Forced out
Friends,
Unfortunately we are closing doors due to SB 1384. Oh, you haven’t heard of it? That is because it only involves FFL’s in CA. This is the one that broke our back. Specifically, Section 2 of 26806. This is high-definition video and audio recording of all entry and exits and all place firearms are stored, transferred, and worked on. Stored for 365 days and must run non-stop 24/7. Then CA DOJ has access to it to punish us if we do the slightest thing wrong by accident which would be $1,000 fine and/or imprisonment for EACH violation.
As most of you reading this are either past customers or a person looking to do a transfer or purchase from us, we operate out of a residential area from a detached building in which we also live in. Having cameras in that space violates our right to freedom of what we do and say in our space when we are not working with firearms. That said, imagine the FFL’s that are working off of the dining room table IN THEIR home. They are most definitely closing as well.
We have talked to California Rifle and Pistol Association (CRPA) and their attorneys, and they are just cavalier about it as they said, “well we can’t do anything until the law takes effect.". Seems as if they are an anti-gun group masking themselves by advertising pro-gun. All the FFLs like us and ones that operate from the dining room table will be closed. Now there is more evidence of anti-gun groups that pose as pro-gun to look out for. You know when gun laws get voted on, social media pro-gun groups post “sign the petition now to stop this bill” crap? Yeah? Did you sign them? Yeah, you say? Well, you are the problem. The reason, California doesn’t allow electronic signatures to stop them. Yes, remember when the bullet button was banned back in 2016-2017? We had all the petitions to sign here and many other places. One of the bills was to allow electronic signatures! It and all the other bills failed to get enough signatures. If you did go and sign them, did you read the top of it? It says you can only sign in the county where you vote, and it said to put your physical address down. Before submitting the petitions, we had to sit down and go through all the signatures and line out all the non-qualified signatures. There was a bunch, let me tell you.
The attitude of some customers was great! They even sometimes overpaid and tipped well! Others, not so much as they said I profiled them. Well, that is our job, to prevent bad people from getting firearms. We have a right to refuse service to anyone. Those that had a questionable past were advised to get a “pre-check” from CA DOJ. Some got pissed off and said “well I am well off” let’s just see if I pass. That draws attention to us as an FFL for not weeding those types out. When we get delays and denials Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Enforcement and CA DOJ look at us, the customers 4473, and where the firearm went very closely. Others would complain about the transfer fee, “wow, $100 per firearm!”. A typical transfer requires about 2 hours of our time. This includes unpackaging, logging in, notifications, scheduling, initial paperwork, scheduling again, pick-ups, and log outs. Not to mention all the BS if you, the customer, haven’t done the process before and don’t know what to bring for ID requirements. I remember clearly an attorney out of Sausalito saying, “wow that’s a lot of money!”. I replied, “how much money do you make an hour?”. He said nothing with a blank stare. Then I said, “If you make a mistake do you get fined $1,000 with a possibility of getting imprisoned for missing to catch an unmarked check box on the 4473 forms?”. I could go on here, but that’s enough.
As a firearms owner you need to pay attention to what is being passed. There are also new CCW laws coming into effect. Look those up. Most California CCW instructors are closing doors as well. Fact, if all the CA firearms owners voted against the BS laws, signed petitions correctly, and put pro-gun people in Sacramento, none of this would be going on.
Fact, not one felon has walked into our shop to attempt to acquire a firearm. Why? Because they know they can’t buy one. Fact, criminals (felons) will do criminal activities. This includes stealing other law-abiding firearm owners’ firearms and then modifying them to be illegal to commit criminal activities. How are you going to protect yourselves in your home, vehicle, person from criminals? Do you really think that law enforcement will be there to protect you? How long does it take to break into a home, vehicle, or assault you? Did you know the average time for police response is 10 minutes? Think about that! Then you add the fact that nowadays no one wants to be law enforcement out of fear of doing the wrong thing and getting prosecuted for upholding the law. Do you respect the law and its officers? When an officer says clearly to stop and show your hands would you listen? Imagine yourself in their position. Back on to the right of self-protection. If the ones in government have the right to have full armed squads, shouldn’t you? If the police response was so good and the morals of society were great, why would you need them? Would a criminal go into an establishment where the criminal knew that 50% of them might be armed, go in, and commit atrocities? Or would that criminal go into an establishment that had a sign or law saying that not one person in here is armed? It is law that those who carry firearms can not “print”, show, display, etc, that they are carrying a firearm unless they must use it as a last resort. Those carrying firearms are the most upstanding, law-abiding citizens. And those that carry and do something criminal get their right to carry taken away.
Fact, most crimes are committed with fists, second most is knives, third is handguns, not modern sporting rifles. We must teach respect for each other whether we don’t agree with it or do agree. We must uphold the Constitution. We founded this country on having personal freedoms and your right to do business with those who you want to support. Those who do bad business will go out of business. Those who do criminal activities will get punished. For every law that gets passed, it makes more people potential criminals. Do you still have the freedoms that you had 40 years ago? Do you still have the same values and teach them? Or are you one that hates thy neighbor and feel like they are doing bad and feel the need to control what they can and can’t do? Do you really have liberty? Do you have peace?
Checking out, signing off. All Terrain Firearms.