Machine Gun Bill Dies in West Virginia
-
West Virginia came within two days of floor debate on one of the more unusual gun bills you'll see at the state level — essentially a program to get machine guns into the hands of eligible residents through a state police-run office. It cleared committee, had broad reported support, and then quietly disappeared before crossover. That's the story on the surface. What's underneath is messier.
"The bill is dead, and it was killed without transparency and without consensus, despite the fact that this bill had overwhelming support by this body."
Sen. Chapman's frustration is understandable, but "overwhelming support by this body" and "a bill ready for the House floor" aren't the same thing. Bills die in committee all the time because the drafting isn't there — that's not conspiracy, that's how legislatures actually work.
The bill as written wouldn't survive the House and would draw court challenges on day one.
This is the part that matters if you actually want to see the law change. A poorly drafted bill that fails publicly is worse than no bill at all — it gives opponents a data point and poisons the well for the next attempt. If the attorneys, the NRA contacts, and WVCDL were all saying the same thing about the drafting, that's not a coordinated takedown, that's a warning worth heeding.
The NRA miscommunication angle is the real problem here. Multiple senators apparently walked away believing the NRA killed the bill based on what a lobbyist said — a lobbyist who reportedly hasn't worked for the NRA in years. That kind of confusion shapes votes and relationships long after the session ends, and it's harder to fix than bad bill language.
For most of us, the practical ceiling on this issue is still the Hughes Amendment. Even if West Virginia had passed a perfect version of this bill and survived every court challenge, you're still looking at federal law that hasn't moved since 1986. A transferable M16 runs $15,000-$30,000 depending on when you're shopping — not because they're rare machinery, but because the supply was frozen and demand kept climbing for 40 years. State programs don't solve that math.
If they bring this back next session with cleaner language and actual coordination between the sponsor, NRA-ILA, and WVCDL, it could be a real test case. But "we'll fix it next year" has a long track record of not happening.
For those of you who've dealt with the NFA process — Form 4, the wait, the tax stamp, the whole thing — what's your honest take on whether state-level programs like this are worth pursuing, or is the Hughes Amendment just a wall that can't be climbed from the state side?
Read the full article in The Handbook → | By Steve Duskett
Hello! It looks like you're interested in this conversation, but you don't have an account yet.
Getting fed up of having to scroll through the same posts each visit? When you register for an account, you'll always come back to exactly where you were before, and choose to be notified of new replies (either via email, or push notification). You'll also be able to save bookmarks and upvote posts to show your appreciation to other community members.
With your input, this post could be even better 💗
Register Login