Firearms industry ready for end of ban

WASHINGTON – Gun manufacturers are gearing up for next week’s scheduled expiration of a 10-year-old federal ban on assault weapons, and are taking orders for semiautomatic rifles and high-capacity ammunition magazines that may soon become legal again, according to a report released Tuesday.

The report by the Consumer Federation of America, which favors greater regulation of the gun industry, concludes that “assault weapons will be more lethal and less expensive” without the ban and argues that police “may be forced to adopt a more militaristic approach” as greater numbers of firearms flood the market.

The report, based on interviews with gun industry officials and reviews of advertisements and other sales materials, comes in the waning days of a federal ban on semiautomatic assault rifles, in place since 1994 and set to expire Monday unless Congress intervenes.

The Senate approved renewal of the ban earlier this year, but the provision was part of a broader bill that included other measures opposed by the White House. House GOP leaders have given little indication that they plan to extend the ban, and President Bush – who said during the 2000 campaign that he would support an extension – has not pushed the issue.

White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan said Bush “supports the reauthorization of the current assault weapons ban” and that “the president’s views are well known” among GOP leaders in Congress.

The lack of action on Capitol Hill has prompted gun-control groups and others who favor the legislation to step up their appeals in recent days, including the purchase of full-page newspaper advertisements criticizing Bush’s inaction. Washington, D.C., Police Chief Charles Ramsey and more than 70 police officials will rally today urging Bush to back an extension.

The National Rifle Association is urging members to lobby against extending what it refers to as “the Clinton gun ban.” The measure was championed and signed into law by former President Clinton.

Democratic candidate John Kerry, D-Mass., left the campaign trail in May to vote for extending the ban in the Senate, but has also highlighted his familiarity with hunting and other shooting sports. “He is a gun owner and hunter himself, but he believes that a ban on these dangerous weapons must be extended,” said Kerry spokeswoman Allison Dobson.

The 1994 law banned the sale to civilians of 19 types of semiautomatic weapons, but many manufacturers have skirted the prohibition by offering similar knockoff models. The Consumer Federation’s assessment lists examples of recent sales pitches by gun manufacturers who have indicated they plan to revive models and features currently outlawed.

Berretta has advertised two free 15-round magazines after Sept. 14 with the purchase of two of its weapons; current law restricts the size of ammunition magazines to 10 rounds. The group said manufacturers, including Israeli Military Industries, which makes Uzi brand rifles, are likely to introduce semiautomatic models into the U.S. market if the ban is lifted.

In another example cited by the consumer group, Illinois-based ArmaLite has unveiled a program that allows buyers to convert their guns to use flash suppressors, bayonets and other features that are now illegal. The company also is allowing customers to order banned assault weapons now and have them shipped once the ban is lifted, according to the study.

One company advertisement notes that “ArmaLite rifles are made to be easily retrofitted with your new flash suppressor and other pre-ban features, so you don’t have to wait if you choose an ArmaLite.”