Dragunov Tigr Importation

Under current BATF legislation, the importation of firearms into the United States is limited primarily to those deemed to be of value for sporting purposes. This includes several varieties of auto-loading rifles collectively identified as Saiga, which are manufactured by the Izhmash Corporation in Russia. Beginning in the mid-1990s, one type of Izhmash rifle was specifically excluded due to the anti-gun paranoia of the time: the family of sporting rifles identified as Tigr, which are a variation of the Dragunov military sniper rifle specifically formatted for civilian use. The Tigr, when one stops to examine it, is very similar to several types of firearms which are either currently manufactured in, or imported into the United States. It is a precision weapon, and is as well suited for hunting as it is for military service. The purpose of this petition is to make the BATF aware of this issue, and encourage them to take the matter into further consideration. With the expiration of the Gun Control act of 1994, there is a new opportunity to overturn much of the redundant and inane legislation passed at the time.