
(i) a folding or telescoping stock; (ii) a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the rifle; (iii) a thumbhole stock; (iv) a second handgrip or a protruding grip that can be held by the non-trigger hand; (v) a bayonet mount; (vi) a grenade launcher; (vii) a flare launcher; (viii) a silencer; (ix) a flash suppressor; (x) a muzzle brake; (xi) a muzzle compensator; (xii) a threaded barrel or (xiii) any characteristic of like kind as enumerated in clauses (i) through (xii);
A semi-automatic centerfire pistol with a fixed magazine capacity greater than 10 rounds, or with a detachable magazine that has one of the following characteristics:
(i) a folding or telescoping stock; (ii) a thumbhole stock; (iii) a second handgrip or a protruding grip that can be held by the non-trigger hand; (iv) the capacity to accept a magazine that attaches to the pistol outside of the pistol grip; (v) a shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles, the barrel and that permits the shooter to hold the pistol with the non-trigger hand without being burned; (vi) a manufactured weight of 50 ounces or more when the pistol is unloaded; (vii) a threaded barrel or (viii) any characteristic of like kind as enumerated in clauses (i) through (vii);
A shotgun with a revolving cylinder or one of the following characteristics:
(i) a folding or telescoping stock, (ii) a thumbhole stock, (iii) a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the shotgun, (iv) the ability to accept a detachable magazine, (v) a fixed magazine capacity in excess of seven rounds, or (vi) any characteristic of like kind as enumerated in clauses (i) through (v).
Reading through the dizzying amount of restrictions, it quickly becomes apparent Bloombergs proxy war on the Second Amendment is alive and well. If passed, SB 16 would effectively ban nearly all semiautomatic rifles, shotguns, and handguns and there are no provisions listed in the bill for grandfathering any currently-owned firearms. The bill also mandates that any violation of the new restrictions is punishable as a Class 6 felony, or up to five years in prison. That means the moment the bill goes into effect, tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of gun-owning Virginians would suddenly be classified as felons under threat of harsh imprisonment. But SB 16 isnt particularly worrying for all its explicit restrictions. Rather, the bill is one of the worst gun control attempts in recent history because of what it doesnt say. The legislation repeatedly calls for the need to restrict any characteristics of like kind features of a gun not defined in the bill. The sole purpose of this language is to cast an unconstitutionally vague net over any other firearms or gun parts the state Democrats find to be illegal by their standards, without requiring them to obtain any knowledge or context.
In this writers opinion, the language is a damning admission of Democratic ignorance: We want to ban other guns, but were too uninformed to say which ones. Were using characteristics because we cant be bothered to understand how these guns work, either. The consequences of the bill are immediately apparent. For example, Rugers popular Precision Rimfire Rifle a target-shooting rifle chambered in .22 LR would be banned because it accepts a detachable box magazine. Any popular and commonly owned hunting shotguns with a pistol grip or thumbhole stock would be banned, too. But it gets worse still. The legislation casts an even wider net which truly illustrates the unconstitutional reach Democrats are trying to garner: Assault firearm" includes any part or combination of parts designed or intended to convert, modify, or otherwise alter a firearm into an assault firearm, or any combination of parts that may be readily assembled into an assault firearm. This language bans any gun part which could be used to make a gun into an assault weapon by the bills definitions. That means owning nothing more than a pistol grip for an AR-15 would make you a felonious gun owner in Virginia. Imagine going to prison for up to five years because you own a piece of plastic shaped to fit your palm. The reason behind why Saslaw and state Dems included this blanket ban on accessories is readily apparent: Theyre afraid of the AR-15, the most popular and easily modifiable rifle sold in America today.
