The Handguard Ban of 2013

Still from C-SPAN video

Dianne Feinstein sat before a Senate committee yesterday and outlined the details of her new proposed Assault Weapons Ban of 2013.  While watching the video on C-SPAN something caught my attention.

At 4:15 in the C-SPAN video an aide behind Mrs. Feinstein unveiled a cue card that displayed a semi-automatic AR15 rifle made by Colt Firearms.  Of course the first thing that I noticed was that Mrs. Feinstein had labeled the rifle as an Assault Rifle and not an Assault Weapon.  The accepted definition of an "assault rifle" is a rifle that is capable of semi-automatic OR fully-automatic fire.  As usual, Mrs. Feinstein is purposely trying to confuse the issue.

The term "assault weapon" was coined by Mrs. Feinstein and crew back in 1993 when they were working on the original Clinton era ban.  It was intended to describe not only "assault rifles" (modern sporting rifles like the AR15) but carbines, pistols and shotguns with certain evil features.  It too was also intended to confuse the issue and to instill fear in the uneducated by linking semi-automatic firearms (rifles, pistols and shotguns) to military assault rifles which were already heavily regulated, or banned, at the time.

The next thing I noticed was the "barrel shroud".  Right below the description for a "barrel shroud" a big red arrowed pointed towards the handguard of the rifle.  What?  I thought to myself, "Is she really this ignorant or is she trying to accomplish something else here?"  That's not a "barrel shroud", that's a handguard!

Brown Bess Musket

The handguard of a rifle is a necessary feature that's been used to protect the shooters hand since the musket was invented.  No one in their right mind would grab a bare barrel when shooting a firearm, not even a musket much less a semi-automatic rifle.  The heat generated by firing the rifle would quickly make touching the barrel not just uncomfortable but unsafe.  With only a few rounds fired a shooter would get 2nd or even 3rd degree burns from grabbing a bare barrel.  The handguard isn't an optional item, it's a necessity for the safe operation of any rifle.

I thought for sure this had to be a mistake, perhaps an aide that knows even less about firearms than Mrs. Feinstein was to blame.

Seeking clarity and trying to find the source of this confusion I opened my copy of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013 which is available on Mrs. Feinsteins website and searched for "barrel shroud".  There it was on page 11, the definition of a barrel shroud:

15 ‘‘(38) The term ‘barrel shroud’—

16 ‘‘(A) means a shroud that is attached to, or

17 partially or completely encircles, the barrel of a fire18

arm so that the shroud protects the user of the fire19

arm from heat generated by the barrel; and

20 ‘‘(B) does not include—

21 ‘‘(i) a slide that partially or completely en22

closes the barrel; or

23 ‘‘(ii) an extension of the stock along the

24 bottom of the barrel which does not encircle or

25 substantially encircle the barrel.

Model 1917 Enfield

I was floored.  She has described a modern front handguard to the letter.  She really is trying to make the handguard that (1) evil feature that when coupled with a detachable magazine makes the firearm an "assault weapon/rifle" under the new AWB bill.

The musket would be excluded from this definition as the front handguard only encompasses 1/2 of the barrel... although is 1/2 "substantial"?  However the 1917 Enfield, 1903 Springfield, M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, Mini-14, AR15, AK, etc. all have "barrel shrouds" as defined by the AWB of 2013.

Couple this with the fact Mrs. Feinstein also bans grenade launchers (already banned), rocket launchers (do not exist on rifles), and forward pistol grips on pistols (already banned) and we see that the AWB of 2013 is another example of poorly written knee jerk legislation.  The AWB of 2013 is intended to confuse the public and ultimately make firearms laws so convoluted that through interpretation by the ATF almost any semi-automatic firearm could be banned.