How Long Does It Take to Buy an AR-15?

[Bicycle Bill]

In Philadelphia anyway, less time than it takes to get a pizza from Domino's.



Helen Urbiñas (pictured above), a reporter for the Philadelpha Daily News, decided in the wake of the Orlando shootings to see just how difficult it actually was to purchase the same semi-automatic rifle as was used in the massacres at Sandy Hook (NY), Aurora (CO), and San Bernardino (CA), and was initially reported as being the type of weapon used by Omar Mateen at the Pulse nightclub early this past Sunday morning.  Apparently, if you have your paperwork in order (a valid driver's license will suffice) and the store has them in stock — in fact, the store she visited had the weapon on display in the window and was promoting it as the "gun of the week" — not very damned long at all.  As she writes in her article for the paper:

Seven minutes.  From the moment I handed the salesperson my driver's license to the moment I passed my background check.

It likely will take more time than that during the forthcoming round of vigils to respectfully read the names of the more than 100 people who were killed or injured.

I have just one word to add to this.  Un-fucking-believeable.

-"BB"-

[rubato]

And this is after it was slowed down by the 'plethora' of phantom anti-gun legislation.


yrs,
rubato

[MajGenl.Meade]

So it would be OK if it took 14 minutes? One day? Three days? How long should a background check take and what does it consist of?

Did they take the scientific approach and send a convicted felon to purchase one as a control?

[Big RR]

I would think ti would be hard to do a reliable background check without having fingerprints to check against records as well.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Well, is that the law then - fingerprints?

[Big RR]

I would guess it varies state to state, and given the sort background check in PA, I imagine it is not the law there.

[MajGenl.Meade]

I think you'll find fingerprinting is limited to concealed carry permits.

[Big RR]

Well In NJ if you want to buy rifles or shotguns you apply to the police and are fingerprinted and a background check is run; afterwards you get a firearms ID card permitting you to by rifles, shotguns, and ammo. All sales of such guns (even private sales)are prohibited except to someone holding such a card. handguns require separate permits, and concealed carry permits are generally not given.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Yes, I think I was looking at an out of date chart. Does it remain true that purchasing an "antique" firearm requires no licensing at all?

[Big RR]

As I recall, yes; but antique firearms are limited to rifles and shot guns made before 1898, guns that cannot be fired, and guns that do not fire cartridges. handguns are not included, and fairly recently there was a case where a guy had an antique (300 year old) flintlock pistol in his glove compartment and was charged with violation of the gun laws.

The one silliness I saw is that BB guns are included in the types of guns that require a firearms ID card for any purchaser.

[datsunaholic]

Of course the purchase can take less than 10 minutes. The list of prohibited persons is computerized. That's all the background check is looking for. You're either on the list (and thereby prohibited) or you're not. If you're not, and have cash on hand, you can walk out in under 10 minutes in many States.

[rubato]

So it would be OK if it took 14 minutes? One day? Three days? How long should a background check take and what does it consist of?

Did they take the scientific approach and send a convicted felon to purchase one as a control?

1.
I think you need to concede that there has been almost no increase in gun regulations. Just for the sake of honesty.

2.
Waiting periods and effective background checks are a good thing. We can improve them over time just as we improved the effectiveness of the anti-smoking ads in California

yrs,
rubato

[MajGenl.Meade]

Since 1963? Almost no increase in gun regulations? You be the judge. It's a shame that it doesn't list all the state regulations that have been adopted. (I recognise that many, many states have not)

1968
The Gun Control Act of 1968 - was enacted for the purpose of “keeping firearms out of the hands of those not legally entitled to possess them because of age, criminal background, or incompetence.” The Act regulates imported guns, expands the gun-dealer licensing and record keeping requirements, and places specific limitations on the sale of handguns. The list of persons banned from buying guns is expanded to include persons convicted of any non-business related felony, persons found to be mentally incompetent, and users of illegal drugs.

1972
The federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) is created listing as part of its mission the control of illegal use and sale of firearms and the enforcement of Federal firearms laws. ATF issues firearms licenses and conducts firearms licensee qualification and compliance inspections.

