Lawful Purpose and Self Defense Act

To revise various laws that interfere with the right of the people to obtain and use firearms for all lawful purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Lawful Purpose and Self Defense Act 2. Elimination of authority to reclassify popular rifle ammunition as armor piercing ammunition Section 921(a)(17) of title 18, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subparagraph (B)(i), by striking may be used is designed and intended by the manufacturer or importer for use (2) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by inserting by the manufacturer or importer for use (3) in subparagraph (C), by striking the Attorney General finds is primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes is primarily intended by the manufacturer or importer to be used in a rifle or shotgun, a handgun projectile that is designed and intended by the manufacturer or importer to be used for hunting, recreational, or competitive shooting 3. Elimination of restrictions on importation of non-National Firearms Act firearm or ammunition that may otherwise be lawfully possessed and sold in the United States (a) Elimination of prohibitions Section 922 of title 18, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subsection (a), by striking paragraph (7) and inserting the following: (7) for any person to manufacture or import armor piercing ammunition, unless the manufacture or importation of the ammunition— (A) is for the use of the United States, any department or agency of the United States, any State, or any department, agency, or political subdivision of a State; (B) is for the purpose of exportation; or (C) is for the purpose of testing or experimentation, and has been authorized by the Attorney General; ; (2) in subsection (l), by striking 925(d) of this chapter 925 (3) by striking subsection (r). (b) Broadening of exceptions Section 925 of such title is amended— (1) in subsection (a)(3), by striking determined intended for the lawful personal use of such member or club. (2) in subsection (a)(4), by striking (A) for the intended for the lawful (3) by striking subsections (d) through (f) and inserting the following: (d) (1) Within 30 days after the Attorney General receives an application therefor, the Attorney General shall authorize a firearm or ammunition to be imported or brought into the United States or any possession thereof if— (A) the firearm or ammunition is being imported or brought in for scientific, research, testing, or experimentation purposes; (B) the firearm is an unserviceable firearm (other than a machine gun as defined in section 5845(b) (C) the firearm is not a firearm as defined in section 5845(a) (D) the ammunition is not armor piercing ammunition (as defined in section 921(a)(17)(B) of this title), unless subparagraph (A), (E), (F), or (G) applies; (E) the firearm or ammunition is being imported or brought in for the use of the United States, any department or agency of the United States, any State, or any department, agency, or political subdivision of a State; (F) the firearm or ammunition is being imported or brought in for the purpose of exportation; (G) the firearm or ammunition was previously taken out of the United States or a possession thereof by the person who is bringing in the firearm or ammunition; or (H) the firearm is a firearm defined as curio or relic by the Attorney General under section 921(a)(13) of this title. (2) Within 30 days after the Attorney General receives an application therefor, the Attorney General shall permit the conditional importation or bringing in of a firearm or ammunition for examination and testing in connection with the making of a determination as to whether the importation or bringing in of the firearm or ammunition will be allowed under this subsection. (3) The Attorney General shall not authorize, under this subsection, the importation of any firearm the importation of which is prohibited by section 922(p). . 4. Protection of shotguns, shotgun shells, and large caliber rifles from arbitrary classification as destructive devices (a) Amendments to the National Firearms Act Section 5845(f) of the National Firearms Act is amended— (1) in paragraph (2), by striking recognized as particularly suitable for sporting purposes recognized as suitable for lawful purposes (2) by striking use solely for sporting purposes use for sporting purposes (b) Amendments to title 18 Section 921(a)(4) of title 18, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subparagraph (B) of the 1st sentence, by striking particularly suitable for sporting suitable for lawful (2) in the 2nd sentence, by striking solely 5. Broadening of the temporary interstate transfer provision to allow temporary transfers for all lawful purposes rather than just for sporting purposes Section 922 of title 18, United States Code, is amended in each of subsections (a)(5)(B), (a)(9), and (b)(3)(B), by striking sporting

Summary: Lawful Purpose and Self Defense Act This bill modifies the definition of "armor piercing ammunition" for purposes of federal firearms provisions to: (1) include a projectile that is designed and intended by the manufacturer or importer for use in a handgun; (2) exclude a projectile that is primarily intended by the manufacturer or importer to be used in a rifle or shotgun and a handgun projectile that is designed for hunting, recreational, or competitive shooting. This bill repeals a prohibition on assembling from imported parts a semiautomatic rifle or shotgun that is identical to one prohibited from importation as not being suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes. This bill repeals the condition that the Attorney General must approve, as suitable for sporting purposes, the shipment of firearms or ammunition to members of the Armed Forces. The following categories of firearms or ammunition may be authorized for importation into the United States by the Attorney General: (1) ammunition that is not armor piercing; (2) a firearm or ammunition that is being brought in for the use of a federal, state, or local government agency; and (3) a firearm or ammunition that is being imported for the purpose of exportation. The definition of "destructive device" for purposes of federal firearms provisions excludes: (1) a shotgun or shotgun shell which the Department of the Treasury finds is generally recognized as particularly suitable for lawful purposes, and (2) an antique or a rifle which the owner intends to use for sporting purposes. The bill authorizes certain temporary interstate transfers of firearms for lawful purposes.