By Randy Dotinga
FRESNO, Calif. (APBnews.com) -- Californians are on a gun buying binge.
In the first 19 days of December, they purchased more than twice as many long guns, including rifles and shotguns, as they did in the same period last year.
Some buyers were picking up Christmas presents, and some were stockpiling weapons because of fears of Y2K disruptions. But dealers say the biggest spur to sales is a gun law taking effect Jan. 1 that officials say will give California the strictest assault- weapons regulations in the country.
Sales are "building like a slow crescendo," said Bill Mayfield, who runs Gilman-Mayfield Firearms in Fresno.
Heavy sales of assault weapons
Buyers are especially eager to purchase assault weapons before their sale becomes illegal.
"They're buying more guns than they normally would instead of saying, 'Maybe I'll pick one up in another couple of years,'" Mayfield told APBnews.com.
Even Mayfield himself has bought a couple of guns that will be banned from sales when the new year begins.
In response to requests from reporters, the state has released statistics that show heavy sales over the past eight weeks. Sales of long guns have been up for this entire year, but the recent increase is especially large.
December sales jump
In November, the state reported 30,739 sales of long guns compared with 16,054 during the same month in 1998.
The figures almost certainly understate the number of long guns sold. Customers can purchase several shotguns or rifles at once, which counts as one sale in state statistics.
From Dec. 1 to Dec. 19 this year, the state reported 32,452 sales of long guns, compared with 14,116 last year. Sales of handguns also exploded, from 12,128 last year to 20,387 this year. From Dec. 20 to Dec. 26, sales of 9,369 long guns and 5,890 handguns were reported. Statistics for the same period last year were not available.
Janelle Beland, spokeswoman for the state attorney general's office, said sales have risen in the past when gun laws were strengthened.
Law takes aim at copycats
California has banned specific assault weapons for about a decade, but customers were able to buy similar "copycat" guns that were not specifically outlawed. The new law institutes a generic ban on assault weapons with specific characteristics, such as firepower.
Owners can keep most weapons purchased before Jan. 1.
One specific weapon, the SKS Sporter rifle with detachable magazine, becomes illegal to own as of Jan. 1. Local law enforcement agencies are accepting the guns and will give their owners vouchers worth $230 in return.
The new law also bans the manufacture and sale of large-capacity ammunition magazines that accept more than 10 rounds.
State information on rules
The state expects numerous questions about what kinds of guns are legal to buy. Web site (www.regagun.org) and a toll-free number (1-877-REG-AGUN) will be operational by Jan. 1.
At the Valley Gun Store in Bakersfield, sales are up, but owner Ken Quarnberg said customers appear to be getting into the Christmas spirit instead of specifically stocking up on assault weapons.
"I'm not ready to attribute it to Y2K or the impending legislation," Quarnberg said.
Many customers appear to be buying gifts, he said. While giving a gift of a gun to a friend requires extra paperwork, a present of a firearm to a relative is much easier to accomplish under the law, he said.
Gun owners feel harassed
Back in Fresno, the owner of Gilman-Mayfield Firearms said employees have been selling 15 to 20 firearms a day, three times the normal number.
Some customers have been getting ready for the possibility of chaos on New Year's Day, but their numbers are small, Mayfield said.
"Most of the Y2K people had planned pretty far ahead," he added.
Mayfield's customers are well-aware of the new state laws and aren't happy about them.
"I couldn't say what they are saying over the telephone without offending Ma Bell," he said. "They see no sense in it. It's pure harassment."
But the new assault weapons law has the support of Gov. Gray Davis and the state Legislature. When he signed the assault weapons bill at a San Francisco ceremony in July, Davis sawed an SK-47 in half. "Having been trained in the use of assault weapons during the Vietnam War, I know these weapons of war have their place on the battlefield, but they have no place on our streets," he said.
The new year will bring several other strict gun laws to California. All handguns will have to be sold with safety or trigger locks; sales at gun shows will get extra restrictions; and residents will be able to buy only one handgun a month to prevent them from acting as "straw purchasers" for weapons traffickers.
Randy Dotinga is an APBnews.com West Coast