Machine gun ownership in the Bay State is booming, while a bill to tighten ownership and outlaw full-auto free-for-alls like the one that killed an 8-year-old boy two years ago is jammed on Beacon Hill.
Gov. Deval Patrick’s bill, “An Act to Reduce Firearm Violence,” is a controversial overhaul of the state’s gun laws that would limit firearm purchases to one per month and ban anyone who is not a cop or the licensed owner from holding a machine gun.
The Bay State may have more than 4,400 privately owned machine guns, owned by 2,579 licensed collectors - with 753 new licenses added to the rolls since 2007, according to federal and state records.
Patrick’s bill was sent to the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, which opted not to act on the bill Friday, delaying any action until June. Even then its fate is in doubt.
“I think the bill goes too far,” said Judiciary Committee Vice-Chairman State Sen. Steven Baddour (D-Methuen). “We all want to reduce or eliminate gun violence. It doesn’t do that. It focuses on law-abiding citizens. What we need to be doing is focusing on those who carry guns illegally, then increase the penalties on the punishment side so when people commit a crime with a firearm, they know the penalties will be severe.”
Since 8-year-old Christopher Bizilj lost control of the Uzi in his hands and died in October 2008 at a machine gun show, at least one Bay State machine gun shoot was canceled. Gun club officials contacted by the Herald were not aware of any held since.
Last month prosecutors settled their case against the club that sponsored the machine gun show where the boy was slain. The Westfield Sportsman’s Club owners pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter charges and guilty to furnishing a machine gun to a minor. They were ordered to pay $10,000 to two charities. There are criminal charges pending against three others in the child’s death.
It is illegal for anyone under 18 to use a machine gun, but Patrick’s proposal would kill full-auto free-for-alls by allowing only law enforcement and licensed owners to fire them. And Patrick wants to toughen licensing standards.
“In Massachusetts, it should not be easy for people to get a machine gun license,” said Public Safety Secretary Mary Elizabeth Heffernan. “We’re working to tighten that process up . . . We’re requiring a little more detail about why you have a collector’s license, making it stricter for those who want to own machine guns.”
James Wallace, exective director of the Gun Owners Action League, opposes Patrick’s bill. In Westfield, he noted the Pelham police chief was in charge of the booth where the boy was slain. That chief stepped down and is facing manslaughter charges.
“Goodness knows folks in public safety have a tough job, but the only time we had a tragedy is when public safety was in charge of the shoot,” he said. “Now you want to restrict us in what we do? What sense does that make?”
His group filed a bill that would let those over 18 handle machine guns under the direct supervision of the gun’s licensed owner. That bill is awaiting a hearing in the Joint Committee on Public Safety.
Meanwhile, one anti-gun control advocate said machine gun laws can be seen as a “success story.”
“I think people would be surprised to know that several thousand fully automatic weapons are in civilian hands,” said Daniel Vice of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, who said illegally trafficked semi-automatic handguns pose a greater public threat.
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/po...led_as_popularity_spikes/srvc=home&position=0
Surprisingly... there's a nice little accompanying article about collectors that has a positive spin to it...
Many collect for fun - and value
Looking for a recession-proof collectible that doesn’t lose value no matter how much you use it? In the words of Al Pacino, “Say hello to my little friend!”
Collectors of machine guns say their expensive hobby is about history, the fun of full-auto shooting as well as reliable investments.
And despite the Bay State’s reputation as one of the most restrictive states for gun owners, the number of collectors grows each year.
There are 2,579 Bay Staters with active federal curio and relic licenses, which most police departments require before granting a resident license to possess a machine gun - and 753 new licenses to possess have been issued since 2007. In 2000, the most recent date for which a total was available, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives reported an estimated 4,400 machine guns in Massachusetts. Alarming as it may sound, law enforcement officials were unable to cite any instance of a licensed collector’s machine gun being used to commit a crime such as robbery or murder.
“There’s a lot of things you buy and collect and use that end up losing value,” said Jim, a licensed machine gun collector. “This isn’t one of them. I can take it out, use it and still know it’s going to be worth more at the end of the day. Plus they’re just really cool devices.”
Jim asked that his last name not be used because he fears the theft of his collection, valued at more than $20,000.
A collector at Zero Hour Arms in Easton, which has machine guns for sale, said to hold one is to put the last 100 years of human history in your hands. Outwardly the look may be chipped wood, heavy steel, smooth black plastic or laser scopes, but the guts of a machine gun haven’t changed much since John Browning invented the gas-operated mechanism in 1895.
But getting that history into a gun cabinet isn’t easy, or cheap. The first step is to get a state license to carry and apply for a federal curio and relic license. With both those licenses in hand, fill out the resident license at the police station. Then, just as with all state gun permits, it is up to local police chiefs. Some chiefs require a safe and an alarm system, along with a walk-through of the home to ensure the alarms work.
Once that’s done, there’s the cost of buying the gun, - entry level is about $3,000, but some classic Thompson submachine guns that can be linked to historic places or events can fetch $50,000 or more. Also factor in the cost of ammunition and finding a range where you can fire the weapon. So why go through all that?
“They’re really fun to shoot,” Jim said. “Hardly anybody else has them. And they always go up in value.”
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20100510many_collect_for_fun_-_and_value/
![[thinking]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/010.gif "Thinking [thinking]")
