Firearms and clips | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

I have owned firearms of all types for the past 60 years and still am an active hunter and sportsman. As such, I am always concerned when horrific incidents take place, followed by the inevitable calls for impractical regulation. Two simple ideas would be effective both in cost and rational gun control:

1. Eliminate the gun show and private-party loophole. Require that all firearm transactions go through a dealer with a federal firearms license, for a nominal $15 background check and transfer fee.

2. Outlaw the sale and possession of magazines with more than a 10-round capacity. Provide a three-month amnesty and institute a buy-back program for existing clips. After that, stiff penalties for possession of high-capacity magazines.

In the black market, weapons and high-capacity clips will always be available for a price. The best we can do is make it very difficult, risky and expensive to possess or obtain such.

Bob Hanford

West Jordan