1977
The District of Columbia enacts an anti-handgun law which also requires registration of all rifles and shotguns within the District of Columbia.

1986
The Armed Career Criminal Act increases penalties for possession of firearms by persons not qualified to own them under the Gun Control Act of 1986.

The Firearms Owners Protection Act (Public Law 99-308) relaxes some restrictions on gun and ammunition sales and establishes mandatory penalties for use of firearms during the commission of a crime.

The Law Enforcement Officers Protection Act (Public Law 99-408) bans possession of "cop killer" bullets capable of penetrating bulletproof clothing.

1989
California bans the possession of semiautomatic assault weapons following the massacre of five children on a Stockton, CA school playground.

1990
The Crime Control Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-647) bans manufacturing and importing semiautomatic assault weapons in the U.S. "Gun-free school zones" are established carrying specific penalties for violations.
1994 – The Brady Law and Assault Weapon Ban

The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act imposes a five-day waiting period on the purchase of a handgun and requires that local law enforcement agencies conduct background checks on purchasers of handguns.

The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 prohibited the sale, manufacture, importation, or possession of a number of specific types of assault type weapons for a ten-year period. However, the law expired on September 13, 2004, after Congress failed to reauthorize it.

1997
The U.S. Supreme Court, in the case of Printz v. United States, declares the background check requirement of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act unconstitutional.

The Florida Supreme Court upholds a jury's $11.5 million verdict against Kmart for selling a gun to and intoxicated man who used the gun to shoot his estranged girlfriend.

Major American gun manufacturers voluntarily agree to include child safety trigger devices on all new handguns.

1998 - June
A Justice Department report indicates the blocking of some 69,000 handgun sales during 1977 when the Brady Bill pre-sale background checks were required.

1998 – July
An amendment requiring a trigger lock mechanism to be included with every handgun sold in the U.S. is defeated in the Senate.

But, the Senate approves an amendment requiring gun dealers to have trigger locks available for sale and creating federal grants for gun safety and education programs.

1998 – October
New Orleans becomes the first U.S. city to file suit against gun makers, firearms trade associations, and gun dealers. The city's suit seeks recovery of costs attributed to gun-related violence.

1998 - November 12
Chicago, IL files a $433 million suit against local gun dealers and makers alleging that oversupplying local markets provided guns to criminals.

1998 - November 17
A negligence suit against gun maker Beretta brought by the family of a 14-year old boy killed by another boy with a Beretta handgun is dismissed by a California jury.

1998 - November 30
Permanent provisions of the Brady Act go into effect. Gun dealers are now required to initiate a pre-sale criminal background check of all gun buyers through the newly created National Instant Criminal Background Check (NICS) computer system.

1998 - December 1
The NRA files suit in federal court attempting to block the FBI's collection of information on firearm buyers.

1998 - December 5
President Bill Clinton announces that the instant background check system had prevented 400,000 illegal gun purchases. The claim is called "misleading" by the NRA.

1999 – January
Civil suits against gun makers seeking to recover costs of gun-related violence are filed in Bridgeport, Connecticut and Miami-Dade County, Florida.

1999 – April 20
At Columbine High School near Denver, students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold shoot and kill 12 other students and a teacher, and wounding 24 others before killing themselves. The attack renewed debate on the need for more restrictive gun control laws.

1999 - May 20
By a 51-50 vote, with the tie-breaker vote cast by Vice President Al Gore, the U.S. Senate passes a bill requiring trigger locks on all newly manufactured handguns and extending waiting period and background check requirements to sales of firearms at gun shows.

1999 - August 24
The Los Angeles County, CA Board of Supervisors votes 3 - 2 to ban the Great Western Gun Show, billed as the "world's largest gun show" from the Pomona, CA fairgrounds where the show had been held for the last 30 years.

2004 – September 13
After lengthy and heated debate, Congress allows the 10-year old Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 banning the sale of 19 types of military-style assault weapons to expire.

2004 – December
Congress fails to continue funding for President George W. Bush’s 2001 gun control program, Project Safe Neighborhoods.

Massachusetts becomes the first state to implement an electronic instant gun buyer background check system with fingerprint scanning for gun licenses and gun purchases.

