1994 assault weapon ban?

[dont_tread_on_me]

How long did it take from when the public knew of, to when the ban took effect?

[the_quark]

If you mean the Federal "ban" - don't forget that "ban" is a strong word - it just banned manufacture. You could still buy sell and trade them. So, it just made them, over time, more rare and expensive.

[tonelar]

The quark?
Are you talking about magazines or assault weapons?

OP
it got voted in and people had time to panic buy all the ARs and AKs at drastically increased prices.

[jamesob]

if i remember right the bill was passed then it took effect 1 year later. you could still buy them after the ban but they couldn't be made anymore exept for mil/leo

[CHS]

The quark?
Are you talking about magazines or assault weapons?

The '94 ban covered both.

[Librarian]

Signed Sept. 13, 1994, with lots of publicity leading up to the final passage. Took effect immediately.

[gunsandrockets]

The great gun panic of 1992-1994

How long did it take from when the public knew of, to when the ban took effect?

The legislation took months to grind it's way through Congress. Many arms were twisted in Congress to pass the bill, and I believe it barely squeaked through the House of Representatives despite a hefty Democratic Party majority.

So from the victory of Clinton in November 1992, until the passage of the ban in 1994 the gun market freaked out. Prices skyrocketed as demand totally outstripped the available supply of items threatened by the ban. A lot of people spent of a lot of money back then. And a lot of profit was made by savvy traders too. It took years for prices to settle back down. And some items such as original capacity Glock pistol magazines never recovered, at least not until the ban finally sunsetted in 2004.

The exact same thing happened back in 1989 when the very first AW ban in the country passed into law in California. Except the panic market was shorter lived, only lasting a few months.

[the_quark]

The quark?
Are you talking about magazines or assault weapons?

OP
it got voted in and people had time to panic buy all the ARs and AKs at drastically increased prices.

Both. It did technically ban possession of either mags or rifles that had been manufactured after the date. But it didn't make it illegal to buy, sell, trade or possess rifles or magazines made prior to the law going into effect in 1994.

[Army]

Recall, that Congress was instantly voter changed to strongly Republican because of this law.

[dustoff31]

If you mean the Federal "ban" - don't forget that "ban" is a strong word - it just banned manufacture. You could still buy sell and trade them. So, it just made them, over time, more rare and expensive.

IIRC, it also banned the importation of AWs.