Ruger and then Smith & Wesson have recently announced that they will no longer be selling much of their product lines in California, as Emily Miller notes in the Washington Times.
Microstamping is not only unproven and impractical; it’s abundantly clear that no good is likely to come of it.
Were the California legislators who made it law so blinded by moonbeams and butterflies they couldn’t see this coming? Or was their intent all along to say to the public, “You can only buy guns made to incorporate our stupid idea, and since no gun manufacturer will go along with it, well, you just can’t get that type of gun anymore” …?
Micro-stamping Firearms Will Not Reduce Crime
University of California at Davis Study – Backgrounder on Firearms Microstamping Technology
AFTE Journal – Backgrounder on Firearms Microstamping Technology
It would be nice if all weapon manufacturers would band together and refuse to sell to any law enforcement agencies in California, in concert with ammunition manufacturers doing likewise.
I’m a reliable backer of law enforcement and would not support actions that would make their job harder, but at some point the industry must fight back. This would require not a limitation of what they sell, but a total boycott of dealing with the state agencies.
With the current demand by private individuals, I think any loss from a boycott would be something that could be absorbed.
Wishful thinking, I know.
The micro-stamping, if allowed to remain in California and D.C. will eventually become nationwide as liberal judges begin to rule that guns bought in any state, that make their way back to California must be retrofitted to comply with that state’s regulations.
California got what they wanted.
Ruger and S&W should not sell anything to that state Gov’t!
Their intent was to fleece their constituents and then make it impossible to buy guns in California.
This is typical for our close minded “leaders.” How many Californians will have to leave the state, making it harder to pay for boondoggles, before the government will see they don’t have all the answers. Going to look for a new rifle now.
Dennis (and Mas),
I don’t think they can “band together” to refuse. When I was running the New York Boycott I was informed by some well placed sources that the industry feared politically motivated anti-trust lawsuits by anti-gun state Attorney’s General. They would win, but it would cost them money.
Mas, You have a lot of industry contacts. We all understand that S&W and Ruger aren’t doing this out of spite, but because the laws are forcing it. Is there any reason that these companies, each deciding individually, could make it policy that they will only sell handguns to California agencies if those handguns are on the DOJ roster.
“You can only buy guns made to incorporate our stupid idea, and since no gun manufacturer will go along with it, well, you just can’t get that type of gun anymore”
Yep . . . that’s it!
Scary thing is, any state could do the same thing, affecting gun control/prohibition by fiat. We gotta be on the alert . . . ETERNAL VIGILANCE!!
baby steps
Cali resident here, and a more and more aggravated one. We all know what’s going on with those incremental steps and we all know that Cali is a test tube for the rest of the nation. What takes here can and will be tried elsewhere. So it’s bad news for everybody.
There are already businesses that won’t ship even legal products to Cali due to the risks involved. When a local DA once said that our gun laws were so confusing and ever-changing that they were very hard to enforce, it’s easy to see why everybody lives in fear of ‘someone’ misunderstanding the fine print and arresting you or bankrupting your business. And I think that’s exactly the goal – to make the state so gun-unfriendly that businesses stay away, depriving the public of the tools they won’t give up on. “You want it? Well, you can’t have it.”
I think it’s time for gun and ammo makers to pull an all-out Barrett move and boycott Cali entirely, including all government agencies. And to throw out the clowns (legislators) who went too far. This state is a huge gun market and the industry shouldn’t let the liberal elites unfortunately in power get away with the games they play. There’s too much at stake, whether we talk revenue or principles. Dump the pols, not California.
Unless S&W, in particular, and Ruger stop all sales of the affected firearms to law enforcement like Barrett did… the effect will be minimal to politicians and mostly just stick it to the average citizen…
Dann in Ohio
The technology industry has a term–FUD–Fear Uncertainty and Doubt that has caused serious marketing problems for various firms competing with the giants in the field. What California, New York, et al. are trying to do is instill FUD in gunowners and even more in potential gun owners that they risk jail time if they run afoul of various provisions of gun laws. Thus, best not to even buy a gun or discourage buying new ones is what these laws are designed to do. Very few gun laws have a rational basis and most are simply aimed at harassing gun manufacturers, ammunition makers, and consumers of firearms and not public safety.
