As if things weren’t bad enough in the far western reaches of America for gun owners, July 2019 brings some additional restrictions for California firearm owners.
While it’s not surprising that one of the most liberal states in the nation is putting additional hurdles in the way for people to exercise their Second Amendment rights, it continues to be painful for gun owners to watch their rights eroding before their eyes.
The most recent travesty includes requiring individuals to provide a so-called REAL ID before they can purchase a firearm. How this additional step is expected to stop criminals from buying or utilizing firearms is unclear, but apparently that doesn’t matter to California lawmakers.
What is a REAL ID?
Starting October 1, 2020, the government is requiring individuals to have a REAL ID issued to them in order to board a domestic flight, enter a secure US facility — or purchase a firearm in California. In general, without a REAL ID, individuals will need to present their passport to show that they are qualified to purchase a firearm in the extremely liberal state of California. Many individual states have implemented an enhanced driver’s license (EDL) to take the place of REAL IDs, but these all require excessive documentation in order to obtain the license.
Background Checks for Ammo
Perhaps even more frustrating for gun owners is the ability of the government to perform a background check on random individuals purchasing ammunition. While these laws technically don’t go into effect until July 1, gun owners are finding that businesses are already starting to roll out the new regulations and are getting a nasty surprise when they attempt to purchase ammunition for their legally-owned firearms. Instead of being able to complete their purchase, they are subjected to the same level of scrutiny as individuals who are boarding an airplane — plus the possibility of the in-depth background check.
Lead-Free Ammo Only, Please
Hunters are getting another nasty surprise — fines that start at $500 and quickly escalate to $1,000 and even $5,000 — simply for using lead-based ammo on their kills. Of course, this specialized type of ammunition costs up to twice as much as non-lead ammo, can be more difficult to find, and doesn’t work as well. Apparently, that doesn’t matter to California lawmakers. This is a significant loss of rights for shooters in this large state. Even worse, the law forces compliance even for shooters who are hunting on their own private land. This new law allows wildlife officers to stop any shooter at any time and force them to prove compliance with the law. This can include everything from the wildlife officer taking possession of a kill or bullets to determine if lead-based ammunition had been used.
While it’s no surprise that California continues to be one of the key offenders when it comes to the loss of gun rights, these continued restrictions are quickly putting the state’s residents at risk as it becomes increasingly difficult to purchase firearms and ammunition legally.
