Weekly Wrap: Sig Acquires General Robotics & Judge Strikes Down CA Roster

Welcome to a weekly series here on Pew Pew Tactical dedicated to the gun news you need to know.

So, keep reading for this week’s notable news headlines…

Sig Sauer Acquires General Robotics

Sig Sauer steps into the world of robotics, acquiring Israeli defense firm General Robotics.

General Robotics was founded in 2009 and specializes in manufacturing remote weapon stations and tactical robotics for manned and unmanned platforms.

The New Hampshire-based firearms company announced the acquisition last week, saying the new addition will further the company’s growth.

“This acquisition will greatly enhance SIG SAUER’s growing portfolio of advanced weapon systems,” Ron Cohen, President and CEO of Sig, said in a statement.  

“The team at General Robotics is leading the way in the development of intuitive, lightweight remote weapon stations with their battle-proven solution.”

Sig has dipped heavily into the defense sector after the M17 – based on the P320 design – replaced the M9 as the U.S. Army’s sidearm and, most recently, the company’s XM250 and XM7 were selected for the Next Generation Squad Weapons.

Sig Sauer M17

$649

at Kygunco

Prices accurate at time of writing

$649 at Kygunco

GrabAGun (see price)

“The combination of the General Robotics remote weapons station with SIG SAUER’s lightweight squad weapons and high-pressure hybrid ammunition will revolutionize small arms for military forces worldwide.”

“This acquisition exponentially increases the capabilities of our lightweight weapon systems delivering transformative advancements in mobility, greater lethality and battle-tested force protection for today’s warfighters,” Cohen said.

Judge Strikes Down CA Roster Requirements

This week, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction for California’s handgun roster requirements, effectively stating that the state can’t prevent its residents from buying modern handguns.

U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney granted the injunction that prevents the sale of certain firearms within the Golden State.

Under the Unsafe Handgun Act passed in 2001, semi-auto handguns on California’s approved roster must sport a loaded chamber indicator, magazine disconnect safety, and microstamping; however, there are currently no guns in production with microstamping features.

This means no newer semi-auto handguns, like the Sig P365 or Gen 5 Glocks, have been sold to residents in the state for almost a decade -- though there are exemptions for law enforcement.

In his decision in Boland v. Bonta, Carney pointed out the unavailability of microstamping and that most modern firearms don’t have both a chamber indicator and magazine disconnect mechanism.

"The microstamping provision requires handguns to have a particular feature that is simply not commercially available or even feasible to implement on a mass scale," Carney said.

Calling the requirements unconstitutional, he summed up his decision by saying that Californians deserve the right to own modern firearms.

"Californians have the constitutional right to acquire and use state-of-the-art handguns to protect themselves. They should not be forced to settle for decade-old models of handguns to ensure that they remain safe inside or outside the home.”

The state has two weeks to decide whether to amend the restrictions or file an appeal.

California Attorney General Bonta said this wouldn’t be the end of the fight, and the state is prepared to “defend California’s gun safety laws.”

"We will continue to lead efforts to advance and defend California’s gun safety laws," Bonta said.

"As we move forward to determine next steps in this case, Californians should know that this injunction has not gone into effect and that California’s important gun safety requirements related to the Unsafe Handgun Act remain in effect."

MI Senate Passes Flurry of Gun Bills

Michigan’s State Senate approved 11 gun bills last week that would mandate everything from red flag laws to mandatory storage and private transfers.

Senate Bills 76-86 were passed through the legislature largely due to a narrow Democratic majority in the state Senate.

Senate Bills 76, 77, and 78 buckle down on private transfers by expanding Michigan’s permit-to-purchase and registration system to now include rifles and shotguns in addition to handguns. This would effectively criminalize private transfers of any firearms in the state.

Mandatory storage was the focus of bills 79, 80, 81, and 82, which would require storing of all firearms. Under the bills, gun owners would be required to keep all stored or unattended firearms unloaded and in a locked box or container if a minor might be present on the property.

If firearms were found to be improperly stored, an individual could face up to 15 years in prison and $7,500 in fines.

Finally, Senate Bills 83, 84, and 85 look to establish red flag laws allowing law enforcement to seize guns without a hearing.

Those in favor of the bills pointed to recent mass shootings as the fuel that spurred legislation.

“After years of things just getting worse, we are finally taking action to begin the process of making our state safer. Making our kids, our families, all the people of Michigan safer today,” Democratic state Sen. Rosemary Bayer told the Associated Press.

But opponents say these measures aren’t going to stop criminals.

"Just because something is good for publicity, doesn’t mean it’s good policy," Republican Sen. Jim Runestad said.

"In the Democrats’ effort to capitalize on public tragedy in order to ‘do something,’ they have pushed to enshrine the manifesto of far-left anti-gun radicals into Michigan law. Their ‘something’ is an attack on the freedoms and liberties of law-abiding citizens."

The bills head to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has previously approved similar gun bills.

What do you think of the headlines above? Let us know in the comments. Also, catch up on other Weekly Wraps or news in our News Category.