Gov. Mark Sanford signed legislation Monday that allows people who pass a background check to buy as many handguns as they want at one time.

The state Legislature instituted the "one-gun-a-month law" in 1975, hoping to stem the flow of guns to the Northeast. Studies at the time showed many of the guns used in violent crimes originated in South Carolina.

One such study found that in New York City, 10 percent of guns used in violent crimes came from the Palmetto State. Subsequent studies, however, have called the law's effectiveness into question and ultimately led state legislators to consider a repeal.

Charleston County Sheriff's Capt. Dana Valentine said sheriff's officials don't think the change will have much effect on street crimes in the Lowcountry.

"Typically," she said, "the guns that we frequently run into in a lot of situations turn out to be stolen, traded or illegally obtained."

"Criminals don't go to stores to buy guns," said Charleston police spokesman Charles Francis. "They get them off the street. The guy who wants to go into a store and buy a gun legally, he's not the problem."

The proposal sailed through the S.C. House of Representatives last year and recently passed the state Senate just as easily. It didn't wait long for Sanford's signature.

"The governor has always been a strong advocate for the right for citizens to bear arms," Sanford spokesman Will Folks said. "Anything that cuts into those rights, the governor would have a natural bias against."

While anti-gun groups oppose the change, most lawmakers saw the move as simply deleting an ineffective law.

"The law we had in place was not doing what it was supposed to do," said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence, a key supporter of the measure. "The criminals are the ones trafficking the guns, and they aren't going to stores to buy them. This was just infringing on the law-abiding citizens."

Jim Davison, an employee of Charleston's Carolina Rod & Gun Store applauded the move. He said the original law was a "boondoggle," since most guns that cross state lines are stolen.

"When these kinds of people want your gun, they break into your car," he said. "Criminals can't make it through the background check to get a gun."

Someone seeking to buy a handgun in South Carolina has to fill out a lengthy questionnaire and pass an FBI background check.

Davison said the new law would not change Carolina Rod & Gun's business all that much.

"You almost never get people wanting to buy more than one handgun at a time," Davison said.

The National Rifle Association was happy with the change.

"NRA is pleased that the people of South Carolina will no longer be subject to this unreasonable gun rationing law -- a law that has only affected honest gun owners and has never had any impact on crime," said Chris Cox, NRA chief lobbyist, on a bulletin posted on the official NRA Website.

"Gun rationing laws set a bad and unconstitutional precedent that government can limit the frequency with which a law-abiding citizen may exercise a constitutionally-protected right. If governments can limit law-abiding citizens to one gun a month, they can extend it to one gun a year, one-gun a lifetime, or no guns at all," Cox said.

He thanked lawmakers who led the fight to repeal the law, including Leatherman, state Reps. Jim Harrison, R-Columbia, and Bill Sandifer, R-Seneca, and Sens. Glen McConnell, R-Charleston and John Hawkins, R-Spartanburg.

Anti-gun groups see the law as an attempt to chip away at some of the success they've had over the years.

"When someone walks into a store and buys 15 handguns, there is very little doubt they plan to traffic those guns," said Eric Howard, spokesman for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "Why should society take that chance? The one-gun-a-month law was a common sense way to stem gun violence. Getting rid of it is a huge step backward."

Sandifer, the bill's chief sponsor, said the measure restores a constitutional right.

"There was simply no reason to limit people on this," he said. "If you pass the background check, that should be sufficient."

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