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Gun Laws of America: Every Federal Gun Law on the Books: With Plain English Summaries

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Have you ever wondered exactly what the Brady Bill does? Or how the Clinton gun ban law defines "assault weapon"? Answers to these questions, and many, many others can be found in a fine new book Gun Laws of America. Written by Alan Korwin and Michael P. Anthony, Gun Laws of America is a citizens' legal guide to every federal gun control law on the books today. Even gun law experts will be impressed with the breadth and scope of this book, which includes the first federal gun control which is still on the books (a 1894 statute authorizing the forfeiture of firearms used for illegal hunting in Yellowstone National Park). And then there's the first real "gun control" statute within the modern meaning of gun control: a 1927 statute outlawing mail-order handgun sales. The authors do more than just provide the full text of every federal gun control statute. At the beginning of each statute, they also provide a plain-English summary of the statute, so that a non-lawyer can get the gist of it. In addition to the well-known gun control laws, the authors also supply information about the huge variety of less-known laws. For example, did you know that if you use food stamps to buy firearms or ammunition, you will be permanently disqualified from the food stamp program? I had never realized that a legal resident alien who violates any firearm statute (including the most trivial municipal ordinance) can be deported for the violation. Handloaders and other folks who purchase gunpowder will be interested in federal statutes involving explosives. Did you know that the Secretary of the Treasury (who oversees the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) has the authority to enter onto and investigate any site where an explosion has occurred? Persons concerned about local control of the schools will be surprised to find a federal law requiring that public schools expel any student who brings a gun onto school property. And of course there is the heart of the federal gun control laws: sections 921 through 930 of volume 18 of the United States Code. This law came into being as the Gun Control Act of 1968. It outlaws all interstate firearms sales, with a few exceptions. Having been modified by the Firearms Owners Protection Act (1986), the Brady Act (1993), and the Clinton Crime Bill (1994), the federal gun statutes are now quite complex, with cross-references piling up one on the other. Gun Laws takes you through these laws step-by-step, so that you can see precisely what the federal government outlaws, and what it doesn't. You will also find little-known provisions that may be quite important to you. For example, as the result of an NRA amendment to the Brady Act, airlines which ship your firearms in checked baggage have to put the "firearm tag" on the inside of the case, so as not to make the case a target for theft. The other major part of the federal gun control system is the National Firearms Act of 1934, which requires a special tax stamp to possess machine guns, short shotguns, and short rifles, and which also sets up a federal excise tax system for firearms manufacturers. One particularly interesting part of the book traces the rise in the volume of federal gun control laws. Before the Roosevelt Administration, there were hardly any such laws. Since the 1960s, huge numbers of gun laws have been enacted every decade by Congress. Review by Dave Kopel, Independence Institute, http://i2i.org.

Every federal gun law in America word - for - word, with that unique "gist" that only Korwin can do. A must for any person interested in the subject and an excellent compliment to his position paper