Looking back on the AWB period of ‘94-04

[OKCHunter]

This go round will be different because the same clowns that passed the first one are still in office and learned from their mistakes.
If the dems take both houses and the white house you won't own a semi-auto anything. Plus they will probably declare any rifle that will accurately shoot more than 100 yards a sniper rifle.
My 2 cents

Only if gun owners are willing to comply. If every semi-auto gun owner and accuracy rifle owner flips the bird to the feds, well there is not much they can do about it. But, it has to be the majority of those gun owners and some backing by the state government. Example - legalization of marijuana at the state level by the various states. In essence, the states have flipped the bird to the feds.

 

[Mad Professor]

AWB of 94, hell... let’s look back to 1986.

 

[adamsredlines]

In a backwards way, I kinda enjoyed it.
I was a kid and back then I would go with my dad to gun shows all around Tennessee just about every weekend it seemed. Then we moved to Indiana and continued on going to all kinds of gun shows and shops on the weekend.
When AR's got hot and half the shows became tactical, my dad quit going and thus...so did I. I kinda miss those days for that reason.

 

[HiredHand]

AWB of 94, hell... let’s look back to 1986.

I’ve heard the stories about cheap machine guns, but I’d love to hear what you have to say about that time period.

 

[dennishoddy]

I helped a friend start a new store shortly about the time the ban was being proposed, well before it went into effect. We started buying everything we could and not long after we started our investments, the public started panic buying. We thought we had bought enough to keep stock for a year or so, but it was all sold out in the first 4-5 months, and by the time we decided to buy more, the well was dry.

Just as we saw earlier this year with toilet paper, society reacts to real or imaginary shortages with absolute panic.

Selling out all the inventory put a lot of shops out of business because they could not restock. Big bubble of money at the start, but dry months cash wise afterward because of zero inventory won't keep a business running.

 

[Fyrtwuck]

AWB of 94, hell... let’s look back to 1986.

I didn’t know anything about Class-3 back then. A friend of mine called me and said he was about to buy an HK MP-5 for $900.00, that the dealer had more than one and wanted to know if I wanted one too. At that point in time, the most I had ever paid for a gun was $400.00 for a Colt Python. I felt it was far too expensive and passed.

The ban of May 19, 1986 hit and prices shot up. The last time I looked, a transferable MP-5 was going for over $35k.

 

[Fyrtwuck]

What year was the import ban? 1989? Restricted imports of foreign firearms and parts from other countries.

 

[mr ed]

Prior to 86 not that many people owned machine guns or were really interested to own one.
After 1986 prices didn't magically shoot up until about 2005
A MP5 selling for $900 in 86 went for $2500 in 2000, then $15k in 2005, now $30-35k.
Some have not really gone up all that much, Others are insane.
I saw where a guy paid $20k the other day for a drop in auto sear (RDIAS).
They were only a hundred buck novelty item in 86.

 

[tRidiot]

This go round will be different because the same clowns that passed the first one are still in office and learned from their mistakes.
If the dems take both houses and the white house you won't own a semi-auto anything. Plus they will probably declare any rifle that will accurately shoot more than 100 yards a sniper rifle.
My 2 cents

Oh, they learned alright, there won't be a "sunset clause" the next time....

 

[Glock 'em down]

I was working for a small city PD back then. I went to Outdoor America and I bought a NIB Blue Label Gen-2 Glock 21 on a letterhead. I asked to buy more magazines and they wouldn’t sell them to me without doing a 4473.

I went to the gun show at the fairgrounds after working the midnight shift still in uniform and a dealer offered me $100.00 each for the 13 round magazines on my belt.

During the same time, Outdoor America got caught by Glock for taking the extra magazines out of the boxes and selling them for higher prices. They lost their distributor status for a couple of years as a reward.

To see examples of what it was like, go to the EE section of ARFCOM and look at the ads for “pre-ban” mags that sell for big prices in states that kept the ban in effect. Early Glock 17 mags still sell for $80-$100.00 each.

I started my LE career in 1989. I bought my first Glock (a gen2 model 22) in the summer of 1991, so I missed the AWB...then.

Fast forward to 1995. I am so sick and tired of the entire cops & robbers life, I turn in badge, sell my gun and vow to NEVER, EVER do that despicable job again, for as long as I live.

Well...after a few short years of office talk, working with spiteful women and the hum of fluorescent lights I reluctantly got back into law enforcement.

Just like Larry, my blue label G22 came with three mags, but if I wanted a couple more (and I did) I had to fill out another 4473.

About a year or so later, I figured I'd pick up a few more. By now, the Glock 22 was probably the most popular firearm in existence, at least with the LE crowd, and regular Joes were selling the mags for over $100 each!

I called Jason at OAS to see if he could send me some more. He said he could only sell me three, and again, another department letterhead AND another 4473 was required. Furthermore, he could only mail them to my agency, NOT my home address.

I'm so glad we don't hafta deal with that crap anymore, and I hope it stays thataway. At least for the next 4 years.

However, I did kinda capitalize on the ban. I had purchased two Beretta 92F mags for about $15 each and sold em at Wannamakers for $100. The guy saw em, said "how much?" I told him 100 bucks, he threw a C-note at me, snatched up the mags outta my hand and scurried off, disappearing into the crowd. I reckon I shoulda told him 100 bucks each, cause I'm sure that's what he sold em for.