The Secret Gun Law That Made Machine Guns for the Rich Only

Published on March 23, 2025
Duration: 6:02

Colion Noir, an expert in firearms law, details how the Hughes Amendment of 1986 effectively priced machine guns out of reach for average Americans by freezing the civilian supply. He traces the history of machine gun regulation back to the National Firearms Act of 1934, which imposed a prohibitive $200 tax, and discusses legal standards like 'dangerous and unusual' used in Supreme Court cases.

Quick Summary

The Hughes Amendment of 1986 effectively ended civilian ownership of new machine guns by freezing the supply. This, combined with earlier legislation like the NFA of 1934 which imposed a $200 tax, made machine guns prohibitively expensive for the average American, serving as gun control through economic pricing.

Chapters

  1. 00:00Gun Control Through Economic Pricing
  2. 00:42Court Rulings & Media Bias
  3. 02:24History of the National Firearms Act
  4. 04:52Legal Standards & Supreme Court Cases

Frequently Asked Questions

How did the Hughes Amendment affect machine gun ownership in the US?

The Hughes Amendment of 1986 froze the civilian supply of machine guns by prohibiting the registration of any new machine guns for civilian ownership. This effectively made them inaccessible and prohibitively expensive for the average American, acting as a significant barrier to ownership.

What was the National Firearms Act of 1934?

The National Firearms Act (NFA) of 1934 was the first major federal law to restrict machine guns. It introduced a $200 tax stamp for the transfer of such firearms, which was a substantial cost at the time, intended to deter ownership during the gangster era.

What legal standard is used to justify firearm restrictions like those on machine guns?

The legal standard often cited is 'dangerous and unusual,' derived from Supreme Court cases like US v. Miller and DC v. Heller. Historically, machine guns were not considered unusual until government regulations made them scarce and expensive, impacting their classification.

Related News

All News →

More 2nd Amendment & Law Videos You Might Like

More from Colion Noir

View all →