So, what happened in 1986?

[jfw]

All this gun control BS got me thinking about what happen with Full auto weapons NFA in 1986. I have been reading up on it and the other various firearm acts but the sources are not too indepth. I was but a mere child at this time so I dont know how it happened. Maybe some of members who were into shooting at this time might be able to enlighten me.

A few questions that I have:

Was it the same type of situation that is currently happening or was the ban piggybacked on something that seemed good and subsequently passed?

What was the opinion of the public and Pro 2A organizations. What were your and other firearm enuthusiast thoughts at the time?

Was there a problem with criminal activity and full auto firearms?

What were Regans reasons for this Ban and his support of the assault weapons ban of 94?

Were AR and AK full auto type rifles not popular at the time?

Anything else you would like to share that may be relevent?

Read More

 

[civilian75]

I wasn't a gun owner back in the day (long story). So I am also interested.

 

[Nwcid]

I am in your situation.

I can say without a doubt that there was not near the public "opinion" we have now. There was no internet so you read it in a magazine 3-6 weeks after things had been talked about. Now you literally know within minutes and can respond to the situation.

 

[jb11]

I wasn't a gun owner back in the day (long story). So I am also interested.

x2

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I was there and it was a last minute trick at Christmas recess for Congress. Most members had gone home for the holiday but the antis stayed in enough numbers to ram it thru in an unrecorded "voice vote".. outright villany and treachery

Reagan was a snake for signing the bill, even though it had a few good aspects, it also contained the Trojan Horse full auto manufacture and import ban. Reagan a true conservative? Bah. His witch Nancy was even worse

 

[3MTA3]

I'll try my best to answer your questions.

Was it the same type of situation that is currently happening or was the ban piggybacked on something that seemed good and subsequently passed?
* For the life of me I can't remember anything specific. I remember it happening, because I bought my Class 3 at that time. It may have been an indirect result of the assassination attempt and the Brady campaign against guns. That Brady was a Republican was a real game changer.

What was the opinion of the public and Pro 2A organizations. What were your and other firearm enuthusiast thoughts at the time?
* The vast majority of gun owners did not know that they could purchase Class 3. We did not have the Internet then, so knowledge was by books, magazines, and word of mouth.

Was there a problem with criminal activity and full auto firearms?
* Nope, it's been noted that no legal full auto was used in a crime.

What was Regans reasons for this Ban and his support of the assault weapons ban of 94?
* Reagan was against the public having military style rifles, I believe even semi-auto.

Were AR and AK auto type rifles not popular at the time?
* VERY popular.

Anything else you would like to share that may be relevent?
* Just that in my experience you will periodically have to rise up to prevent gun control from taking your rights away. Most of the people involved have good intentions, but it is the path to tyranny.

 

[trainsktg]

Without Googling, the two big things I remember about the 1986 act was that it made illegal the private transfer and ownership of FA firearms manufactured after the ban date, and it rescinded the import ban on surplus military weapons (Mosins, Mausers, Enfields, etc) that was implemented by the 1968 act. Most people forget or don't know about about the latter. There were no military surplus rifles imported into the US between 1968 and 1986.

The '68 act was a direct result of the Kennedy assassination. I'm not sure what the spark was for the '86 act; Hinkley used a .22 revolver.

Keith

 

[kumabear17]

I hate Wikipedia, but it was easiest to find and had the information
Firearm Owners Protection Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Some good stuff we have today along with the same Liberal betrayal on the final vote

Butch

 

[trainsktg]

I was there and it was a last minute trick at Christmas recess for Congress. Most members had gone home for the holiday but the antis stayed in enough numbers to ram it thru in an unrecorded "voice vote".. outright villany and treachery

Reagan was a snake for signing the bill, even though it had a few good aspects, it also contained the Trojan Horse full auto manufacture and import ban. Reagan a true conservative? Bah. His witch Nancy was even worse

I don't remember Congress ever recessing for Christmas in April

Keith

 

[Mark W.]

I would challenge the idea that AR and AK rifles were very popular in 1986. In fact they were one of the slowest selling things at the big gun shows in Portland from what I remember. I would see maybe 4-5 tables with more then one or two AR on them in a 1000 table gun show. And even fewer of the AK's most guys wouldn't even handle the AK's and the SKS's back then thinking them to be junk.

Once the Word Ban hit the air waves in 94 that is when people started buying them up like crazy.

I could be wrong but at that time I was a full time Knifemakera and attended the Portland and Salem guns shows every month or so.

