This Is What We Deal With Here.

Over the weekend I received notice from my local gun shop about some particularly nasty anti-gun legislation being introduced in MA. They were passing along this link from the NRA-ILA:

Anti-Gun Bills to be Heard in Massachusetts Joint Committee

Senate Bill 1202, sponsored by state Senator Cynthia Stone Creem (D-Newton), would make it a crime to purchase or sell to the same person more than one firearm or “large capacity weapon” in a thirty-day period. The punishment for a first offense in violation of such gun rationing for both the retailer and the purchaser would be up to a $5,000 fine and/or two-and-a-half years imprisonment.

Senate Bill 1234, sponsored by state Senator James Timilty (D-Walpole), would make it unlawful to manufacture, sell or possess a projectile or projectile core which may be used in a handgun and which is constructed entirely from one or a combination of tungsten alloys, steel, iron, brass, bronze, beryllium copper, or depleted uranium; or a full jacketed projectile larger than .22 caliber designed and intended for use in a handgun and whose jacket has a weight of more than 25 percent of the total weight of the projectile.

House Bill 665, sponsored by state Representative Timothy J. Toomey, Jr. (D-Cambridge), would require all concealed carry applicants to present a complete list of every handgun owned along with a certificate of insurance verifying that the applicant has a valid insurance policy insuring against any harm or damage that might arise out of the use of each firearm on said list. The insurance policy would need to be in the amount of at least $250,000.

House Bill 1561, sponsored by state Representative David Paul Linsky (D-Natick), would require all firearms of new manufacture to bear serial numbers permanently inscribed on a visible metal area with the serial numbers being kept on record by the manufacturer. In addition, all semi-automatic firearms would be required to micro-stamp ammunition by mechanically stamping a code that would imprint the make, model and serial number onto the cartridge case when the gun discharged.

Let's see. One-gun-a-month. No FMJs. Listing all firearms and insuring same. Technology that does not exist. Yeah, that's par for the course in Massachusetts. Let's also remember that this is in addition to such MA gems as the Assault Weapons Ban and Approved Firearms Roster, as well as MA requiring a permit simply to own any firearm and being "may issue" for semi-automatic rifles and all handguns. We can't stop gun crime with the "toughest gun laws" we already have - where you're a felon for a single piece of brass if you don't have a permit - yet "one gun a month" laws are going to do a damn thing?

Once again, as Unc says, it's a classic case of "gun control is what you do instead of something". Rather than actually prosecute and incarcerate criminals, our wise solons would rather take potshots at MA gun owners - already the most law abiding folks in the Commonwealth - as though making me get insurance for my guns or limiting Weerd to one gun a month is going to stop gang bangers in Dorchester from killing each other over gang turf...

I particularly like bill 665. It illustrates perfectly what happens when you have people that know nothing about guns and gun laws proposing more laws: The bill would "require all concealed carry applicants to present a complete list of every handgun owned" - maybe to folks outside of MA this might sound plausible; however, in MA you need a permit to own *any* firearm. If you are a first-time applicant, you own no handguns (legally), ergo you cannot fulfill this part of the process. It's either completely useless - or it ends firearms ownership in MA after the current generation.

Like a wise man said: Massachusetts. Live free or here.

That is all.