The ban outlawed 19 types of military-style assault weapons. A clause directs that the ban expire unless Congress specifically reauthorizes it.

Carolyn Tanner Irish, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Utah, said the Episcopal Church locally and nationally supports the assault weapons ban.

"Evidence shows that the more guns we have, the more accidents and tragedies we have." She noted, however, that she does not oppose gun owners who use them for appropriate purposes.

The 1994 ban primarily accomplished two things, gun advocates say: It caused more Americans to buy soon-to-be banned guns than otherwise would have, and it caused prices to increase on certain firearms and accessories.

John Spangler, a member of the board of the Utah Shooting Sports Council, said federal studies show that less than 2 percent of crimes had been committed with the so-called assault weapons before the 1994 ban.

"No studies have proved that the ban has had any worthwhile effects, and expiration will not have any adverse impact either," Spangler said. "Even gun ban extremist Tom Diaz of the Violence Policy Center has admitted, 'If the existing assault weapons ban expires, I personally do not believe it will make one whit of difference one way or another,' " he added.

Sarah Brady, wife of James Brady, namesake of the ban who was wounded in an assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, predicted that without the ban "our streets are going to be filled with AK-47s and Uzis."

"Hysterical gun ban groups are deceptively claiming any deranged kid can walk into a gun store or gun show and buy a full automatic machine gun and take it to school," Spangler said.

"One of the concerns I have with the ban," Aposhian said, "is the myth that people have that these weapons are more powerful than regular weapons.

"The AK-47 fires a ballistically equivalent cartridge to a 30-30, and the semiauto AR-15 fires a .22-caliber round."

Nevertheless, those against gun violence believe the Brady ban, though not perfect, was a good start.

"You will never get me to believe that assault weapons are necessary for the general public in this country," Kennedy said. "I am OK with gun ownership, but we have to draw a line somewhere. Owning a deer rifle and owning an assault rifle are two different things."

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E-mail: lweist@desnews.com