I recieved this email just now.
PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, TAKE A MINUTE AND CALL!!!!!!! If you aren't part of the solution, you are part of the problem.
A new State law (Senate Bill 489) has been passed by the legislature and will become law unless Governor Davis vetoes it within 30 days. This law will severely impact the already limited number of handguns that will be available in California by requiring two "safety features" that most modern handguns don't have (and which are easily and frequently deactivated on handguns that do have them). This legislation probably sounds reasonable to someone not very familiar with handguns, but really makes very little sense. It will require that handguns have a "loaded chamber indicator" to show if there is a cartridge in the chamber. If someone is so irresponsible as to point a handgun at someone else and pull the trigger, do you think they will know how to use, and be deterred by, a loaded chamber indicator (which is often just a tiny window in the side of the chamber through which you can see a bit of the cartridge, or a slight protrusion of the extractor)? Not likely. The same logic applies to the magazine disconnect. Secure storage and safe handling practices are the answer, not these.
The real effect (and intent, I believe) of this legislation is not to make guns safer, but rather, to effectively ban MANY popular, high-quality handguns from the California market. I doubt that most manufacturers will re-design many (if any) of their handguns to have these generally undesirable features just so they can sell them in California. If this passes, most of the semi-automatic handguns I've offered in my e-mails will not longer be available to Californians (per the Mercury News article at the bottom of this message - only "11 percent of semi-automatic handgun sold in the U.S. have chamber load designators, while 14 percent have interlocks that make them impossible to fire without a magazine in place." I don't know what percentage of handguns have both - maybe 6%?
It currently appears that our best chance to prevent this law from going into effect is to call and/or fax the governor's office and urge him to veto SB489. I just called, and it was easy. I didn't have to speak with anyone - I just made a couple of touch-tone selections, and was able to leave a recorded opinion on this legislation. Here are the numbers:
Governor's Phone: 916 445-2841
Governor's FAX: 916 445-4633
More information is below.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Davidson's "Bullet Points":
CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' . . . SB 489 has been passed and awaits Governor Gray Davis's signature to require magazine disconnects on semi-autos and a loaded chamber indicator (LCI) on new models of firearms to be sold in the state. This government mandate eliminates consumer choice on which product to buy. What is most unfortunate about such "feel good" attempts to legislate human behavior is the false hope that the same careless or ignorant person who would point a firearm at another and pull the trigger would somehow understand the significance of an obscure loaded chamber indicator. And since we've all been taught not to trust a mechanical device to take the place of safe firearms handling, the pitfalls of the magazine disconnect are obvious. There is no substitute for safe gun handling and responsible firearm ownership.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A link to the Gun Owners of California Web site (where I got the governor's numbers): http://www.gunownersca.com/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From the NRA web site:
Issue Description Author Support? Details Action Needed
SB 489
(formerly SB 190) Semi-Auto Handgun Bill - would require that all semiautomatic handguns manufactured after January 2005 that are imported and sold in California be equipped with a loaded chamber indicator and a magazine disconnect mechanism. Scott
No SB489 has passed the Assembly and Senate and is now headed to the governor's desk.
Please CONTACT THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE and ask him to VETO SB 489. Unlike the federal government and most states, in California, when the chief executive fails to sign a bill on his desk, it BECOMES LAW by default in 30 days.
For talking points, search for chamber indicator in these articles: Claremont.org, Beeman's, Dr. Faria
Many thanks to Smith & Wesson for their strong lobbying effort against SB601 and SB489!
Contact the Governor
(Click here)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From the San Jose Mercury News:
Posted on Fri, Sep. 05, 2003
Bill would require new handgun safety designs
By the Mercury News
A bill designed to curb accidental shootings in California by requiring new safety designs for semiautomatic handguns is being considered today by the state Legislature.
Senate Bill-489 by state Senator Jack Scott, D-Pasadena, was approved Thursday in the Assembly on a 41-33 vote. The measure requires gun manufacturers to add indicators that show if there is a bullet in the chamber, or make it impossible to fire if the ammunition magazine is not inserted in the gun.
If adopted, the measure would require the new designs on handguns sold in California after January 1, 2006.
Currently, 11 percent of semiautomatic handguns sold in the U.S. have chamber load designators, while 14 percent have interlocks that make them impossible to fire without the magazine in place.
The bill could go to Gov. Davis for his signature as early as next week.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mercury News wire services contributed to this report. To read the text of the bill, go to SB-489.
PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, TAKE A MINUTE AND CALL!!!!!!! If you aren't part of the solution, you are part of the problem.
A new State law (Senate Bill 489) has been passed by the legislature and will become law unless Governor Davis vetoes it within 30 days. This law will severely impact the already limited number of handguns that will be available in California by requiring two "safety features" that most modern handguns don't have (and which are easily and frequently deactivated on handguns that do have them). This legislation probably sounds reasonable to someone not very familiar with handguns, but really makes very little sense. It will require that handguns have a "loaded chamber indicator" to show if there is a cartridge in the chamber. If someone is so irresponsible as to point a handgun at someone else and pull the trigger, do you think they will know how to use, and be deterred by, a loaded chamber indicator (which is often just a tiny window in the side of the chamber through which you can see a bit of the cartridge, or a slight protrusion of the extractor)? Not likely. The same logic applies to the magazine disconnect. Secure storage and safe handling practices are the answer, not these.
The real effect (and intent, I believe) of this legislation is not to make guns safer, but rather, to effectively ban MANY popular, high-quality handguns from the California market. I doubt that most manufacturers will re-design many (if any) of their handguns to have these generally undesirable features just so they can sell them in California. If this passes, most of the semi-automatic handguns I've offered in my e-mails will not longer be available to Californians (per the Mercury News article at the bottom of this message - only "11 percent of semi-automatic handgun sold in the U.S. have chamber load designators, while 14 percent have interlocks that make them impossible to fire without a magazine in place." I don't know what percentage of handguns have both - maybe 6%?
It currently appears that our best chance to prevent this law from going into effect is to call and/or fax the governor's office and urge him to veto SB489. I just called, and it was easy. I didn't have to speak with anyone - I just made a couple of touch-tone selections, and was able to leave a recorded opinion on this legislation. Here are the numbers:
Governor's Phone: 916 445-2841
Governor's FAX: 916 445-4633
More information is below.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Davidson's "Bullet Points":
CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' . . . SB 489 has been passed and awaits Governor Gray Davis's signature to require magazine disconnects on semi-autos and a loaded chamber indicator (LCI) on new models of firearms to be sold in the state. This government mandate eliminates consumer choice on which product to buy. What is most unfortunate about such "feel good" attempts to legislate human behavior is the false hope that the same careless or ignorant person who would point a firearm at another and pull the trigger would somehow understand the significance of an obscure loaded chamber indicator. And since we've all been taught not to trust a mechanical device to take the place of safe firearms handling, the pitfalls of the magazine disconnect are obvious. There is no substitute for safe gun handling and responsible firearm ownership.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A link to the Gun Owners of California Web site (where I got the governor's numbers): http://www.gunownersca.com/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From the NRA web site:
Issue Description Author Support? Details Action Needed
SB 489
(formerly SB 190) Semi-Auto Handgun Bill - would require that all semiautomatic handguns manufactured after January 2005 that are imported and sold in California be equipped with a loaded chamber indicator and a magazine disconnect mechanism. Scott
No SB489 has passed the Assembly and Senate and is now headed to the governor's desk.
Please CONTACT THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE and ask him to VETO SB 489. Unlike the federal government and most states, in California, when the chief executive fails to sign a bill on his desk, it BECOMES LAW by default in 30 days.
For talking points, search for chamber indicator in these articles: Claremont.org, Beeman's, Dr. Faria
Many thanks to Smith & Wesson for their strong lobbying effort against SB601 and SB489!
Contact the Governor
(Click here)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From the San Jose Mercury News:
Posted on Fri, Sep. 05, 2003
Bill would require new handgun safety designs
By the Mercury News
A bill designed to curb accidental shootings in California by requiring new safety designs for semiautomatic handguns is being considered today by the state Legislature.
Senate Bill-489 by state Senator Jack Scott, D-Pasadena, was approved Thursday in the Assembly on a 41-33 vote. The measure requires gun manufacturers to add indicators that show if there is a bullet in the chamber, or make it impossible to fire if the ammunition magazine is not inserted in the gun.
If adopted, the measure would require the new designs on handguns sold in California after January 1, 2006.
Currently, 11 percent of semiautomatic handguns sold in the U.S. have chamber load designators, while 14 percent have interlocks that make them impossible to fire without the magazine in place.
The bill could go to Gov. Davis for his signature as early as next week.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mercury News wire services contributed to this report. To read the text of the bill, go to SB-489.
