"It is currently illegal in California for manufacturers to sell certain guns with detachable magazines, or the storage areas that allow for repeat firing. To get around the law, manufacturers have been selling guns with tools, or conversion kits, that allow one to reload in seconds. Yee's bill seeks to ban such devices, including "bullet buttons" and "mag magnets."
"Thousands of owners could be arrested for inadvertent violations," the website reads. "If you own an affected firearm, your only choices would be to destroy it, surrender it to a law enforcement agency, sell it out of state or have it confiscated at the time of your arrest!"
"IMPORTANT UPDATE: On August 7 SB 249 was amended to include, among other things, the following definition of a detachable magazine as it relates to assault weapons:
SB 249, as amended, Yee. Firearms: assault weapon conversion kits. Assault weapons.
Existing law defines a firearm as an assault weapon, in part, based upon whether it has a detachable magazine. This bill would define "detachable magazine" for this purpose to mean any ammunition feeding device that can be removed from the firearm without disassembly of the firearm action, and to include a magazine that may be detached from the firearm by depressing a button on the firearm either with the finger or by use of a tool or a bullet. The bill would declare that these amendments are declaratory of existing law, would direct the Attorney General to adopt regulations, and would make these amendments operative July 1, 2013.
Next week's Appropriations Committee hearing will focus on whether there is a substantial expenditure of state money or a substantial loss of revenue to the state if SB 249 is passed. SB 249 could shut down the sale of hundreds of thousands of semi-automatic firearms in California and result in the closure of firearms businesses, loss of jobs, and loss of tax revenue. This equates to a loss of millions to the state.
The author of SB 249 is attempting to make it illegal to sell and or possess commonly used semi-automatic firearms that, for example, have features such as a flash suppressor or a pistol grip that protrudes beneath the action. There are hundreds of thousands of California residents who legally own semi-automatic firearms equipped with bullet buttons who will be negatively impacted by SB 249. SB 249 does not allow for legal possession of firearms that have bullet buttons installed in compliance with current DOJ regulations."
Please explain to me how you interpret SB 249.
