Gun Control & Reality

Guns Magazine, April, 2000 by Scott Farrell

Gun sales reached a fevered pitch in the state of California during the final days and hours of 1999. The reason: Two new gun control laws -- a strict assault weapon" ban and a one-handgun-a-month limit -which went into effect on Jan. 1,2000. The governor claimed these laws would reduce crime and violence by keeping guns off the street -- they also had another effect.

According to preliminary sales figures, 91,089 firearms were sold in California during the period between Nov. 1 and Dec. 14, compared to just 52,021 during the same period in 1998 -- an increase of 75 percent. While some of the sales may be attributed to Y2K concerns, gun dealers almost universally cite the new laws as the main driving force behind the year-end gun-buying rush.

Whether the sales increase can be attributed to criminals visiting their local gun shops before the new laws went into effect, or to law-abiding citizens concerned over ever-increasing infringements of their Second Amendment rights, there's no arguing that California new gun control laws are responsible for putting tens of thousands of guns "on the street" at the beginning of the new year.