There’s a new gun law coming in 2014 that has gun owners stocking up on long guns now before a new registry begins new years day.
With only two days left until the law goes into effect, it has temporarily boosted gun sales across California. In the last week of 2013, gun sales are up 30 to 50 percent according to local retailers whom are having a hard time keeping up with the demand.
California expects rifles such as this Remington 700 (left) to be registered.
The registry goes into effect on Jan. 1, and would require long gun owners to register their weapons like handgun owners already do. It would track the make, model and serial number of the gun, as well as the person who owns it.
Previously dealers would destroy personal information on long gun owners after a background check had been completed. Now they’ll register those purchases with the state.
In 2011, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed Assembly Bill 809 into law. According to Brown’s statement:
Anytime someone purchases a firearm in California, whether a long gun or handgun, their personal information is sent to the Department of Justice for a criminal background check. While purchaser information on handguns is retained, purchaser information on long guns is destroyed.
Since the state already retains handgun purchaser information, I see no reason why the state should not also retain information pertaining to the sales of long guns.
According to the law, tomorrow, December 31st is the last day to purchase non registered shotguns, long guns or rifles in California. While it takes approximately 10 days to pass a background check to be able to purchase a gun, as long as the financial transaction is completed before the end of the 31st, the gun will not have to be registered.
New gun owners have until January 20th to take possession of the gun to avoid registration. Guns purchased before Dec 31 but picked up after January 20th will have to comply with the new registration laws.
Many customers are stocking up on long guns now rather than waiting until 2014 when they would have to registered. Long lines, packed stores and rapidly decreasing inventory of long guns including rifles and shotguns are being reported from local retailers. Triple A Sporting Goods in Vallejo, pictured below, received a high volume of customers looking to purchase the coveted guns.
“It’s been busy as shit since the new law” says one gun dealer at Triple A Sporting Goods whom was literally running to help waiting customers. The store’s clerk also mentioned a shortage of particular guns and that they were sold out completely of certain things.
The owner of Just Guns, John Deaser of Sacramento called the law an unnecessary invasion of privacy, despite his recent profit increase. Deaser says many of his customers are stocking up on long guns now rather than waiting until 2014 when they would have to register. “These are law-abiding citizens,” he said. “They’re not trying to beat the system or anything like that. They just don’t want to be tracked.”
The National Rifle Association claimed the bill violates the Second Amendment and will waste an estimated $400,000 in state taxpayer money.
One customer, a U.S. Combat Veteran, whom asked to remain anonymous wanted to make one thing perfectly clear. “The 2nd amendment guarantees all Americans the right to have and keep firearms. Any type of gun registration on any level is a violation of that amendment.” He also stated “When the U.S. government is putting out laws that are indirect violation of it own U.S. Constitution, you can be sure there’s a problem in our country.”
Diablo Reporter 