Measure looks to allow use of semi-auto rifles for hunting
Amanda Steen | Herald-Standard
Buddy Marra demonstrates how to load a magazine into an AR-15 rifle at Marra’s Mountaineer Sporting Goods in North Union Township.
Amanda Steen | Herald-Standard
Buddy Marra holds an AR-15 rifle at Marra’s Mountaineer Sporting Goods in North Union Township.
AR-15 Rifle
The fate of a bill that would expand the use of semi-automatic firearms for hunting in Pennsylvania is uncertain, but at least one local legislator and hunting advocates support the measure.
Senate Bill 1402, which was introduced by Sen. Scott Hutchinson, R-Butler, and referred to the Appropriations Committee in June, would permit the use of semi-automatic rifles for hunting coyotes and groundhogs.
The bill would leave it to the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) to develop regulations for using those rifles, but not require the PGC to allow their use.
Sen. Richard Kasunic, D-Dunbar, said he voted to move the bill from the Game and Fisheries Committee to the Appropriations in June and supports the bill as long as some restrictions on the use of semi-automatics are imposed.
He said he would like to see the PGC establish limitation on the calibers and magazine capacity, and then hear what hunters have to say about the proposal.
“I supported moving it out of committee to have a full and open discussion,” Kasunic said. “My question was caliber. You have .50 calibers out there right now. I certainly wouldn’t want anyone out there with a .50 caliber. Those things can shoot thousands of yards.”
Magazine capacity should be limited to six shells, which is the same number a .30-30 rifle holds, Kasunic said.
He said he does not support allowing semi-automatics for deer, bear or turkey hunting.
State Reps. Tim Mahoney, D-South Union, and Deberah Kula, D-North Union, could not be reached for comment.
The use of AR-style semi-automatic rifles by the military and law enforcement makes them popular with civilians, who can only use them at target ranges now, said Buddy Marra, owner pf Marra’s Mountaineer Sporting Goods in North Union Township.
“I sell a fair amount,” Marra said. Some brands can be purchased for $600, but most cost between $800-$1,000. “It’s a shame not to use them. “Guys could use them for something other than paper (targets). I think it would be a good thing.”
He said he supports coyote and groundhog hunting with semi-automatics, but limiting magazine capacity to six rounds. Limiting the places where they can be used to mountain areas might be a good idea too, he said.
The only semi-automatic firearms that the PGC currently allows for hunting are shotguns for small game such as squirrels, grouse, rabbits, pheasants and waterfowl.
Capacity is limited to three shells in the magazine and chamber combined.
Two bills in the House of Representatives also would allow hunting with semi-automatic rifles. One would let hunters use them in any season, but limit magazine capacity to 10 rounds. The other would legalize them for coyote, fox and groundhog hunting, but allow calibers no larger than .223 and limit magazine capacity to six rounds.
The PGC doesn’t take positions on proposed legislation, but favors laws that allow it to make rules and regulations, said PGC spokesman Travis Lau.
“Generally, we support bills couched in such a way,” Lau said.
That discretionary power would allow the PGC to prohibit semi-automatics in higher populations areas such as Allegheny County, he said.
If any of the bills were to advance, the PGC would probably seek input from hunters to gauge their support for using those firearms, he said.
Fair chase would be among the concerns the PGC would expect to hear.
“Fair chase. Would it be compromised? If one bill were to gain traction, there would be lot of input from sportsmen. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s an objection because of fair chase issues,” Lau said. “That’s really how I look at the limitations we place on arms and ammunition now. It’s a question of fair chase.
The requirement for manually operate firearms is way people want it.
If Sen. Hutchinsons bill passes the way it is now, I think the board would listen to what the sportsmen really want.”
Semi-automatics have been used for hunting in West Virginia for as long as anyone can remember and are involved in about the same number of accidents as manually operated guns are in Pennsylvania, according to statistics from the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources (WVDNR.)
“We have always allowed semi-automatic rifles,” said Col. Jerry Jenkins, of the WVDNR law enforcement division.
He said semi-automatics have been permitted since he began working for the department 38 years ago and believes they have always been permitted.
West Virginia doesn’t limit magazine capacity for most hunting, but restricts semi-automatic shotguns to three shells for waterfowl hunting, he said.
Any centerfire ammunition of at least .22 caliber can be used, Jenkins said.
“We haven’t seen any more accidents than any other state. Most accidents are falls from tree stands,” Jenkins said. “We haven’t had any issues with the use of semi-automatic rifles or shoguns.”
West Virginia had 28 firearms related accidents in 2013 and Pennsylvania had 27.
States that allow semi-automatic rifles for hunting do have a higher rate of gun related accidents that other states, said Jake McGuigan of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSPF).
“If you look at the statistics in hunting overall. It’s an extremely safe activity. Adding modern sporting rifles doesn’t make it more dangerous,” McGuigan said.
Most states allow semi-automatics in some hunting seasons, he said.
Soft nosed ammunition with the lead bullet exposed is designed to expand on impact and intended for hunting, Marra said. A lot of the ammunition on the market is designed for military use and comes with a full metal jacketed bullet that does not expand on impact, he said.
Marra and McGuigan said the cost of .223-caliber ammunition skyrocketed when demand for the rifles peaked a few years ago, but has decreased since then.
Manufacturers have responded to hunters by offering semi-automatics in different calibers and camouflage colors, and accessories for hunting, McGuigan said.
The NSPF refers to the guns as modern sporting rifles. The organization and says the rifles’ popularity in the civilian market grew from their use in the military and law enforcement and exploded when President Barack Obama was elected in 2008 out of fear that he would try to ban them.
“That led a lot of people to purchase those firearms as well,” McGuigan said. “A lot of the purchasers of these firearms are educated individuals with college degrees. We have statistics and that’s what we’ve seen over the years.”