Citation

Kling FJ. Univ. Penn. Law Rev. 1950; 98(6): 905-919.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1950, University of Pennsylvania Law School)

DOI

10.2307/3309741

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The development of society toward the concept of community sanctions for dangerous acts i.e. punishment for crime and the correlated concern for diminishing the frequency of antisocial acts, i.e. prevention of crime and accidents, are twin impetuses behind legislation regulating the use of weapons. Firearms represent the chief danger. The affirmative side of the use of firearms by the private citizen is substantial.

Hunting and target shooting our popular and wholesome recreations and greatly deserve all possible encouragement. Furthermore, there is still much need for self-help, especially against robbery and burglary. It is also true that all valuable military asset lies in the reservoir of persons who are trained to use small arms.

The problem of firearms regulation, therefore, is to achieve a maximum degree of control over criminal and careless uses without destroying the practical Availability of firearms to the hunter, sportsman, farmer, and person in need of protection.