Gun owners react to new legislation changes coming in 2018

It’s been a tough year for firearm and ammunition dealers like Brian Anton, owner of Tacti-Cool Guns and Gear in Santa Maria.

“There was a big fear that if Hillary Clinton won, she was gonna ban a lot of guns so people were buying guns like crazy in 2016. When Trump won, there was no real fear of him banning guns so gun sales went into a national slump,” Anton said.

He believes that headache is about to grow in 2018. Starting January 1st, gun owners will no longer be able to order ammunition online and have it shipped directly to their homes.

“They’re gonna have to send it to a licensed gun store or a vendor who has a C.O.E – a Certificate of Eligibility – that’s a background check you have to get through the California Department of Justice and that’s something they’re requiring all ammunition vendors and retailers to possess,” Anton explained.

But what to do once the ammunition gets to the store still has a gray area.

“There’s been no guidance of what to do from the California Department of Justice on if we can charge for distributing that ammo, If we have to document who’s getting what ammo and when, how much they’re getting — there’s been no guidance on what we’re supposed to so at the moment, we’re not offering that service,” Anton said.

Semi-automatic weapons like AR-15s may have to be modified to stay legal as well.

“If anyone owns an AR-15, an AK-47, or an other semi-automatic center fire rifle with a detachable magazine, they’re probably going to have to take some action. They’re either going to have to register the gun, re-register it basically as an assault weapon, which then enables them never to sell it or will it to their children — or they can alter the weapon so that it no longer fits the definition of an assault weapon and that would keep them from having to register it as an assault weapon,” said Anton.

Gun owners we talked with say all of these changes are not for the better.

“It’s having no effect on crime, all it’s doing is making law abiding citizens panic that they’re going to become criminals for possessing guns that they legally purchased,” said Anton.

“If someone’s gonna use a weapon for bad – they’re gonna use it bad regardless of – it could be a pencil, it could be a knife, you need to look at weapons as a tool,” said gun owner, Ryan Doyle.

For more information on Tacti-Cool Guns and Gear, click here.