33:
296:
358:-framed guns, which will burn at temperatures much lower than the commonly specified 800 °F (427 °C) led to this becoming ineffective. Subsequent legislation regulated size (such as barrel lengths under 3 inches (7.6 cm)), materials (such as zinc), or low-cost manufacturing techniques (e.g., density requirements that specifically ban inexpensive powder cast metals), Some of these legal restrictions are based on
267:
71:
282:
326:
could not own or carry any manner of firearm. The Army and Navy Law prohibited the sale of "belt or pocket pistols, or revolvers, or any other kind of pistols, except army or navy pistols", which were prohibitively expensive for black freedmen and poor whites to purchase. These were large pistols in
251:
The people most likely to be deterred from acquiring a handgun by exceptionally high prices or by the nonavailability of certain kinds of handguns are not felons intent on arming themselves for criminal purposes, who are more likely to use stolen weapons, but rather poor people who have decided they
198:
filed suit against 45 gun manufacturers for creating what it called a "public nuisance" through the "negligent marketing" of handguns, which included models commonly described as
Saturday night specials. The suit alleged that handgun manufacturers and distributors were guilty of marketing guns in a
185:
Nonetheless, three of the top ten types of guns involved in crime (as represented by police trace requests) in the US are widely considered to be
Saturday night specials; as reported by the ATF in 1993, these included the Raven Arms .25 ACP, Davis P-380 .380 ACP, and Lorcin L-380 .380 ACP. However,
86:
The term "Saturday night special" refers to cheap guns used in poor neighborhoods. They are usually small, of small caliber, and often unreliable or inaccurate. A single definition is not easy to come by; while legislation in the United States has tried to define them as either "unsafe" or "of no
345:
Most manufacturers in the US were not directly impacted by the Gun
Control Act, as they were not subject to the import restrictions, and for the most part they did not manufacture compact, inexpensive handguns that competed with the banned imports. However, demand for inexpensive handguns still
177:
While
Saturday night specials are commonly perceived as inexpensive, and therefore disposable after committing a crime, criminal behavior does not always conform to this expectation. A 1985 study of 1,800 incarcerated felons showed that criminals at the time preferred revolvers and other
382:), or having a barrel length of 105 mm (4.1 in) or shorter, as "prohibited" weapons. This provision appears to have been specifically aimed at "Saturday night specials". Exceptions are made for target pistols in these calibres used in international shooting competitions.
331:
black-powder revolvers used during the Civil War by both Union and
Confederate ground troops. The effect of the law was to restrict handgun possession to the upper economic classes.
150:
Gun ownership advocates describe legislation restricting inexpensive firearms as possibly discriminatory in origin, designed to target low income and black gun owners. In his book
218:'s governing board, said "to make inexpensive guns impossible to get is to say that you're putting a money test on getting a gun. It's racism in its worst form." CORE filed as an
1064:
See
Section I: Toward a History of Handgun Prohibition in the United States, pages 12–15, subsection "Development of Handgun Ownership Restrictions in the Post-Civil War South".
646:
178:
non-semi-automatic firearms over semi-automatic firearms. A change in preferences towards semi-automatic pistols occurred in the early 1990s, coinciding with the arrival of
928:
560:
186:
the same study showed the most common firearm used in homicides was a large-caliber revolver, and no revolvers of any kind appear on the top ten list of traced firearms.
346:
existed and a number of new companies were formed to fill that gap. In an effort to cut costs, many of these guns were made with cast components made of the zinc alloy
58:, some states define these guns by means of composition or material strength. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, they were commonly referred to as
338:, which used the "sporting purposes" test and a points system to exclude many small, inexpensive handguns which had been imported from European makers such as
315:
354:. As a result, legislation against "junk guns" subsequently targeted the zinc frames used in construction by specifying a melting point. The development of
896:
853:
529:
779:
206:
Proponents of gun ownership argue the elimination of inexpensive firearms limits constitutionally protected gun rights for those of lesser means.
252:
need a gun to protect themselves against the felons but who find that the cheapest gun in the market costs more than they can afford to pay.
