Kevin Mullin

U.S. Rep. Kevin Mullin introduced legislation Friday to close what he calls “a dangerous gap” by redefining BB and pellet guns as firearms.

If the redefinition were adopted it would require BB and pellet gun buyers to undergo the same background checks that prospective buyers of AR-15s, 9mm pistols, and other firearms are subject to now.

Daisy BB Guns used an X post to comment on the proposed legislation, writing, “[This bill] would include guns like the Daisy 880. Their goal is to eventually include all airguns. If passed it will treat airguns producing ‘high velocity’ as firearms. [The bill] was introduced… to the House of Representatives… it would add all airguns that produce 800 or more feet per second velocities in .177 caliber, and all pellets over .25 caliber.”

In a Friday press release, Mullin’s office described the current lack of background checks for BB and pellet guns as a “loophole,” adding:

Garrett Edwards, a constituent of Rep. Mullin, struggled with mental health during the pandemic and was prohibited from possessing a firearm by law. Yet, sadly, when his condition worsened, Garrett legally purchased a lethal airgun online and used it to take his own life. To prevent similar tragedies, Garrett’s Law would close this dangerous gap in federal law by designating high-powered, lethal airguns as firearms.

The aforementioned press release contains a quote from gun control advocacy group GIFFORDS’ executive director Emma Brown praising the proposed bill, saying, “We’re glad to see Rep. Mullin introducing this legislation to create basic guardrails for these previously unregulated weapons, and we urge Congress to swiftly pass it.”

March for Our Lives endorsed the bill as well.