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house Bill H.R. 5606

Does The Government Need To Keep Track of Homemade Firearms?

Argument in favor

The public is safer if the government keeps track of firearms. Putting serial numbers on homemade weapons helps law enforcement track otherwise unidentifiable firearms.

Scythan's Opinion
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04/04/2015
This will support the law enforcement community in the tracking of home made weapons used in crime
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wschloss's Opinion
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10/09/2015
There should be a national database of ALL firearms, and ALL, including those used by military and police should be designed such they can be fired ONLY by the registered, fingerprinted, DNA stored owner, and then ONLY when touching elbow to nose. This is not meant to be funny.
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Roger's Opinion
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05/29/2015
Ban homemade firearms like homemade bombs are banned. Nothing good can come from homemade weapons.
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Argument opposed

There are already serial numbers on professionally made firearms. — and it hasn’t stopped people using them for crime. This is just more government invasion of peoples’ lives.

RobertAllport's Opinion
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05/29/2015
The government can't keep track of it's checkbook. Why look for something else to chase?
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jrs333's Opinion
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06/03/2015
How would you do this? Typical Democratic thinking.
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Jean's Opinion
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06/03/2015
We are allowed the Right to bear arms by the second amendment!
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What is House Bill H.R. 5606?

H.R. 5606 was born from the idea that the "laws should be the same for the gun you buy and the gun you make." It aims to regulate the creation of homemade firearms by banning those without serial numbers. It would also ban the transfer of said firearms without serial numbers.


The bill allows makers of homemade firearms to obtain serial numbers for their weapons from licensed firearm dealers. The exchange of the serial number is essentially treated like a gun transfer or sale — a dealer creates the number and gives it to the maker. The bill bans dealers from charging firearms makers for more than the cost of registering the serial number for this service. They can’t profit off of it.


Finally H.R. 5606 requires that the Attorney General track the number of firearms registered under this bill, as well as the number of arrests for the violation of it.

Impact

Homemade firearms makers, homemade firearms users, firearms dealers, law enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Attorney General

Cost of House Bill H.R. 5606

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

More Information

In Depth:

Under the Gun Control Act of 1968, all firearms must have a serial number. These are held by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, which uses this information in criminal investigations.


On June 7, 2013, John Zawahri killed five people in a shooting spree in Santa Monica, California using an assault rifle. Assault rifles are illegal in California. Zawahri made the weapon by purchasing its components on the Internet.


Thanks to 3D printing, people who want to make their own firearms need not even rely on tactics like this. They can print their own. In May of 2013, libertarian activists successfully fired the first 3D printed weapon. All of its parts, save a common nail that served as a firing pin, were plastic. Since then, designs for more advanced 3D printable guns, like revolvers and rifles, have become available.


Media:

Press Release from Sponsoring Rep. Michael Honda (D-CA)

The Hill

Reason Foundation


(Photo Credit: Flickr user iamdanw)

AKA

Homemade Firearms Accountability Act of 2014

Official Title

To amend chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, to require homemade firearms to have serial numbers, and for other purposes.

bill Progress

  • Not enacted
    The President has not signed this bill
  • The senate has not voted
  • The house has not voted
      house Committees
      Committee on the Judiciary
      Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security
    IntroducedSeptember 18th, 2014