New Gun Law

California State Sen. Jack Scott lost his son, Adam, to an accidental blast from a shotgun in 1993. As a result, Sen. Scott initiated Senate Bill 489 which becomes law tomorrow. The law mandates two safety features to be incorporated in all new semi-automatic pistols.

From SacBee.com:

Semiautomatic pistols rechamber a bullet with each pull of the trigger, so a user can detach the magazine, believe the gun is empty, pull the trigger and only then discover that a live round was in the chamber. Under SB 489, new models of rim-fire semiautomatic pistols introduced to the California market after Sunday must have a disconnect mechanism to prevent firing when the magazine is removed. These models generally fire .22-caliber ammunition.

New center-fire semiautomatics after New Year's Day must be equipped with either a magazine disconnect mechanism or a chamber load indicator that warns of an unspent round. These models typically use 9 mm and other such rounds.

In one year - by January 2007 - all new center-fire models must contain both safety devices.

Existing handguns, future person-to-person sales, and new models of shotguns, rifles and revolvers are exempted from the law.

Naturally, many gun owners oppose the law, considering it to be one more in a series of harassing attacks on Second Amendment rights. I agree. In fact, I expect more initiatives from Sen. Scott since he indicated he's on a "personal crusade to prevent accidental shootings." Maybe the next legislated design modification he'll propose will be similar to the computer activated "Warning, the door is ajar!" audio message in the latest cars. Imagine "Bing! Bing! The chamber is occupied!"

Besides limiting the Second Amendment rights, SB 489 may also present a false sense of security. According to Lawrence G. Keane of the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute, it's possible for "an incident in which the user detaches the magazine, finds the gun won't fire and concludes it carries no bullets. He or she then reattaches an empty magazine, continues to believe it is unloaded and pulls the trigger - accidentally firing a chambered round."

There will also be an increased cost per handgun, estimated as much as $50 each. The effectiveness of SB 489 in preventing accidental shootings remains to be seen.

Companion at Conservative Thinking.