Second Amendment supporters in Connecticut shook their heads at the end of the year as they took their spot in a long line to register their semi-automatic weapons and high capacity magazines.
A controversial state gun control law goes into effect today, requiring all residents to register any firearm that the state now considers an “assault weapon.” That is problematic enough for Second Amendment supporters, but it gets worse: If the gun was not registered by the end of 2013 – yesterday – it’s too late. Anyone caught with an unregistered semi-automatic weapon from today forward has committed a felony.
“You can either surrender the weapon to us, destroy the weapon or sell it to a federal firearms licensee,” Michael Lawlor, the governor’s criminal policy liason, told NBCConnecticut.com. “After that date anything that hasn’t been declared or registered is banned and if you get caught you’re going to get arrested.”
The highly controversial Connecticut high capacity magazine and “assault weapons” law was penned near the end of 2012 after the Sandy Hook Elementary tragic school shooting. Local news station WFSB Channel 13 spoke with those waiting in line to register their firearms, few of whom felt the new gun control law would reduce violent crime or prevent another school shooting.
“I understand why they’re doing it, but I don’t think it’s constitutional,” said gun owner Scott Boccio, waiting in line at Middletown. “… Unless you change everything and make it [USA] England and take everything away, I don’t see how they’re going to stop it.”
Bombshell New Book Reveals… How To Survive The Coming Martial Law In America
Boccio’s statements were a lot kinder than the utterances by many gun owners also waiting in the massive line.
“If people are going to do things illegally, they’re not going to be here registering their gun,” said gun owner Jared Krajewski.
As one Off The Grid News reader recently noted, any item you hold in your hand and use to harm another person is technically an assault weapon, but Connecticut politicians have something a bit more specific in mind with the new gun law.
Connecticut is the fourth state to require citizens to garner a license before purchasing ammunition. New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Illinois are also implementing a similar law which many feel infringe upon Second Amendment rights.
The new law, known as the Gun Violence Prevention and Children’s Safety Act, was signed into law on April 4. Firearms banned in the law include the extremely popular AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, according to NBC Connecticut. The law also considers any magazine which can hold 10 or more rounds of bullets a high capacity magazine.
The Connecticut Citizens Defense League (CCDL) is part of a lawsuit seeking a reversal of the gun control law. Organization president Scott Wilson opposes the high capacity magazine and assault weapon ban, but has urged his fellow citizens to abide by the legislation until the matter is settled in court.
Wilson said:
There are going to be a lot of people on January 1st that will wake up and unknowingly be felons by the definition of the law. We want to make sure that people get this message loud and clear because we’re law-abiding gun owners and we don’t want to give the other side any ammunition to use against us.
How do you feel about the AR-15 and other “assault weapons” and high capacity magazines now illegal to own in Connecticut?
Sign up for Off The Grid News’ weekly email and stay informed about the issues important to you