The Hughes Amendment of the Firearms Owners Protection Act.

Post Reply New Topic

The Hughes Amendment of the FOPA of 1986 (named for Rep. William J. Hughes D-NJ) bans civilian ownership of automatic firearms or "machine guns" registered after May 19, 1986. Then-Rep. Hughes stated himself that the Amendment was meant to kill the bill. Because of this act, the lowest price you can find for any weapon with an automatic sear registered as a Class III weapon before May 19, 1986 is roughly $4000 USD. If it was not for this act that figure would be roughly $700 USD. Do you agree or disagree with this act?

Personally, I think the pro-gun politicians want this provision to stand because they think an automatic weapon is a threat to their power.

More information can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearm_O ... ection_Act and here: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/921

The part of FOPA that bans sale of post-86 class III weapons?
I disagree with any anti-gun legislation and that's what it is, plain and simple.


No, I don't see how that would be a concern to them. Only the hand-wringers get all wrapped around the axle over things like that.
That part of FOPA has pretty much become status quo over the years and I don't think enough people care one way or the other. I'd like to see it gone so I can add a few more toys to my toy chest.

IIRC, there's some question as to the legality of the Hughes Amendment, as it was enacted in the middle of the night under fishy circumstances. I'd of course love to see it go, but don't consider it likely as machineguns are sort of the bastard stepchild of gun rights.

I should have specified that part.

I have that sentiment because back in 2004 Bush supported the extension of the Clinton Crime Bill( http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/08/us/ir ... all&src=pm ) , and more than a few "pro-gun" activist have strongly disagreed with me on the subject of civilian ownership of automatic weapons.

Charlie Rangel (D-NY), who is well known for his ethics violations, used improper protocol to pass the vote in the middle of the night. The amendment has done precisely crap to affect firearms related crime or any violent crime for that matter. Legally possessed machine guns were already totally absent from the streets then this law was passed. Somehow banning legal machine guns that are fairly complicated to buy get approved to upgrade was going to sole a few sensationalized incidents where a semiauto was very crudely modified- often in ways that would multiply the wear and tear on the gun that it was never meant to handle.

We'll never know if he was serious. He could afford to take a wishy-waashy stance and duck the controversy sine he knew he likely wouldn't have to make good on anything he said about the matter. Under his administration, the ATF paid relatively little attention to civilian firearm purchases compared to Obama, and was lax on enforcing Clinton's executive order on import rules.

most automatic weapons aren't any more powerful than semi-automatic ones.

Exactly, just like a round from a rifle with an 11" barrel will kill you just as fast a round from a rifle with a 16" barrel.

In fact, unless you want to lug a 60+ pound gun and tripod around, fully automatic firearms tend to be restricted to smaller calibers to make them controllable. A full auto .338 Winchester, .338 Laupua, .375 Holland and Holland, or .416 Rigby and the like would not only knock you on your butt and leave you shooting up the air or anything else the muzzle fell towards, but you would need shoulder surgery in short order that would make a major league pitcher cringe. The media tells tall tales about how powerful machine guns are, yet the bullets they shoot are spitwads in comparison to try truly big calibers. Last of all, bullets from a 11 inch barrel are slower than from a 16 inch barrel, which are slower than even longer barrels. A little less powder is burnt inside the barrel and the pressure doesn't push on it quite as long as a longer barrel using the same bullet. Short barreled rifles and shotguns were not restricted because they are any more or less effective than their longer counterparts, but because mobsters liked them and it was something cops could charge them for if nothing else would quite stick. The only question about public safety was singling out the mob rather than anything to do with the weapons in question, which were widely accepted and in very common use at the time by the general public.

^
I've shot an MG42 in 8mm Mauser from the shoulder, as well as an M60 in 7.62 Nato and a USAS12 12gauge. The MG42 mas by far the most pleasant, as the rate of fire made it feel like one long push, though I did have lean into it pretty hard, while the USAS12 was the worst due to the hard kick and the low RPM, making sure I felt each and every shot going off.

True. The .30-06, 8mm Mauser, 7.62x54R, and .308 are about as big as it can get when it comes to choosing a cartridge for a easily portable machine gun. Still, they are relatively small and light compared to what it would take to pull off some of the media's claims, like that an AK-47 could blow a deer to bits like it was a pumpkin, so therefore in their private universe, there is no reason to keep one even for hunting.

I don't particularly care whether I can buy a full-auto weapon or not. I enjoy shooting them, but I can do that as long as I find an appropriately licensed FFL. Although, I do find it extremely stupid that mere possession of an M16 full-auto sear as well as possession of an AR15 or similar rifle will result in a conviction. Whereas possession of either one or the other is perfectly fine.

Thanks so much, ATF. Go smuggle some more guns into Mexico and leave us alone, please.

What I find odd is that when it comes to the Hughes Amendment, the ATF considers this a gun and the only thing that has to be registered before May 19, 1986.



You can do whatever you want with the rest of the weapon.

A true M-16 receiver is slightly different compared to a AR-15 receiver, and the trigger parts are different. What you are showing is a semiauto.

Machine gun trigger parts are also regulated. For non-NFA items, you only need to have a background check for one major part. A gun won't work without a frame or receiver, and they take time, machine shop equipment, and a degree of skill to produce yourself. If you are not prohibited from having a gun, it is legal in most states (even California) to fabricate a gun in a legal configuration for personal use only. They can be made transferable but that takes a little ATF paperwork and a tax.

That would happen to be the first image of a stripped lower I could find, but I see your point. I have yet to see an automatic sear and lower assembly for sale anywhere on the web.

They were all picked over 25 years ago. When one goes for sale occasionally, it gets snapped up quick and often sells for around $15k.