Gun Store Owners Lacking Paperwork Regarding New Ammo Sale Law

January 14, 2011 10:26 PM

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ammunition, fingerprints, gun store, state law

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – We’re two weeks away from a new state law about how people buy bullets. It’s a battle over law versus order; two years after these regulations passed through the legislature.

This new ammunition law takes effect February 1^st, but gun shop owners say they don’t even have the paper they’re supposed to take fingerprints on, and they have no idea what’s supposed to happen to them afterwards.

The state says it’s ready to pull the trigger on the new law, which requires fingerprinting and ID for anyone buying handgun ammunition.

The goal is to keep track of criminals who aren’t supposed to have guns.

But those on the front lines, the people who sell guns, say two weeks away from the law taking effect, there are still more questions than answers.

“What type of ammo, how old you have to be to get ammo or whether it fits in a rifle or a handgun,” said Gary Chapman.

But Chapman says the most basic question is “Where are the forms they’re supposed to take fingerprints on?” Chapman says a call to the Department of Justice garnered this answer:

“They said their lawyers were looking at it.”

And while Chapman thought local law enforcement agencies would collect the forms, a call to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department garnered this answer:

“Never, as far as I can tell they have no plans to pick up the forms. Time are such that department resources are stretched as thin as they are.”

Although the law says local agencies will be reimbursed, Sheriff’s spokesperson Deputy Jason Ramos says he hasn’t heard about any money and the department just doesn’t have the resources to enforce the law.

“As an agency we’re cognizant of the importance of potentially doing that, but we can’t sacrifice the core functions that our department has to provide to the community,” says Ramos.

Gun store are now left hoping that the state isn’t jumping the gun on the law.

“We could lose our license if we don’t adhere to law, but nobody knows what it is,” says Chapman.

The new law also means handgun owners can’t buy ammo online.

Gun Store Owners Lacking Paperwork Regarding New Ammo Sale Law

Steven

for a price, i’ll pick up the forms and deliver them to the law enforcement angency.
charles Donaldson

Looks like there is no money to process the forms. If the sheriff got them now, they would get stacked in boxes. What good would that do?

Maybe we should suspend the law and rethink it.
viper3

what a waste of time and money by the state they already have gun laws on the books to wait 21 or 30 days to own a weapon .this is just more tax payers dollars going down the tubes.the bad guys will get ammo by breaking into a house/homes this will not stop them . but it will do is stop the average person that is a gunner owner from buying 5 or 6 boxes for target shooting .the state needs to wake up and stop wastin tax payers dollars .
Christian

What a complete and utter shock. Ya well not really..Doesn’t surprise me at all these lawmakers are passing feel good laws that in effect do nothing but strangle commerce. Once again these morons in charge pass a law that doesn’t do anything but cost more money, add another layer of beurocracy strangle the rights of law abiding citizens. They should stop passing worthless laws and enforce the ones they have on the books.
Jeff

This is one more example of government going after the wrong target. People that buy guns and ammunition through ligitament gun shops are not the same people that use guns for criminal activity. Why do they make it harder for honest people to arm them selves against the criminal when the criminal will get their ammo through the black market.

Greg

Jeff, you just hit the Bullseye with your comment !

Bongee

Must Illegal aliens, sneaking across Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas borders, comply with this requirement? Or can they just buy their bullets from the same person that they purchased their gun from?
Fred Franken

Useless, feel-good laws enacted by sissies for sissies.

Drop a pair and realize it’s dangerous out there and you’re just gonna have to be prepared.

Pols eat $$$ and poop laws, so what are laws worth.
scott

jeff did nail it and lets remember one thing guns dont kill people idiots kill people, law biding citizens being the target not the criminals our forefathers made it a right not a privalage to bear arms and i think that reason was for the idiots that want to take the easy way for life ahha i’m a criminal robbing you and you dont have a gun……………………..nra
timatoe

“The goal is to keep track of criminals who aren’t supposed to have guns.”

Sometimes I wonder if these knuckleheads in Sacramento even know why we call people “criminals”???? It’s because they don’t obey the law. No matter what law they pass criminals aren’t going to obey it. We have laws that say it’s illegal to kill someone, but some criminals still do that too.

Ignorant
SemperFido9915

I buy all my guns and ammo in Arizona, and I do it legally. I have no use for California’s laws or their makers.
MadMike

What about the law enforcement privately (personal) owned guns. Will they have to abide by the same laws as citizens. There is bad in everyone. And you do have a lot of corrupt law enforcement people out there. I think it should apply to everyone, with no special privileges. Law makers want to make it a law. They must do it too. Because you know they pass these laws. But most likely own a weapon themselves.