2005 – January
California bans the manufacture, sale, distribution or import of the powerful .50-caliber BMG, or Browning machine gun rifle.

2005 – October
President Bush signs the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act limiting the ability of victims of crimes in which guns were used to sue firearms manufacturers and dealers. The law included an amendment requiring all new guns to come with trigger locks.

2008 – January
In a move supported by both opponents and advocates of gun control laws, President Bush signed the National Instant Criminal Background Check Improvement Act requiring gun buyer background checks to screen for legally declared mentally ill individuals, who are ineligible to buy firearms.

2008 – June 26
In its landmark decision in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment affirmed the rights of individuals to own firearms. The ruling also overturned a 32-year old ban on the sale or possession of handguns in the District of Columbia.

2012 – February
A federal law signed by President Barak Obama takes effect allowing licensed gun owners to bring firearms into national parks and wildlife refuges as long as they are allowed by state law.

[dales]

I think you need to concede that there has been almost no increase in gun regulations. Just for the sake of honesty.

For the sake of honesty?

[rubato]

Since 1963? Almost no increase in gun regulations? You be the judge. It's a shame that it doesn't list all the state regulations that have been adopted. (I recognise that many, many states have not)

1968
The Gun Control Act of 1968 - was enacted for the purpose of “keeping firearms out of the hands of those not legally entitled to possess them because of age, criminal background, or incompetence.” The Act regulates imported guns, expands the gun-dealer licensing and record keeping requirements, and places specific limitations on the sale of handguns. The list of persons banned from buying guns is expanded to include persons convicted of any non-business related felony, persons found to be mentally incompetent, and users of illegal drugs.

1972
The federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) is created listing as part of its mission the control of illegal use and sale of firearms and the enforcement of Federal firearms laws. ATF issues firearms licenses and conducts firearms licensee qualification and compliance inspections.

1977
The District of Columbia enacts an anti-handgun law which also requires registration of all rifles and shotguns within the District of Columbia.

1986
The Armed Career Criminal Act increases penalties for possession of firearms by persons not qualified to own them under the Gun Control Act of 1986.

The Firearms Owners Protection Act (Public Law 99-308) relaxes some restrictions on gun and ammunition sales and establishes mandatory penalties for use of firearms during the commission of a crime.

The Law Enforcement Officers Protection Act (Public Law 99-408) bans possession of "cop killer" bullets capable of penetrating bulletproof clothing.

1989
California bans the possession of semiautomatic assault weapons following the massacre of five children on a Stockton, CA school playground.

1990
The Crime Control Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-647) bans manufacturing and importing semiautomatic assault weapons in the U.S. "Gun-free school zones" are established carrying specific penalties for violations.
1994 – The Brady Law and Assault Weapon Ban

The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act imposes a five-day waiting period on the purchase of a handgun and requires that local law enforcement agencies conduct background checks on purchasers of handguns.

The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 prohibited the sale, manufacture, importation, or possession of a number of specific types of assault type weapons for a ten-year period. However, the law expired on September 13, 2004, after Congress failed to reauthorize it.

1997
The U.S. Supreme Court, in the case of Printz v. United States, declares the background check requirement of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act unconstitutional.

The Florida Supreme Court upholds a jury's $11.5 million verdict against Kmart for selling a gun to and intoxicated man who used the gun to shoot his estranged girlfriend.

Major American gun manufacturers voluntarily agree to include child safety trigger devices on all new handguns.

1998 - June
A Justice Department report indicates the blocking of some 69,000 handgun sales during 1977 when the Brady Bill pre-sale background checks were required.

1998 – July
An amendment requiring a trigger lock mechanism to be included with every handgun sold in the U.S. is defeated in the Senate.

But, the Senate approves an amendment requiring gun dealers to have trigger locks available for sale and creating federal grants for gun safety and education programs.

1998 – October
New Orleans becomes the first U.S. city to file suit against gun makers, firearms trade associations, and gun dealers. The city's suit seeks recovery of costs attributed to gun-related violence.

1998 - November 12
Chicago, IL files a $433 million suit against local gun dealers and makers alleging that oversupplying local markets provided guns to criminals.

