California Legislation

[conradin]

I am not a shotgun person, but this may be of interest to all you concerned, especially those in California.

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SB 567 (Jackson): Revising Shotgun Definition

Currently, a shotgun is defined as a weapon designed to be fired from the shoulder to use the energy of the explosive in a fixed shotgun shell to fire through a smooth bore either a number of projectiles (ball shot) or a single projectile for each pull of the trigger. SB 567 would change the definition to delete the requirement that it be intended to be fired from the shoulder, and would clarify that a shotgun projectile may be fired through either a rifled bore or a smooth bore.

The bill addresses the emergence on the consumer market of rifled bore shotguns with revolving ammunition cylinders. California’s assault weapons law prohibits the possession of a shotgun with a revolving ammunition cylinder, but because these newer firearms have rifled bores, they do not fall within the definition of “shotgun.” By updating this definition, SB 567 would bring these firearms within the scope of the assault weapons ban.

The bill would establish a registration process for shotguns with revolving cylinders that were lawfully purchased between 2001 and 2013. Any such lawfully owned shotgun with a revolving cylinder must be registered with the Department of Justice by July 1, 2015 using an online registration system.

Status: Currently in the Assembly, passed Assembly Public Safety Committee on August 13 (4-2). Passed the Senate (22-15) on May 29.