Democrats encouraged by Senate approval of amendment requiring handgun safety locks

mLive ^ | 2/26/04 | Associated Press

[NavyCaptain]

I think they got their peace offering. Child locks are acceptable to almost all. A ban is a harder mountain to climb.

[George from New England]

You got it!

When the burglar breaks in - you will both race to take off your trigger locks. Whoever gets theirs off first, shoots.

Only problem, burglar forgot his lock, you dead.

[AD from SpringBay]

What's the Senate? I remember at one time we had something called a Senate - they used to establish laws, or something like that. At least they used to before the judges took it over. So they're still in business? Well I'll be.

[bolobaby]

Gee... I wonder if these lawmakers realize that a trigger lock really doesn't prevent a single-action handgun from going off? I guess those will become more popular now, because if I'm going to protect my home, I'm not going to want to fart around looking for the trigger lock keys!

[boomop1]

The senate are a bunch of pompous morons that should be on term limits.

[drlevy88]

Assuming you use the lock, of course. Except in rare cases, a wise person, and surely one living alone, shouldn't.

[finnman69]

EXCEPT the bill does not require homeowners to use the locks.

other than that your scenario works.

[Slings and Arrows]

If I'm reading this article correctly, the amendment doesn't require that the safety locks be integral, or even used - only that they be present. (Taurus, for example, has key-activated locks built into many of its handguns.) If this is the case, the amendment just becomes a de facto tax on handguns - not good, but not crippling. Of course, the lamestream media rarely gets it right when it comes to guns.

[Arthalion]

Which is why my gun is under my bed in a thumbprint activated safe with a spring loaded door. It takes me longer to chamber a round than it does to get my gun out, and I don't have to worry about my kids stumbling across it.

There are solutions to every problem. If there isn't, someone will invent one and make a lot of money.

[Littlejon]

I was wondering about that. Does this amendment REQUIRE that the gun have the lock on at all times, or that they must be sold WITH the gun at purchase?

Seems like I recall someone here posting that this amendment had the provision that locks had to be ON the gun at all times while stored in the home or there was some big fine. I have not heard one way or the other on it.

As a card-carrying member of the NRA, I have no real problem with the amendment if it only requires the sale of the locks with the gun purchase. If it has some hidden language (wouldn't put it past Babs!) saying that the owner had to have the lock ON the gun at all times it was not in use, then I say kill the amendment.

Frankly, I hope they kill pretty much all of the attempts to further erode the Second Amendment, but with this senate in place, I wonder sometimes! Thank God we still have sensible minds in the House!

[drlevy88]

Thumbprint activated safe? There such a thing in the real world yet? I would had to see what would happen if you had to get into that with a cut thumb.

[drlevy88]

had to see -> hate to see

[Imal]

This is one reason, but not the only reason, why I can never vote for a Democrat.

As for the amendment, Congress has no constitutional authority to legislate on how I store my guns. The "elastic commerce clause" only stretches so far, and not enough to cover this.

[azcap]

The amendment only requires a lock be sold with it. This will be a boon for enterprising gun stores. Sell a trigger lock with every gun for $10 and offer the new gun owner a $5 trade in on his trigger lock towad the purchase of ammo. Your shop can sell the same lock for the rest of your life.

[.38sw]

Those who buy locks are more likely to use them. That much we know is certain."

and how do they know this for certain? California already requires the purchase of a DoJ approved lock with every firearm (unless you sign an affadavit that you own a DoJ approved safe). I have several of those locks, and resent every dollar I spent on them.

[Condor51]

Oh goody, another trigger lock to throw into the 'junk drawer'.

Hell, they don't even make good paper weights. But I guess if you had a sock full you could use them to whack someone in the head with.

[tahiti]

"The GOP-controlled Senate voted 70-27 to require all handguns sold in the United States to have child safety locks,"

Amendment V

"...nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation."

This law is unconstitutional as in now stands unless a compensation mechanism to reimburse gun manufacturers for the extra cost that they will incur to implement this law.

I thought each Senator took an oath that they will uphold, protect, and abide by the covenents of the Constitution.

[yonif]

I don't understand why so many republicans voted for it.