The True Cost of California's Ammunition Restrictions

The Austin Gun Rights Examiner has picked up the story on the true cost of California's ammunition restrictions, and Cheaper Than Dirt! was asked to contribute to the article.

The NSSF predicts that California ammunition costs will “dramatically increase” under the new law, but they see no negative impact on prices elsewhere.
AB 962 may also result in ammunition inventory issues nationwide through next June.

The NSSF says that ammunition manufacturers are already working at full capacity. As far as manufacturer’s deciding whether the last year’s increased demand is an aberration or trend, NSSF says “the jury is still out.” This means that there are no planned increases in production in the foreseeable future.

Cheaper Than Dirt fulfills the needs of shooters and outdoorsmen via their extensive hard-copy catalogues, online and phone sales, and online community. Currently, California accounts for 8% of their ammunition sales. They are experiencing persistent supply shortages in many handgun ammunition calibers: .380, 9mm, .32, .38, and .45 are all in “very short supply.”

Cheaper Than Dirt has not yet seen a demand spike in California, but says that since the residents of California have until February 2011 before the new law takes effect, they anticipate increased demand beginning around November 2010, when the reality of the law sets in.

California’s new ammunition registration is not simply one state’s issue. It will have harmful consequences for years to come for all of us:

• Any price increases caused by AB 962 create an effective functional gun ban by pricing ammunition out of the reach of poor and middle class families, who must choose between feeding their children and protecting them from predators.
  
• Resources used to advance our civil right of self-defense will be drawn off to counter proposals for this new “sensible” gun law in other states.
  
• Mail order ammunition vendors may be at risk of losing enough sales to force them out of business, or force them to raise prices to remain profitable, negatively impacting all of us.
  
• Ammunition prices, just starting to level off and drop, may be hit with a new wave of fear-based buying, driving prices to new highs.
  
• This money, in turn, will not be available as contributions to pro-rights organizations in our continuing fight to restore the Second Amendment.

AB 962 was a major victory for the anti-rights crowd, whose goal is to leave you defenseless against violent predators. Anybody still sitting on the sidelines is effectively sitting on their head.

Go read the whole thing - this new law restricting internet sales of ammunition will affect more than just the folks living there. We need to be aware of what affects this law will have on ammunition availability in the future as well.