Gun-shaped cell phone case (courtesy newswire.net)

Last week, California legislature passed AB 1798 last week. On Friday, Governor Brown signed it into law. Under the new law any object that would lead “a reasonable person to perceive that the device is a firearm” is now verboten. Given that the Golden State is home to some extremely “unreasonable” people, one wonders if a Pop Tart chewed into the shape of a gun would qualify. This is how the new law reads:

Firearms: imitation firearms: gun-shaped phone cases.

Existing federal law prohibits a person from manufacturing, entering into commerce, shipping, transporting, or receiving any toy, look-alike, or imitation firearm unless the firearm contains, or has affixed to it, a marking approved by the federal Secretary of Commerce.

Existing state law defines “imitation firearm” as any BB device, toy gun, replica of a firearm, or other device that is so substantially similar in coloration and overall appearance to an existing firearm as to lead a reasonable person to perceive that the device is a firearm.

Under existing law, a manufacturer, importer, or distributor of imitation firearms that, among other things, fails to comply with any applicable federal law or regulation governing the marking of a toy, look-alike, or imitation firearm, as defined by federal law or regulation, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

This bill would specify that the definition of imitation firearm described above includes, but is not limited to, a protective case for a cellular telephone that is so substantially similar in coloration and overall appearance to an existing firearm as to lead a reasonable person to perceive that the device is a firearm.

You may be glad to know [/sarc] that California has also instituted new standards when it comes to Airsoft guns and toy firearms.

(A) If the airsoft gun is configured as a handgun, in addition to the blaze orange ring on the barrel required by federal law, the airsoft gun has a trigger guard that has fluorescent coloration over the entire guard, and there is a two centimeter wide adhesive band around the circumference of the protruding pistol grip that has fluorescent coloration.

(B) If the airsoft gun is configured as a rifle or long gun, in addition to the blaze orange ring on the barrel required by federal law, the airsoft gun has a trigger guard that has fluorescent coloration over the entire guard, and there is a two centimeter wide adhesive band with fluorescent coloring around the circumference of any two of the following:

(i) The protruding pistol grip.
(ii) The buttstock.
(iii) A protruding ammunition magazine or clip.

Magazine or clip? An toy gun is OK if it’s . . .

A device where the entire exterior surface of the device is white, bright red, bright orange, bright yellow, bright green, bright blue, bright pink, or bright purple, either singly or as the predominant color in combination with other colors in any pattern, or where the entire device is constructed of transparent or translucent materials which permits unmistakable observation of the device’s complete contents.

What’s the bet someone could make a functioning firearm that looks just like that?

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48 COMMENTS

    • Pull your heads out boys. The law is not to protect the cell phone owner but the cop who shoots them.

      Seems fair to me. Like I’d a cop pulls you over and you take off running. You know how this ends.

  2. More Government run amok! It’s quite obvious that our government representatives, it’s agents, and functionaries…No longer fear the citizenry, and will do as they please…How much longer be we start calling it what it is..Authoritarianism..And if our government isn’t restructured, and our Bill of Rights re-enforced…This will only lead to Totalitarianism…Which means from “false arrests” to enforce encroachment upon civil liberties. To “force of arms” against those in the general public who will not surrender them…

  3. Regardless of law… No way in hell would I use one of those. Anything carried by me in the shape of a gun, is going to be a gun.

    • I fully agree with Bob here. Having something that looks like a gun but is not is just asking for trouble.

      • I agree. The sad thing is, is that these are probably carried by teenagers who think these are cool and don’t understand the consequences of pulling this out in front of the wrong person.

  4. Imagine this 20, 30, 50 years from now. “Phone cases” specifically in the legislation. I would be laughing reading this as a teenager 50 years from now.

  5. Or of course parents could be parents and simply not buy stupid shit for their kids. Adults could stop whining about the inanimate object when the police shoot some d-bag who pretended to have a gun. Aww, who am I kidding. Personal responsibility and accountability is as dead as chivalry.