1998 - November 17
A negligence suit against gun maker Beretta brought by the family of a 14-year old boy killed by another boy with a Beretta handgun is dismissed by a California jury.

1998 - November 30
Permanent provisions of the Brady Act go into effect. Gun dealers are now required to initiate a pre-sale criminal background check of all gun buyers through the newly created National Instant Criminal Background Check (NICS) computer system.

1998 - December 1
The NRA files suit in federal court attempting to block the FBI's collection of information on firearm buyers.

1998 - December 5
President Bill Clinton announces that the instant background check system had prevented 400,000 illegal gun purchases. The claim is called "misleading" by the NRA.

1999 – January
Civil suits against gun makers seeking to recover costs of gun-related violence are filed in Bridgeport, Connecticut and Miami-Dade County, Florida.

1999 – April 20
At Columbine High School near Denver, students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold shoot and kill 12 other students and a teacher, and wounding 24 others before killing themselves. The attack renewed debate on the need for more restrictive gun control laws.

1999 - May 20
By a 51-50 vote, with the tie-breaker vote cast by Vice President Al Gore, the U.S. Senate passes a bill requiring trigger locks on all newly manufactured handguns and extending waiting period and background check requirements to sales of firearms at gun shows.

1999 - August 24
The Los Angeles County, CA Board of Supervisors votes 3 - 2 to ban the Great Western Gun Show, billed as the "world's largest gun show" from the Pomona, CA fairgrounds where the show had been held for the last 30 years.

2004 – September 13
After lengthy and heated debate, Congress allows the 10-year old Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 banning the sale of 19 types of military-style assault weapons to expire.

2004 – December
Congress fails to continue funding for President George W. Bush’s 2001 gun control program, Project Safe Neighborhoods.

Massachusetts becomes the first state to implement an electronic instant gun buyer background check system with fingerprint scanning for gun licenses and gun purchases.

2005 – January
California bans the manufacture, sale, distribution or import of the powerful .50-caliber BMG, or Browning machine gun rifle.

2005 – October
President Bush signs the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act limiting the ability of victims of crimes in which guns were used to sue firearms manufacturers and dealers. The law included an amendment requiring all new guns to come with trigger locks.

2008 – January
In a move supported by both opponents and advocates of gun control laws, President Bush signed the National Instant Criminal Background Check Improvement Act requiring gun buyer background checks to screen for legally declared mentally ill individuals, who are ineligible to buy firearms.

2008 – June 26
In its landmark decision in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment affirmed the rights of individuals to own firearms. The ruling also overturned a 32-year old ban on the sale or possession of handguns in the District of Columbia.

2012 – February
A federal law signed by President Barak Obama takes effect allowing licensed gun owners to bring firearms into national parks and wildlife refuges as long as they are allowed by state law.

Oooooh a list! But at the end of the list you can still walk out with an AR-15 in less than 10 minutes!


Bullshit

yrs,
rubato

[rubato]

If we cared about the 30,00o people a year killed with guns as much as we cared about the 14,000 people a year killed by ovarian cancer we would do something. Not just listen to the assholes like the MajGenl. who think we should never do anything. We would be actively engaged in finding ways to cut that number down, bit by bit. We would try things even though we knew they were not perfect remedies. We wouldn't whine like fucking morons that any individual attempt could not be perfect.

We would be motivated by the fact that human lives are important and even if we save a few of them, it is valuable. But maybe Christians have a different value system than I do. They have such a nasty history of violence and evil. So perhaps that is why he is so different.

People I care for and people I love are killed by ovarian cancer. People I care for and people I love are killed by guns which you demand to be poured into the world in a torrent, a flood. A mindless avalanche of evil.



yrs,
rubato

[MajGenl.Meade]

The amazing thing is that rubato says gun control laws have decreased and I post a list showing he's wrong. So he abuses me.

