Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) has introduced H.R. 1745, a bill entitled "The Support Assault Firearms Elimination and Reduction for our Streets Act."
The bill provides a tax credit of $2,000 for anyone turning in an "assault weapon" to a government agency and includes a long list of firearms that Representative DeLauro considers to be assault weapons. The list covers things like a World War II carbine and a German Mauser pistol from 1896 (the one used for Han Solo's blaster in "Star Wars").
The NRA thinks this is pretty cool. The savvy owner can turn in a worn-out or inferior gun (some of those on DeLauro's list are really cheap), take the tax credit and buy a nicer gun, some extra magazines and beaucoup ammo.
For example, a Hi-Point Carbine, one of the many evil weapons on the list, sells for as little as $275.00. Turn it in, get your tax credit and, bingo! You're all set to buy a Bushmaster, which sells for around $800.00, leaving you plenty for add-ons like a front pistol grip, laser sights, several magazines and a couple thousand rounds of bulk .223 ammunition. You might even have enough left over for some exploding zombie targets.
Heck, it's well worth buying a Hi-Point just to turn it in!
According to the language contained in the legislation, the credit is not dependent on the value of the gun: it's a flat two grand.
There is a bit of a kicker: you can only take half the tax credit the year your turn in the gun. The other half comes off next year's income tax.
But that's okay: buy the new gun the first year and buy the add-ons and ammunition the following year.
If you want to save up and splurge with both year's credits, you can go first class with an FN P90, the one that holds up to 100 rounds of "armor-piercing" ammunition (it isn't). Or maybe a SIG-Sauer 516, one of the top rifles in .223 caliber, or a Steyr AUG bullpup that looks like it comes straight out of a science-fiction movie.
All thanks to Representative DeLauro and Uncle Sugar.
You see, there's nothing in H.R. 1745 that says the person turning in one firearm won't go out and buy another. Or even more than one: two grand will buy a couple of Bushmasters and still leave about enough for a thousand rounds of ammunition. You will have to buy the exploding zombie targets on your own, though.
Now this is gun control legislation gun owners can get behind! If this passes, I predict a record sales year for Hi-Point as gun owners stock up on turn-ins.
Fortunately for whatever intelligence there may be, the bill has been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee which is where it went to die as H.R. 226 in the last session of Congress. Sometimes, even with the band of bozos currently pretending to be U.S. Representatives, some really stupid bills don't get to the floor.