A little about the gun-control act of 1968 – title 18, United States code, chapter 44

To Paraphrase Sec 101 of title I: State Firearms Control Assistance,  it says that the stated purpose of this act is to help law enforcement officials in their fight against crime and violence, and not to put any restrictions or burdens on the average American with respect to their acquisition, possession, or use of guns and firearms when used for the purpose of hunting, trapshooting, target shooting, personal protection, or any other lawful activity.

It further states that it’s also not intended to discourage or eliminate the private ownership or use of firearms by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes.  If you’re familiar with federal firearms laws you may disagree with the statements. Federal firearms license laws have evolved over time to become what they are today: a very complex set of rules and regulations that don’t seem to follow any particular rhyme or reason.

The last part of this section also states that these laws are not designed to provide for the imposition by federal regulations of any procedures or requirements other than those reasonably necessary to implement and effectuate the provisions of this title.

While this all seems well and good, at least on paper, the reality is that the laws are often arcane and complex. The “average American”would have a difficult time reading through the rules of the gun-control act of 1968 and come away with  a functional and working understanding of these laws. In fact, there is a strong possibility that even the architects of these laws would have a difficult time legally abiding by these laws.

Over the years these laws have changed, and you should expect that in the coming years these laws will continue to change.  Hopefully though, not to the point of excessive and burdensome regulation.  Unfortunately it seems that with the change of each presidential administration comes a new set of goals which often lead to more restrictive laws and regulations. The best thing that you can do is to stay informed and become involved with the political process, at least when new laws or regulations are being introduced that involve firearms.

Tags: federal firearms license, firearms, gun control act of 1968, law, regulations

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