Also amazing, I have recently posted support for banning all semi-automatic weapons AND reducing magazines to hold three rounds and weigh 15lbs. And he writes: "Not just listen to the assholes like the MajGenl. who think we should never do anything"

How odd.

edit to add

In case you missed it, rube:

Possibly the most successful ban (other than the machine gun) is on the size of magazines. I would heartily support a new restriction on magazines (which is not an "arm" but an "accoutrement") and let's legislate that each one must be about 15 inches long, weigh 15lbs and only hold three rounds.

Aside from enjoying the penis-enhancing thrill of blasting off a gazillion rounds in 10 seconds, there is no useful role in civil society for semi-automatic weapons. No one should be able to purchase them. Let 'em bear arms - but not those arms.

[Sue U]

Meade, your list supposedly documenting the torrent of increased gun regulations actually demonstrates exactly the opposite, with many items actually showing the relaxation or abandonment of restrictions. Did you even read it before you posted?

Since 1963? Almost no increase in gun regulations? You be the judge. It's a shame that it doesn't list all the state regulations that have been adopted. (I recognise that many, many states have not)

1968
The Gun Control Act of 1968 - was enacted for the purpose of “keeping firearms out of the hands of those not legally entitled to possess them because of age, criminal background, or incompetence.” The Act regulates imported guns, expands the gun-dealer licensing and record keeping requirements, and places specific limitations on the sale of handguns. The list of persons banned from buying guns is expanded to include persons convicted of any non-business related felony, persons found to be mentally incompetent, and users of illegal drugs.

1972
The federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) is created listing as part of its mission the control of illegal use and sale of firearms and the enforcement of Federal firearms laws. ATF issues firearms licenses and conducts firearms licensee qualification and compliance inspections. DOES NOT ADD ANY RESTRICTIONS TO FIREARMS SALES

1977
The District of Columbia enacts an anti-handgun law which also requires registration of all rifles and shotguns within the District of Columbia. APPLICABLE ONLY IN D.C, RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL BY COURT

1986
The Armed Career Criminal Act increases penalties for possession of firearms by persons not qualified to own them under the Gun Control Act of 1986. DOES NOT ADD ANY RESTRICTIONS TO FIREARMS SALES


The Firearms Owners Protection Act (Public Law 99-308) relaxes some restrictions on gun and ammunition sales [!!!] and establishes mandatory penalties for use of firearms during the commission of a crime. DOES NOT ADD ANY RESTRICTIONS TO FIREARMS SALES


The Law Enforcement Officers Protection Act (Public Law 99-408) bans possession of "cop killer" bullets capable of penetrating bulletproof clothing. DOES NOT ADD ANY RESTRICTIONS TO FIREARMS SALES


1989
California bans the possession of semiautomatic assault weapons following the massacre of five children on a Stockton, CA school playground.

1990
The Crime Control Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-647) bans manufacturing and importing semiautomatic assault weapons in the U.S. THE LAW DOES NO SUCH THING. SUCH WEAPONS ARE PERMITTED IF THEY ARE "READILY ADAPTABLE TO SPORTING PURPOSES." "Gun-free school zones" are established carrying specific penalties for violations.

1994 – The Brady Law and Assault Weapon Ban

The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act imposes a five-day waiting period on the purchase of a handgun and requires that local law enforcement agencies conduct background checks on purchasers of handguns. RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL

The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 prohibited the sale, manufacture, importation, or possession of a number of specific types of assault type weapons for a ten-year period. However, the law expired on September 13, 2004, after Congress failed to reauthorize it.

1997
The U.S. Supreme Court, in the case of Printz v. United States, declares the background check requirement of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act unconstitutional.

The Florida Supreme Court upholds a jury's $11.5 million verdict against Kmart for selling a gun to and intoxicated man who used the gun to shoot his estranged girlfriend. NOT A LAW OR REGULATION, DOES NOT ADD ANY RESTRICTIONS TO FIREARMS SALES

Major American gun manufacturers voluntarily agree to include child safety trigger devices on all new handguns. NOT A LAW OR REGULATION, DOES NOT ADD ANY RESTRICTIONS TO FIREARMS SALES

1998 - June
A Justice Department report indicates the blocking of some 69,000 handgun sales during 1977 when the Brady Bill pre-sale background checks were required. NOT A LAW OR REGULATION, DOES NOT ADD ANY RESTRICTIONS TO FIREARMS SALES

1998 – July
An amendment requiring a trigger lock mechanism to be included with every handgun sold in the U.S. is defeated in the Senate.

