Sen. Boxer to Seek Handgun Curbs

WASHINGTON — Taking another run at a national ban on so-called Saturday night specials, Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer announced that she will introduce a bill that would restrict the manufacture of handguns in the United States.

The legislation would impose the first safety and quality standards on domestically made handguns, which experts say are more than three times as likely to be used in crimes than other firearms, she said Thursday. A similar bill introduced by Boxer last year failed.

“Most Americans would be shocked to know that not a single safety or quality standard applies to handguns made in this country,” the California senator said at a news conference. “Even toy guns have to follow extensive safety standards.”

Known as “junk guns,” the cheap, low-quality handguns are useless for sport or self-protection, Boxer said. Legislation passed in 1968 banned their import but imposed no restrictions on the domestic handgun industry, which has exploded in recent years.