Schwarzenegger signs ammunition sales bill

[Stocker]

http://www.redding.com/news/2009/oct/12/gov-signs-ammunition-sales-bill/

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today signed into law a bill that requires buyers of handgun ammunition to leave thumbprints and detailed personal information with registered ammo sellers, as well as put restrictions on online bullet sales.

"Assembly Bill 962 reasonably regulates access to ammunition and improves public safety without placing undue burdens on consumers," Schwarzenegger said in a letter explaining his decision.

The new restrictions will take effect Feb. 1, 2011.

Authored by Assemblyman Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, the bill bans direct shipping to Californians who buy bullets via mail order or over the Internet.

Instead, any ammo they buy would need to be picked up at a licensed handgun ammunition dealer, similar to the way guns are currently bought and sold.

The bill doesn't require a waiting period to pick up ammunition as there is when purchasing firearms. All handgun ammunition must be kept behind store counters.

Ammunition that can be used in both pistols and rifles — like the popular .22 caliber round used by target shooters and small game hunters — fall under the new restrictions.

The bill also would require that those purchasing ammunition provide photo ID and a thumbprint.

The information would be kept on file and made available to law enforcement agencies.

Around a dozen gang-plagued cities in California have enacted similar local ordinances, geared to keep gang members from buying ammunition or tracking them down when they do.

De Leon spokesman Dan Reeves has said the local laws have helped police track down 200 criminals who bought handgun ammunition. Some were drug dealers and many had large caches of illegal guns or explosives.

Under the law, anyone who knowingly sells handgun ammunition to a felon would be committing a misdemeanor. The law also would make it a misdemeanor for documented gang members to possess handgun ammunition.

The bill has been criticized by gun rights advocates, online ammunition retailers and Republicans.

John Moffett, a clerk at Jones' Fort gun store in Redding, said today that the bill will put an extra regulatory hurdle on consumers and ammunition dealers.

"It's going to be a hassle on both ends," Moffett said.

Though Schwarzenegger vetoed a similar bill in 2004, saying the federal government's attempt at similar legislation proved to be "unworkable and offered no public safety benefit," the governor today said that De Leon's bill struck a fair balance between public safety and didn't put undue burdens on bullet vendors and firearms dealers.

[BLACKDOG]

Why doesn't that surprise me?  

[Caboose]

its official im moving to texas.  someone just blow up CA so we can reset the state and start from scratch, new budget, new politics, new everything.

[ROKTOY829]

I wonder if reload stuff falls under that bill? It's past time we stand up and take or country back. From watching the news Schwarzenegger needs to worry more about getting the water turned back on to the farmers. Then some  :bull crap: gun law.

[Wermz84]

I saw that on the news this morning.  effing lame.

[Caboose]

When i read this bill the first time they wanted to limit the number purchased to 50 rounds per month.  did they change that portion?  I haven't seen anything in regards to amounts you can purchase.  Im all for less gun restrictions, but what made me mad was when they limit how many rounds I can have.  What if i want to take a friend shooting, I want more than 50 rounds.   believe this bill bans mail orders on ammo to the state tho correct?

[ajordan1975]

Wow!!! Glad I don't live there anymore. It's a great place but one to many BS laws for me. Glad I live in Texas now. That would never happen here.

[kneedownnate]

Arnie's turned into a liberal jerk    I wonder how much harder it'll be to find ammo till it takes effect?

[BLACKDOG]

Yah, it bans direct mail orders.  Now you've got to go though a licensed dealer.  Didn't see anything about the amounts though.  I know it originally forbid transfer of ammunition between private parties as well, like If you were out shooting, and you ran out of rounds, you couldn't buy or bum some off a buddy

[Toymin8r]

Its a shame that you have to be treated like a criminal to buy ammo.   

[Stocker]

Arnie's turned into a liberal jerk    I wonder how much harder it'll be to find ammo till it takes effect?

Inside 16 months and counting.... I bet an awful lot of people buy an awful lot of ammo before the law goes into effect.
Safe to say there will be shortages, hopefully no price gouging....

