Countdown to an ill-conceived law has started.
In October of 2009 the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 962. It prohibits remote handgun ammunition purchases starting in 2011. The bill also mandates collecting a great deal of information from every customer for all handgun ammo purchases.
Bill from Custom Cartridge, Inc in Goleta, CA points out the obvious:
“Finding high quality ammunition in numerous calibers is only possible via remote sales; local gun stores just can't carry the variety of calibers needed, nor do [most of them] . . . stock high precision ammo. . .”
Custom Cartridge in Goleta manufactures a line of high powered, high precision ammunition for handguns and for rifles. Their selection comprises a great number of calibers, hunting calibers, target ammunition and special 'duty' ammo for police and law enforcement in general. Of course, they also have lead-free ammo for many, if not most, of the hunting calibers, including lead-free frangible projectiles.
Check with DFG before you use frangible bullets to make sure they can be used legally on the type of game you are planning to hunt.
In July of 2009 July 12, 2009, Remington Premier Copper Solid Rifle, Premier Copper Solid Sabot Slugs and Premier Disintegrator Varmint lines of ammunition were approved by the California Department of Fish and Game for use within the range of the California condor. DFG publishes a list of approved lead-free ammunition on their website.
The trend to lead-free bullets, frangible bullets and other 'green' ammunition is a worldwide phenomenon. The German Forestry Department, for example, is pressuring hunters incessantly to switch to that type of ammunition. And so do other members of the European Union. The Foresters are not only demanding the use of lead-free bullets but also promote heavily the use of frangible projectiles. Up to a certain degree, it makes sense. German hunting leases are relatively small and more often than not located in densely populated areas very close to human population centers. Furthermore, most German forests have a well established and maintained infrastructure that is used by hikers, environmentalists, bird watchers, campers and a host of other interested parties. They all have unfettered access to forests at any time. Hunters in such popular and well used environments need by necessity take into account the effect of a misplaced bullet or one that pierces the game completely on visitors in the forest.
Though American made bullets and ammunition is readily available to European hunters, there is also a very strong group of hunters who reload their own ammunition. Small specialty reloading companies offer the components of high precision, high power ammunition very much like Custom Cartridge does here in California. These manufacturers and resellers also develop, test, produce and sell frangible bullets. Most of the projectiles are made of pure copper or are a compound of mainly copper with other metals that facilitates disintegration of the projectile. There is also a variety of copper variations on the hollow point projectile. These bullets have built in or precut break lines designed to make them expand in a predetermined pattern.
The projectiles often are complemented by a carefully determined load that allows for a relatively shallow depth of penetration thus eliminating the danger of over penetration or passing through game completely.
European countries have an age-old tradition of keeping and raising game species in securely fenced large enclosures. While the animals were used during large hunting spectaculars in the past, nowadays rare and endangered animals are raised in these enclosures for release into the wild.
Hunting ranches like Big Horn and some of the Native Hunt ranches could be considered Californian equivalents, except that Big Horn does not raise game there. Native Hunt ranches do.
Animals living on game enclosures are neither domestic and tame nor are they completely wild. But they still display the characteristics of their truly wild cousins. Population control within high fence game areas must therefore be done carefully without disturbing the animals unduly or shocking their natural development by violent and noisy efforts during the unavoidable culling of animals. Wildlife managers responsible for these game enclosures are using special frangible bullets over relatively weak loads as well as silencers to achieve quick, silent kills.
We will examine the European version of 'hunting ranches' and the weapons used to harvest game confined on them in more detail in a separate post.
Back to the ban on remote sales for handgun ammunition.
Assembly Bill AB962 to me is just another one of those bills that make politicians and activists feel good, but aggravate the law abiding consumer without preventing criminal minds from getting their illicit ammunition – remote or via direct purchase. I have always been dumbfounded by the apparent inability of politicians, activists and law enforcement to see and understand that a criminal mind does not adhere to laws in the first place – or they would not be criminals. You can not prevent a determined criminal to get something or do something simply by prohibiting it. And just in case you are thinking of the silly law as a measure against terrorist: They are getting their arsenal of weapons and destructive materials on the world's unpoliced gray markets not in local gun store.
Most European countries control handguns very strictly, sometimes making it nearly impossible for a citizen to acquire one. Yet, there are great numbers of handguns in European countries. The infamous German 'Bader Meinhoff Gang' did not have any problems whatsoever to acquire their 'weapons of mass destructions' (submachine guns). None of the many laws has proven effective in preventing the availability of handguns on the gray market.
AB962 is just another 'feel good' law that allows politicians to demonstrate their resolve to protect us citizens from criminal elements and terrorists.
In fact, I have my doubts that its true intent really is to make it difficult for scoff laws to acquire ammunition. Rather it is only one in a long line of laws passed or still to come that use a 'worthy cause' to limit the rights of citizens and hunters. First there was a law to make shot used on migratory birds lead free in order to prevent ill effects on humans and birds alike. Then we got the condor law to get lead out of condors by preventing them from consuming lead infested carrion. (Forget about the other dangerous metals used in lead-free projectiles). Protecting the Desert Tortoise requires yet another prohibition and on and on it goes. The overall goal is to limit possession of weapons and to eliminate hunting completely.
As I said, this movement is worldwide and it is not going away anytime soon.
The NRA has a petition drive going. You find the details on their website or on the Custom Cartridge website http://www.customcartridge.com. An on line version of the petition is here: http://www.calnra.com/petition.
By the way, if you need to stock up on lead-free high precision ammo for your next hunt consider that Custom Cartridge has a special discount offer for you. As Becky, the sales voice of the company, points out in a press release they have special discounts on purchases of their Orion ammo until February 14, 2010. Each purchase of two boxes of Orion ammo comes with a discount of 15%; if you refer a friend, there is another 7 percent discount. Your purchase will be shipped around April 1, 2010. Details are on their website.
PJJ
