I said it before, and I’ll say it again: “From the “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up” file, a bill currently in the California Legislature would require BB guns and Airsoft Pellet guns painted bright toy colors so they won’t be mistaken for real guns.” And they did.
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The legislation has had difficulty passing, but finally made it out of the Assembly 41-34. The bill will go back to the Senate for a vote.
SB 199, by Sen. Kevin de León, D-Los Angeles, will require BB and airsoft guns to be painted bright colors to make them “readily identifiable” so law enforcement officers can distinguish them from real firearms.
BB guns are used for a variety of purposes, including competitive use. During shooting competitions, many prefer using BB guns as they are inexpensive and easy to learn and equip. Even soldiers use BB guns for target practice and skill improvement.
De León justified this ridiculous bill because of incidents in which police officers shot people wielding realistic-looking BB or Airsoft rifles. De León has insisted all along that marking toy guns would prevent potentially deadly split-second decisions.
“Horrific things happen when a toy gun is confused with the real thing,” said Assemblyman Marc Levine, D-San Rafael. “This bill can prevent that tragedy.”
And criminals will start painting their AK 47s and rocket launchers hot pink.
Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown signed 11 gun control bills into law and vetoed seven. It appears 2014 will be a repeat.
According to the NRA, the following bills are currently being heard in the Legislature:
Assembly Bill 1609 would make it a state crime to transport or otherwise import firearms into California that were acquired from out of state, unless the firearms are sent to and transferred through a licensed California firearms dealer.
Assembly Bill 2310 would allow city attorneys in Los Angeles and Sacramento counties to initiate unlawful detainer actions against residents who have been arrested for any firearm-related crime.
Assembly Bill 1014 would allow law enforcement officers to acquire an “emergency gun violence restraining order” against any person by showing only “reasonable cause” that the person is dangerous. Additionally, the bill would allow an “immediate family member” of an individual or a law enforcement officer to petition to have a “gun violence restraining order” issued against an individual. This bill is described as “America’s worst gun control bill.”
Senate Bill 53 would require the collection and reporting of personal consumer information and thumbprinting for all ammunition purchases throughout California. It would also ban online and mail-order sales of all ammunition, including hunting and collectible ammunition.
Senate Bill 199 would remove the BB device exception from the imitation firearm prohibition. This would effectively prohibit the manufacture, purchase or sale of anything that was previously considered a BB device (including traditional air guns) unless the entire exterior surface of the device is brightly colored or translucent. Under federal law, airsoft guns are already subject to very specific marking requirements mandated by the federal imitation firearms law.
Senate Bill 808 would make it a crime under California law for an individual to manufacture a firearm without first obtaining California Department of Justice approval to do so and subsequently engraving a DOJ-provided serial number on the firearm. Recently, this legislation was amended to also target 3D printed firearms by requiring exactly 3.7 ounces of 17-4 PH stainless steel to be included in any firearm “manufactured or assembled from polymer plastic.” Federal law already requires all firearms in the United States be detectable by magnetometer or x-ray screening, so it’s unclear why 3.7 ounces of a very specific and expensive steel must be included in every firearm that individuals make for personal use. This legislation should be opposed because it will effectively nullify the long-standing and constitutionally protected activity of building one’s own firearms. Additionally, SB 808 will promote the destruction and devaluation of existing firearms without any tangible public safety benefit.