408:
1154:
741:
1006:
111:
because the act banned the importation and manufacture of many inexpensive firearms, including a large number of revolvers made by
674:
591:
203:, who ruled that members of the NAACP were not "uniquely harmed" by illegal use of firearms and therefore had no standing to sue.
1132:
24:
568:
277:(background). 19th-century laws restricting handguns to the Army and Navy pistol were the first "Saturday night special" bans.
958:
1032:
803:
82:, which has been referred to as the first of the "Ring of Fire" companies, those known for producing inexpensive handguns.
459:
984:
1083:
1057:
836:
705:
504:
492:
When searched young
Norville was found to be carrying a 'Saturday Night Special', or in other words a cheap revolver.
172:
936:
199:
way that encouraged violence in black and
Hispanic neighborhoods. The suit was dismissed by US District Judge
749:
233:
90:
The earliest known use of the term "Saturday night special" in print is in the
September 29, 1917, issue of
861:
537:
211:
101:
753:
215:
136:
1099:
1118:
1074:
Kates, Don B. Jr. (1979). "Section I: Toward a
History of Handgun Prohibition in the United States".
123:, and a number of companies in the United States began production of inexpensive handguns, including
32:
906:
795:
Guns Used in Crime: Firearms, Crime, and Criminal Justice—Selected Findings July 1995, NCJ-148201,
773:
319:
404:"The 'Saturday Night Special': An Assessment of Alternative Definitions from a Policy Perspective"
335:
289:
108:
104:
wrote, "... cheap, small-caliber 'Saturday night specials' that are a favorite of holdup men..."
592:"The Saturday Night Special: An Assessment of Alternative Definitions From a Policy Perspective"
448:
1007:"Armed Criminal in America - A Survey of Incarcerated Felons | Office of Justice Programs"
828:
374:(known as Bill C-68 before passage) classified handguns with a calibre of .25 or .32 (such as
697:
689:
901:
274:
236:
which suggested the ban on Saturday night specials was ineffective or counterproductive. A
757:
339:
285:
112:
8:
1013:
144:
821:
723:
619:
475:
425:
371:
288:
RG-66, an example of an inexpensive "Saturday night special" banned from import by the
96:
1129:
222:
in a 1985 suit challenging Maryland's Saturday night special/low-caliber handgun ban.
1159:
1079:
1053:
857:
832:
701:
666:
658:
627:
611:
455:
359:
200:
47:
is a colloquial term in the United States and Canada for inexpensive, compact, small-
450:
Guns in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law
603:
417:
140:
966:
796:
322:; previous laws invalidated by the constitutional amendment had stated that black
1136:
1036:
1029:
807:
800:
270:
240:
229:
328:
237:
107:
The term "Saturday night special" came into wider use with the passing of the
100:
printed a front-page article titled "Handgun Imports Held Up by U.S.", author
1148:
739:
670:
662:
631:
615:
303:
219:
179:
75:
314:, in the form of the "Army and Navy Law", passed in 1879, shortly after the
37:
132:
128:
992:
647:"Gun Control and Economic Discrimination: The Melting-Point Case-in-Point"
327:.36 caliber ("navy") or .44 caliber ("army"), and were the military issue
225:
877:
623:
429:
403:
244:
147:, which collectively came to be known as the "Ring of Fire companies".
124:
79:
725:
Armed and Considered Dangerous: A Survey of Felons and their Firearms
311:
207:
155:
607:
421:
295:
742:"Guns and Youth Violence: An Examination of Crime Guns in One City"
505:"Handgun Imports Held Up by U.S.; ARMS UNIT BLOCKS HANDGUN IMPORTS"
323:
158:
found racial overtones in the focus on the Saturday night special.
94:, referring to a "cheap revolver". In its August 17, 1968, issue,
379:
375:
355:
310:
The earliest law prohibiting inexpensive handguns was enacted in
120:
51:
48:
20:
334:
The next major attempt to regulate inexpensive firearms was the
266:
740:
Cohen, Jacqueline, Wilpen Gorr, Piyusha Singh (December 2002).
87:
legitimate purpose", these attempts to define are problematic.
351:
347:
300:
195:
116:
1119:
Criminal Code, RSC 1985, c C-46, s 84, "prohibited firearm".
