Gun Laws prior to 1968 Gun Control Act?

[22-rimfire]

Folks talk about the good old days and so forth concerning the purchase, ownership, mail order sales, and carry of firearms prior to 1968. I'm one of them, but frankly I don't have a substantial knowledge base on the subject. What were the requirements prior to 1968? (1) Handgun purchase? (2) Long gun purchase? (3) Age requirements? (4) Federal or State Forms to purchase? (5) Shipment on common carriers? (6) Permits to buy? Waiting periods? (7) Concealed Carry? (8) Transport or loaded carry in vehicle? (9) Prohibited persons from purchase or ownership? (10) Mail order sales? (11) Licensing requirements for dealers?

Gun control has been a topic in the sporting magazines for many years. My impression is that the world did not suddenly change that much after passage of the 1968 Gun Control Act. What changed? What programs or requirements started? Maybe todays restrictive laws are not so different from the days of our fathers or grand fathers. I would be interested to learn about the way things were and I know there will be state to state differences, especially with regard to handguns. I don't have many answers.

 

[El Tejon]

You are incorrect. Do not delude yourself. While some states had restrictions which were loosely enforced (e.g. Indiana age limit for buying pistols [16, but my father bought his 1st pistol at 12 because the store owner knew his father]), the entire atmosphere changed dramatically overnight.

Before the SSA one could order firearms, inlcuding cannons, dewat machine guns, hand grenades etc. from the back of gun magazines which would be delivered to your door. After the SSA there were no mail order sales of guns or ammo. One had to go to a dealer to buy a gun and record your name if you purchased a box of .22s.

The 1960s were incredibly destructive to the RKBA at state (CA was a gun owner's paradise before Ronnie Raygun) and federal level.

 

[SWMAN]

I also imagine that ammo and gun $$$ were much cheaper until the GCA 1968 gave the licensed dealers a dominate place in the firearms market.

 

[22-rimfire]

I had no experience with handguns at that time. I was in Pennsylvania at that time and young. As I recall, you could purchase a rifle or shotgun at age 16 or older personally. I do remember having to sign for 22 shells (ie. so called handgun ammunition) after 1968 law. I know things changed dramatically, but I was looking at an old Shooters Bible (1951 Edition), and noticed that some states had permit to purchase requirements, waiting periods on handguns, etc. Gun control was a substantial discussion topic back in the 1950's and 1960's as it is now.

I'm not deluding myself nor pushing a particular point of view other than 2A, I just want to learn and I'm interested. I thought many here might also be interested as well from knowledgable persons on the topic.

 

[LAR-15]

A number of states have required a permit to purchase for decades long before 1968.

 

[Neo-Luddite]

Look in the back of some old gun and hunting mags, or even National Geographic. C/R type rifles were cheap and plentiful via mail order and were a mainstream item. It's funny, but when I got my C/R I thought long and hard about how it permits fewer 'rights' than everyone had in 1967 in terms of mail order.

 

[Beatnik]

Don't sweep the manufacturing and importation laws that came along with the '68 act under the carpet, either.

Kel-Tec puts American flags all over their boxes and seem really patriotic - but the bottom line is that they have little competition. There are size restrictions for import - if you want to sell a pocket pistol in the U.S., it has to have been made in the U.S.

Also, from what I understand Interarms in Alexandria, VA basically came to be because Walther could no longer sell the PPK without a local shop to make them.

For those of you who like collecting eastern European stuff - do you know how much more of it would be out there now without these kinds of restrictions? (That's a genuine question, I don't know if we'd see more pocket pistols or not.)

 

[Ken C]

I remember buying my first .22 rifle with 'Green Stamps' in Rochester, NY. Just walked into the redemption center, handed over who knows how many books of stamps and walked out with the rifle. I was 12. Dad was with me but I don't remember him being involved with the transaction. Let's see, that was in 1960 or so... and I still have the rifle.

Things have changed a bit in NY.

Ken C

 

[22-rimfire]

With the passage of the 1968 Gun Control Act, I understand that the FFL program was initiated at a federal level. Prior to that, I believe that you just had to have a store or license to conduct business at a local level (if that was requried then) to sell guns which is why many hardware stores, auto parts stores, etc. sold firearms. The Act also eliminated the importation of many so called "saturday night specials" or cheap small foreign manufactured handguns. I believe Federal Form 4473 came into existance with the passage of the Act as well. Colt dropped the little 25 and 22 Auto that was manufactured for them in Spain by Astra with the passage of the Act.

 

[LAR-15]

Prior to 1968 the Federal Firearms Act and the National Firearms Act were in control.

Basically what the 1968 law did was repeal the FFA and replace it with what we call the GCA.

 

[Leanwolf]

EL TEJON - "...(CA was a gun owner's paradise before Ronnie Raygun) and federal level."

Not hardly.

There was no such clause as "the right of the people to keep and bear arms" whatsoever in the Calif. Constitution. Nada. Zip.

Despite your denigration of Ronald Reagan, Calif. was a very restrictive State when it came to firearms. You could not buy a handgun from a gun store without getting permission from the police, and there was a three day waiting period for that. You had to go to the police department or Sheriff's Dept. and fill out a form.

