They never needed a reason. It’s always been about control.
NFA34 originally sought to BAN handguns, period. Women’s groups of the day (of all things) freaked, saying “You’ll leave us DEFENSELESS against rapists, etc.”. So that got pulled out, as overreach.
Yeah, I know... go figure!
Different time, with better Americans.
The socialists back then figured NOBODY would cry about automatics getting regulated - Dillinger, Capone, Bonnie and Clyde, Machine Gun Kelly, etc., all contributed to that being rammed through. That was their excuse for getting control of the Thompsons, BARs and other auto weapons back in the day, and they figured sooner or later, they’d get around to the semi-auto stuff as well.
It’s 2014, and they’re still trying.
F*** ‘em.
NFA34 originally sought to BAN handguns, period.
Pretty close. Originally they were included in the same catagory as machine guns.
This was stupid in the day as it is today.
The criminal of that day got their automatics by raiding National Guard Armories.
They didn’t buy them. So the NFA of 1934 just as gun prohibitions of today did nothing to prevent criminals from getting the guns they wanted.