WG, I’ll agree with you, FUD- Fear Uncertainty and Doubt. How can we defeat this? I inform as many as I can, the gun control agenda is only about one thing. And that’s disarming the PUBLIC.
Mas,
The theme of intimidation seems to be emerging with these “baby step” laws from progressive state legislatures aimed at gun owners. The more rules and regulations enacted, the more it becomes like filing your Federal Income Taxes, you are never confident that you haven’t made a mistake.
I watched a segment on Fox News last night (Megan Kelly I think), relating the story of a D.C. resident who was arrested 2 years ago for possession of a single expended (fired, empty hull) shotgun shell.
The story goes something like this;
An unknown informant tells police that they suspect this person is in possession of a gun (pre-Heller?). Police go to his home, advise him of the complaint, and conduct a consent search, finding no weapons. They return later with a search warrant, conduct a more thorough search, still finding no guns, but seizing the fired shotgun shell and arresting the homeowner for its possession.
After 34 years in law enforcement (albeit not in D.C.) I have never heard of a prohibition on possession of expended ammo.
This man is still fighting this arrest in court.
This may be an old story, but it’s new to me. Would you have knowledge of this and care to comment?
Found this report that gives more info and corrects discrepancies in previous post, but even more troubling. I feel for you guys in the N.E.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/23/miller-dc-businessman-faces-two-years-jail-unregis/?page=all
I think it was their intent all along to say to the public, “You can only buy guns made to incorporate our stupid idea, and since no gun manufacturer will go along with it, well, you just can’t get that type of gun anymore.”
Gun owners of Calif……the scumbag politicians have spoken, along with the scumbag governor….you all will be disarmed and prohibited to own any type of gun……the ‘ball is now in your court’….may be time to get serious and take a stand……..all of your ‘propositions have been a dismal failure…and the courts void them anyway…. so your options are few….as they are for the rest of US..A gun owners….soon, there will be a reckoning……the price ALL will pay will be very high…but so be it, if we are to remain free…… and the scumbags all over this great nation will never enjoy their….tyranny…NEVER….imho…..Semper Fi
Gentlemen, I believe the only way to deal with this stuff has to have a “band together” approach – an alliance of gun owners, teachers, educators, the gun industry, the NRA – we just can’t let these campaigns of misinformation and lies get any further! Because the gun haters/grabbers have extremely deep pockets and control a large part of the media – the unified way is the only way the truth will be told and believed. We need to have THE most rational, – THE best organized, THE most sustained response to these people. We cannot afford any emotional diatribes, nor can we give up. We need to utilize the most articulate, the best educated, indeed – the most RESPECTED people. We need the Ayoobs, the Gottliebs, the Hayes,’ the Tim Schmidts – that is, if we want to keep our Constitutional rights.
Mas,
The weaknesses of the micro-stamping concept is not just that it is technically ineffective and impractical. Even if micro-stamping worked it would not identify the shooter, only (perhaps) the gun. But wait, I just realized that I am not thinking like a Progressive. THE GUN is the killer in the Progressive dream world, not the shooter. Progressives do not believe in personal accountability. To them, the many exogenous variables in life, that (they believe) can only be controlled through legislation, are responsible for all things evil. It is no wonder that they would embrace a concept that so deliberately misses the target.
Dennis, you asked my opinion about prosecution for an inert shotgun shell, a spent casing, and a muzzle loader projectile with no gunpowder to drive it. If that’s all they’ve got, I’d say “chickenshit” is the legal term of art for such a prosecution…
Reading this reminds me of the late great Johnny Carson. As best as I can remember he said California is like a bowl of granola. What isn’t fruits or flakes is nuts. Seems like NY and Md belong there. That being said: it is time for the voices the firearms industry respects to get involved. It would be nice if the gun industry followed Barrett’s lead and then lets see law enforcement do their job. It probably won’t happen and I wouldn’t like to see any LEO get hurt. However if this keeps up drastic measures need to be taken. No ammo or guns for LEO’S how would the politicians be protected?
