Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Law reviews play a vital role in shaping civil discourse on matters of legal, social, political, and economic significance.Few topics intersect these spheres as profoundly as firearms regulations.With this understanding, Wyoming Law Review is pleased to present this Special Issue dedicated to an in-depth examination of the National Firearms Act (NFA) 1 and its enduring significance in U.S. firearms regulations.Enacted in 1934, the NFA was one of the earliest federal responses to growing public concern over firearms, particularly in the context of organized crime. 2 This Special Issue offers readers a comprehensive historical account and legal analysis of the NFA, tracing its origins, legislative development, and major judicial interpretations that have shaped its role in American law.The collection of scholarship is intended to be a resource for understanding this foundational law by providing essential context and thorough exploration of the NFA's provisions.Courts continue to grapple with Second Amendment challenges.In doing so, judges have expressed concern about the expectation that courts should serve as historians.3 As one court aptly noted, judges are not experts in parsing centuries-old legislative intentions or the historical context of 1 26 U.S.C. § § 5801-5880.2 26 U.S.C. § § 5801-5872.The legislative history and subsequent case law indicate that the NFA's primary purpose was to address the misuse of certain weapons by organized crime and to ensure that only those legally entitled to possess such weapons could do so.See United States v. Springer, 609 F.3d 885; United States v. Dalton, 960 F.2d 121; Haynes v. United States, 390 U.S. 85.The NFA was a response to the broader issue of gangster violence and the use of "gangster-type weapons" such as machine guns and sawed-off shotguns, which were commonly used in high-profile criminal activities, including the St. Valentine's Day Massacre of 1929.Vanderstok v. Garland, 86 F.
Source: Wyoming Law Review
Language: English
Subfield: Health
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4409601348