Not just "could", but rather "would". The milder Senate version of the "renewal" makes it permanent. It also bans importation of full capacity magazines, regardless of when manufactured. (a wee loophole you understand).
The House version also makes it permanent and greatly increases the number of weapons banned, by reducing from two to one the number of "bad" features allowed. If that passes, say bye bye to any removeable magagine semi-auto with a pistol grip, and that's very strictly defined so as to possibly include a pistol grip stock that is common on many rifles and most definitley includes a thumbhole type stock. Plus it add's several guns by name, such as the M-1 Carbine, and the Mini-14. Of course the idiots didn't include the M-1A or the Mini-30, because they are not only Constitutionally challenged, they are just plain dumb. Heres' the House version's "By name" list.
`(A) The following rifles or copies or duplicates thereof:
`(i) AK, AKM, AKS, AK-47, AK-74, ARM, MAK90, Misr, NHM 90, NHM 91, SA 85, SA 93, VEPR;
`(ii) AR-10;
`(iii) AR-15, Bushmaster XM15, Armalite M15, or Olympic Arms PCR;
`(iv) AR70;
`(v) Calico Liberty;
`(vi) Dragunov SVD Sniper Rifle or Dragunov SVU;
`(vii) Fabrique National FN/FAL, FN/LAR, or FNC;
`(viii) Hi-Point Carbine;
`(ix) HK-91, HK-93, HK-94, or HK-PSG-1;
`(x) Kel-Tec Sub Rifle;
`(xi) M1 Carbine;
`(xii) Saiga;
`(xiii) SAR-8, SAR-4800;
`(xiv) SKS with detachable magazine;
`(xv) SLG 95;
`(xvi) SLR 95 or 96;
`(xvii) Steyr AUG;
`(xviii) Sturm, Ruger Mini-14;
`(xix) Tavor;
`(xx) Thompson 1927, Thompson M1, or Thompson 1927 Commando; or
`(xxi) Uzi, Galil and Uzi Sporter, Galil Sporter, or Galil Sniper Rifle (Galatz).
Guess I need to pickup another two or three AK's before they take them off the shelf. I love my SAR-1. Fun gun and with a plentiful supply of cheap magazine clips and ammunition, you can spend hours plinking without bothering to reload. Man the barrel gets hot though! Burned myself a few times.