Oppose Firearms Rationing: One-Gun-A-Month

Virginia: Oppose Firearms Rationing—One-Gun-A-Month Law

History of handgun rationing in Virginia

Gov. Ralph Northam has proposed a “one-gun-a-month” firearm rationing law. Virginia has never had a “one-gun-a-month” law. From 1993 to 2012, Virginia had a “one-handgun-a-month” law that rationed the number of handguns law-abiding gun owners could purchase to one a month. Virginians’right to purchase rifles and shotguns has never been rationed before.

In 1993, Gov. L. Douglas Wilder and other gun control advocates sold the handgun rationing measure as a way to curb gun trafficking from Virginia to more restrictive Northeast states, particularly New York. Gov. Bob McDonnell, who supported the bill as a delegate in 1993, would go on to sign its repeal in 2012.

Before and after the repeal

According to ATF trace data, there was not an increase in firearms recovered in New York being traced to Virginia in the years after repeal. In the three years prior to repeal (2009-11), a total of 1265 firearms recovered in New York were traced to Virginia. In the three years following repeal (2013-15), a total of 1259 firearms recovered in New York were traced to Virginia.

There has not been a significant increase in the percentage of firearms recovered in restrictive Northeast states being traced to Virginia since the repeal of the handgun rationing statute.

Before and After the One Handgun a Month Repeal

The federal government already monitors multiple handgun purchases

Federal law imposes a requirement on gun dealers to report the multiple sale of handguns made to an individual within five consecutive business days. 18 U.S.C. §923(g)(3)(A) requires that “The report shall be prepared on a form specified by the Attorney General and forwarded to the office specified thereon and to the department of state police or state law enforcement agency of the state or local law enforcement agency of the local jurisdiction in which the sale or other disposition took place, not later than the close of business on the day that the multiple sale or other disposition occurs.”

Gun rationing would not have prevented the Virginia Beach tragedy

The perpetrator used two handguns to carry out the attack. The perpetrator bought one of the pistols in 2016 and the other in 2018.

Articles

Gov. Northam recently suggested that this is not a complete list of the gun control measures he wants the General Assembly to consider. Read the latest articles.

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It's critical that every gun owner in the Commonwealth contact their legislators and urge them to OPPOSE Gov. Northam’s and his media allies' gun control agenda.

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