Some trying to comply with California’s latest gun control mandates were left scratching their heads after the state’s website bogged down approaching the deadline.
Required to register guns newly classified as “assault weapons” by June 30 due to a change in state law concerning bullet buttons and homemade firearms, many instead found themselves shut out of the online process. In acknowledging the problems with the California Firearms Application Reporting System, which requires users to submit a number of photographs of their firearm as well as their own personal information, officials simply said the system was “experiencing a high volume of users,” and recommended steps for gun owners to troubleshoot their own computer equipment. However, the problem may go deeper than the last minute surge in use.
Jay Jacobson, who has been trying to register some of his personal rifles since April, told a Bay Area CBS affiliate that he has had one of his builds rejected by DOJ at least three times.
“Everybody that’s doing this is doing so to comply, they have a willingness to follow the law. And yet they’re making it as difficult as possible,” said Jacobson.
Others, details the report, have been busy modifying guns to make them “featureless” and thus not considered an assault weapon under California law. As detailed by another report from ABC30, one Fresno area shop saw lots of demand for sub-caliber kits that convert their ARs to shoot .22LR.
Both Gun Owners of California and the California Rifle and Pistol Association issued alerts and reference guides on options available to those impacted by the registration with the latter holding a series of webinars on how to legally avoid the process by modifying builds and the legal ramifications of building a “ghost gun” in the state.
In reaction to the news that CFARS was rife with issues in the lead-up to Saturday’s deadline, both the Firearms Policy Coalition and CRPA warned those experiencing problems of their rights and are actively seeking information from those who found the process inaccessible.
“Given the serious problems currently facing CFARS, if you intend to register, it is recommended that you maintain detailed records of your registration attempts, including screenshots, pictures, or videos, indicating the date and time of your attempts,” noted the National Rifle Association’s state affiliate.
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