Despite Strict Gun Laws, California Firearm Homicides Up 18 Percent

For years, some folks have claimed that stricter gun laws would prevent gun violence. However, even with most of the desired gun-control laws enacted, California firearm homicides are up 18 percent from 2014 to 2016.

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One of the biggest changes anti-gunners push is universal background checks. This forces all gun purchases to go through a licensed dealer. This includes private sales among individuals, as well as between family members. Anti-gunners also want waiting periods, limits on number of guns purchased and ammunition limits. All this, of course, is in addition to a ban on “assault” rifles, such as AR-15s.

Unfortunately for them, California law already requires most of these actions. In the Golden State, all guns sales must go through an FFL dealer. Also, the law requires a 10-day waiting period on gun purchases, and gun owners much register all firearms. Lawmakers even enacted a law at the beginning of the year that requires ammunition sales to go through licensed in-state ammunition dealers. This even includes online orders of ammunition. Additionally, starting on Jan. 1, 2019, every ammunition purchase requires a background check similar to buying a gun. California is the state where it will be determined whether or not gun-control laws work.

Strict Laws Don’t Prevent California Firearm Homicides

California has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation. In fact, California gun law is much stricter than federal law. Most of this is because California lawmakers haven’t seen many gun-control laws they don’t like. Lawmakers have enacted pretty much every gun law desired by anti-gun crowd. However, California firearm homicides haven’t dropped. In fact, the homicide rate has gone the opposite direction. The number of firearm homicides have risen.

So, despite there being numerous laws reducing the availability of firearms, violence continues to grow. It is almost as if only law-biding citizens, those typically not prone to crime, are the only ones following the law. Criminals continue to obtain firearms via illegal methods.

California is pretty much the testing ground for gun control. So, if these laws work, reports will starting rolling out discussing success. However, it doesn’t currently look like this is going to happen. If gun-control laws in California can’t curb gun violence, anti-gunners will simply claim more laws are needed to reduce gun violence.