NEW CALIFORNIA GUN LAWS – New California Gun Laws have resulted in 62,000 residents denied the purchase of ammunition since July 1st, according to the Sacramento Bee.
-Buying Ammunition-
To purchase ammunition under the new California Gun Laws, residents must pass an in-store background check. Ammunition sales vendors must run the purchaser’s name through the California Department of Justice database to ensure the purchaser has a registered firearm with the state.
If the buyer does not have a weapon registered for the type of ammunition they are purchasing, they are denied the purchase. In addition, if the individual has moved, and their new address does not match the address they have on their California driver’s license, they are also denied the purchase. The background check costs the individual $1.
If the person attempting the purchase does not own a firearm, or the firearm they do own isn’t registered, they can pay $19 for a more extensive background check. They may also register the firearm they are attempting to purchase online – receiving approval once said firearm is successfully accepted into the system.
These rejection numbers were released because of a suit filed by the California Rifle and Pistol Association who are seeking to overturn the new gun laws. 18% of the background checks for purchase have been denied since the new laws went into effect in July according to the lawsuit.
19,000 of the attempted purchases were denied because the individual didn’t reside in the database at all, primarily because the Department of Justice is behind in updating and maintaining the data. Additionally, 22,000 of the ammunition purchasers were denied sales because their address didn’t match the address recorded in the registry, many of which had moved according to the lawsuit.
-Effectiveness of the Laws-
As for effectiveness of the new laws – of the 345,547 rejections only 101 were actual denials to prohibited persons who can’t legally buy or possess ammunition from making a purchase.
Additionally, legislation in California has banned the sales of lead ammunition. Hunter’s struggled to find non-toxic shotgun shells and rifle rounds – when many did, they were inevitably denied purchase due to the state’s faulty background process.
It is also illegal for residents of California to purchase ammunition out of state. If they cross state lines to purchase ammunition in, say, Nevada – they could face jail time.
California is but one of several states implementing or attempting to implement new, stricter gun control legislation infringing a person’s right guaranteed under the Second Amendment. The more states that pass such absurd restrictive laws, the easier passing additional unconstitutional laws become. The ole “give them an inch, they’ll take a mile” philosophy.
Just because said laws are being passed in states other than your own is not a reason to turn a blind eye. Not only will you as a hunter fall under the umbrella of said laws when hunting in states where laws have been invoked – it creates opportunity and maybe even pressure for more and more states to jump on board.
Any law that prevents you from purchasing a firearm or ammunition for a said firearm is unconstitutional. There are no excuses in politician vernacular that will ever make this statement less true. And yet, the ease in which it is done around the country is mind-boggling.
-Our Responsibility-
It is our responsibility as gun owners to remain vigilant, not only in our own states but those around us.
I’ve heard all too often, folks say, “politics are out of control in this country – I choose not to pay attention to it.” This mind frame, although convenient – and said with absolute merit because of the absurdity of government officials – is the reason so many laws infringing your rights as a citizen of this country are easily passed.
The folks in favor of such ridiculous legislation do pay attention, they do turn out to vote. They have no real teeth in the fight, none are gun owners, but their opinion and more importantly, their vote, are heavily weighted in today’s world.
Banning hunting, today seems an impossible proposition for any state. However, making it impossible for you to purchase the tools you need to hunt has a feel that no longer resembles impossibility.
Only us conservative gun owners and pro-constitutional folks can stop it. And stop it we most definitely must, before the forward momentum grows to an overpowering force immune to push back.
It’s on us, folks.
