Clinton signs the federal assault weapons ban, prohibiting 19 semiautomatic firearms for 10 years

President Bill Clinton signed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act on September 13, 1994, which included the Federal Assault Weapons Ban prohibiting the manufacture, transfer, and possession of 19 named semiautomatic firearms and magazines holding more than 10 rounds for civilian use. The law applied only to weapons manufactured after the ban's enactment date, allowing pre-ban firearms and magazines to remain legal. Congress embedded a 10-year sunset provision in the legislation, requiring reauthorization to remain in force. The NRA fiercely opposed the law and made its defeat a central organizing priority.