On Thursday, January 14, California’s NRA-PVF “F”-rated Attorney General, Kamala Harris, announced her support of freshman Assemblymember David Chiu’s introduction of Assembly Bill 1663 in a press release. AB 1663 would expand the classification of “assault weapons” to include all detachable magazine semi-automatic rifles and any rifle that uses a “bullet button.1” Gun owners who possess these firearms would be required to register them as “assault weapons” or face potential felony penalties, arrest, and confiscation of the firearm. AB 1663 will also ban the future sale of these firearms.
On the same day, NRA-PVF “F”-rated Assemblymembers Marc Levine and Phil Ting introduced a second anti-gun bill, Assembly Bill 1664. AB 1664 would ban the use of a “bullet button.”
The use of a “bullet button” currently keeps semi-automatics with detachable magazines from being classified as an “assault weapon.” In banning the use of a “bullet button” the possessor will now have possession of what California law considers an “assault weapon.” With this being said, the possessor will have to register that firearm as an “assault weapon” or face potential felony penalties, arrest, and confiscation of the firearm. AB 1664 will also ban the future sale of these firearms.
The explanation of registration in both bills means paying a registration fee and completing a registration form that contains:
- A description of the firearm and unique identifiers;
- The date the firearm was acquired
- The name and address of the individual from whom, or business from which the firearm was acquired;
- Registrant’s full name, address, telephone number, date of birth, height, weight, eye color, hair color, and;
- California driver’s license number or California identification card number.
These bills are detrimental to the Golden State’s law-abiding gun owners, which number in the hundreds of thousands. They would turn legally-owned semi-automatic firearms into what California law defines as an “assault weapon.” These same firearms are used in hunting, competitive shooting and for general legal use throughout the United States.
Assemblymembers David Chiu, Marc Levine, and Phil Ting must hear from all of California’s Second Amendment supporters opposing these erroneous bills. It is IMPERATIVE for you to forward this CRITICAL alert to your family, friends, fellow sportsmen, gun owners, and Second Amendment supports.
Contact information can be found below.
Assemblymember David Chiu (D-17)
(916) 319-2017
Assemblymember Marc Levine (D-10)
(916) 319-2010
Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-19)
(916) 319-2019
1 A bullet button is a device used to permanently fix a magazine in a semiautomatic rifle that was originally built to accept a detachable magazine in order to comply with California’s current gun laws. A “bullet button” replaces the magazine release with a block and the user needs to remove the magazine by using a tool. The name came about due to a 1999 California State law which said that a "bullet or ammunition cartridge is considered a tool."