Lautenberg introducing Legislation to regulate gunpowder

[graywolf]

www.gunssavelives.net

Newsroom: Press Releases
In Wake of Boston Attack, Lautenberg to Reintroduce Legislation Requiring Background Checks for Sale of Explosive Powder
Current Law Allows "Black Powder" and Other Explosives To Be Purchased Without Any Checks

Lautenberg Press Office, 202-224-3224
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
WASHINGTON, D.C.—In the wake of the deadly bombing attacks in Boston, U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) today announced that he will reintroduce legislation he has proposed in a prior Congress to require that sales of explosive powder be subject to a background check.  He will also file the legislation as an amendment to the gun violence prevention bill currently on the Senate floor.

Current law allows an individual to purchase as much as 50 pounds of explosive “black powder” without a background check, and also permits an individual to purchase unlimited amounts of dangerous “smokeless powder” and “black powder substitute” without a background check.  Sen. Lautenberg’s proposal would change that and require a background check for any purchase of these explosive powders.  These powders can be used as the explosive material in assembling pipe bombs, used in the Columbine school shooting, and pressure cooker bombs, which may have been used in the recent Boston attack.

“It is outrageous that anyone, even a known terrorist, can walk into a store in America and buy explosives without any questions asked,” said Senator Lautenberg. “If we are serious about public safety, we must put these common-sense safeguards in place.  While the police have not revealed what specific explosive materials were used in Boston, what we do know is that explosive powder is too easy to anonymously purchase across the country.”

Lautenberg will introduce the “Explosive Materials Background Check Act,” which will:

·    Require a background check to purchase black powder, black powder substitute, smokeless powder, or any other explosive, in any quantity;

·    Provide the Attorney General with the authority to stop the sale of explosives when a background check reveals that the applicant is a known or suspected terrorist and the Attorney General reasonably believes that the person may use the explosives in connection with terrorism; and

·    Make it illegal to manufacture homemade explosives without a permit. 

Lautenberg introduced a similar proposal in 2003 as part of his “Homeland Security Gun Safety Act of 2003.”  Current law does not require an individual to produce a permit, identification or undergo a background check when purchasing up to fifty pounds of black powder.  To make matters worse, no permit or background check is required for the purchase of any quantity of black powder substitute or smokeless powder.  Current explosives laws also do not prevent the manufacture of homemade explosives without a license, unless the manufacturer is “engaged in the business” of making explosives.

In October 2010, Sen. Lautenberg released a report, “Firearms, Explosives and Terrorists – A Looming Threat – A Major U.S. Vulnerability,” examining the dangers posed to the United States by terrorism attacks using explosives.  The report points to the Mumbai attacks and attempted bombing in Times Square, as demonstrating the interest and ability of terrorists to launch attacks in the United States using explosives. 

 

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[philw]

·    Make it illegal to manufacture homemade explosives without a permit. 

wonder if they will include Tannerite in that   

[Solus]

wonder if they will include Tannerite in that   

They are getting to it.  Read today that the FBI did a study and determined that the compounds used in explosive targets, Tannerite in particular, could be mixed with other compounds in a "Pressure Cooker" bomb.

They did not mention that sand, toothpaste, mashed potatoes, or any other item could be mixed with enough explosives in any kind of bomb.

[crusader rabbit]

How many pounds of black powder were used in the Oklahoma City bombing?

Oh, that's right.  None.  It was fertilizer.

Why don't we just outlaw EVERYTHING and be done with it.

Here's another thought:  we are always going to have a certain number of bad guys among us.

Bad guys will always find ways to be bad guys.  It's what they do.

You can't make enough laws to make a bad guy into a good guy.  It doesn't work that way.

Stop penalizing good guys with all this nuisance crap.  The bad guys will always find a "work-around."  It what they do.

And the good guys are never the problem.

Crusader Rabbit

[jaybet]

Lousyberg is such an embarrassment. Of course, Menendez is no prize either, but this hump said he was going to retire, but evidently can't do it SOON ENOUGH! F****r won't just drop dead either. What a lousy politician, and I'm pretty sure the staff his keeping him on a leash because he's senile.

[Sponsor]

[Grizzle_Bear]

Last time I bought a case of black powder, I first had to fax a copy of my drivers license to the dealer.  So you do need identification to purchase black powder.

Now another complaint:  F-Troop calls black powder an "explosive."  It is not.  If I stuck a piece of green cannon fuse in a can of black powder and lit it, that pound of powder would go up in a tremendous fireball, and the can would be found peeled open but intact.

If I put a blasting cap in a can of black powder, I would get the same result.  A huge fireball, and a peeled open but intact can.

(Please don't ask how I know this....)

But this experiment proves that black powder is not an explosive.  A real expolsive does not need to be confined to get a "BANG!"

[TAB]

actually black powder is a explosive ( both techincally and legally).

[tombogan03884]

Last time I bought a case of black powder, I first had to fax a copy of my drivers license to the dealer.  So you do need identification to purchase black powder.

Now another complaint:  F-Troop calls black powder an "explosive."  It is not.  If I stuck a piece of green cannon fuse in a can of black powder and lit it, that pound of powder would go up in a tremendous fireball, and the can would be found peeled open but intact.

If I put a blasting cap in a can of black powder, I would get the same result.  A huge fireball, and a peeled open but intact can.

(Please don't ask how I know this....)

But this experiment proves that black powder is not an explosive. A real expolsive does not need to be confined to get a "BANG!"

That can't be a correct definition.
"Composition" C-2 up to whatever they call it now, (last I knew was C - 4 ) as well as East Bloc "SemTex" which are most definitely explosives,  can both be used to heat water for coffee or  C - Rations.
Just pull off a piece and light it with a match .
You can not do that with Black powder as it burns to rapidly and aggressively to be useful .
Also, you do need to contain any chemical reaction to get a bang sing the whole concept is based on sudden release of pressure.
No matter how violent the initial reaction it's effects will be magnified by even a small delay in expansion .
Varying the thickness of the casing is how the force is turned in useful directions like the serrations on a WWII grenade.

[deepwater]

not an explosive, a propellant. it oxidizes or burns at a much slower rate than an explosive. you wouldn't want to put explosive material in a gun barrel. bad things will happen. yet you can take powder and contain it to make an explosion. also vaporizing materials make them burn much faster and creates a much more satisfying whooomp.    for example, oil. or grain dust. vaporize oil and it goes off like a cloud of propane. smaller droplets and more surface area to ignite. grain dust goes up fast as well. impressive. in fact one of my instructors in a firefighting class gat water to ignite by vaporizing it in a test tube. cool stuff.
all this can be learned in science class and fire safety courses. not hard to figure out even for a couple of muslim college kids. remember, these last two were college students and had a lot of resources available to them.
regulating gun powder is not going to be as effective as he wants you to think. so many other things out there that are cheaper and just as if not more effective for making explosives.
tannerite; ammonium nitrate and aluminium powder. wow! hard to make isn't it? black powder; potassium nitrate, sulphur, charcoal. another hard to come up with compound. oooohhhhh. solid rocket propellant (home made) potassium nitrate and sugar. (potassium nitrate is also sold as salt peter or stump remover)
all this can be found on google and youtube. enjoy....

[Solus]

How does dynamite work?

I've never worked with it, but have the impression a stick of it would do damage un-contained.

Does the stick have it's own pressure container in there?