14 thoughts on “NFA Victory”

  1. Glad someone else gets to enjoy SBRs/SBSs now. Know I like my new one having moved from NY to GA.

    I’m curious how the legalization is worded. In GA, the state does prohibit possession if not NFA registered – which would be annoying under the proliferating “freedom acts” Wyoming et al are passing.

  2. The Freedom Acts don’t really mean anything, so I wouldn’t be too concerned. I haven’t seen the actual bill in AL, so I can’t comment on how it’s worded… but making legality contingent on following NFA is common.

  3. When you say the Freedom Acts don’t really mean anything… do you mean you disagree with the concept or you don’t think it will work? IMO the Feds do exert far too much control over the States via the commerce clause.

  4. this is hot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i wanna move right now….but for the next little bit i will research the bill…31-0!!!!!!!!!!!!1

  5. I think the concept is fine, but as a matter of current law it’s a non-starter. To me they are more symbolic acts telling the feds the states are unhappy. I think that’s fine. When I say they don’t matter, I mean as legal considerations they don’t.

  6. Your implication is that since NRA-ILA reported on this bill, that they had anything to do with it (and maybe they did). I don’t see that affording SBR’s the same treament as other NFA items in a state as being a particularly gutsy move. Appreciated, yes; gutsy, no.

    I’ll join the NRA and proclaim that I was wrong about the NRA as soon as I see on the ILA’s web page that the NRA will be looking for an A-rated congressman (or congresswoman …. wouldn’t that be a kick!) to sponsor legislation to repeal the Hughes amendment, and expect support from all A-rated legislators.

    Respectfully submitted.

  7. The Packetman Said,

    “I’ll join the NRA and proclaim that I was wrong about the NRA as soon as I see on the ILA’s web page that the NRA will be looking for an A-rated congressman (or congresswoman …. wouldn’t that be a kick!) to sponsor legislation to repeal the Hughes amendment, and expect support from all A-rated legislators.”

    I am a member of the NRA, but I couldn’t agree with the rest of this statement any more.

  8. As a resident of Alabama maybe I can provide a little insight.

    Its my understanding that yes the NRA did have a hand in this, although it was equal parts NRA and us regular citizens hounding our state senators and representatives. When originally passed by the state house, the wording was very bad and actually called for a federal “class 3 license” which we all know doesn’t exist. NRA jumped on it and made sure it was amended to be more accurate in the state senate. So NRA did do some good in this case.

    As far as the wording, it is written such that you are legal as long as you’re in compliance with the NFA.

    Any way you cut it though, its better than the previous goofy situation. Prior to this the only way to own an SBR was if it was fully automatic, which makes exactly zero sense…..

  9. aeronathan, I understand that the NRA probably ‘helped’ the bill along, and good on ’em for doing so.

    But my pertinent question is: Did the NRA do anything to get the ball rolling on this bill?

  10. Based on the language of the bill, it’s just an outright repeal. No state requirement to comply with the provisions of the National Firearms Act as a condition of it being legal under Alabama law.

  11. What do you mean by “get the ball rolling?” If you mean do they have a lobbyist in Alabama that drums up support for pro-gun bills and tries to get them passed, then yes. What other pro-gun group has a lobbyist working in the Alabama legislature? Politicians don’t float this kind of stuff out of the goodness of their hearts, you know.

  12. Sebastian,

    In my aggressively strict mind, I see ‘drumming up support’ equal to ‘jumping on the bandwagon’. Yes, I expect lobbyists for an organization who claims to be the foremost defenders of Americans’ 2nd amendment rights to actively go to their A-rated people and say ‘You know, it would be a good thing to repeal this law, and here is the language that makes us happy.’

    Or doesn’t the NRA have any pull?

    Good on the NRA for drumming up that unanimous support for the repeal of a law that made the legislature look more stupid than usual.

    Because of course it makes all manner of sense that in AL you can own an M249, or a Lahti, or an 81mm mortar, or a bazooka. But we smart politicians in AL, well we draw the line at those dangerous short-barreled shotguns and rifles.

    As I mentioned before, until the ILA shows that they support all gun rights by announcing that they support the repeal of the Hughes amendment, and are looking for A-rated legislators to introduce a bill to do just that, they can absolutely kiss my rear.

  13. When you know just how screwed up the AL Constitution is, its no surprise that the ridiculous SBR/SBS restrictions made it in there. Its the longest founding document in the WORLD and has provisions for just about everything in it. I dare say the people who drew it up had no idea WTF they were doing especially as it pertains to firearms.

    As far as the wording of the bill. The text of HB2 as passed reads

    “Section 1. Section 13A-11-63 of the Code of Alabama 1975, is hereby amended to read as follows: “§13A-11-63. a person who possesses, obtains, receives, sells, or uses a short-barreled rifle or a short-barreled shotgun in violation of federal law is guilty of a Class C felony.”

    The next section expempts LEOs in their official capacity. Bottom line, if you’re in compliance with the NFA, you’re legal in AL.

  14. Aeronathan: The restriction on short barrel rifles and shotguns was in the Code of Alabama, not the Alabama Constitution of 1901. The Constitution says “That every citizen has a right to bear arms in defence of himself and the State.” Article 1 Section 27. http://www.legislature.state.al.us/misc/history/constitutions/1865/1865_1.html

    It is the Code that is the problem, not the Constitution. The Alabama Constitution would be fine if most of the amendments were repealed. The Code is as big as a set of Encyclopedias and constantly growing. 90% of it need to be repealed.

    Go to the link above and read the Declaration of Rights in the Alabama Constitution. It is pretty good. We just need to find a way to make government obey it.

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