Missouri Bills Criminalize Firearm Safety

In Missouri, this is nothing more than virtue signalling….and self identifying.

Two identical bills that require universal background checks completed by federally licensed dealers for all firearm transfers have been introduced in the Missouri House by State Representative Ashley Bland Manlove and State Representative Greg Razer. House Bill 1529 and House Bill 1676 would even require two sportsmen to use a licensed firearm dealer and undergo the background-check process to temporarily loan a firearm for hunting purposes or even simply handing their gun to someone momentarily.

Although the language in this legislation would allow family firearm transfers without a licensed dealer, these bills fail to provide exceptions for loaning firearms to non-family members for hunting purposes or common acts of safety in the field and everyday use at the range. The language in HB 1529 and HB 1676 would make it unlawful for an experienced hunter to allow a friend to borrow a firearm for hunting or target shooting without first going through a licensed dealer, even if the owner of the firearm is present.

“Essentially what this bill does is make it unlawful to introduce non-family members to hunting or shooting sports,” said Jacob Hupp, associate director of state services at the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “A bill like this does more harm than good because it creates yet another barrier for first-time and novice sportsmen and women to gain more experience afield before purchasing the right firearm for themselves.

“Further, these bills criminalize safe firearm handling in the field. Sportsmen are taught to hand their firearm to a partner when crossing fences and other obstructions,” continued Hupp. “The mere act of handing your firearm to someone constitutes a transfer, and would turn safety-abiding sportsmen into criminals subject to Class B misdemeanor.”