Plastic Guns

The Times editorialists chose rhetoric over facts. The Senate bill in question, despite The Times claim to the contrary, would ban several guns in current production due to the 8.5 ounce weight (minimum of steel) limitation. These guns aren’t cheap imports, but quality firearms made by Colt, Smith & Wesson and many others. The law also states that any other gun that wasn’t “readily detectable” could be banned. Since the definition of “readily detectable” is left up to the discretion of the secretary of the treasury and 20% of all full steel weapons routinely avoid detection, all guns could legally be banned by an anti-gun treasury secretary.

The “plastic gun” is also a myth. The gun in question, the Glock 17, the firearm of the Austrian police and military, has been tested by the manufacturer on 90% of the X-ray gear in the country. The manufacturer wrote to Congress stating that the gun could easily be seen. The gun press published photographs of the X-rays as proof. Even the Treasury Department has testified against legislation banning it.

CHRIS BOLTON

Chino