But, the Senate approves an amendment requiring gun dealers to have trigger locks available for sale and creating federal grants for gun safety and education programs. DOES NOT ADD ANY RESTRICTIONS TO FIREARMS SALES

1998 – October
New Orleans becomes the first U.S. city to file suit against gun makers, firearms trade associations, and gun dealers. The city's suit seeks recovery of costs attributed to gun-related violence. NOT A LAW OR REGULATION, DOES NOT ADD ANY RESTRICTIONS TO FIREARMS SALES; SUBSEQUENT LEGISLATION IN FACT DISALLOWED SUCH LAWSUITS AND NOW SHIELDS GUN MANUFACTURERS FROM LIABILITY.

1998 - November 12
Chicago, IL files a $433 million suit against local gun dealers and makers alleging that oversupplying local markets provided guns to criminals.NOT A LAW OR REGULATION, DOES NOT ADD ANY RESTRICTIONS TO FIREARMS SALES; SUBSEQUENT LEGISLATION IN FACT DISALLOWED SUCH LAWSUITS AND NOW SHIELDS GUN MANUFACTURERS FROM LIABILITY.

1998 - November 17
A negligence suit against gun maker Beretta brought by the family of a 14-year old boy killed by another boy with a Beretta handgun is dismissed by a California jury.NOT A LAW OR REGULATION, DOES NOT ADD ANY RESTRICTIONS TO FIREARMS SALES; SUBSEQUENT LEGISLATION IN FACT DISALLOWED SUCH LAWSUITS AND NOW SHIELDS GUN MANUFACTURERS FROM LIABILITY.

1998 - November 30
Permanent provisions of the Brady Act go into effect. Gun dealers are now required to initiate a pre-sale criminal background check of all gun buyers through the newly created National Instant Criminal Background Check (NICS) computer system.

1998 - December 1
The NRA files suit in federal court attempting to block the FBI's collection of information on firearm buyers.NOT A LAW OR REGULATION, DOES NOT ADD ANY RESTRICTIONS TO FIREARMS SALES.

1998 - December 5
President Bill Clinton announces that the instant background check system had prevented 400,000 illegal gun purchases. The claim is called "misleading" by the NRA.NOT A LAW OR REGULATION, DOES NOT ADD ANY RESTRICTIONS TO FIREARMS SALES.

1999 – January
Civil suits against gun makers seeking to recover costs of gun-related violence are filed in Bridgeport, Connecticut and Miami-Dade County, Florida. NOT A LAW OR REGULATION, DOES NOT ADD ANY RESTRICTIONS TO FIREARMS SALES; SUBSEQUENT LEGISLATION IN FACT DISALLOWED SUCH LAWSUITS AND NOW SHIELDS GUN MANUFACTURERS FROM LIABILITY.

1999 – April 20
At Columbine High School near Denver, students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold shoot and kill 12 other students and a teacher, and wounding 24 others before killing themselves. The attack renewed debate on the need for more restrictive gun control laws. NOT A LAW OR REGULATION, DOES NOT ADD ANY RESTRICTIONS TO FIREARMS SALES.

1999 - May 20
By a 51-50 vote, with the tie-breaker vote cast by Vice President Al Gore, the U.S. Senate passes a bill requiring trigger locks on all newly manufactured handguns and extending waiting period and background check requirements to sales of firearms at gun shows. NEVER BECAME LAW, KILLED BY HOUSE

1999 - August 24
The Los Angeles County, CA Board of Supervisors votes 3 - 2 to ban the Great Western Gun Show, billed as the "world's largest gun show" from the Pomona, CA fairgrounds where the show had been held for the last 30 years. NOT A LAW OR REGULATION, DOES NOT ADD ANY RESTRICTIONS TO FIREARMS SALES; SUBSEQUENT LEGISLATION IN FACT DISALLOWED SUCH LAWSUITS AND NOW SHIELDS GUN MANUFACTURERS FROM LIABILITY.

