One handgun a month law

A one-handgun a month law is a law which limits handgun purchases to one per 30-days, for an individual. Proponents supported such laws in the effort to keep criminals, or would be criminals from amassing large numbers of handguns in a short period of time. Supporters argued that gun traffickers frequently purchase large numbers of cheap handguns from states which lack such laws in order to transport and sell them within states with such laws.

The United States gun sales have risen steadily in the 21st century.[1]

The first law of such nature was passed in 1975 in the state of South Carolina (which was repealed in 2004[2]). The policy gained some further recognition, after the state of Virginia enacted similar legislation in 1993 (which was also repealed in 2012[3][4]). At the time, it was claimed that 40% of the guns used in crime in New York City could be traced back to the state of Virginia.[5]

The Virginia one handgun a month law was effectively resurrected in 2020 when the Virginia General Assembly enacted SB69. The legislation exempted Concealed Handgun Permit holders from this prohibition.[6]

As of 2012, the District of Columbia, along with three states have one-handgun a month laws; these states are California, Maryland, and New Jersey.[4] New York City also has this law. The District of Columbia's law was struck down by a federal appeals court in 2015.[7]

The ATF has described straw purchases as follows: Straw purchases are one of the most frequent methods used to divert firearms out of lawful commerce, where they are a heavily regulated commodity, and onto the street, where they are available to anyone. Convicted felons [or other individuals prohibited under federal law from purchasing firearms] will simply use a friend, a family member or a girlfriend to buy a gun for them. The felon provides the money for the gun, selects the gun, and directs the purchase. The straw purchaser just fills out all of the required paperwork, posing as the buyer...[8]

See also

References
  1. Gun sale data from: Brownlee, Chip (December 30, 2022). "Gun Violence in 2022, By the Numbers". The Trace. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Annual gun sales estimates are based on data from the FBI's National Instant Background Check System ——— NICS firearm check data downloaded via link at "NICS Firearm Background Checks: Month/Year" (PDF). FBI.gov. Federal Bureau of Investigation. March 31, 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 20, 2023.
  2. Gov. Sanford signs law ending limiting gun purchases, WISTV, May 24, 2004
  3. Restrictions on Multiple Purchases or Sales of Firearms Legal Community Against Violence, 2008 Archived November 1, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  4. David Sherfinski (January 31, 2012). "Va. House advances repeal of one-handgun-a-month". Washington Times. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  5. Aisch, Gregor (13 November 2015). "How Gun Traffickers Get Around State Gun Laws". The New York Times.
  6. Pierce, John (2022-08-09). "Purchasing multiple handguns in Virginia". The Law Office of John Pierce, Esq. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  7. Marimow, Ann E.; Spencer S. Hsu (18 September 2015). "U.S. appeals court strikes down one-gun-a-month law in District". The Washington Post. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  8. FACT SHEET ON VIRGINIA’S ONE‐HANDGUN‐A‐MONTH LAW Retrieved 8 June 2023
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.