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August 01, 2025

"Ammo Freedom: The Ninth Circuit Just Fired a Shot Heard 'Round California"

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Ryan here with Locked N Loaded, and this one's a biggie. If you've been following the creeping restrictions out of California, you know the ammo background check law has been a thorn in the side of law-abiding gun owners since day one. But this week, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals delivered some long-overdue justice: they struck it down.

Yep, California's voter-approved law requiring a background check every time you buy ammunition has officially been ruled unconstitutional.

Let's break it down.

California passed this measure under Proposition 63, claiming it would keep ammo out of the hands of dangerous individuals. But instead, it turned everyday, law-abiding citizens into suspects every time they picked up a box of .22 or a couple boxes of 9mm. You had to pay a buck each time for a background check - or $19 if the state's bloated system couldn't verify you quickly. The kicker? Nearly 90% of denied buyers weren't criminals - they were law-abiding gun owners flagged by a broken system.

The court had enough. In a 2-1 decision, they ruled that this ammo check regime violated the Second Amendment, plain and simple. The majority leaned heavily on the Supreme Court's 2022 Bruen decision, which demands that any modern gun regulation must be in line with the "historical tradition" of firearms laws in this country.

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Spoiler alert: there is no historical precedent for background checks on ammunition every time you buy it. Judge Sandra Ikuta said it best-without ammo, your right to bear arms means nothing. This law made purchasing bullets harder than buying the gun itself.

Now of course, California's political class is in a tailspin. Governor Newsom is crying foul, saying the people voted for this. That may be true-but the Constitution isn't up for a vote. Rights are rights. And the courts just reminded Sacramento of that.

Kim Rhode, a six-time Olympic shooting medalist and plaintiff in the case, said it best: "This is a big win for all gun owners in California." Chuck Michel of the California Rifle & Pistol Association called the ruling a major step forward-and he's not wrong. This isn't just about one law. It's about the precedent it sets. Other California gun control laws are already being challenged, and now, they've got a big legal arrow in the quiver.

Bottom line: This is a win. A win for the Constitution. A win for common sense. And a win for every American who believes that exercising your Second Amendment rights shouldn't come with a background check to buy the ammo that makes your firearm functional.

Stay locked, stay loaded,
-Ryan