House Panel OKs Five-Year Ban on Plastic Firearms

A House judiciary subcommittee on Thursday approved a five-year ban on plastic firearms that are not detectable by normal security screening devices.

“There is no question but that such firearms, once perfected, will become the weapons of choice for terrorists and criminals,” said Rep. William J. Hughes (D-N.J.), chairman of the subcommittee.

The ban would apply to the manufacture, sale or possession of plastic guns. Hughes said the legislation is intended to head off the serious security problems that are likely to occur as plastic gun technology is perfected and such weapons become widely available.

Law enforcement officials are concerned about the new plastic weapons because they cannot be detected by X-ray machines or metal detectors, such as those used at airport security checkpoints.

One of the bill’s provisions would require firearm components to generate X-ray images that accurately depict the shape of the components. Hughes said such depictions would enable security personnel to identify a firearm and would avoid the problem of the faint image of most plastics.