I need to take a break from the SHOT Show coverage to pass around a pretty big piece of news. As some of you know (and way too many others were unaware), a new law (AB 962) passed in 2010 would ban direct mail order or Internet sales of “handgun ammunition” to customers in CA. Under the law, set to take effect on February 1, handgun ammo sales would have to take place in a face-to-face transaction with a licensed dealer, and would require a registration process that includes a thumbprint.
I watched in shock as this insanely vague legislation rolled right through the CA legislature with relatively little fanfare. Publicity was nominal, although of course the gun rights organizations were in vocal opposition. When I mention the looming ban to hunting friends and associates, few even knew it had happened. “Too late now, I thought.”
But maybe not too late after all! In a ruling yesterday, a Superior Court judge in Fresno found the law unconstitutionally vague, and the court enjoined enforcement of the statute. At least for now, you will still be able to order ammo via the Internet or mail order catalogue. However, I’d strongly recommend getting involved in the push to completely overturn this law and others like it that are sure to follow.
You can read more about it on the California Rifle and Pistol Association (CRPA) website. While you’re there, if you’re not already a member, that’s a great time to read more about what this organization is doing and maybe even join up. While they do occasionally employ some of the rhetoric of the NRA, they’re more focused on CA issues and providing a voice for CA hunters and gun owners alike.
Quite often, that’s how it happens – it gets pushed through very quickly, and many don’t even know – or care – what is happening.
Luckily this one is held up for now, and hopefully it brings some awareness to the legislation and causes people to voice their displeasure.