  6. We could’ve let natural selection do its job, but nnnnope, gotta save the idiots from themselves…for the children.

  8. But if you had a shirt that made it look like you had a holstered firearm, would that be forbidden?

    • I resent that, over here we can have Airsoft guns without the orange tips and no permit required (yet).

      This level of stupidity is proprietary of the Popular Republic of Commiefornia.

  11. I mean, really, that’s not even a useful phone case. Let’s add a bulky, awkward shape and a bunch of extra weight to the phone for no reason! As far as I can tell, the only purpose of a phone case like that is to get the holder shot by a jumpy cop. Seems like this change to the law is superfluous, since the problem will naturally take care of itself in a Darwinian fashion in pretty short order.

    • I also imagine that anybody that would buy that to really use rather than as a gag is probably too stupid to live long and definitely shouldn’t be reproducing.

  14. Looking at this cell phone case I’m thinking “Darwin had a point”. Other than tricking someone into freaking out, or feeling threatened every time you answer your phone, what the hell is the point?

  15. It is more likely that someone one modify a toy gun to look real than a real gun to look like a toy. When the guy with toy shows up to rob the local convenience store the clerk is going to laugh at him. So unless the bad guy really wants to shoot someone it would be pointless to make your real Glock look like an airsoft Glock.

    • to feel any safer, I’d have to bury myself, and hope to be dug up by supper time. Yup, Big Brother will take care of me, and I’d have to bet my life on it!

  17. Hey, we’re california, we just loves the banning.

    It is a horrible thing, but that said, I really wish California would maybe try to NOT out Nanny every state and/or world government on the planet.

  18. Our legislators have never met a law with the word “gun” in it that they didn’t like.

    Except 2a. There’s that one.

  19. Don’t worry! “They’ll” be coming to your house real soon to pull out your teeth and remove your fingernails…THEY wouldn’t want you to hurt someone! Bwhahah!

    • Sorry, that’s illegal. if you can’t eat a pop-tart in a non-government approved manner, what chance does ANY aerosol propellant have of being approved?

    • “Going to spray paint the thread protector on my new pistol blaze orange…”

      Cerekote it blaze orange, far more durable.

      Here’s a free business idea for someone:

      Sell Cerakote blaze orange thread protectors…

  25. Granted, this is a stupid law about a stupid product. But even though the legislature there believes this is serious enough to deserve criminal punishment, I bet they still get outraged when some idiot gets shot while pointing one at people. Bonus outrage if they get shot by police.

  26. Don’t worry.
    You will have plenty of sex toys in California to make up for the loss of government banned items.
    BUT be careful you will be fined if you have sex without a condom in California.

  27. Being as the Taurus Curve looks a hell of a lot like a conventional smart phone from a distance, I’d say the phone manufacturers have a big problem in California.

  29. Being as the Taurus Curve looks a hell of a lot like a conventional smart phone from a distance, I’d say the phone manufacturers have a big problem in California. Ofcourse it may not be permitted to own a Curve in California.

  30. Was going to make a bright pink shotgun just to flip off Bloomberg.

    Now I’ll make one to do it to California too!

  33. The people must stand up as a militia and remove all goverment in commifornia !
    For thats the second adment is build

    • Unfortunately, the government has gotten so big that it doesn’t fear the US citizenry…These representatives, functionaries, agents, agencies, and organizations have entrenched themselves. They, with the help of the national news media, social justice warriors, and public school have socially engineered a good portion of the general US population not to care about The original intent of The US Constitutional-Bill of Rights. But, to except a new form of Communism under the Banner of Globalization/ One-World Global Governance / EU-NWO. Not to mention the numerous Secret Government “Black Ops” installations across the USA. Places who’s intentions are unknown to the US Citizenry. Unknown places that are “Governments onto themselves” and really answer to no one…As well, as these places are most likely sitting on top very advanced weaponry. We the people would have to rally like never before to effect change. Due to the lack of interest by the most of the US population. Government has become very large and run amok !

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