Californians - Mail Order Handgun Ammo Purchases End in February

[Ben]

Just a heads up to my fellow Californians. Mail order purchase of handgun ammo is prohibited after 01FEB. There was a lawsuit against the state in progress, but it's apparently not going anywhere. After 01FEB, it's in-person purchases only, with thumbprint.

I've been stocking up on higher quality defense rounds since they are outrageously priced at the local shops. Cabelas just sent an email to their CA customers with the reminder on the new law, which reminded me to stock up a bit more, especially on the 10MM, which is getting hard to find.

I've also been hedging my bets and stocking up on reloading components. Got 5K more bullets from Lasercast, and a bunch of .45ACP and 10MM unprimed brass (on backorder, as they are backordered everywhere it seems).

[just Warren]

Is that for loaded rounds only? Because I'll start reloading if that's the case.

[charby]

Can you purchase in NV and bring it in legally?

[Ben]

Loaded rounds only, and handgun only (what about my .44mag 1894?). Apparently you can have the ammo shipped to a local FFL, but who knows what they'll charge. It's already $80 for an Internet firearms transfer in my neck of the woods. I'm actually going to see if my C&R works for this (though I'm not holding my breath).

AFAIK, there is no written language prohibiting purchase of ammo physically while out of state. There are a lot of rumors flying around about it though from, "it's okay" to "it's a felony". I imagine if I were pulled over with 10K rounds of ammo in my truck, even if it is legal, I'd be put through the "respect my authoritah" wringer.

[Gowen]

Well, just outside of Reno is a Cabelas, you can come and help the Nevada economy and buy all your ammo needs.  Actually, if you come all the way into Reno there is a Sportsman's Warehouse, I like their ammo prices better.

p.s. I won't tell the PRC that you bought ammo here. Enjoy!=D

[gunsmith]

Can you purchase in NV and bring it in legally?

yup !! you sure can. calguns has been all over this. the poorly written law will be defeated in court, as a matter of fact private people would still be able to receive shipped ammo but most shippers do not want to fight it in court.

[Ben]

Shippers not fighting the court is one of the problems. One of the lawsuits against the state has already been dismissed without prejudice (I believe the one with the Tolumene County Sheriff as the lead plantiff)  . The judge's statement was that it was premature, because the law hadn't been enacted yet so there was no damage from it. Yet all the big ammo places have already sent letters out stating they won't ship to CA past 18JAN. That means the law has already had an effect.

I recognize that Michel et al. will still get their decision on the 18th, and even if they're defeated there will be more lawsuits, but damage has certainly been done already.

The law is so crappy and so ambiguous that I don't see how it doesn't violate numerous constitutional principles well outside the venue of firearms. Just one example is what it describes as handgun ammo:

From AB962:

(c) For purposes of this section, "ammunition" shall include, but
not be limited to, any bullet, cartridge, magazine, clip, speed
loader, autoloader, or projectile capable of being fired from a
firearm with deadly consequence. "Ammunition" does not include
blanks.

Edit: My mistake -- OOIDA vs Lindley was the dismissed case. AFAIK Sheriff Parker's case is still in the wings.

[just Warren]

Where can I get a gun that will fire a speedloader? Because that might be kind of fun.

[gunsmith]

zombie thread alert!!

yup !! you sure can. calguns has been all over this. the poorly written law will be defeated in court, as a matter of fact private people would still be able to receive shipped ammo but most shippers do not want to fight it in court.

zombie thread alert!!

I revived it because it shows I was right!!! I perdicted it would be teh fail!

[longeyes]

To the surprise of no one--well, almost no one :)--there's a new bill.

[Ben]

Longeyes - do you have a link? I'm interested to see if they removed speed clips from their definition of "handgun ammunition". 

[longeyes]

Heard it, en passant, on the radio.  It was Sen. Kevin De Leon who offered the new bill.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/01/27/state/n140415S80.DTL&type=politics

http://sd22.senate.ca.gov/news/2011-01-27-senator-kevin-de-leon-announces-legislation-protect-ban-cop-killer-bullets

[dogmush]

From longeyes' link:

School police officer Jeffrey Stenroos, who said he was shot in the chest by a suspected car burglar last week and saved by his bulletproof vest, was scheduled to appear at the news conference, but was not present. Officials did not explain his absence, but Stenroos was arrested later Thursday on suspicion of filing a false police report in the Jan. 19 incident.

Tied with the locked thread, I'm wondering if someone wasn't trying to manufacture a fresh hero saved by this absurd law.  After all it'd be pretty hard to turn up dead folks killed by the crush of AP rounds in the rest of the US.   

[Ben]

Attorney General Kamala Harris is considering an appeal to the ruling against De Leon's original bill that would have required restrictions on handgun ammunition sales.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/01/27/state/n140415S80.DTL#ixzz1CNtF5g2S

Oh hurray for Kamala Harris.

[longeyes]

Another "gang-busting" initiative by the fearless Kamala Harris...

We thought we might get at least ONE Republican elected.  ONE.  Nope.  Even Steve Cooley went down.

[Phyphor]

Well, just outside of Reno is a Cabelas, you can come and help the Nevada economy and buy all your ammo needs.  Actually, if you come all the way into Reno there is a Sportsman's Warehouse, I like their ammo prices better.

p.s. I won't tell the PRC that you bought ammo here. Enjoy!=D

Yea, they'll prolly find out when you try to cross back into cali and hit one of those frakkin' inspection stations.  Be real great for them to go digging through your car looking for 'fruit' and finding ammo.  I wonder what they'd do then?

[longeyes]

I expect a lot of out-of-state gunshops to ask for photo IDs when you make ammo purchases.  Just routine, you know.  They will be encouraged to do that by the ATF, I'd guess.  And, yes, you never know when you'll be searched for noxious fruitflies...

One is best advised to take full advantage of the limbo period.

[dogmush]

I expect a lot of out-of-state gunshops to ask for photo IDs when you make ammo purchases.  Just routine, you know.  They will be encouraged to do that by the ATF, I'd guess.  And, yes, you never know when you'll be searched for noxious fruitflies...

One is best advised to take full advantage of the limbo period.

Possibly on the left coast. Gun shops in FL don't ask. Heck Walmart around here only asks if you look under 21. I haven't been carded for ammo in years.