885:(5). The Crisis Publishing Company. September–October 1999.
1104:
932:
281:
70:
561:"The Continuing Relevance of the Saturday Night Special"
1076:
Restricting Handguns: The Liberal Skeptics Speak Out
1050:
Restricting Handguns: The Liberal Skeptics Speak Out
694:
Restricting Handguns: The Liberal Skeptics Speak Out
152:
Restricting Handguns: The Liberal Skeptics Speak Out
115:. With importation banned, Röhm opened a factory in
681:
820:
722:
447:
875:"NAACP causes furor by suing gun manufacturers".
1146:
985:"Trust the People: The Case Against Gun Control"
696:(1st ed.). US: North River Press. pp.
40:is commonly considered a Saturday night special.
827:. Washington, DC: Regnery Publishing. pp.
721:Wright, James D. & Rossi, Peter H. (1986).
54:made of poor quality metal. Sometimes known as
1130:RCMP List of Restricted and Prohibited Firearm
350:rather than the more typical machined or cast
978:
976:
1100:"PBS Frontline: Hot Guns: State Legislation"
929:"'Ricochet' Goes Behind Scenes of Gun Lobby"
854:"NAACP Files Lawsuit Against Handgun Makers"
778:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
454:(2nd ed.). ABC-CLIO. pp. 516–519.
851:
791:
789:
720:
409:The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology
16:Inexpensive, compact, small-caliber handgun
1047:
973:
733:
166:
897:"Judge dismisses suit against gun makers"
687:
818:
786:
294:
280:
265:
69:
31:
651:Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology
596:Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology
25:Saturday Night Special (disambiguation)
1147:
445:
441:
439:
397:
395:
1073:
982:
963:The Winning Team (NRAWinningTeam.com)
552:
638:
589:
401:
23:. For other uses of the phrase, see
935:. November 15, 2007. Archived from
583:
522:
436:
392:
13:
558:
14:
1171:
1155:Gun politics in the United States
446:Carter, Gregg Lee (May 4, 2012).
182:and rise of violent youth gangs.
173:Gun violence in the United States
1048:Kates, Jr., Don B., ed. (1979).
991:. CATO Institute. Archived from
644:
565:The Duke Center for Firearms Law
261:
1123:
1112:
1092:
1067:
1041:
1023:
999:
951:
921:
905:. July 21, 2003. Archived from
889:
868:
845:
812:
714:
688:Kates Jr., Don B., ed. (1979).
482:. September 29, 1917. p. 1
189:
497:
468:
1:
852:Myron Levin (July 17, 1999).
750:National Institute of Justice
480:The Coffeyville Daily Journal
385:
256:
234:National Institute of Justice
92:The Coffeyville Daily Journal
65:
989:Cato Policy Analysis No. 109
490:– via Newspapers.com.
306:pistol with .22LR cartridges
7:
214:(CORE) and a member of the
212:Congress of Racial Equality
10:
1176:
1135:February 11, 2010, at the
754:Carnegie Mellon University
216:National Rifle Association
170:
137:Lorcin Engineering Company
18:
365:
232:authored a study for the
161:
1035:August 16, 2000, at the
983:Kopel, David B. (1988).
823:Guns, Crime, and Freedom
819:LaPierre, Wayne (1994).
530:"Hot Guns: Ring of Fire"
320:Civil Rights Act of 1875
336:Gun Control Act of 1968
290:Gun Control Act of 1968
167:Criminal use statistics
109:Gun Control Act of 1968
342:, located in Germany.
307:
292:
278:
254:
210:, former President of
154:, gun rights advocate
83:
45:Saturday night special
41:
19:This article is about
1078:. North River Press.
1052:. North River Press.
590:Cook, Philip (1981).
536:. PBS. Archived from
402:Cook, Philip (1981).
298:
284:
269:
249:
73:
35:
969:on October 13, 2007.
902:The Washington Times
806:May 2, 2006, at the
729:. Aldine De Gruyter.
275:Colt Army Model 1860
1019:on August 28, 2022.
145:Sundance Industries
995:on March 23, 2006.
