A Chance for Better Gun Safety

The state Assembly has before it an opportunity to save lives, and should act to do so. The proposed California Handgun Safety Standard Act, AB 488, up for a vote as early as today, would require that all handguns made and sold in the state conform to the basic safety standards that the federal government imposes on imported guns.

This requirement is nothing more than common sense. Southern California is home to the makers of 80% of the nation’s cheap handguns. These weapons, often bought for home protection, frequently end up being stolen and used by criminals in stickups.

Many of the hundreds of thousands of small, easily concealable weapons turned out by local manufacturers have no trigger locks, which means they can discharge unexpectedly. Many are made of cheap metals and sometimes explode when fired. Furthermore, few have a feature to indicate whether the gun is loaded.

Federal law regulates importation of foreign-made handguns according to a point system, with points awarded for individual safety features. A minimum point total is required for importation, but manufacturers can choose which safety features to include from a list of options. AB 488 would establish a similar system for handguns manufactured or sold in California, awarding points to gun makers who incorporate features such as trigger locks, stronger alloys and so-called target grips, which include a device that must be pressed before the weapon can be fired.

This bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Louis Caldera (D-Los Angeles), would not take anyone’s gun away--and that’s why some lawmakers who traditionally oppose gun control might support it. What AB 488 would do is ensure that handguns made or sold here would be less likely to kill or maim accidentally. According to the federal General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress, nearly one-third of all unintended shootings could be prevented if handguns had key safety features. Members of the Assembly should look past politics to the human tragedies that might be forestalled by the coming vote.