Like any stamping, micro stamping can be defeated and would be.
Technical Question: Can a criminal defeat the microstamp with five seconds and a nail file?
“Or was their intent all along to say to the public, “You can only buy guns made to incorporate our stupid idea, and since no gun manufacturer will go along with it, well, you just can’t get that type of gun anymore” …?”
I’m pretty sure that was exactly their intention, Mas.
The citizens, certainly not all of them, have the representative government they desire. I fear this moronic concept, microstamping, will spread to other states over time.
Vince
Mas, my opinion exactly. Is this type of prosecution common in D.C./gun owner unfriendly states, or are they rare?
Even if rare, these are only possible when these “reasonable” laws are enacted.
Just one more reason I will never return to California. There are some great states out there. My suggestion to Californians. Move out of state.
I have a new angle on California and Hollywood that really grinds my gears. Repeatedly, Hollywood puts out movies glorifying firearms. Yet the actors go on the stump and proclaim their hatred for firearms and those who own them. Of course California makes a killing on the taxes imposed on the production companies as well as the actors themselves. AKA THE Governator Arnie.
I agree completely with Dennis and others who state ALL firearms and ammunition companies and those who make accessories for them, should completely stop all sales to California and especially to the numerous law enforcement agencies in that state.
This would put tremendous pressure on the sleazy liberal politicians there to reconsider in their ridiculous ideas or risk getting booted out of office, or have huge numbers of the more highly educated residents and their companies moving away to more gun friendly states like Texas or Florida.
If large numbers of the middle class taxpayers leave California and take their dollars with them, who will pay for the social programs that are keeping the millions of welfare gamers, gang members, illegal invaders, and other parasites from going on the rampage? The Follywood liberals are incredibly wealthy but relatively few in number compared to the middle class and they will be stripped bare and devoured by the ravenous masses if they stay in their beloved People’s Democratic Republic of California as it’s currently run. They will even have to pay smugglers to bring in ammunition from other states for the bodyguards who protect them. I’ll bet most Follywood liberals own guns but just don’t admit it.
Governor Moonbeam may have to build a wall around California to keep his subjects in that state, just like his Marxist idols did in East Germany or face the same fate as France’s King Louie XIV back in the revolution days.
Dennis – Right you are.
All NSSF members should give ’em the Ronnie Barrett treatment.
Of course, you realize that this would be the anti-gun-rights California Central Committee’s most erotic wet dream.
They could point to the “EEEEEEvil Gun Industry” and say, “Hey, it’s THOSE GUYS who aren’t letting you have guns, not US!”
Not only could a criminal defeat the microstamp with five seconds and a nail file, but a law-abiding gun owner could probably unintentionally obliterate the stamp while cleaning the weapon.
What I can’t figure out is why so many firearms-related companies and competitions still exist in such an unfriendly environment. Start with Hogue, Apex and such, then move into the revolver championships and other competitions such as fast-draw… we are all gun owners, just different types. Pull up stakes and take your business—and cash—to a more friendly environment. Ask Les Baer about that someday.
As a retired law enforcement officer and a pro gun person this hits me in the gut even though I reside in Florida. I have been watching lately one state after the other enact anti gun legistion of various kinds which I never thought would pass such as this law the NY SAFE ACT, which has absolutely nothing to do with criminals or keeping us safe. It is to control ordinary law abiding gun owners who are abiding this law and to deter the ownership of firearms.
In addition to this law we are witnessing gun manufacturers having to be forced out of business and move their business to more gun friendly states to conduct business at great expense and laying off long time workers… None of this seems to have any effect on the politicians who keep passing these laws.
Didn’t Barrett refuse to sell guns to CA cops?
As a citizen of Kommunist Kontrolled Kalifornia, if I were a manufacturer I would not sell to this lunatic asylum. The politicians in kontrol are in love with their own self importance and image. One weapons maker told Kalifornia they would not service nor repair PD weapons, whether they kept their word, I’ve not heard. Kalifornia’s political climate gets worse by the day, yet the governor still gets his bullet train and the rest of the state turns into a third world country.