2004 – September 13
After lengthy and heated debate, Congress allows the 10-year old Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 banning the sale of 19 types of military-style assault weapons to expire. [!!!]

2004 – December
Congress fails to continue funding for President George W. Bush’s 2001 gun control program, Project Safe Neighborhoods.DOES NOT ADD ANY RESTRICTIONS TO FIREARMS SALES.

Massachusetts becomes the first state to implement an electronic instant gun buyer background check system with fingerprint scanning for gun licenses and gun purchases. DOES NOT ADD ANY RESTRICTIONS TO FIREARMS SALES.

2005 – January
California bans the manufacture, sale, distribution or import of the powerful .50-caliber BMG, or Browning machine gun rifle.

2005 – October
President Bush signs the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act limiting the ability of victims of crimes in which guns were used to sue firearms manufacturers and dealers. The law included an amendment requiring all new guns to come with trigger locks. DOES NOT ADD ANY RESTRICTIONS TO FIREARMS SALES; LEGISLATION IN FACT SHIELDS GUN MANUFACTURERS FROM LIABILITY.

2008 – January
In a move supported by both opponents and advocates of gun control laws, President Bush signed the National Instant Criminal Background Check Improvement Act requiring gun buyer background checks to screen for legally declared mentally ill individuals, who are ineligible to buy firearms. DOES NOT ADD ANY RESTRICTIONS TO FIREARMS SALES

2008 – June 26
In its landmark decision in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment affirmed the rights of individuals to own firearms. The ruling also overturned a 32-year old ban on the sale or possession of handguns in the District of Columbia.

2012 – February
A federal law signed by President Barak Obama takes effect allowing licensed gun owners to bring firearms into national parks and wildlife refuges as long as they are allowed by state law.

[eddieq]

Late to the party here, but as to the original subject matter, as a softball umpire, I had to pass three separate background checks before they would even process my registration.

I had to have a state police records check (which was quick and done online with instant clearance) - cost $8
I had to have a child abuse history check (which was an extensive questionnaire that I completed online and received clearance the next day) - cost $8
FBI Criminal history check with fingerprints (completed the form to register for the check, took the info to a fingerprinting location. Received "unofficial" clearance letter in the mail 4 days later) - cost $27

So, in order for me to call youth fastpitch games, it took 5 days, $43, a trip to the fingerprinting location and I have to carry copies of the clearance letters in case I'm asked.

[Sue U]

So once all the bullshit is eliminated from the list of onerous gun regulations, we're left with this:

1968
The Gun Control Act of 1968 - was enacted for the purpose of “keeping firearms out of the hands of those not legally entitled to possess them because of age, criminal background, or incompetence.” The Act regulates imported guns, expands the gun-dealer licensing and record keeping requirements, and places specific limitations on the sale of handguns. The list of persons banned from buying guns is expanded to include persons convicted of any non-business related felony, persons found to be mentally incompetent, and users of illegal drugs.

1989
California bans the possession of semiautomatic assault weapons following the massacre of five children on a Stockton, CA school playground.

1998 - November 30
Permanent provisions of the Brady Act go into effect. Gun dealers are now required to initiate a pre-sale criminal background check of all gun buyers through the newly created National Instant Criminal Background Check (NICS) computer system.

2005 – January
California bans the manufacture, sale, distribution or import of the powerful .50-caliber BMG, or Browning machine gun rifle.

Essentially, we have California with an assault weapons ban, but even that has loopholes.

As for the "instant criminal background check," that is actually a smokescreen for eliminating any waiting period for purchase. And waiting periods themselves are not truly any kind of serious restriction on the sale of firearms.

ETA:

Looking a bit further, besides California only six states and the District of Columbia have any kind of ban on "assault weapons" (variously defined by each): Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. Although you have to wonder how tough Connecticut's law could have been, considering the guns used at the Sandy Hook massacre were all legally obtained, including the Bushmaster version of the AR-15.

ETFA:

The focus on banning only "assault weapons," while popular, is fundamentally misguided, because they are only part of the story in mass shootings and are the exception (though a spectacular one) to the routine violence ordinarily committed with handguns.