California lawmakers pass expanded semi-automatic weapons ban

[Jenoch]

(Reuters) - New sales of semi-automatic rifles with removable magazines would be banned in California under a bill passed by the Democratic-led state legislature on Tuesday, and those who already own such weapons would have to register them.

The measure, which passed the state Assembly 44-31 and is expected to go to Governor Jerry Brown for his signature after amendments are approved in the state Senate, is one of a package of gun control bills passed earlier this year by senators in the wake of the massacre last year at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

It would classify as an assault weapon as any rifle that accepts a detachable magazine that can hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition, and would ban its sale or purchase. People who already own such weapons would be required to register them.


http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/11/us-usa-california-gun-control-idUSBRE9891ID20130911

It now appears that the Ruger 10/.22 will soon be an 'assault weapon' in California.

[ileus]

1. Our poor brothers and sister in Ca...

Sorry friends...vote 2A progressive D's next time.

[mokawanis]

2. Oh no, they have to register their weapons???

"It's a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham.” - Woody Allen

All kidding aside, it's good to see some reasonable gun legislation moving forward. Applause, applause.

[Jenoch]

3. How many mass shootings have been

done with a Ruger 10/.22?

This is feel good legislation that will not reduce gun crime. If they wanted to do something, it would have been legislation concerning handguns.

[krispos42]

5. In order to combat pedophilia, your state is mandating the registration of all personal computers.

You know, to make sure sex offenders don't get a hold of them and meet little boys and girls through them.

Opinions?

[gejohnston]

7. it would be reasonable if

Last edited Wed Sep 11, 2013, 04:01 PM - Edit history (1)

It passed a cost/ benefit analysis. Gun registration is expensive and there is no evidence that it has done anything as advertised. Therefore it is not reasonable. The ban certainly is not. It is like the much acclaimed semi automatic ban in Australia. True there hasn't been a mass shooting since Port Author. There wasn't one before then either. There have been two mass murders by arson since then.
The gangs like Crips and Bloods will still get their guns, since they will not be affected by it. The same holds true with the Australian branches of the Hells Angels and Mongols biker gangs, who are at war. The smuggled handguns have never been registered to anyone in Australia (so they haven't been ripped off of target shooters). Biker gangs also make open bolt submachine guns in underground factories, usually sold to drug traffickers.

[Lizzie Poppet]

10. "resonable"

LOL

Yeah, a cosmetic, feel-good bone thrown to the anti-gun crowd that will have fuck-all effect on violent crime (care to bet otherwise...?) is "reasonable."

[krispos42]

4. So, every single person that said "assault weapon" was an arbitrary term...

...was right.

I've stated before that it was an arbitrary and pejorative term. I've also stated that, since banning "assault weapons" wouldn't actually do anything in the real world (the Newtown shooter's rifle was not an "assault weapon", per Connecticut law), the definition would expand over time.

Now, I also said, after Newtown, that if the pro-control forces were serious about controlling what they see as a problem, namely, rifles that can shoot a lot of rounds in a short period of time, then would simply ban all semi-automatic long guns. They would recognize that trying to differentiate between a "legitimate" semi-automatic rifle and an "assault weapon" semi-automatic rifle, based on secondary features, was stupid and useless and merely political pandering.

This law is probably the closest to that comment that I made. And, again, it will do nothing to prevent mass shootings, or by far the largest problem of single-victim homicides.


Well, nice to know that soon, without lifting a single finger, I'll be the proud owner of an "assault weapon".

[Jenoch]

6. If I lived in California,

I would soon have two 'assault weapons'. I have both a Ruger 10/.22 and a Remington 597.

[spin]

8. I would never live in California, Illinois or New York State. That's why it is possible ...

to pass extreme gun control laws in such states. The anti-firearm laws in such states have basically driven away most gun owners who wish to enjoy target shooting, hunting or collecting firearms. Often in these states it is difficult if not impossible to obtain a license to carry or to own a firearm for self defense in your home.

[DonP]

11. The Correct Definition of "Assault Weapon" is ...

... the next gun we want to ban.

In Chicago my Marlin Model 60 is, by legal definition, an assault weapon since it holds 18 rounds. See how easy it is to define an assault weapon?

Or maybe it's the squirrel stamped/carved on the stock that makes it so evil and such a threat?

[NYC_SKP]

9. Absolute and utter idiocy. For so many reasons. This isn't even good for gun banners.

For one thing, it will confuse rather than clarify people's various definition of the term "assault rifle" (maybe that's intentional).

And it sounds like it will work retroactively, current owners of any rifle with a clip will become criminals 30 days after some period of time if they don't register them.

I don't picture a single life being saved by this egregious legislation.

[DonP]

12. I hope Jerry Brown has set aside a legal fund

IMNSHO ... this is going to wind up in court very quickly and end very decisively.

And the gun control side does not have a winning track record in court on these issues once it gets past the local courts. The Chicago and Cook County is still paying bills and have passed the $3+ million mark in fees and payments to the NRA, SAF and ISRA with more cases still going on and they haven't won a single RKBA case on over a decade.

So I hope they set aside some extra money to pay their outside counsel and the fees if they lose. Or maybe Governor Brown can just sign a couple of nice state parks over to them for shooting complexes if he loses?

[NYC_SKP]

13. FWIW the man has at least been out duck hunting.

Which, in these parts, was like golfing among hot shots in other parts, except popular among regular folks, too.

[Jenoch]

14. I wonder when the registration of such guns will end?

Does this mean that somebody some years from now moves to California will still be able to bring his semi-auto rifle into the state and register it? I wonder how they will enforce the registration? It was not particularly successful in Canada.

[NYC_SKP]

15. Hell, they don't even know. Heads up asses on this.

As a group, more ignorant and clueless every term about crime and guns.

Blaming guns gets them off the hook for doing nothing useful about crime, jobs, opportunity.

[ManiacJoe]

16. Anyone have a link to the text of the bill?

[petronius]

17. It's SB 374

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140SB374

It does refer to centerfire rifles, so I guess the 10/22 owners are off the hook at least...

[spin]

18. Soon only a few gun owners will live in California. ...

The increasingly restrictive gun laws will cause the majority of gun owners to move to other more gun friendly states.

Of course the gun control crowd will be dancing in the streets. They will finally feel safe once the moving vans pull into the driveways of their honest neighbors who own firearms. Chances are that any new neighbors who might come from out of state will not own firearms. If you enjoy owning firearms for hunting, target shooting or merely collect them, why would you wish to move to an anti-gun state where many of the weapons in your firearm collection might be illegal?

The problem is that the criminal element and the drug gangs will still own and misuse firearms. It could also be possible that realizing that only a few honest Californians legally own firearms, smart criminals who specialize in home invasions will move to California because of the safer work environment.