[hillbilly]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/10/21/national2039EDT0813.DTL




Senate Democrats plan to urge Congress to reauthorize a law banning plastic guns that could be used by terrorists to slip past airport metal detectors.

Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., said Tuesday he plans to introduce legislation to reauthorize the Terrorist Firearm Detection Act of 1988, which bans the creation or possession plastic firearms. Exemptions for the military and intelligence agencies are provided in the law.

Officials worry terrorists would be able to get their hands on plastic weapons that would have no metal parts to set off metal detectors at airports and other security checkpoints.

The bill was last reauthorized in 1998 and expires in December.

Kennedy called the legislation "clearly necessary in today's America" and pressed Justice Department officials for their support at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. "Will the Justice Department support the bill?" he asked.

"I agree that the issue of weapons being undetected is an important one," Assistant Attorney General Christopher Wray said. "I would be happy to review the legislation."

Kennedy and fellow Democratic Sens. Charles Schumer of New York and Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey planned to introduce the legislation on Wednesday.

[Marko Kloos]

It's very telling when U.S. senators expend effort and taxpayer resources to try and ban something that does not exist.

[Chupacabra]

Wuh?

PLASTIC guns???

Is there something I missed? I've never heard of a plastic gun.

Maybe those guys have been watching too much Die Hard 2 or sumptin.

:rolleyes:

[Justin]

Does it bother anyone else when they see evidence that those making the laws are much dumber than your average person?

Did Senators Kennedy and Schumer come up with this thing after a 3-day coke and booze bender?

Seriously, I think ol' Teddy's braincells are fried from being in an alcohol-induced haze for more years than I've been alive.

Next thing you know, they'll be shouting to have the Unicorn put on the endangered species list.

Teddy, Chucky, you're both idiots, and I've nothing but disdain and invective for the vile idiocy you continually foist upon the American public.

:barf:

[Moparmike]

Or "In The Line of Fire." Even it had metal parts. Grant you they were tossed in with his keys, but they were there.:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[Phantom Warrior]

You notice this idea is being proposed by three of the most anti-gun Democrats in the Senate. Maybe they ran out of real guns to try and ban, so they had to start with imaginary ones? Real vs. imaginary doesn't seem to phase people like that though. Take the Maryland (?) requirements for smart guns. Which don't exist either...

Does anyone know of any non-metallic ammunition that could actually be used with a "plastic" gun to actually make it beat a metal detector?

[USAFA]

The psycic superheroes, Kennedy and Shumer, have stumbled on to my nefarious plan to take over the world with SQUIRTGUNS!!!

Does anyone think it would phase these geniuses at all if someone pointed out that bullets were made out of METAL. Even better, who here WOULDN'T pay for one of them to shoot a plastic bullet from a plastic shell in a plastic gun?

Next they'll try to ban my army of flesh eating zombie squirells.

[Rogelio]

....but isn't it possible that your multi million dollar budget intelligence agencies have developed some kind of plastic gun that they do not want the public to hear from??(hehehe!!!:p , that is why I am quitting tv, only Discovery channel and history channel for me!!)

Now seriously...if they start talking like that, then they will want to ban Glocks because they have polymer frames and maybe they will argue that they are "easy" -dumb a$$es- to be converted to full mplastic guns!! I hate those stupid lawmakers, both yours and mine!! They won't let me use 9mm but 380 SA is ok!!

Does becoming a politician requieres an obligatory 2 digit IQ??

[Brian Dale]

EDIT: deleted my earlier notion.

If "the terrorists" invent (or even steal and successfully manufacture) technology that lets them make funtional firearms from plastics, we'll have bigger problems than having such weapons smuggled aboard airplanes. It'll be the result of safe sources of funding and engineering skills, along with substantial manufacturing capacity that could be used in many ways beyond making firearms. This would not be good.

In other news, Sen. Kennedy proposed adding pink elephants to the Endangered Species List, but later retracted his proposal when he decided that they were actually quite common ...

[USGuns]

This is just a typical liberal ploy to implement gun control through the incremental outlawing of firearms, one bit at a time. First it'll be any gun that contains "plastic", under the guise of fighting terrorists. Then it'll be some other restriction for some other unrelated reason ..... until finally ALL guns are outlawed. :banghead:

[7.62FullMetalJacket]

An all plastic gun, with a plastic firing pin and plastic casing, and play-doh bullets. Maybe they are developing a Nerf pistol? Di Fi will want to limit the magazine to 10, though.

[WvaBill]

"An all plastic gun, with a plastic firing pin and plastic casing, and play-doh bullets. "

Just the thing for late night swims:neener:

Replace the play-doh with marbles:rolleyes:

[gun-fucious]

so passing a law against plastic guns will stop an evil person from using one?

whodathunkit?

[Standing Wolf]

Officials worry terrorists would be able to get their hands on plastic weapons that would have no metal parts to set off metal detectors at airports and other security checkpoints.

The officials who are so worried should visit any gun shop in the country. What nitwits!

[El Tejon]

Ahhh, the blessings of the Welfare State: to be governed by ignorant fools who should be sleeping off last night's exesses in the county jug's drunk tank back in Massachusetts.

These anti-gun people are morons, but I'm repeating myself.:rolleyes:

[semf]

Oh my God !!!! I just made a straw purchase for my nephew's 5th birthday.

[Carlos]

LOL.

Ted should go to jail for the rest of his life for the swimming car incident. The government prosecutes others for the same crimes after as many years. Just, not the lawmakers. Ted sukz.

[Ryder]

Just have people walk through the soon to be developed plastic detector after they go through the good old metal detector.

[vmi93]

I hope his next bill bans atomic death rays. Who knows what might happen if one of THOSE fell into the wrong hands.