Yes, you could buy a private party handgun... but that did not change until the Democrats took control of the State in the late '80s and early '90s. Then the Marxist Socialist inspired Democrats outlawed ALL private sales/transfers of ALL firearms. (Reagan was long gone before that blasphemy of Rights.)

I know. I moved to Los Angeles in 1962, and tried to buy a pistol . Found out then just what the score was on that issue. It was also nearly impossible in most counties to be issued a CCW.

Plus, most of the chiefs of police and Sheriffs of the metropolitain counties and cities, were very much in favor of and supported "strict gun control."

So, no, Calif. was not a "gun owner's paradise" until Reagan was elected Governor.

L.W.

 

[El Tejon]

Lean, hmmm, the Black Panthers carrying guns and it was not illegal? Buying guns through the mail and shooting whatever you wished along with Dangerous Dave and Dolf in the desert? Sounds like paradise to me.

Fine, I'll amend my response to "near paradise."

 

[Stevie-Ray]

Well, I know that you needed a permit to purchase a handgun in Michigan before the GCA. I still have the purchase permit for when my grandfather passed down his Colt .32 to my father in the 50s. It's an heirloom like the pistol.

 

[Standing Wolf]

There was no such clause as "the right of the people to keep and bear arms" whatsoever in the Calif. Constitution. Nada. Zip.

I'm not absolutely sure of this, but believe California's constitution included the right to keep and bear arms before it was "improved" in the late 1980s or early 1990s.

 

[Mark in California]

In October of 1968 I turned 15. My brother and I both own firearms we received or bought before GCA 68.


Before GCA 68 my brother and I could legally buy 22 ammo (The dealer had talked to our father, and received his permission), after 1968 we could not buy any ammo. All ammo was recorded in the book with a sig and drivers license. We had our father buy it for us.

Before, you did not need a federal license to sell ammo. Afterward every ammo dealer needed the proper Federal License.

Before, you could legally buy any kind of legal firearm you wanted in any state, as long as that state allowed it. Some states had restrictions on what non-residents could or could not buy. Afterward, you were restricted, with a few exceptions, buying firearms in only the state you were living in.

Before, record keeping was very little. Afterwards, it was extensive and one error was a felony.

Before, to a large extent, ATF would try and work with you so you could comply with the law. Afterward, ATF has become arrest driven.

The most important before: Before GCA 68, the Supreme Court had ruled that the registration requirement for FULL AUTO WEAPONS, under the National Firearms Act, was Unconstitutional because it required you to admit violating the law to register a new full auto weapon. The Supreme Court stated that it was a "Perfect Defense" to being charged with possession of an unlicensed full auto weapon.

Afterward, we had an amnesty period to clear that up; and then it was regulation as usual until the government outlawed all new registrations of full auto weapons completely.

 

[gbran]

My dad gave or bought my first several guns for me. The first time I bought a gun on my own was in about 1967. I bought it at a Western Auto store and it was a store brand pump shotgun. I don't even remember doing any paperwork.

 

[22-rimfire]

A while back I purchased a Colt Frontier Scout in Tennessee. It was a first year of manufacture gun and included the original receipt for the sale in GA. The dealer told me that folks in Tennessee would travel across state line and buy their guns in GA because there was a waiting period (7-day I think) in effect in TN. They could pick up their gun immediately. This is in the late 1950's and they sold a lot of guns in GA. I would suspect the same would apply to purchases in KY. No FFL stuff to worry about then, just state laws and I would assume no criminal record and meeting the age requirement.

 

[Car Knocker]

Calif. was a very restrictive State when it came to firearms. You could not buy a handgun from a gun store without getting permission from the police, and there was a three day waiting period for that. You had to go to the police department or Sheriff's Dept. and fill out a form.

This was certainly not the case in the mid 60s in the Sacramento area.

 

[ChestyP]

NFA 1934 controlled go-fast, short barrels, suppressors and some other things. It was originally proposed to control handguns.

FFA 1938 required dealers of firearms to be federally licensed.

 

[jrfoxx]

Well, I know that you needed a permit to purchase a handgun in Michigan before the GCA. I still have the purchase permit for when my grandfather passed down his Colt .32 to my father in the 50s. It's an heirloom like the pistol.

Stevie-Ray-funny you mention that, I'm originally from Michigan, and I have my grandfathers "safety inspection" permit from 1945 for his Astra 600, and my grandmother's for her Galesi .25acp from 1947 also.I agree they are neat little heirlooms/oddities (albeit somewhat disgusting ones) to go along with thier guns I now own.I beleive I read an article somewhere a few months ago that michigans "safety inspection" bs started in the late 20's, early 30's, as a means of keeping "blacks" from owning guns...

 

[Prince Yamato]

Calif. was a very restrictive State when it came to firearms. You could not buy a handgun from a gun store without getting permission from the police, and there was a three day waiting period for that. You had to go to the police department or Sheriff's Dept. and fill out a form.

Just picture the ability to own a MARS import CETME in San Francisco... drool...