California Sportsmen's Action Needed to Stop Advancing Ammo Bill!!

mike bell · 06-27-2005, 05:43 PM

Sportsmen's Action Needed to Stop Advancing CA Ammo Bill - (06/24

A California senate bill that would dramatically raise the cost of recreational and sport shooting has passed the Senate and will be heard by an assembly committee next week.

California sportsmen are urged to attend the Assembly Public Safety Committee hearing on June 28 to oppose SB 357. Sen. Joe Dunn, D-Santa Ana, introduced the bill that would require manufacturers to put serial numbers on every piece of handgun ammunition sold in California. Each box of cartridges would have its own serial number and every bullet and casing in the box would be engraved with that number.

The bill"™s requirement for manufacturers to print and engrave the serial numbers would complicate ammunition production and increase costs. The added cost would be passed on to consumers in the state and would devastate hundreds of small business owners. The businesses that could still afford to sell ammunition would have no choice but to then pass the higher costs on to sportsmen.

"œThe provisions in this bill have nothing to do with crime control," said Rob Sexton, USSA vice president for government affairs. "œThe bill has a direct impact on law abiding citizens who enjoy target shooting and hunting."

Private citizens would not be the only ones hurt by the bill. Even the ammunition sold to the Department of Defense for use at California military bases would have to be properly marked, driving up costs.

"œIn 2004, California sportsmen and shooters let legislators know that they opposed proposed ammunition taxes to pay for the acts of criminals and legislation to require firearms owners to register," said Sexton. "œCalifornia sportsmen must again take action to stop this bill."

Senate Bill 357 passed the Senate on June 2 by a vote of 21 to 14.

Take Action! California sportsmen are urged to attend the Assembly Public Safety Committee hearing on June 28 to oppose SB 357. The hearing will be held in Room 126 in the State Capitol beginning at 9:00 AM. Those who cannot attend should contact their assemblymen and explain that SB 357 would ruin many large and small businesses, increase the cost of our defense programs, and punish law abiding gun owners. To contact your assemblymen, call (916) 445-4311 or use the Legislative Action Center at www.ussportsmen.org.

rick_reno · 06-27-2005, 11:09 PM

Does anyone think Arnold would sign this legislation? Isn't he a Republican??

kevin1 · 06-28-2005, 04:47 AM

Ahnuld is more dummycrap than republican lately , he'll sign it . [&o]

mike bell · 06-30-2005, 08:16 PM

Rimfire tradition threatened
By Jim Matthews, Correspondent
My wife's sensitive nose can tell when rabbit season is here by merely opening the hamper and meeting the aromatic scents of sage and chemise on my denims instead of the boys' sweaty socks. She knows it means I've been scouting for the hunting season about to begin, and she bought a big tin jug of teriyaki sauce this week knowing it is my favorite rabbit marinade.
She also knows that I will be gone before first light over the next few weeks, sometimes rousting one of the boys from bed to go with me to hunt cottontails with rimfire rifles on forest service land near the house.
This has evolved into an Independence Day tradition in my family rabbit hunting on public lands with rimfire rifles through the early part of the rabbit season which opens Friday (July 1). But this year, I'm wondering if this season is a swan song, the beginning of a final chapter for California rimfire hunters.
SB 357 is a bill which would require the serialization a number imprinted on each bullet and shell casing so ammunition used i could be traced back to the original purchaser. The law only deals with handgun ammunition, including all rimfire ammunition since it can be shot in handguns. On the surface, it sounds like a good idea for crime work. But the reality is that it would only create a black market in untraceable ammunition and that's if we could find someone who could and would make serialized ammunition.
If serialization could be done, it would require a huge investment and the cost of ammunition would skyrocket. Companies that have looked into it and they all have because California is a huge market for them and they say it would bankrupt them to try to meet the requirements of the California law and sell ammunition profitably in the state.
One of the beauties of rimfire shooting and hunting is that it is so affordable. You can still sometimes find rimfire ammo on sale for $1 for a box of 50. That's two cents a shot. Even premium rimfire hunting ammo is rarely more than $3 a box. If time is worth anything, it will cost you and I and the retailer that much just to do the paperwork to buy the ammo if SB 357 passes.
But we don't have to worry about that if it passes because it will just mean that handgun and rimfire ammunition simply won't be available in California at any price past 2006, and owning and shooting non-serialized ammo will be illegal. So don't even think about stockpiling.

Briman · 06-30-2005, 09:37 PM

This is a horrible law, but it seems there is plenty of room for people to make an end run around it.

It mentions the words 'manufacturers' and 'ammunition sold'

Rimfires shooters would be screwed.

I would stock up on rimfire ammuntion. If they try to prosecute someone for owning it, it would be a great case to fight all the way to the supreme court. If not caught with it, its still good to have a stockpile on hand.

Cast your own bullets. stock up on brass. You can easily load .38 spc that cost about the same as premium rimfires to shoot if you invest your time into bullet casting. If the state is willing to prosecute people for pouring molten lead into a small pill shaped mould, then maybe its time to start using the 2nd amendment for its intended purpose.

mike bell · 07-02-2005, 09:05 PM

Lead??? In Kalifornica?? Yea right, I thought lead was outlawed in Kali!!