Dianne Feinstein: “about 2 weeks ago it came to my attention that several countries may be exporting semiautomatic assault weapons into…”

“about 2 weeks ago it came to my attention that several countries may be exporting semiautomatic assault weapons into this country despite the 1968 Gun Control Act, which limits the importation of these weapons. When I asked the ATF to explain why these weapons were granted import permits, I learned that ATF, in the last few years, has not applied--or at least has not been consistent in applying--a standard of review for importation of weapons set by Congress under the 1968 Gun Control Act, a standard which has been specifically applied to semiautomatic rifles and shotguns since 1984. The Gun Control Act of 1968 allows importation of only those types of firearms "generally recognized as particularly suitable for, or readily adaptable to, sporting purposes." In 1984, ATF conducted a comprehensive analysis of the sporting purposes of rifles and shotguns. They looked at the legislative history, studied the available literature, made a technical evaluation of the weapons, and conducted a wide-ranging comprehensive survey and determined that there were clear differences between semiautomatic assault rifles and semiautomatic rifles used in traditional sports.”