Californians Face Stark Reality of Onerous Gun Laws
As the Corona Virus has been spreading like wildfire and our economy is at a stand still a stark reality is setting in. A perfect storm seems like it is brewing on the horizon and smart people want to be prepared. Law enforcement is facing a double whammy in this crisis. Policy makers are deciding to empty our jails and prisons in an effort to slow the spread of the virus and the reality that cops are human and just as susceptible to getting sick as everyone else. They can’t work from home like many others so their ranks will start to drop as the infection spreads. That is just a fact.
This leaves the average citizen to fend for themselves. Stores are empty and panic is inevitable in some places. As people lose their jobs and money dries up getting basic supplies to survive will be become more and more difficult. ‘Desperate people will do desperate things’, as the old saying goes. These are obviously worse case scenarios and we all hope this will never happen BUT we have seen a lot of things these past few weeks we thought would never happen. Its time to think about what happens next. Its time to think about being ready in case the SHTF. For many, Its time to have a gun and know how to use it.
In California we all saw the long lines at gun stores as people rushed to try to buy a gun. Many first time gun buyers were there in hopes of having a way to protect themselves and their families should things get to that point. A vast majority of them were just learning about the onerous gun laws the state has in place and what it means for their rights. The reality does not meet the lies and maybe for the first time the average Californian is seeing what decades of failed leadership has done.
In California the gun laws are incredibly restrictive. Your constitutional right to keep and bear arms is seriously infringed upon. These common sense gun laws people were told would keep them safe are instead leaving them VERY vulnerable in this crisis. Lets walk through a few that most people probably didn’t know about or didn’t fully understand. I will say that I am not a lawyer and this list is not in any ways all inclusive or exclusive. This is a layman’s perspective of gun laws in California and is not in any way intended or offered as legal advice.
First off, California has a Gun Roster for handguns. Only handguns that have gone through a testing process for being certified can be sold in the state. So why is that a big deal? That seems reasonable, right? Let me explain a bit more about this and see if it is still reasonable. First, California passed a law that all firing pins and strikers had to be engraved or ‘micro stamped’ to leave a serial number on the shell casing’s primer when it is fired. What an amazing idea! That would help law enforcement track down guns used in crimes and help keep guns out of the hands of bad guys. Hooray! The problem is this technology does not actually exist and never has. We are a decade past when this was signed into law and still there are ZERO guns being made that can pass this test. They tried, it simply does not work. So, that gun roster testing procedure includes verifying the micro stamp. Since no gun can pass that test only handguns that were certified before the law went in place can be allowed to be sold in California. As long as they do not make ANY changes to the firearm it meets the ‘grandfather clause’ and they can be re-certified every year (still cost big money to certify even though the gun is exactly the same as last year). That list is getting pretty small these days, as you are well aware. What is worse is many advancements in safety has been made and these new versions of the same handguns on the register are not allowed in California. The idea is not about making you safer, it is about stopping you for buying a gun at all. Does this still seem like a reasonable solution?
Second, The Assault Weapons Ban! Black rifles are scary and they must be stopped to save the children. California has one of the strictest laws banning so called assault weapons in the country. These restrictions are largely based on cosmetic features that have almost nothing to do with how the gun works. Pistol grips, muzzle devices and adjustable stocks are all evil and must be stopped, you know, to save the children. Never mind the fact that these guns have been made since the 1960’s and there are 10’s of millions of them in private hands. Never mind that according to FBI crimes stats, in 2018 there were 318 people killed by a rifle in this country. That is ALL rifles. I’m sure AR15’s and AK’s made up the vast majority of those but that is still a very low number. Far from the epidemic we were all told repeatedly must be stopped. Keep in mind that twice as many people were stabbed to death and more people were beaten to death with a blunt object but Assault Weapons are going to kill your children as fast as they can. They are evil and must be banned. The most effective tool for you to use the protect your home is not allowed in California. That is not very reasonable, is it?
