SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL - AND OTHER GUNS WITH WHICH AMERICANS WON THE WEST, PROTECTED BOOTLEG FRANCHISES, SLEW WILDLIFE, ROBBED COUNTLESS BANKS, SHOT HUSBANDS PURPOSELY AND BY MISTAKE AND KILLED PRESIDENTS . . .

• NCJ Number: 13201
• Author(s): R SHERRILL
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 351 pages
• Sale Source: Charterhouse Books
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

AMERICA'S AFFECTION FOR AND DEPENDENCY ON GUNS IS DISCUSSED, ALONG WITH THE COUNTRY'S HIGH CRIME RATE. THE INEFFECTIVENESS OF GUN LEGISLATION IS TRACED FROM THE 1930'S, AND THE ORIGINS OF ITS FAILURE ARE EXAMINED.

Abstract

ANECDOTES ARE RELATED WHICH ILLUSTRATE THE PLACE OF THE GUN IN AMERICAN LIFE. GUNS ARE A PART OF AMERICAN LIFE AND ARE REQUISITE TO A VERY LARGE INDUSTRY IN THE COUNTRY -- CRIME. SINCE THE 1930'S, CONGRESS HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN WEAK AND INEFFECTIVE ATTEMPTS AT PASSING GUN CONTROL LEGISLATION. THE FEDERAL FIREARMS ACT OF 1938 WAS THE FIRST LAW TO EVOLVE FROM THIS LABOR, AND IT PROHIBITED INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF HANDGUNS TO CRIMINALS, OUTLAWED THE POSSESSION OF MACHINE GUNS, AND REQUIRED THE PURCHASE OF A LICENSE TO OWN GUNS. THE ACT WAS SEVERELY WEAKENED BY THE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION (NRA), WHICH HAD PROVISIONS FOR LICENSING AND REGISTERING GUNS REMOVED, AND WHICH BLOCKED ATTEMPTS PROHIBITING SEMIAUTOMATIC MACHINE GUNS AND HANDGUNS FROM PUBLIC POSSESSION. ONE OF THE MAIN OBSTACLES TO EFFECTIVE GUN CONTROL LEGISLATION WAS SENATOR THOMAS DODD OF CONNECTICUT, CHAIRMAN OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON JUVENILE DELINQUENCY DURING THE 1960'S, WHO WAS RECOGNIZED LEADER OF FORCES FOR GUN CONTROL. HIS CORRUPTNESS AND LAXITY ON THE ISSUE KEPT NEW LEGISLATION FROM BEING ACCOMPLISHED. THE NRA IS ALSO LARGELY RESPONSIBLE. WITH A VERY LARGE MEMBERSHIP AND SUBSTANTIAL FUNDS THEY HAVE CREATED POWERFUL LOBBIES AGAINST GUN CONTROL LEGISLATION; IN CASES WHERE LEGISLATION IS INEVITABLE, THEY ARE SKILLFUL IN AMENDING LAWS SO THAT THE FINAL PRODUCT IS INEFFECTIVE, DIFFERENT MODELS OF GUNS WHICH ARE POPULAR IN AMERICA, PARTICULARY THE SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL, ARE DISCUSSED, AND THE KILLING POWER OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF AMMUNITION IS EXPLAINED. MAIL-ORDER SALE OF FIREARMS, RETAIL SALE, AND SALE OF MILITARY SURPLUS AND IMPORTED WEAPONS ARE CONSIDERED. DIFFERENT APPROACHES WHICH HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO THE GUN CONTROL PROBLEM ARE CONSIDERED AND REJECTED. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THERE IS PROBABLY NO SOLUTION TO THE DILEMMA OF HOW TO CONTROL HANDGUNS. AN INDEX AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)