Are Guns Becoming an Unaffordable Luxury Item?

It’s no secret that firearms and ammunition can quickly become expensive, but will legislation pushed by Democrats make them an unmanageable expense for low-income families? After inspecting Joe Biden’s gun control proposal, and now New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s 2021 budget proposal, it appears that the answer is yes.

While both Biden and Murphy purportedly want to get guns off the streets and out of the hands of criminals, raising taxes and fees on firearms and ammunition will only eliminate low-income families from being able to protect themselves. Our 2nd Amendment right is extended to all Americans – not just those who can afford arbitrary taxation.

Biden’s Approach

Biden’s gun control plan would be to extend the 1934 National Firearms Act (NFA) to include  semi-automatic rifles, pistols and shotguns with interchangeable magazines that fire intermediate cartridges, as well as “high capacity magazines” (which the 1994 bill defines as those that can hold more than 10 bullets).

That means that anyone who already owns any of those items would be required to participate in a federal buyback program, or register each weapon under the NFA. But what does that mean? That means that for each individual firearm and magazine that falls into the category, the registrant must pay a $200 fee, as well as additional fees incurred as part of the registration process.

Those fees will be levied as a lump-sum bill on items that you already own (and may have inherited), and evading payment is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $10,000.

Biden also wants to end the online sale of gun parts kits that can be assembled at a lower cost than purchasing a finished gun, which further eliminates those on a tight budget from defending themselves.

Murphy Continues His Attack on 2nd Amendment

Phil Murphy has consistently pushed his anti-gun agenda since taking office, including forcing all firearms dealers to close as the Covid pandemic began. He later reopened gun stores after a memorandum from the White House declared them essential businesses.

Now, Murphy’s 2021 budget seeks to raise $6.3 million through increases on mandatory firearms taxes and licensing fees. The cost of a pistol purchase permit would increase from $2 to $48 (a 2300% increase) and Firearms Identification cards would jump from $5 to $98 (an 1800% increase).

The vast majority of states do not require a permitting scheme like New Jersey does.

The new budget also included 9900% increases in the fee for a gun retail dealer license (from $50 to $500) and the fee for a firearm manufacturer by 900%, from $150 to $1,500. By comparison, federal fees charged by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for gun dealer and pawnbroker licenses is $200, while manufacturer licenses are $150.

How Do Increased Taxes and Fees Help?

• How do increased taxes and fees address the mental health crisis in our country?
• How do increased taxes and fees help low-income families protect themselves?
• How do increased taxes and fees get guns out of the hands of criminals?
• How do increased taxes and fees lower the number of shootings at police hands in our country?

Neither Biden nor Murphy have offered answers to any of these questions; perhaps because as multi-millionaires, they are not in danger of losing their firearms.