As of January 1st — a mere 10 days away — it will be illegal to import ammunition into the state of California without going through a CA-based, licensed ammunition vendor. This includes internet and other mail orders. Some vendors are considering Friday, December 29th as the cut-off date so orders can ship prior to the law taking effect. Some vendors are considering NOW the cut-off date so orders can arrive prior to the law taking effect.
Either way, the time has come (or, possibly, just passed) to place those last internet ammunition orders to stock up at the best possible prices. Here are a few good options to find the best product at the best price:
Natchez: use promo code FS171221 for free shipping on orders (including optics and other non-ammo stuff) over $49.99. Valid through midnight on Christmas Eve. Click here for Natchez.
Brownells: use coupon code M6S for free shipping on orders over $49, coupon code LDD for $10 off plus free shipping on orders over $99, coupon code H7L for $20 off plus free shipping on orders of $200 or more, or coupon code L9Q for $30 off plus free shipping on orders of $300 or more. Click here for Brownells.
1800GunsAndAmmo: no coupon code we know of, but their prices tend to be extremely low to begin with. Click here for 1800GunsAndAmmo.
Cabela’s: use coupon code 2017FREE for free shipping on orders of $99 or more. Click here for Cabela’s.
Sportman’s Guide: SG won’t ship to a couple specific counties in California (some of the other companies listed here may not as well), but if you aren’t located in one of those areas you’ll find their prices are often the lowest anywhere. Use coupon code SH1759 for free shipping or coupon code TAKEOFF15 for 15% off your first order up to a $30 maximum discount. Click here for Sportsman’s Guide.
Gorilla Ammunition: that’s right, go straight to the manufacturer for some of the nicest looking, most consistent ammo we’ve come across. Whether target shooting, hunting, self-defense, or subsonic loads of various sorts, Gorilla has you covered. No current discounts we’re aware of. Click here for Gorilla Ammunition.
People living near the state borders will just drive and buy…
perhaps enterprising people will start up some sort of mobile service of some sort
what about driving it across and then sending it via UPS/FedEx? are they going to report the senders and receivers?
bans don’t work…people find ways…legal or illegal…to get what they want
Importing ammo from out of state becomes illegal, and they specifically included driving it across the border even for personal use. Yeah, I get that some people are still going to do it, but it will be a misdemeanor or worse. So…right now is legitimately the last *legal* chance to mail order from out of state, bring it in from out of state, etc. Hell, even giving ammo to friends or family becomes illegal! All transfers must go through a licensed ammo retailer.
You better believe they are going love catching somebody transporting ammo across the border after the deadline. They are going to burn them alive. And don’t think the police state of Kalifornia won’t pour some serious resources into the effort either. Just because they treat real, violent criminals like beloved children, doesn’t mean they won’t regard minor infractions by normal citizens like most normal states treat mass murderers.
So it will be like New Jersey, then.
/sarc
Coming but not in NJ yet. Once Murphy takes office it will be passed by our puppet legislature. That’s why I ordered 5000 rounds of every caliber I shoot.
Just out of curiosity, will this include reloading supplies? That is, will brass, powder, and bullets be considered ammo and subject to the same out-of-state ban?
Best I can tell is that it covers loaded ammunition only. You can still buy reloading supplies.
From what I have heard supply on hand is restricted. Kalifornistan residents can’t stock up like I can stock up.
I predict a new booming business selling “loosies”.
How in the hell did this pass? This is so despicable.
How in the hell did this pass?
Well this is what happens when you–the other 49 states, ignore illegal immigration–they vote DEM and so do their KIDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
— well we tried to end this crud, all the WAY BACK IN 1994 with California proposition 187 it passed by 60%. a big number to pass by in a non-presidential election year and by that size of a number allot of Latino/ Americans voted for it. look it up —( by the way 187 is the murder# in the police code book here)
it basically stated once passed. No one who was not legally here could get a state service– any at ALL!!!!!!! that even included education –no green card kiddy don’t go to school –(keep your dumb kid at home we don’t need to educate him/her on our dollar)
——-BUT—then the fed’s stepped in and said the whole law was unconstitutional and WE had to educate some other countries kids on our dollar
SO——WE TRIED –SUCCEEDED -PASSED A LAW –AND GOT SHOT DOWN BY THE FED’S –DON’T BLAME US WE TRIED –YOU THE REST OF THE COUNTRY FAILED!!!!!US HERE IN CALIFORNIA!!!!!! DON’T EVER BLAME US –BLAME YOURSELVES!!!!!
When the bill failed to be enforced–the conservatives LEFT the state that could!
eat a snickers
Thank you for the list, I am going to use it and the promo guide. Thank you. ,,. Support your local Law Enforcement, they need it, Officer Over must of had a flat tire or ran out of gas?
It’s been a long time since I’ve read any Dormant Commerce Clause cases, but there is a chance that this law is illegal under the Commerce Clause.
Probably wouldn’t be held unconstitutional under the Dormant Commerce Clause. See Granholm v. Heald, 544 U.S. 460 (2005). Here is the test:
1. Must not discriminate against out-of-state actors or out-of-state competition, or have the effect of favoring in-state economic actors.
