Private Arsenals and Public Peril

To the Editor: In your editorial “Private Arsenals and Public Peril” (May 7 issue), 1 you state, “Kits to convert semiautomatic weapons into fully automatic machine guns should be outlawed.” In fact, the availability of automatic weapons (i.e., machine guns) has been severely restricted and registration of ownership has been required since the National Firearms Act of 1934, which subjects violators to 10 years in federal prison and a $10,000 fine. Under this law and subsequent rulings of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms of the Treasury Department, these penalties are incurred not only by those possessing complete weapons, but . . .