The Nation - News from May 28, 1987

Gun lobbyists challenged congressional efforts to ban weapons that cannot be detected by magnetic screening devices, telling the lawmakers that such legislation would be unfair and futile. “We believe that the clear and compelling priority is for better security personnel with state-of-the-art detection equipment,” James Jay Baker, government affairs director of the National Rifle Assn., told members of the House crime subcommittee. The panel has been considering several bills that would block the availability of weapons, such as plastic or ceramic guns, that cannot be detected by devices such as airport screening equipment.