If the law is discriminatory, then the state must show it has no other (reasonable) means of advancing a legitimate local (important, non-economic state interest, such as health of safety) purpose.
2. Must not be unduly burdensome.
If the law only incidentally burdens interstate commerce, or if the law is nondiscriminatory, the court will balance whether the benefits of the state’s interest are outweighed by the burden on state commerce, by looking to the following: Are there less restrictive alternatives? Are there any conflicts with other states’ regulations?
You are the lawyer and I’m not. But my understanding is that the Constitution gives the feds the right to regulate and/or de-regulate interstate commerce. So just because a state has imposed some kind of regulation that impacts interstate commerce, it is not necessarily illegal. It is just subject to being eliminated by the feds if they desire.
I found a nice excerpt from James Madison where he claimed that the intent of the clause is to be a negative right. It gives the feds the right to undo onerous state regulation, and is not carte blanche to add a bunch of onerous federal regulations.
So let’s all tell the Whithouse.gov to get crack’in and undo this crappy regulation.
I believe the original intent of the Commerce Clause was to give the federal government the power to stop trade wars between states and discrimination by one state of the goods of other states, and to regulate imports in favor of domestic importers and producers.
To the best of my knowledge, nearly all of the main reasons for calling the Constitutional Convention had to do with commercial matters. A tariff on goods passing through Rhode Island, states not honoring debts of Americans to Britons, Northern States and Southern States negotiating in different directions with Spain over Spain allowing goods through New Orleans.
The commerce clause is extremely broad but, coincidentally, only when the government wants to stop you from selling something.
I buy a lot of stuff from SGAmmo.com
They didnt hike their prices immediately during the great ammo drought.
They have good prices and one of the few places that often has Federal HST 9mm and 9BPLE.
Great prices…and quick service.
Might as well stock up before the Next American Civil War, or The 2nd American Revolutionary War! The War for OUR very civil Liberties! “
I’ve been hearing that for quite some time.
I find it strange that someone who is willing to start a civil war and die isn’t willing to move out of California and avoid the offending issue altogether.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t blame people for living there, even as gun-folks. But I do think this “second civil war” nonsense is getting old. If there were as many people willing to fight such a thing as there are posting on gun blogs we’d wouldn’t have to fight at all because the numbers would be on our side.
My wife and I bought a travel trailer last year and made a nice trip down the Oregon coast – stopping at Brookings, OR (furthest point south on Oregon coast line). There are some nice redwood groves just a bit further on in California, but didn’t feel like crossing into a foreign country with my AR and a Springfield XD in the truck.
Now, even if national reciprocity were to pass, I assume that California could still make the no-import law stick, since even with reciprocity, gun owners are still bound by other state laws. I’ll be fvcked if I travel to that political hell-hole. I’ll spend my travel dollars out in Utah instead.
I agree with Specialist38, SGammo is my favorite place to buy ammo. Quick shipping and great prices, they supplied me with thousands upon thousands of rounds behind enemy lines in California. Lucky for me, I just moved out of state so I can continue to give them my business.
P.S. This law was passed in the name of making it harder for criminals to obtain ammunition… not mentioned, but at least equally desirable for the lawmakers, is the fact that these increasingly restrictive and costly laws will over time further reduce the population of law-abiding gun owners in California. Exactly what they want…
My favorite was Freedom Munitions. I got my last order a couple of weeks ago, and have asked them to drop me from their e-mail list, since I won’t be able to shop there any longer. Sad indeed. I need to invest in a single stage press to reload .45 Colt and .38/.357. I won’t bother with 9 mm; I have enough to last for a few years, and it is cheap.
How much extra will it cost to just order ammo over the net to your local FFL and pick it up from them?
What is the fee for the background check and what are gun shops charging to accept an internet order in California?
The cynic in me says that whatever fee is charged just went up. Supply and demand – now they have a captive market for internet sales…
Not to mention adding your name to a new ljst they can review.
” so why did you buy 1000 rounds?”
Welcome to NY, where this has been the norm since the SAFE Act.
…ah yes – the shining socialistic cesspool known as Kalifornia. I’m counting the days until my tail lights are all it sees of me.
I’ve stocked ammo to last until then.
Yeah me too, the stocking up part. I’ve been buying a few hundred rounds here and there during the last couple of months, definitely have enough to weather the storm until we know what’s going to happen and the fees involved.
…roger that.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, Chris.
Dave
By restricting the availability they have increased the price, and made ammo more attractive to thieves. Gone are the days of securing guns in the safe and ammo on shelves. Now thieves will target gun owners for their accessible ammo, even if they know the household’s safe is effectively unbreachable.
Don’t worry you’ll still be able to mail order your sex toys and have them delivered delivered directly to your home. Homosexuals you’ll be okay. The sexual liberated you’ll be okay don’t worry you’ll be able to get what satisfies you the most.
But the Civil Right to Arms and the ammunition for them is certainly not something that the majority of people in the state of California are really concerned about.
The last gun store in San Francisco was forced to close in its place a marijuana dispensary was opened that offers “free” marijuana to people. That is also something that is seems to be more important than individual Firearms ownership.