Olympic Gold Medalist Seeks Injunction Against California Ammunition Controls

The California Rifle and Pistol Association (CRPA) is seeking a preliminary injunction against California ammunition controls on behalf of Olympic gold medalist Kim Rhode.

Rhode, a multiple gold medal winner in trap and skeet shooting, has long been an outspoken critic of California’s incremental gun control slide, including the recent installment of background checks for ammunition purchases.

The CRPA filed the request for a preliminary injunction against the ammunition background checks, describing the new gun controls as a “scheme” which prevent state residents from acquiring the ammo they need to exercise Second Amendment rights.

The ammunition background checks limit law-abiding residents to purchasing ammunition from state-approved vendors only. Reaching such a state-approved vendor requires over 100 miles of travel for some rural California residents, and they have to pay a fee for their ammunition background check once they reach the vendor.

The burden is then compounded by the high fail rate for those who finally find a such a vendor and attempt to buy bullets for their firearms.

CRPA explains:

While making sure dangerous people do not obtain weapons is a laudable goal for government, California’s scheme goes too far and must be enjoined. California ammunition vendors have reported as high as 60% of people who undergo California’s background check do not pass. And California has placed the additional, absurd requirement that the very identification it issues is insufficient to undergo the background check, resulting in countless other eligible people being unable to exercise their rights.  These two phenomena alone are enough to justify a preliminary injunction to stop the irreparable harm to the public.

CRPA’s attorneys argue that because, “the balance of hardships tips sharply in Plaintiffs’ favor,” regarding efforts to overturn the ammunition controls, period, a preliminary injunction should be granted in the meantime. Thereby preventing law-abiding California gun owners from undergoing a continued burdens in the exercise of their Second Amendment rights.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.