Attention Gun Owners

California AB962 (text of legislation here) was passed and signed into law by none other than our very own "Girly Man" of a Governor, Arnold Swarzenegger.

AB962 bans all online, catalog, and mail order sales of handgun ammunition and components used in reloading. It forces retailers to keep a registry of people purchasing handgun ammunition. The registry will require fingerprinting of individuals buying ammunition.

(2) The registry shall consist of all of the following:
(A) The name, address, identification of, place of birth (state or
country), complete telephone number, occupation, sex, description,
and all legal names and aliases ever used by the owner or person
being loaned the particular handgun as listed on the information
provided to the department on the Dealers' Record of Sale, the Law
Enforcement Firearms Transfer (LEFT), as defined in former Section
12084, or reports made to the department pursuant to Section 12078 or
any other law.
(B) The name and address of, and other information about, any
person (whether a dealer or a private party) from whom the owner
acquired or the person being loaned the particular handgun and when
the firearm was acquired or loaned as listed on the information
provided to the department on the Dealers' Record of Sale, the LEFT,
or reports made to the department pursuant to Section 12078 or any
other law.
(C) Any waiting period exemption applicable to the transaction
which resulted in the owner of or the person being loaned the
particular handgun acquiring or being loaned that firearm.
(D) The manufacturer's name if stamped on the firearm, model name
or number if stamped on the firearm, and, if applicable, the serial
number, other number (if more than one serial number is stamped on
the firearm), caliber, type of firearm, if the firearm is new or
used, barrel length, and color of the firearm.

Apparently, even .22 ammunition is covered by this law. Allegedly there has been some discussion on whether or not .22 to .50 caliber air gun ammunition will also be covered by this law.

The law is scheduled to go into effect in 2011.

Of course, state and federal employees, including law enforcement, are exempt.

What does this mean to you? Especially you out of state readers.

It means that a commodity already in short supply is about to be placed under additional pressure as Californians will undoubtedly begin additional purchases in order to hedge against the law going into effect.

This law will may also create a shortage of retailers dealing in rifle and shotgun ammunition as many retailers may opt to discontinue selling ammunition entirely in order to avoid running afoul of the state.

I've restricted my purchase of ammunition to calibers that I use. However, this makes me think a brisk black market in ammunition sales in California is sure to arise. I may begin making purchases in calibers that I do not use.

It also shows that the anti-gun crowd has realized that going after guns is a war that is unlikely to be won by continued frontal assaults on the Second Amendment. You can be nearly certain that the anti-gun, anti-self defense, pro-criminal elements within your states will use their Fellow Traveler's success in California as a blueprint for their own attempts in your state.

An attempt is being made to repeal this law as I write this, but I don't have much hope.

If you live in Oregon, Nevada, or Arizona, you may want to open an establishment just across the border selling ammunition.