Model 12 'Assault Rifle' Shotgun?

                               By NEAL KNOX

Washington, D.C. (Jan. 6) -- California Attorney General John Van de Kamp's
"Division of Law Enforcement" is gathering distorted statistics to pave the
way  for  legislation  prohibiting  or  restricting so-called "paramilitary
arms." On Dec. 5 they sent a request to "All Police  Chiefs  and  Sheriffs"
for data on "assault rifles" used in crimes or seized.

"Assault  rifle"  is  defined to include about half the rifles and shotguns
now made -- including almost all pump and semi-auto shotguns  such  as  the
Remington 1100 and 870, Winchester Model 12, and Browning Auto-5.

Trap  and skeet shooters may not believe it but Section 2 of the definition
states: "Any shotgun, whether semi-automatic or otherwise, with a  magazine
or ammunition capacity of 5 rounds or more." Most tubular magazine shotguns
have 5-round capacity.

This  issue extends far beyond California, for "paramilitary firearms" will
be the next focus of the national news media's attention. "Paramilitary" is
the buzz word against shotguns which "Saturday Night  Special"  is  against
handguns.

The  distorted  information being gathered in Van de Kamp's "study" will be
used not only to further the proposed outright ban in  California  but  the
national  registration  and  "waiting  period"  proposals which Sen. Howard
Metzenbaum is discussing in Congress.

Section 1 of the definition includes "Any semi-automatic weapon .... with a
magazine or ammunition capacity  of  20  rounds  or  greater,  whether  the
magazine or ammunition container is integral to the weapon or is capable of
being detached."

In  addition to current generation semi-auto versions of military arms such
as the  UZI,  AR-15  and  AK-47,  the  notice  specifically  mentions  such
more-conventional  guns  as  the  Ruger  Mini-14,  Mini-30 and Ranch Rifles
series, the Smith & Wesson Model 76 carbine, M-1 Garand, M-1  Carbine,  and
Springfield M1A1 competition rifle, and Marlin Camp Carbine and 70P.

The definition includes most tubular magazine .22 rimfire autoloaders  plus
possibly  any "hunting rifle" centerfire semi-auto with detachable magazine
like  the  Model  100  Winchester  or  Model  742  Remington,   for   which
high-capacity magazines are available.

Finally, sections 3 and 4 include any rifle or shotgun with a folding stock
or  "Any  rifle or shotgun, whether semi-automatic or otherwise, which uses
the 'Bullpup' configuration (wherein the bolt, receiver and magazine of the
weapon are located to the rear of the trigger)."

That clearly includes bolt action rifles  commonly  used  for  hunting  and
competition, particularly in the 1950's.

According  to  the  cover  letter  from  the  head  of  the Law Enforcement
division, the Attorney General's Office and major law enforcement  agencies
and  organizations in the state "are in the process of drafting legislation
to prohibit 'assault rifles' .... The first step in  this  campaign  is  to
document  the  growing  use  of  these  weapons,  particularly by gangs and
narcotics traffickers."

Since the stated objective is to justify what they've  already  decided  to
do, their intention is to make the numbers as large as possible -- which is
accomplished by defining "assault rifle" as broadly as possible.

In doing so, they have thrown a spotlight on their next objective. All that
is  missing  from  the  definition  is  "any  rifle  or  shotgun capable of
functioning if sawed off to a length capable of being concealed."