Ted Kennedy: Leading the charge to ban things that don't exist. :rolleyes:

[2dogs]

Idiots.

What they should really be worried about- and need immediate legislation to ban- are air guns. No not the kind that shoot corks- I mean real air guns- like air guitar, you know.

I personally can state that in my lifetime (mostly the early years) I have mowed down hundreds if not thousands- some I'm sure who were mere innocent bystanders.

And the scary thing is- you can take your air gun into schools, on planes, into court rooms and churches and bars- my God- totally undetected.

Quick get Schumer/Kennedy/Feinstein/Lautenberg on the phone and ask what THEY plan to do about this insidious threat to the children!

:neener:

[XLMiguel]

USAFA beat me to it. The only plastic gun I own is a SuperSoaker.

It is fundamentally wrong to allow these clods to legislate/regulate things they obviously know nothing about.:barf: :barf: :barf:

[2dogs]

Seriously, how can anyone proudly proclaim themselves a Democrat or Liberal when their leaders treat them with such contempt, with such an insult to their intelligence as to waste time and $$$ on this nonsense.

We should all be ashamed for allowing "leaders" like this to exist.

Kennedy/Schumer/Feinstein-stop stealing my air.

[Brett Bellmore]

I'm sure they're planning a bait and switch; Every time this bit of idiocy has been brought up, they've tried to ban guns with any plastic parts, not "plastic" guns.

[Black Snowman]

I remember when this bill origionally came up. On the news they showed an airport security official show exactly why his Glock never made it through their security checks no matter how he tried to conceal it an any number of combinations and parts hidden in various methods.

When asked if the metal parts could be replaced, say with ceramics, he explained why certain things can only be done with ferrous metals and other dense materials that would at least show on an X-ray.

He said the whole thing was just a scheme and would prevent anything but lead to even more stupid laws.

I wish the news would show more truth and less hype.

[Langenator]

Does anyone know of any non-metallic ammunition that could actually be used with a "plastic" gun to actually make it beat a metal detector?

Well, the G-11 that HK was working on a while back used caseless ammo, which would eliminate the metal shell casings...anyone out there know if it's possible to make a bullet out of ceramics and/or composites?


Ted should go to jail for the rest of his life for the swimming car incident. The government prosecutes others for the same crimes after as many years. Just, not the lawmakers. Ted sukz.

About a year an a half ago I was the Adjutant for my unit at Ft Lewis. Now, every now and then in the Army we get letters from Congressmen/Senators inquiring about one of their constituents who claims that he was being horribly abused (translation: being punished for breaking the rules) by the Army. As the Adj., one of my jobs was to reply to these letters. Well, we had a dirtbag soldier from Massachusetts. You have no idea how nauseating it was to have to write "The Honorable Edward Kennedy."

[EOD Guy]

About a year an a half ago I was the Adjutant for my unit at Ft Lewis. Now, every now and then in the Army we get letters from Congressmen/Senators inquiring about one of their constituents who claims that he was being horribly abused (translation: being punished for breaking the rules) by the Army. As the Adj., one of my jobs was to reply to these letters. Well, we had a dirtbag soldier from Massachusetts. You have no idea how nauseating it was to have to write "The Honorable Edward Kennedy."

Langenator,

If you are a commissioned officer, beware of Article 88 of the UCMJ. That being said, I fully understand, and share, your contempt concerning the "honorable" senior senator from Mass.

[Balog]

Langenator: Some rounds use bullets made from nylon. The ultimate limit on both penetration and range. You can read about them in "Unintended Consequences" by John Ross. They're what he has in his .44 mag when he throws down on the undercover ATF agent at the gunshow. Hehehe. I liked that part.

[Obiwan]

It seems very possible to come up with a "firearm" that would not trip a metal detector, using polymers/ceramic/etc.

But since it would have no other real purpose, why do we need a law?

I mean...it is already illegal to take a weapon through security.

Just like a composite knife....they don't need to be banned...just prosecute the bad guys.

Better ban handheld laser weapons that look like cell phones...

you know....just in case!

[Camel]

Does anyone have a link to the text of the Terrorist Firearm Detection Act of 1988? Was it ever actually signed into law?

[cracked butt]

I've seen 12 guage hulls that were made completely of plastic- not metal except the primer. Remove the shot, put something else in its place-glass beads, stones. But I would not want to be the one shooting the shell from a plastic shotgun:uhoh:

What amazes me about Ted Kennedy is that people keep voting him in office. No matter how dumb TK appears to be, there has to be a majority of people in his state that think he is doing a good job and are just as dumb if not dumber to keep electing him. Same goes to the other states that keep electing perennial jackasses:banghead:

I have to say the same for my state- we elected feingold and kohl both of whom are antigunners, but feingold is nothing more than an idiot who is always starving for attention. We have some strong conservative candidates in the race for next November, hopefully we can send him packing.

[Nightfall]

Shouldn't there be a death penalty for being this stupid? For the good of the species and all?

[Daniel T]

You know that the lawmakers on this will claim that the only reason we don't have "plastic" guns is solely because of this law.

It's like my dragon-repelling charm. It obviously works. See any dragons?

[Langenator]

EOD-

I respect Sen. Kennedy's seat in the Senate (heck, I respect anything that can hold up that much weight.) Edward Kennedy the person, well, that's a completely different matter.

From the American Heritage Dictionary:

Honor: Principled uprightness of character; personal integrity.
Honorable: Possessing and characterized by honor

Unfortunately, it's also used as a title for high officials like Senators.

[Partisan Ranger]

Either these statists are morons (I repeat myself) or they have nothing but utter contempt for the intelligence of Americans. Um, how does a gun made of plastic discharge a bullet? How does the plastic firing pin work? How does the plastic frame absorb the stress of firing without exploding or melting?

Incredible.