It will probably come as no surprise to most TTAG readers that a gun-ban advocate in the U.S. Congress has once again introduced a measure to ban many semi-automatic rifles used commonly and legally for plinking, competition, hunting and self-defense.
Last week, in celebration of “Gun Violence Awareness Month,” Democrat U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath introduced HR 8600, the “Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion Act (GOSAFE), in the House. A similar bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate last November but hasn’t gained any traction in that body.
In the past, such proposed bans have used a combination of cosmetic features and lists of specific firearms that would be restricted. This measure would specifically targets rifles, shotguns and pistols that use any sort of spent propellant gasses to cycle the action during the reloading process.
While the language of the measure is not yet available, the earlier stated: “The term ‘semi-automatic firearm’ means any firearm that upon initiating the firing sequence, fires the first chambered cartridge and uses a portion of the energy of the firing cartridge to extract the expended cartridge case; chamber the next round; and prepare the firing mechanism to fire again; requires a separate pull, release, push or initiation of the trigger to fire each cartridge; and is not a machine gun.”
“The GOSAFE Act honors our constitutional rights while keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of those who should not have them,” McBath said in a press release announcing the measure. “I thank Senator Heinrich and our partners for their support in bringing about this common-sense piece of legislation. The American people deserve to live free, healthy lives safe from the horror of gun violence—this is an important step in making that a reality.”
Of course, gun-ban advocates from various anti-Second Amendment groups were thrilled with McBath’s announcement and were happy to lie about the guns the legislation targets.
“As weapons of war have become commonplace in America, so has the unfathomable carnage they wreak on our communities,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, a group that has everything to do with banning guns and nothing to do with safety. “We applaud Representative McBath for introducing innovative legislation that would regulate assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, which are capable of creating devastating destruction in an instant. We urge Representative McBath’s colleagues to pass this bill before yet another community is forever scarred by someone filled with hate and armed with an AR-15.”
The group Moms Demand Action also got in on cheering for the latest proposed gun ban. And like Feinblatt, MDA Executive Director Angela Ferrel-Zabala chose to focus on the lie that AR-15-style firearms are “military-grade” and “weapons of war.”
“The GOSAFE Act is a common-sense bill that will keep our communities safe while respecting the Second Amendment,” Ferrell-Zabala said. “Military-style weapons, designed for battlefield destruction, have no place in our neighborhoods. We are grateful to Representative McBath for leading the charge on this groundbreaking legislation to stop the senseless mass shootings that devastate our communities.”
The measure has been assigned to the House Judiciary Committee for consideration.
If such a ridiculous measure were passed, depending on how the language is written, it could ultimately not just target AR-style rifles as many of its proponents are opining. It could also ban many common semi-automatic shotguns used for hunting as well, since most of those guns use gas to cycle sequential rounds.
Read the full article here