[98yota]

one more bs gun law to add to california. what is the deal with .22 ammo? are you going to have to be 21 to buy that now? and has anyone had luck on finding .22 ammo lately? there hasn't been any around where i live for about two months now. ill for sure be buying as much ammo as i can before this goes into affect.

[abnormaltoy]

Elections have consequences.

[Betley]

  whats next?

[Rocksurfer]

I don't think there are restrictions in AZ. 

[86rustbucket]

damn time to rathole some .357 and .22

[emsvitil]

Just get some ammo when you goto Las Vegas................

[abnormaltoy]

I don't think there are restrictions in AZ. 

Just the restrictions caused by the normal workings of the market.

[86rustbucket]

fourtysixandtwo would be the man to talk to about this

[Caboose]

i was talking to some buddies last night and they said you could still do mail orders? UPS was claiming they would loose too much money or something like that and they filed for repeal? idk just what i heard anyone else hear about this?

[BLACKDOG]

i was talking to some buddies last night and they said you could still do mail orders? UPS was claiming they would loose too much money or something like that and they filed for repeal? idk just what i heard anyone else hear about this?

according to the bill posted above, it restricts direct shipping to CA residents, you can still do mail orders, but you have to have the ammo sent to a licensed dealer, and pay the fee required.

[kneedownnate]

Holy crap, I thought that said 2010.  At least we have longer to stock up on ammo if needed 

[fs620]

Holy crap, I thought that said 2010.  At least we have longer to stock up on ammo if needed 

thats for damn sure at least we got a big warning

[germ]

This is just one step towards banning gun ownership all together. they know they cannot ban them outright, but if they do it incrementaly, they will eventually be able to outlaw gun ownership (2nd ammendment rights). Obama has made his feelings on this very clear from his voting record, and it wouldn't surprise me if some type of fedral law goes into effect that is similar. Fortuantely I haven't heard of one brewing, but they pass a load of legistlation without telling anyone, and you know that Pelosi and Boxer would support such a law.

Buy your stuff now, while you still can. We'll need it to defend ourselves from our own government. err I mean so we can all go hunting for food.....

[kneedownnate]

Boxer, Feinstein, and that liberal bastage mayor of SF can all get on a plane for a 100 mile trip with 50 miles of fuel    Sadly, I think all 3 have said they'd run for gubner when arnie's run is over.  doesn't even come close to saying how scary a thought that is.  It really does look like we only have so long before something big happens here, you can't continue taking away our rights forever without pissing off some far-right wingers who've nothing better to do.

[Stocker]

This is just one step towards banning gun ownership all together. they know they cannot ban them outright, but if they do it incrementaly, they will eventually be able to outlaw gun ownership (2nd ammendment rights).

That's pretty much how I see it....  keep chipping away at the small stuff that most people won't object to too much, and before you know it, they've reached their goals and almost nobody saw it coming.

I'm not into politics, but I understand controversial laws are sometimes quietly passed by attaching them as riders to larger bills that stand a good chance of being enacted into law. Sneaky, but it works...

[kneedownnate]

I'm not into politics, but I understand controversial laws are sometimes quietly passed by attaching them as riders to larger bills that stand a good chance of being enacted into law. Sneaky, but it works...

I still think this should be illegal. 

[86rustbucket]

  It really does look like we only have so long before something big happens here, you can't continue taking away our rights forever without pissing off some far-right wingers who've nothing better to do.

This is exactly why we need guns to protect ourselves. Can you imagine what the aftermath of a presidential assassination would be like in california?
Do you remember the LA riots? think about how those "political activists" treated their own neighborhoods in '92  just imagine how they would treat yours if something happened to Obama.   its scary 

[46&2]

fourtysixandtwo would be the man to talk to about this

Yeah actually I have not worked in a couple months because of school, I was wondering how this effects our side. I need to go talk to my boss and find out more about this and how it affects our traveling and internet sales (affiliate company).

[emsvitil]

I'm still curious if it affects the components...........  (powder,shells, rounds,primer........)