Why It Matters: Legislation that restricts sportsmen and women from sharing in the enjoyment of our outdoor pastimes are a threat to the longevity of hunting, fishing, recreational shooting, and trapping. The basic ability to exchange ammunition between fellow hunters and recreational shooters must be protected, and CSF will continue to oppose this bill.
Highlights:
- IL House Bill 1057 would prohibit the sale and transfer of firearm ammunition if the transferer does not possess a Federal Firearm License.
- The bill would significantly restrict sportsmen and women from exchanging ammunition while hunting or recreational shooting.
- The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) opposes HB 1057, which seek to limit sportsmen and women’s ability to enjoy and share our time-honored traditions of outdoor recreation.
Recently, CSF submitted testimony on Illinois House Bill 1057, which would prohibit the sale and transfer of firearm ammunition if the transferer does not hold a Federal Firearms License (FFL). This would mean that sportsmen and women not possessing an FFL would be unable to exchange ammunition afield or at a shooting range without committing a felony. This bill seeks to further restrict responsible gun owners in the Prairie State, following last session’s eleventh-hour passage of House Bill 5471, which prohibited the sale, transfer, and possession of semi-automatic firearms and standard capacity magazines.
Based on the language of this proposed bill, friends spending a day at their favorite shooting range would be unable to exchange ammunition with one another. Doing so would mean committing a felony, if for example you wanted to simply try out a friend’s new gun unless you purchased the ammunition needed for that gun yourself. The implications of this legislation are apparent and significant: hunters and recreational shooters would be barred from enjoying and sharing their favorite pastimes with others.
Illinois, like every state in the nation, relies on its hunters and recreational shooters to provide the funding needed to manage the state’s natural resources through the American System of Conservation Funding. It is widely recognized that recreational target shooters, whom per-capita spend even more money on firearms and ammunition than hunters, are the financial keystone for the ASCF. According to an estimate by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, “80 percent of Pittman-Robertson excise tax contributions are generated by sales attributed to recreational shooting.” Recognizing this, CSF supports opportunities for sportsmen and women to be able to borrow firearms and ammunition as a way to try new opportunities while potentially encouraging future purchases that would support this ASCF.
CSF is working to oppose this bill and protect the ability of Illinois’ many sportsmen and women to participate in their favorite outdoor activities without unnecessary restrictions and barriers.