540:on January 6, 2023
509:The New York Times
308:
293:
279:
97:The New York Times
84:
42:
909:on March 15, 2022
858:Los Angeles Times
760:on March 25, 2007
677:on July 19, 2018.
571:on August 1, 2023
372:1995 Firearms Act
360:product liability
273:(foreground) and
201:Jack B. Weinstein
129:Jennings Firearms
113:Röhm Gesellschaft
1167:
1139:
1127:
1121:
1116:
1110:
1109:
1096:
1090:
1089:
1071:
1065:
1063:
1045:
1039:
1027:
1021:
1020:
1018:
1012:. Archived from
1011:
1003:
997:
996:
980:
971:
970:
965:. Archived from
955:
949:
948:
946:
944:
939:on April 4, 2023
925:
919:
918:
916:
914:
893:
887:
886:
872:
866:
865:
864:on May 19, 2023.
860:. Archived from
849:
843:
842:
826:
816:
810:
793:
784:
783:
777:
769:
767:
765:
756:. Archived from
737:
731:
730:
728:
718:
712:
711:
685:
679:
678:
673:. Archived from
642:
636:
635:
602:(4): 1735–1745.
587:
581:
580:
578:
576:
567:. Archived from
556:
550:
549:
547:
545:
526:
520:
519:
517:
515:
501:
495:
494:
489:
487:
472:
466:
465:
453:
443:
434:
433:
416:(4): 1735–1745.
399:
141:Davis Industries
60:suicide specials
1175:
1174:
1170:
1169:
1168:
1166:
1165:
1164:
1145:
1144:
1143:
1142:
1137:Wayback Machine
1128:
1124:
1117:
1113:
1098:
1097:
1093:
1086:
1072:
1068:
1060:
1046:
1042:
1037:Wayback Machine
1028:
1024:
1016:
1009:
1005:
1004:
1000:
981:
974:
957:
956:
952:
942:
940:
927:
926:
922:
912:
910:
895:
894:
890:
874:
873:
869:
850:
846:
839:
817:
813:
808:Wayback Machine
794:
787:
774:cite conference
771:
770:
763:
761:
738:
734:
719:
715:
708:
686:
682:
643:
639:
608:10.2307/1143251
588:
584:
574:
572:
557:
553:
543:
541:
528:
527:
523:
513:
511:
503:
502:
498:
485:
483:
474:
473:
469:
462:
444:
437:
422:10.2307/1143251
400:
393:
388:
370:In Canada, the
368:
271:Colt M1861 Navy
264:
259:
241:Policy analysis
230:James D. Wright
192:
175:
169:
164:
68:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1173:
1163:
1162:
1157:
1141:
1140:
1122:
1111:
1091:
1084:
1066:
1058:
1040:
1030:SAF Law Review
1022:
998:
972:
950:
920:
888:
878:The New Crisis
867:
844:
837:
811:
785:
732:
713:
706:
680:
645:Funk, Markus.
637:
582:
551:
521:
496:
467:
461:978-0313386701
460:
435:
390:
389:
387:
384:
367:
364:
316:14th amendment
263:
260:
258:
255:
247:went further:
238:Cato Institute
191:
188:
171:Main article:
168:
165:
163:
160:
67:
64:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1172:
1161:
1158:
1156:
1153:
1152:
1150:
1138:
1134:
1131:
1126:
1120:
1115:
1107:
1106:
1101:
1095:
1087:
1085:0-88427-033-5
1081:
1077:
1070:
1061:
1059:0-88427-033-5
1055:
1051:
1044:
1038:
1034:
1031:
1026:
1015:
1008:
1002:
994:
990:
986:
979:
977:
968:
964:
960:
954:
938:
934:
930:
924:
908:
904:
903:
898:
892:
884:
880:
879:
871:
863:
859:
855:
848:
840:
838:9780895264770
834:
830:
825:
824:
815:
809:
805:
802:
798:
792:
790:
781:
775:
759:
755:
751:
747:
743:
736:
727:
726:
717:
709:
707:0-88427-034-3
703:
699:
695:
691:
684:
676:
672:
668:
664:
660:
656:
652:
648:
641:
633:
629:
625:
621:
617:
613:
609:
605:
601:
597:
593:
586:
570:
566:
562:
559:Wolter, Sam.
