I Don’t Think So, Arnold

As a movie star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, was famous for the line "I’ll be back." As a politician, I’m not so sure he will be. With an approval rating that had already plummeted to 27 percent, the Governator is scrambling to minimize the fallout from his decision to sign into effect an "ammunition-registration" law (AB 962).

Oddly enough, this is the same legislation he vetoed in 2004, when he called such regulations "simply unworkable" and of "no public benefit." I Don’t Think So, Arnold Now he claims his flip-flop on the issue was based on "public safety." I don’t how or why the public will be safer with yet another law for the law-abiding to abide by, but I do know the new law will help to fuel the black market in ammo among those who don’t abide by the law. (Isn’t it a little hard to imagine a criminal standing in line to be fingerprinted so he can buy ammunition from a licensed retailer?) Not surprisingly, the California Association of Firearms Retailers (CAFR) and the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) have been highly critical of the governor’s acquiescence to the gun-control lobby.

Using Schwarzenegger’s own statistics, NSSF has estimated that the new law would cost California $35.7 million annually in lost retail sales, $2.92 million annually in lost sales taxes, and $629,000 in increased operating costs for state agencies. These estimates follow on the heels of a recently released study done by the Governor’s own Office of Small Business Advocate that shows over-regulation of small businesses in California costs the state a whopping $492 billion annually.

That’s an average of $134,122 per California business, $13,801 per household, and $4,685 per resident each year. Small businesses comprise 98 percent of the state’s enterprises and provide 52 percent of the jobs. Each year, thousands of these businesses flee California’s burdensome and hostile regulatory environment for greener pastures elsewhere. And I’m guessing that most of them won’t "be back," either.

Changing of the Guard Speaking of someone else who won’t "be back," this is my last issue with American Gunsmith. It’s been my great pleasure to serve as your editor, and it will soon give me great pleasure to start sleeping later, spending more time in the shop, and generally running wild with all the money the Social Security Administration is going to be sending me every month. It also gives me great pleasure to introduce John Buol, a fine gentleman and the new editor of American Gunsmith.

John’s shooting career began in practical competition, earning Master classifications from USPSA and IDPA. In college, he majored in both gunsmithing and management computer systems. After slotting on the Army Reserve Shooting team, he switched to NATO and NRA/CMP events, earning Distinguished Rifleman and Pistol Shot badges and All Army wins. Until joining American Gunsmith as editor, he was on continuous active duty since 2003 as a small-arms instructor.

I know you’re going to appreciate the fresh and broadened perspective John brings to this publication. Editor Keith Lawrence Technical