California Gun Roster Update

Many have been asking for an update on CRPA’s challenge to the California Handgun Roster. The wheels of justice turn slowly, but our legal team just spent two full days in court arguing why the handgun roster is unconstitutional under the Bruen decision and should be abolished.

According to the Bruen court, gun laws do not have to impose complete destruction of an individual’s right to keep or bear arms to violate the second amendment. Conduct that falls far short of denial can violate it too.

The state is hoping to make this test more complicated than it needs to be by arguing that ONLY a total deprivation of rights would constitute overturning a law such as the California handgun roster. For instance, the state argues that just because a person can’t purchase the firearm they want but can purchase some inferior or older model, they are exercising their rights. But, we all know that this is not the point. The court’s focus should be not on what California is “allowing” people to buy on the roster but on all of the firearms they are taking away from lawful gun owners.

As CRPA President Chuck Michel stated, “This law was never truly about safety. It was about making it harder to buy a handgun for sport or to defend your family. That explains why police departments insist that their officers carry modern improved handguns deemed ‘unsafe’ by this law.”

CRPA expects a ruling in this case before summer and we will continue to fight for your right to lawfully own and possess firearms.