555:
539:
535:
531:
525:
510:
506:
500:
493:
481:
477:
471:
463:
457:
452:
451:
442:
440:
431:
427:
423:
419:
415:
411:
410:
405:
398:
396:
391:
383:
381:
377:
373:
363:
361:
357:
353:
349:
343:
341:
337:
332:
330:
325:
321:
317:
313:
305:
304:Jennings J-22
302:
297:
291:
287:
283:
276:
272:
268:
262:United States
253:
248:
246:
242:
239:
235:
231:
227:
223:
221:
220:amicus curiae
217:
213:
209:
204:
202:
197:
194:In 2003, the
187:
183:
181:
180:crack cocaine
174:
159:
157:
153:
148:
146:
142:
138:
134:
130:
126:
122:
118:
114:
110:
105:
103:
99:
98:
93:
88:
81:
77:
72:
63:
61:
57:
53:
50:
46:
39:
34:
30:
26:
22:
1125:
1114:
1103:
1094:
1075:
1069:
1049:
1043:
1025:
1014:the original
1001:
993:the original
988:
967:the original
962:
953:
943:November 15,
941:. Retrieved
937:the original
923:
913:November 20,
911:. Retrieved
907:the original
900:
891:
882:
876:
870:
862:the original
847:
822:
814:
764:November 17,
762:. Retrieved
758:the original
746:Final report
745:
735:
724:
716:
693:
683:
675:the original
654:
650:
640:
599:
595:
585:
573:. Retrieved
569:the original
564:
554:
542:. Retrieved
538:the original
533:
524:
512:. Retrieved
508:
499:
491:
486:September 2,
484:. Retrieved
479:
476:"Fair Notes"
470:
449:
413:
407:
369:
344:
333:
329:cap and ball
309:
250:
224:
205:
193:
190:Availability
184:
176:
151:
149:
133:Phoenix Arms
106:
95:
91:
89:
85:
78:was made by
59:
55:
44:
43:
29:
959:"Roy Innis"
544:January 13,
514:January 11,
226:Peter Rossi
102:Fred Graham
1149:Categories
386:References
301:zinc alloy
257:Regulation
245:Dave Kopel
125:Raven Arms
80:Raven Arms
66:Definition
38:Röhm RG-14
671:803836960
663:0091-4169
632:803836960
616:0091-4169
534:Frontline
312:Tennessee
208:Roy Innis
156:Don Kates
56:junk guns
1160:Handguns
1133:Archived
1033:Archived
804:Archived
797:abstract
324:freedmen
52:handguns
21:handguns
801:article
624:1143251
575:July 7,
430:1143251
380:.32 ACP
376:.25 ACP
356:polymer
299:A cast
121:Florida
49:caliber
1082:
1056:
835:
704:
669:
661:
630:
622:
614:
458:
428:
366:Canada
162:Issues
143:, and
1017:(PDF)
1010:(PDF)
657:(3).
620:JSTOR
426:JSTOR
362:law.
352:steel
348:zamak
196:NAACP
117:Miami
76:MP-25
1080:ISBN
1054:ISBN
945:2007
915:2017
833:ISBN
780:link
766:2006
702:ISBN
698:7–30
667:OCLC
659:ISSN
628:OCLC
612:ISSN
577:2022
546:2015
516:2020
488:2021
456:ISBN
378:and
340:Röhm
318:and
286:Röhm
228:and
74:The
36:The
1105:PBS
933:NPR
883:106
690:"1"
604:doi
418:doi
243:by
1151::
1102:.
987:.
975:^
961:.
931:.
899:.
881:.
856:.
831:.
829:58
799:,
788:^
776:}}
772:{{
752:,
748:.
744:.
700:.
692:.
665:.
655:85
653:.
649:.
626:.
618:.
610:.
600:72
598:.
594:.
563:.
532:.
507:.
478:.
438:^
424:.
414:72
412:.
406:.
394:^
139:,
135:,
131:,
127:,
119:,
62:.
1108:.
1088:.
1062:.
947:.
917:.
841:.
782:)
768:.
710:.
634:.
606::
579:.
548:.
518:.
464:.
432:.
420::
27:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
