Springfield – Ammunition for handguns in Illinois could be required to have serial numbers under legislation being pushed by three Democratic Chicago area lawmakers.
“It’s another attempt in my opinion to harass gun owners,” stated Dan Cooley, owner of the Bullet Trap in Macon. “Ill-conceived and poorly thought out. It’s impossible.”
The measure pending in the House Judiciary Committee would make it a misdemeanor for selling or possessing ammunition without a serial number after January 1, 2019. Illinois State Police would be responsible for a centralized registry of all reports of handgun ammunition transactions. A tax would also be placed on ammunition purchases.
“What you develop, you develop the black market like you do for drugs,” Cooley said.
Macon County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Jon Butts says his agency does not need serialized ammunition to assist in their investigations.
A similar measure failed to make it out of committee in 2016.
(House Bill 0271 - Sponsor Rep. Sonya Harper, (D) Chicago)
