The Future of Gun Control

If you can't control the guns, go after the ammunition. That's what the Arizona legislature is trying to do with HB 2833. Here's just a portion of this draconian proposal:

A. Beginning January 1, 2009, a manufacturer shall code all handgun and ASSAULT weapon AMMUNITION that is manufactured or sold in this state. This section applies to all calibers.

B. Beginning january 1, 2011, a private citizen or a retail vendor shall dispose of all noncoded AMMUNITION that is owned or held by the citizen or vendor.

C. The department shall establish and maintain an ammunition coding system database containing a manufacturer registry and a vendor registry.

D. A manufacturer shall:


1. Register with the department in a manner prescribed by the department by rule.

2. Maintain records on the business premises for at least seven years concerning all sales, loans and transfers of ammunition to, from or within this state.

3. Encode ammunition provided for retail sale for regulated firearms in a manner that the director establishes so that:


(a) The base of the bullet and the inside of the cartridge casing of each round in a box of ammunition are coded with the same serial number.

(b) Each serial number is engraved in such a manner that it is highly likely to permit identification after ammunition discharge and bullet impact.

(c) The outside of each box of ammunition is labeled with the name of the manufacturer and the same serial number used on the cartridge casings and bases of bullets contained in the box.

4. Pay the tax levied by subsection I of this section.

In addition, a one-half cent tax will be levied on each bullet or round of ammunition sold in Arizona, and manufacturers, vendors, and private citizens all face stiff penalties for failing to comply. Illinois has a similar bill in the works.