Election 2014 - "Assault Weapons Ban"

Before I get to the questions that will appear on the 2014 ballot for Manchester residents, I want to share with you what I think is a little known glitch/exception/loophole in the SB1160 "Assault" weapons ban in the State of Connecticut passed in 2013. 

If you have no interest in guns or gun control, you need not read on.  However, if you have coveted an evil black gun like an AR-15 since the ban, if only because someone said you can't have one now, you should read on. Likewise, if you are for grabbing guns and want to know how your GA failed you, you too should read on.

It is true that in the act cited above, many named and unnamed but described "assault" weapons are essentially banned from sale in the State of Connecticut, and had to be purchased prior to the passage of the act.  These guns had to be registered with the State in order for someone to keep them, and this had to be done by the end of 2013.  Since then, it has been impossible to purchase a new "assault" weapon in Connecticut.

However, there is a catch.  Connecticut passed it's own "assault" weapons ban in 1994 along with the Federal government.  The Federal ban expired in 2004, but the Connecticut ban soldiered on.  When Connecticut passed that first ban, it exempted "assault" weapons that had been manufactured prior to September 1994 from the ban.  Those weapons did not need to be registered, nor were they considered "assault" weapons... they were simply called "long guns"

When the GA passed the most recent ban, they inserted a clause that was intended to make it clear that the GA did NOT consider those exempted weapons as "assault" weapons in the newest ban.  In other words, it was the GA's intent to CONTINUE to exempt these weapons from the latest "assault" weapons ban.  Don't believe me?  Check out the letter from the State in response to this exact question:  http://ccdl.us/blog/2013/10/17/preban-assault-weapons/

So what is the upshot of this?  Well, you can now go to a registered Connecticut gun dealer, and purchase one of these "pre-ban" guns.  You don't need to register it.  You don't have to worry about if it has too many "evil" features.  In fact, you can legally ADD "illegal" features!  Want an AR-15 with a front pistol grip, a bayonet lug, collapsing stock, and a grenade launcher?  Have at it!  Your pre-ban gun is just a "long gun" so all of that is legal. 

So can you really do this?  Yes you can.  I know several people who have.  I won't say who, and I won't say if I did myself.  But I can tell you that it is currently fine to purchase one of these pre-ban weapons, and while you cannot do it at Cabelas, you certainly can at Delta Armory and at Hoffman's.

So all that was the good news.  The bad news?  Well, if Dan Malloy gets re-elected, you should expect the GA and the Governor to close this loophole.  And when they do, your chance to buy a legal black gun in Connecticut will close, likely forever.  Regardless, a friend immediately purchased one when he overheard a sales manager instruct a sales associate to raise the price of all these prebans 40% on November 5th regardless of who is elected.  Sales ploy?  Perhaps.  But would you keep expensive stock around after the election without the prospect of high profits given the likelihood that soon they may be illegal to sell?  I wouldn't either.

What does this mean to you?  Well if you've been kicking yourself for missing out on the chance to buy an AR since the ban was passed, time is running out for you to fix that mistake.  So get your papers in order and pays the money ($1300-$1600) while you still can.  Or you'll be kicking yourself twice...