LANSING -- Michigan gun enthusiasts and history buffs hope state lawmakers will soon pull the trigger on a measure that would make purchasing antique firearms easier.

The House unanimously approved a three-bill package that reduces requirements for pistols manufactured before 1898 and replicas of black-powder guns, allowing them to be acquired without a license or safety inspection.

Michigan laws now require residents who wish to purchase any handgun to obtain a permit and have the firearm inspected by local police. The measure would subject antique firearms to the same looser restrictions and background checks as shotguns and long rifles, said Rep. Dan Acciavatti, R-Chesterfield Township, who sponsored the package.

“I am ecstatic that the entire House of Representatives on both sides of the aisle saw the need to protect the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners,” Acciavatti said. “These are antique firearms. These are family heirlooms. These are weapons that take a lot of care and procedure to load.”

John Pattinson, of Milford and business manager for the Michigan Antique Arms Collectors, which has more than 1,200 members, said the legislation, if passed, would make Michigan more competitive in antique-firearm sales with other states.

“People can buy black-powder handguns in other states without the paperwork,” he said. “It’s already difficult to purchase one. The availability is lower than what it was. People and collectors are scouring over tables at gun shows.”

Pattinson said lawmakers should eliminate the mandatory license and safety inspection of the antique arms because the interest in possessing them isn’t for the ability to fire them.

“You can’t use an antique firearm,” he said. "It would lose its value."

The measure moves to the Senate, where Rep. Fran Amos, R-Waterford, said she believes the legislation will meet approval.

“These are specialty guns for people who are collectors or do reenactments,” said Amos, who also composed the legislation. “They have to stuff powder and a ball down so it’s not like they’re going to rob a party store.”