NRA’s “Big Wins” for Gun Owners Might Not Be So Big
Unclear reporting muddies the water on shotgun import bans and “sporting purpose”
An article recently released by the NRA-ILA entitled “Rumor Alert: Appropriations Bill Blocks New Shotgun Ban—Does Not Repeal ‘Sporting Purposes’ Test” doesn’t go far toward clearing up “inaccurate reporting”. The earlier article, Twelve Big Wins for Gun Owners, Nov 18, 2011, described “big wins” for gun rights provided by the conference report on the combined Fiscal Year 2012 Agriculture, Commerce/Justice/Science and Transportation/Housing/Urban Development Appropriations bills (also known as the “mini-bus”).
The article states that the conference report added two new provisions that bolster gun rights and protect the Second Amendment. One such provision touted by the article was listed under the heading of “Shotgun Importation Protections”, where the NRA states that the report “Prohibits the Department of Justice from requiring imported shotguns to meet a ‘sporting purposes’ test that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) has used to prohibit the importation of shotguns.” Continue reading
