Because background checks for firearms purchases have been upheld as constitutional, Heyne said the same logic should apply to ammunition. He added that he hopes to see the decision appealed.
“We’re talking about background checks here,” Heyne said. “Taking the extra step to go through a one-minute background check when procuring ammunition, it can save so many lives.”
Christine Lee, a spokesperson for the Department of Justice, called the ruling “deeply disappointing,” saying it overturns a law that prevents ammunition from falling into the wrong hands and helps keep families and neighborhoods safe. The department is evaluating its legal options.
Meanwhile, some gun owners in the Bay Area are praising the ruling as a protection of Second Amendment rights in a state with some of the country’s most restrictive gun laws.
John Parkin, president and owner of Coyote Point Armory in Burlingame, described the state law as a nuisance for gun store owners and their customers. He said the restriction prevents him from selling to lawful gun owners — especially those whose older firearm purchases are missing from state records or who are licensed outside California.
If a customer changed their address or purchased their firearm decades ago, Parkin said, the system would block them from selling them ammunition. He argued the state should focus instead on the illegal arms and ammunition sold on the streets.
Illegal guns “are available on the streets, just like illegal drugs,” Parkin said. “An illegitimate purchaser is not going to come into a gun store and just buy a gun. They’re going to be denied.”
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