 

[3MTA3]

I was more into bolt action hunting rifles at the time, but my buddies were into AR's, AK's, SKS's, and drooled a lot over HK's. I bought the Class 3 because of the pending ban and got a decent deal. I figured it might be my last chance, so went for it. I think what you notice at a large gun show mostly is what you are looking for. I haven't been to one in over 20 years, so couldn't say as to what has changed since. BTW, with all the rifles including the class 3, my favorite by far is my Browning .22, what a pleasure to shoot!

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I don't remember Congress ever recessing for Christmas in April

Keith

According to this ?? link you are right.. I still remember it as an Xmas recess..maybe it's just PTSD

Firearm Owners Protection Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

FOPA.. talk about Orwell-speak

 

[Mark W.]

I was more into bolt action hunting rifles at the time, but my buddies were into AR's, AK's, SKS's, and drooled a lot over HK's. I bought the Class 3 because of the pending ban and got a decent deal. I figured it might be my last chance, so went for it. I think what you notice at a large gun show mostly is what you are looking for. I haven't been to one in over 20 years, so couldn't say as to what has changed since. BTW, with all the rifles including the class 3, my favorite by far is my Browning .22, what a pleasure to shoot!

My comments weren't based on what I noticed at the shows it was from being at the shows for as much as 3 full days from setup to break down as a vendor at the show. I spent as much as 5 days a month on average at Gun shows. from 8am to 5pm a day. I have been attending gun shows pretty regular since at least 1968 when my dad started dragging me to them as a kid. I started my knifemaking business in 1983 and local gun shows were one of the first places I marketed my knives. So in the early years I was doing at least 2 shows a month trying to pay the bills.

 

[Diamondback]

I seem to recall the Hughes Amendment was, possibly illegally and without quorum, passed by some dirty tricks by then-presiding-at-that-moment John Kerry. Like declaring a "NAY" voice-vote "The AYEs have it..."

Hence, there should only ever be full roll-call votes, never voice-vote again. But then they'll bribe the clerk to misrecord as many as it takes...

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I seem to recall the Hughes Amendment was, possibly illegally and without quorum, passed by some dirty tricks by then-presiding-at-that-moment John Kerry. Like declaring a "NAY" voice-vote "The AYEs have it..."

Hence, there should only ever be full roll-call votes, never voice-vote again. But then they'll bribe the clerk to misrecord as many as it takes...

Revolution is the solution

 

[trainsktg]

According to this ?? link you are right.. I still remember it as an Xmas recess..maybe it's just PTSD

Firearm Owners Protection Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

FOPA.. talk about Orwell-speak

"FOPA" ... Oh yes, NewSpeak indeed!

I was just having some fun with you on the date thing. No doubt there are dozens of such last minute Christmas shenanigans over the last few decades, its understandable that they become easily confused .

Keith

 

[thereddog]

I remember one hell of a gunfight between some dudes in California and a whole bunch of cops. The dudes had Ruger Mini14's and just shot the living hell out of the Police force. I know they are not full auto, but those dudes really raised hell. They also had flack jackets on and totally outgunned the Law. I think the dudes robbed a bank, Kind of unoriginal and practical.

 

[mjbskwim]

Those were full auto AK 47s

No wait ....couldn't be....those were illegal in CA. at the time

 

[Stomper]

In '86 I was slogging an M60 (and 600 rounds) throughout Latin America (can't say where, but it totaled 8 different countries), and I was slightly "distracted" with more pressing matters. Of course I was 19 at the time and during down time was WAY more interested in "guy stuff", like drinking hootch, chasing skirts, watching an episode of WWF on TV when we could... trying not to get shot, blown up, bitten by snakes/bugs, or fall out of the helo while flying knap of the earth through jungle covered mountainsides (with doors open) towards our insertion points.

Other than feeding on (in general) anti-Soviet/commie news stories on CNN (the only game in town back then) aired on the AFN channel, I paid little to no attention to politics (domestic in particular). Ahhhh, those were the days... thank GAWD they're over.

 

[trainsktg]

I remember one hell of a gunfight between some dudes in California and a whole bunch of cops. The dudes had Ruger Mini14's and just shot the living hell out of the Police force. I know they are not full auto, but those dudes really raised hell. They also had flack jackets on and totally outgunned the Law. I think the dudes robbed a bank, Kind of unoriginal and practical.

I believe you are thinking of the N. Hollywood Shootout. That was in 1997.
North Hollywood shootout - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There was another significant event that lead to the 1989 ban, but as far as I know there was nothing to inspire the 1986 act.
Cleveland School massacre - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Keith