March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Bay State court OKs gun performance tests

BOSTON — State regulations designed to thwart the sale of cheap handguns can go into effect, a Superior Court judge ruled Wednesday.

The consumer protection regulations, written by former Attorney General Scott Harshbarger in 1997, require that handguns pass minimum performance and drop tests. They also mandate childproofing protections for most handguns.

“We hope and expect that the regulations will not only eliminate dangerously defective guns, but that they will encourage further developments in child protection and safety,” current Attorney General Thomas Reilly said.

But Nancy Snow of the Gun Owners Action League said the ruling by Superior Court Judge John Cratsley would only add to the confusion among gun manufacturers who are struggling to cope with the state’s 1998 gun control law.

“It doesn’t make sense to have regulations which conflict with the law which has since been enacted,” she said. “It would make more sense for the regulations to be canceled or for a clear and concise directive to be sent to dealers.”


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