President Obama Issues Executive Orders Targeting Firearms
On August 29, 2013, the Obama administration announced two Executive Orders that will restrict the importation and domestic transfers of certain classes of firearms. These two Executive Orders operate as law by fiat, not subject to Congressional concurrence.
One Executive Order bans the re-importation of surplus U.S.-made rifles, including M1 Garands and M1 Carbines. Such rifles are used in Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) competitions. For decades the CMP has sold M1 Garands and M1 Carbines, many re-imported from arsenals overseas, to qualified American shooters. The White House stated: “Today, the Administration is announcing a new policy of denying requests to bring military-grade firearms back into the United States to private entities, with only a few exceptions such as for museums.”
It is unclear how this Executive Order will enhance public safety, since FBI crime statistics show that such vintage arms are virtually never employed in the commission of crimes. Professor John R. Lott Jr., former chief economist at the United States Sentencing Commission, observes: “Despite the scary rhetoric, the White House is leaving out one important point: it isn’t pointing to any cases where imported U.S.-made military weapons have been used in a crime. And the reason is obvious: there probably aren’t any.”
The second Executive Order changes the rules on acquisition and transfers of National Fireams Act (NFA) firearms (such as machine guns) and other NFA items (such as sound moderators) through Corporations and Firearms Trusts. When sold to individuals, such items do require background checks. However, the White House claimed: “At present, when the weapon is registered to a trust or corporation, no background check is run. ATF reports that last year alone, it received more than 39,000 requests for transfers of these restricted firearms to trusts or corporations.” It is the intent of this Executive Order to block a significant number of NFA transfers to Firearms Trusts and Corporations. Again, it is unclear how the new restrictions on NFA transfers will reduce crime. In fact, BearingArms.com asserts that: “Only two [registered] NFA machine guns — neither of which were acquired via gun trusts — have been used in murders in 79 years.”
Professor Lott challenges the need for changes to the NFA Laws as they pertain to corporations: “Again, the Obama administration doesn’t provide examples of people using a corporation to register handguns or semi-automatic rifles as a way to bypass criminal background checks. More importantly, it fails to point to any cases where such guns have been used in crimes. Yes, when registered to a corporation, any officer is allowed to possess the machine gun, but [the transfer] still requires a NICS check for the person actually picking up the gun.” READ Lott Commentary.
Thoughts On Executive Orders — by Tony Chow
It’s important to realize that the anti-gun people aren’t interested in gun control as a practical measure to combat “gun violence” or achieve “gun safety”. They are animated above all by a reflexive dislike of guns, and an abhorrence of the very notion of an armed citizenry. Their motives are ideological, rather than practical. To them, it doesn’t matter whether a type of firearm is used in crimes or not; the only good gun is a banned gun. This explains why the efforts in the 70s and 80s to restrict handguns, which still account for the vast majority of gun crimes, were abandoned in favor of an assault on “assault weapons”, .50-caliber rifles, and now, vintage “military-style” rifles and already heavily-restricted NFA weapons — firearms that, though used infrequently or not at all in crimes, are easy to describe in scary terms to the general public.
Tony Chow is a target shooter who competes in smallbore and 300-meter disciplines.
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Tags: Corporation, Executive Order, Gun Ban, Gun Trust, John Lott, M1 Garand, Machine Gun, NFA, Obama, President Obama
this administration doesn’t care about less crime, only less legal gun ownership
Guess what Mr. President! Those Garands and Carbines that have been setting in Korea for the past 60 years will be just fine setting there for another 60. But they’re coming back whether you like it or not. If not me, my kids or my kids kids will enjoy them unless you can convince the South Koreans to destroy them. Probably not going to happen because their citizens may actually understand what it means “being necessary to the security of a free State”.
Pompous anti-american as they get.
Ive been livid with the fact CMP has stuck there head in the sand, not uttering a word since this whole gun issue has begun. What better organization then CMP, host to 100 years plus of service rifle competition to stick up for our gun rights. They could show people junior teams ect, letting them known there are more uses for these guns then killing. I went head to head with Orist Micheal’s over this. They are there own worst enemy. And to this distinguished rifleman and long time service rifle shooter, a great disappointment.
Please REMOVE Obama’s picture from the article, makes me want to spit…
CMP’s charter probably prohibits it from doing anything political, as does the law governing 501(c)3’s.
CMP has a 1 st. amendment right they fail to exercise in the behalf of those they claim to represent. No there nothing in the charter to that effect.
The law establishing the CMP limits what it can do to what it is doing. It is not authorized to make any political statements, just run matches, sell firearms, parts, etc, and promote marksmanship. There is no authorization to complain about the government, or the laws, or any other political statement. This is also an effect of the 501(c)3 regulations CMP must follow. CMP doing anything political gets the Board of Directors in deep trouble, as they are required, by law, to do everything necessary to maintain the tax exempt status.
The laws governing the CMP are at 36USC407
CMP can certainly spread awareness of the proper and widespread usage of these firearms for the purpose of competition. This being key as most folks in this country have no idea they are used for anything but war. It shocking but true. They failed to promote properly the sport they endorse and have failed there constituency. This leaves them a easy mark for a executive order that the average joe on the street will never hear about nor care. After 16 years straight attending cmp`s national matchs and a active advocate of gun rights as well as the president of the only 1000 yard range in ny im disappointed with CMP.
I emailed back and forth today with Orest Michaels, Chief Operating Officer of the CMP.
He assured me that “The executive action announced
last week does not seem to impact CMP at all, current or future orders.” and that “The articles over the past week have been nothing short of supermarket tabloid quality. People see what they want to see, not necessarily what is there”
This is great news to me, as I’ve had a rifle on order since May.
I’d like to fully understand what this Executive Order is intending to address.
Does anyone know the executive order number so it can be read in its entireity. I have looked everywhere and cannot find it just people talking about it on the gun sites and Fox news. I would like to read exactly what the order says rather than reading what someones opinion of it is.