Need a little help...

[Guest]

Hello,
Just new to this forum, looks great. I'm looking to purchase a S&W 357 for my collection, probably a older model. Can some one give me the Department of Justice website that shows what hand guns are legal to import into California. There is a collector on the S&W forum that had a bad experience with the DOJ, I do not want to duplicate. Thanks,
Sean

http://smith-wessonforum.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/530103904/m/141109617

[bwiese]

JpCherokee..

I am assuming you are a California resident.

It is difficult to buy "off-list" handguns in CA except from existing owners in CA or that have moved into CA. You can't order them via your FFL dealer.

The bozo referred to in the S&W forum just barreled on ahead, didn't do his homework, and ignored key details.

You can't import handguns from outside the state that aren't on the 'approved gun' list in California. This would include older S&W models - 65, 66, and early versions of 586 and 686. Sub-version numbers are important: a 625-10 could be importable while a slightly older 625-4 would not be.

Essentially the only exception to these rules involves private party transfers ("PPTs") from another person already residing in California. The only way you could get the gun is via a face-to-face private-party transfer (mediated by an FFL dealer plus a 10 day wait). The person selling you the gun would have to be CA resident.

One other exception: if person is a non-CA resident (and nothing funky like dual residency, etc.) he could move into CA from another state with whatever guns he had (excluding assault weapons). He then has 60 days to register all handguns as a 'personal handgun importer'. Once a CA resident he can then sell any off-list guns he has to another CA resident via PPT method.

Bill Wiese
San Jose

[Guest]

I found the DOJ link for California handguns...

http://justice.hdcdojnet.state.ca.us/safeguns/safeguns_new.taf

[jnojr]

A California resident may receive "unsafe" handguns from a parent, grandparent, or adult child in another state. That transfer is exempt from the ten-day wait as well as the "drop test" list.

[bwiese]

jnojr wrote:
A California resident may receive "unsafe" handguns from a parent, grandparent, or adult child in another state. That transfer is exempt from the ten-day wait as well as the "drop test" list.

Curious, how is this possible?

Parent, grandparent, etc within California is one thing - and no FFL is needed, just HSC and fill out vol. reg form from DOJ website.

FFLs only wanna transfer 'on the list' guns to you (unless it's a face-to-face PPT). Does the dealer computer have some kind of override, or does FFL call a special # at Cal DOJ Firearms for special approval?

And you _DO_ have to use an FFL, since it's illegal on a Federal basis to do interstate transfers without an FFL as intermediary - no matter what CA says.


Bill Wiese
San Jose

Bill Wiese
San Jose

[JAFGO]

I'm looking to purchase a S&W 357 for my collection, probably a older model.

In that case, don't forget that C&R qualifying handguns like the "pre-today's date-1955" pre-models 27 and 28 are perfectly legal to buy and import into California. If you check gunbroker, gunsamerica, etc., they are not too difficult to locate.