Americans may soon be able to mail a handgun via the U.S. Postal Service. The Trump administration is pushing to overturn a nearly 100-year-old federal restriction that bans most people from mailing concealable firearms.
Congress passed the law in 1927 in an effort to curb crime. However, in January, the Justice Department revisited the law and called it unconstitutional.
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The Justice Department said the rule violates the Second Amendment, which protects the right of law-abiding gun owners to mail handguns under the same safety requirements already used for rifles and shotguns.
In April, the USPS proposed a new rule allowing anyone to mail a concealable firearm, such as a pistol or revolver. There would be protections in place, including ensuring the weapons are unloaded and securely packaged.
Weapons could be mailed within state lines, but rules would be much stricter if mailed outside the origin state. Specifically, the Associated Press reports people could only mail it to themselves or in the care of another person.
USPS is still seeking public comment on the proposal.
Response to the proposal
The proposal has already drawn pushback from Democratic attorneys general in more than 20 states, including Nevada, where the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history occurred at the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas in 2017.
In a statement to the Associated Press, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford said, “To suggest we make it easier for criminals and abusers to access firearms is a slap in the face to gun violence survivors and to law enforcement.”
The National Rifle Association (NRA) has praised the change, while gun safety groups have warned that it could make illegal firearms more difficult to track.
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