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Communist Mao Zedong once said that “political power grows out of the barrel of a gun,” and while Mao was certainly speaking to the compliance and submission you can rend from a person when they themselves are unarmed and…staring down the barrel of a gun, Democrats have reimagined Mao’s words, wielding political power from a gun barrel in a different way.

Per AWR Hawkins at Breitbart News, California Democrat Jesse Arreguín introduced a bill this session that would require gun barrels to be sold by licensed firearms dealers, also known as FFLs. Here is a portion of the text from SB 704:

Commencing on July 1, 2026, this bill would, except as specified, prohibit the sale or transfer of a firearm barrel, as defined, unless the transaction is completed in person by a licensed firearms dealer. The bill would require the licensed firearms dealer to conduct a background check of the purchaser or transferee and to record specified information pertaining to the transaction, including the date of the sale or transfer.

According to Hawkins, this language also creates a new misdemeanor, namely how these background checks (which are required for FFL transfers) are to be conducted.

As Hawkins identifies, the Democrats are taking their “‘ghost gun’ regulatory push to its logical conclusion” because this is exactly where we said “ghost gun” language would get us: tracking and regulating every component of a firearm.

For those of you who might not know, gun barrels are not serialized, so they are not regulated or restricted—a “gun” is only the serialized portion of the firearm. For example, for an AR-15, the “lower receiver” is serialized, so that is what’s regulated through FFLs. Other pieces, like the barrel, trigger, upper receiver, BCG, etc. are not serialized, and gun enthusiasts will typically swap out pieces, or make aftermarket upgrades. And, if Arreguín’s bill makes it to the governor’s desk, it will all be coming to an end.

Bought an AR-15 and you want to trade out the stock barrel for one with a nitride finish? There’ll be a transfer fee and waiting period for that. Now you’ve decided to go from an 18” barrel to a 22” barrel? Again, another transfer fee and waiting period.

Just wait until California infringes even more.

Want to switch out your curved trigger for a flat one? A fee and a mandatory waiting period. Fancying a tan stock instead of a black one? A fee and a mandatory waiting period. Prefer an ambi-charging handle? Again, a fee and a mandatory waiting period.

There will truly be no end.

Image from Grok.