Dianne Feinstein: “I rise as a cosponsor of Senator Lautenberg's amendment and to both commend him and support him for this amendment.…”

“I rise as a cosponsor of Senator Lautenberg's amendment and to both commend him and support him for this amendment. Prior to making my remarks, I would like to address a comment made by the very distinguished Senator from New Hampshire that these guns have no value, that the $76 million price tag on them is outrageous. Well, we called a number of gun shops around the Nation to determine whether the M-1 and the M-1 carbine had a value. I would like to share with the Senator what I found. The M-1, which the Army puts a value of $310 on, can be purchased at the Old Town Armory in Alexandria, VA for $425. It can be purchased at the Old Sacramento Armory in California for $549. It can be purchased at Segal Guns in Oakland for $495. Remember, the Army's value is $310. The M-1 carbine, which the Army puts a value of $76.90 on, can be purchased at the Old Town Armory for $389, and the Old Sacramento Armory for $425, at the San Francisco Gun Exchange for $278.50 and $325, at the National Shooting Club in Santa Clara at $400 and $425. As a matter of fact, if you average these prices and say what market prices are for these weapons, the M-1 and the M-1 carbine, and the other items, actually increase the amount to about $86.5 million rather than $76 million. So I respectfully submit to this body that it is not true that these guns have no value. They are, in many cases, collectors items, and they bring a substantial value.”