For anyone who thinks the NFA was ever about anything other than tax and control (not safety), directly from the ATF's own website:
"While the NFA was enacted by Congress as an exercise of its authority to tax, the NFA had an underlying purpose unrelated to revenue collection. As the legislative history of the law discloses, its underlying purpose was to curtail, if not prohibit, transactions in NFA firearms. Congress found these firearms to pose a significant crime problem because of their frequent use in crime, particularly the gangland crimes of that era such as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. The $200 making and transfer taxes on most NFA firearms were considered quite severe and adequate to carry out Congress’ purpose to discourage or eliminate transactions in these firearms. The $200 tax has not changed since 1934." -
https://atf.gov/rules-and-regulations/laws-alcohol-tobacco-firearms-and-explosives/national-firearms-act
As for the "underlying purpose," yes, it was an attempt at prohibition, just like the prohibition of alcohol. It was NOT about safety, nor, as is stated there, about "crime," because in 1934, during the great depression, when the NFA was enacted, the only people who could afford a $200 tax stamp were the criminals the law was allegedly aimed at stopping. No, just as with government today, this was not about safety or crime - it was about control (making firearms and accessories too expensive for most to purchase) and government getting its cut.
For anyone who thinks the NFA was ever about anything other than tax and control (not safety), directly from the ATF's own website:
"While the NFA was enacted by Congress as an exercise of its authority to tax, the NFA had an underlying purpose unrelated to revenue collection. As the legislative history of the law discloses, its underlying purpose was to curtail, if not prohibit, transactions in NFA firearms. Congress found these firearms to pose a significant crime problem because of their frequent use in crime, particularly the gangland crimes of that era such as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. The $200 making and transfer taxes on most NFA firearms were considered quite severe and adequate to carry out Congress’ purpose to discourage or eliminate transactions in these firearms. The $200 tax has not changed since 1934." - https://atf.gov/rules-and-regulations/laws-alcohol-tobacco-firearms-and-explosives/national-firearms-act
As for the "underlying purpose," yes, it was an attempt at prohibition, just like the prohibition of alcohol. It was NOT about safety, nor, as is stated there, about "crime," because in 1934, during the great depression, when the NFA was enacted, the only people who could afford a $200 tax stamp were the criminals the law was allegedly aimed at stopping. No, just as with government today, this was not about safety or crime - it was about control (making firearms and accessories too expensive for most to purchase) and government getting its cut.
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