Since passage of the legislation, Senator Feinstein has sought to strengthen the law by closing the loophole regarding import of foreign made high capacity ammunition magazines. In May 1999, the Senate approved the Feinstein amendment as part of the juvenile justice bill to ban their import.
Weapons designed for war have no place on the streets of a civilized society.
Weapons and ammunition clips that were manufactured prior to enactment of this law are not covered by the ban. The legislation explicitly exempts from the ban 670 specific hunting rifles and other recreational guns. In 1996, the House of Representatives voted to repeal the assault weapons ban. Senator Feinstein threatened to filibuster any attempt to repeal the ban in the Senate, and the Senate took no action. President Clinton has vowed to veto any legislation that repeals the assault weapons ban.