In fact, the AR-15 could arguably be the most banned gun by SB 16s language. After all, nearly every component on a typical AR-15 meets the features test for being defined as an assault firearm: Telescoping stocks, pistol grips, 30-round box magazines, muzzle devices, forward-facing grips, and threaded barrels mark the very construction of even a basic black rifle. This language also appears to ban the sale, ownership, and use of any type of gun-making kits and parts. The 80% lower receiver one of many firearm blanks not regulated but affirmed to be legal by the ATF can be used to build an AR-15 at home and was made popular in the past five years by amateur gunsmiths. Yet SB 16 says since the rifles individual parts (like the lower receiver) could be used to make an assault firearm, it could be argued that the receiver blank is, too, considered an assault firearm. The same would apply to any type of build kits and gunsmithing tool kits frequently purchased online, which include firearm parts identified in the bill. If youre a pistol lover, youll find little solace in this bill. SB 16 also bans the import, sale, and ownership of magazines that can hold 10 or more rounds, punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor. Since nearly every semiautomatic pistol in existence has a magazine with such a capacity, most handgun owners in Virginia would be labeled criminals, too.
The bill currently resides at the Virginia House floor. If the bill passes, it would likely provide a worrying boon for Bloombergs anti-gun White House campaign. Residents are strongly urged to contact your state senators and local representatives and demand a vote against SB 16.
Got Democrats?
And the gun owners in VA just sit on their asses. Hey! Maybe voting will help! Lol
A semi-automatic centerfire rifle with a fixed magazine with a capacity greater than 10 rounds, or with a detachable magazine that has one of the following characteristics:
(i) a folding or telescoping stock; (ii) a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the rifle; (iii) a thumbhole stock; (iv) a second handgrip or a protruding grip that can be held by the non-trigger hand; (v) a bayonet mount; (vi) a grenade launcher; (vii) a flare launcher; (viii) a silencer; (ix) a flash suppressor; (x) a muzzle brake; (xi) a muzzle compensator; (xii) a threaded barrel
or (xiii) any characteristic of like kind as enumerated in clauses (i) through (xii);
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The way I read this, the Ruger Mini 30 and Mini 14 are still OK.
Corrected: Try to Ban Most Guns in the hands of Non-Violent Honest Citizens.
There is a rally planned. Our handiman says every redneck in VA is going to be there. It is still open carry in VA.
Any time the Democrats talk about banning “assault weapons”, they mean all semiautomatic weapons...rifles and pistols.
I was thinking the same thing. Provided it doesn’t have a muzzle brake/flash suppressor, or more than a 10 round mag.
Hey! Maybe mini 14 mags will finally become afordable
Sure, open carry is. Patriotism, on the other hand, is sorely lacking.
I see the NRA finally got back from their vacation. Meanwhile, the VCDL has been creating 2nd amendment sanctuary counties all over the western side of the state and planning massive rallies. Also, I am not sure the writer has really read the bill, the bill says center-fire rifles with detachable magazines.
For now.
Democrats have a strong incentive, in the form of millions in dark money, to implement new gun control laws. CNBC reported that Everytown for Gun Safety a gun control-advocacy group largely bankrolled by billionaire Michael Bloomberg "spent $2.5 million this year to influence voters in Virginia versus approximately $300,000 by the NRA, which has its headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia."
Of course the mainstream media has the masses believing the big bad NRA is throwing around billions of dollars, when the reality is they don't really spend that much, especially compared to the side with multiple billionaires (Michael Bloomberg, Edward Stack, etc.) in its corner.
Seems like the Virginians are in permanent free-fall
OMG the horrid bayonet mount! Quick! How many people in the USA have been killed with a fixed bayonet since 1900!
Must be an epidemic of them!
We’ve come a long way from the 1960s through the 1980s when the cry was “WE Only want to register all guns, and ban handguns! Rifles will not be affected!”
“Rifles will not be affected!”
“Rifles will not be affected!”
“Rifles will be affected!”
I look forward to seeing how the liberals on the Supreme Court attempt to justify banning a rifle simply because it has a bayonet mount.
No it’s the semi auto versions of the CZ Scorpion, H&K MP5, Micro Dracos, etc. that they want to ban.
The NRA needs its ace legal team on this and planning for what court actions they can take when this or a dozen other anti-gun bills that have been prefiled are rammed through by the Democrat majority early next year. The Dems intend to cripple conservatives and turn Virginia into a version of New York or California. It looks like that only court action might slow them down because they will have total control of the state government.
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