Third, 10 rounds and no more. California has had a magazine capacity limit for almost 30 years. You cannot have more than 10 rounds to protect yourself, period. Cops get to carry so called “high capacity” magazines of course. They need the extra protection because 10 rounds is not enough if you actually rely on your firearm for protection. They just don’t trust you with the extra rounds. Statistics and crime stats have shown that most people are going to need WAY more that 10 rounds if they need to fire their weapon. First off, criminals don’t always work alone. People don’t tend to shoot quite as straight when they are scared and reloads can be tricky in a high stress situation. A judge in California has already ruled the law was unconstitutional a few years back but stayed the ruling so the State could file an appeal. Its been years and the Attorney General is still sitting on this. Seems the state is on no hurry since the ban is effectively still in place. Get a new Attorney General and get this fixed! Your rights are being denied and it was ruled unconstitutional but they keep on doing it. How is that allowed?
Forth, No Ammo, no guns! California just implemented a new ammunition restriction that most people probably didn’t know about. First off, no more sales over the internet or mail order. Ammunition can only be purchased from a licensed dealer in the state. Second, you have to pass a background check and pay a fee every time you buy ammo. Just like when you buy a gun, a criminal background check is required to buy any ammo. The state has been having a hell of a time getting this new system working and in just the first few months over 60,000 false positives have happened. That means that people who should have been allowed to purchase ammo were denied their rights by the government. So much for “shall not be infringed”. The worst part is the state is not even trying to fix the system. To them it is perfect as is. They plan again was never about safety. It is always about stopping law abiding citizens from being allowed to have guns. The other BIG issue is you can only buy ammo for a gun that is registered to you. Don’t have a 12ga shotgun in your name? NO AMMO FOR YOU! If your wife has a .380 and you wanted to pick up some ammo to go to the range she will have to go in a pass a background check of her own to buy the ammo. While she is there she can’t buy you some 9mm since that gun is in your name. When buying a new gun if you do not have another firearm in that caliber you will have to wait until your new purchase is registered with the state to buy ammo. I have not heard anything about how long this takes so it may be fairly quickly or not. I’m sure the state will find a way to gum up the works to prevent you from shooting your new gun.
Fifth,The handgun license. To be allowed to buy a handgun in California you have to pass a test to show you are worthy. Its not very hard and can be done fairly quickly but it is yet another step in the process. Other states require extensive background checks and can take months to complete. California is a quick study guide and a test to show you understand basic safety and gun laws. In California that one actually passes for not so bad, yet. They will find a way to muck it up, I’m sure.
Sixth, and this one is the big one! The 10 Day waiting period. All those folks who lined up at gun stores to buy guns last week had to wade through all the above and more to just get to the point where they could actually purchase a firearm to protect their family in this crisis. The need to now, that is why many waited in line for hours just to get inside to store. Once you have successfully made through and are deemed worthy of owning a gun in California this one last restriction jumps up and bites you in the behind. You must wait 10 days to pick up the firearm. Society is being stretched to the breaking point and everything could go the hell at any minute but sure, I can wait 10 days to pick it up. That seems reasonable, right? Fast forward to Monday and the government ordered all gun stores closed until further notice. All those people who already passed the background check, passed the test and did everything required of them can’t go pick up their guns at all now. SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED!
These are what so called “common sense” gun laws look like. For everyone who is seeing it for the first time I feel your frustration. I grew up in California and moved when it just became too much to bear. The liberals have sold you a bill of goods and told you a huge pack of lies. It is time to stand up and demand your rights back. Elect new officials and leaders who will respect the constitution and allow you your God given rights as Americans. Self defense is a civil right and its time to demand our civil rights.
There are a lot of great people and organizations working hard to restore your civil rights but they need your help and they need your votes. The NRA is not evil and they are also not alone. Gun Owners of America, Firearms Policy Coalition, Gun Owners of California, National Association of Gun Rights, Second Amendment Foundation and so many more are working to help fix this problem. They could use your donation, your membership and most importantly your actions to make this happen. Write your state reps, mayor and city council. Write and call your Sheriff and Police Chiefs and demand action to restore your gun rights. If enough people stand up and demand action it can and will happen. If not, vote in new people that DO care about you and your family.
