Michigan HB 5249 Falls Short of Meaningful Change in Firearms for Shotgun Zone

By Glen Wunderlich

When Michigan House Bill 5249 was proposed, this month by Representative Matthew Lori (R) District 59, it appeared as though Michigan’s Zone III (shotgun zone) deer hunters would be allowed a viable alternative to shotguns, muzzleloaders, and handguns. (This is a repeat of an identical proposal by Rep. Green in October of 2011 that went nowhere.) For years, I have wondered why straight-walled cartridges were not allowed in rifle configurations, as opposed to current regulations permitting handguns only. Now, I am wondering why anyone has bothered to open the dialogue with such a limited field of view. Read more