Effort to Curb ‘Plastic Guns’ Tabled by Senate
The Senate on Friday rejected legislation restricting so-called “plastic guns,” which, proponents of the ban say, may escape detection by metal detectors and X-ray security machines used in airports.
The Senate voted 47 to 42 to table an amendment that Sens. Howard M. Metzenbaum (D-Ohio) and Strom Thurmond (R-S. C.) had attached to a measure authorizing funds for the Veterans Administration.
Police groups and others supporting the plastic gun legislation are attempting to prevent the spread of weapons that have low metal content. They argue that terrorists could carry the weapons without triggering the detectors.
Minimum Metal Content
Two guns now being manufactured contain less than 8.5 ounces of steel, which is the minimum metal content required in the legislation. The National Rifle Assn., which opposes the measure, argues that the weapons can be detected by existing equipment and that, instead of banning the guns, security efforts should be intensified.
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