Gun Sales in California Dropped 6.6% in 1994, Ending 3-Year Rise

SACRAMENTO — Total gun purchases in California dropped 6.6% last year, led by a large decline in handgun sales, state Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren said Friday.

The attorney general said 599,672 firearms were bought last year, compared with a record 642,197 in 1993. Sales of handguns were down nearly 12%, from 433,822 to 382,085. Purchases of rifles and shotguns, however, were up 4.4%, from 208,375 to 217,587.

Lungren, a Republican, attributed the drop to renewed public confidence in law enforcement’s ability to do its job, a decline in the crime rate over the last two years, and legislative passage of tough anti-crime bills, including the “three strikes and you’re out” law that is sending more criminals to prison.

The latest numbers reversed a trend that began after the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

“The . . . riots of nearly three years ago caused many people to question the ability of law enforcement to protect the average citizen,” Lungren told a Capitol news conference.

“In the same period of time, gun sales surged. We have largely restored public faith in law enforcement since then, and I don’t think it is a coincidence that gun sales are finally dropping.”