Newbie Roster Question?

[bassjam99]

Hi, I'm Gary and I'm VERY new to gun ownership. I've been doing my homework trying to narrow down my choices for my first gun. I decided to get a 9mm and then spent tons of time getting excited about guns I just found out I cannot own in California! I wanted to have a Walther PPQ or HK VP9 as options but nope! I've done some searching around and I've not found out what are the consequences of having a gun not on the roster. Does that mean at the range I'll get cited? Does it mean if I shoot a burglar in my home with a gun not on the roster I'll be arrested just for that? Those are the only places I'd have the gun. I'm still exploring what I want to shoot so I can settle on what I'd like to purchase. I've narrowed my guns to try to a G19, Sig SP2022 and Springfield XD9. If there is a thread that has covered roster consequences this please forgive me and nudge me in the right direction. I'm getting a headache trying to figure out what I can or cannot have. I look forward to learning about firearms here in the forum and be as a sponge and soak things up. A friend from a watch forum I frequent turned me on the Forum and I've already learned a lot. Thank you in advance for your input.

[Kada85]

Off roster handguns are not illegal to own or use, you just cannot buy them new from a gun store to my knowledge. No you won't get cited for having one at the range and if you had to use it in a HD situation, I doubt you would face any repercussions for it being off roster(that would be the least of my worries). You can legally purchase the pistols you mentioned through a private party sale but be prepared to pay a premium for them. I recommend going to a range that charges a flat fee for handgun rentals and seeing what gun you prefer(not sure if any ranges have off roster stuff in your area).

[claylakers]

Off roster handguns are not illegal to own or use, you just cannot buy them new from a gun store to my knowledge. No you won't get cited for having one at the range and if you had to use it in a HD situation, I doubt you would face any repercussions for it being off roster(that would be the least of my worries). You can legally purchase the pistols you mentioned through a private party sale but be prepared to pay a premium for them. I recommend going to a range that charges a flat fee for handgun rentals and seeing what gun you prefer(not sure if any ranges have off roster stuff in your area).

^This....off roster does not mean unattainable or illegal to posses, it just means you can't run down to Turners and pick one up new. Check out the "Private Firearms Sales - Handguns" section...you'll see VP9s, PPQs, Mark 23s, etc that you can easily pick up if your wallet can take the hit. Good luck

[bassjam99]

^This....off roster does not mean unattainable or illegal to posses, it just means you can't run down to Turners and pick one up new. Check out the "Private Firearms Sales - Handguns" section...you'll see VP9s, PPQs, Mark 23s, etc that you can easily pick up if your wallet can take the hit. Good luck

Thank you very much gentleman for chiming in. I do now have a better understanding.

[Lumpia is sarap!®]

My suggestion, take a local handgun course. Not only you get to shoot, but all your questions will be answered. Go to a rental range and that's the best way to decide. Welcome!

[Eljay]

If you post your general location people might have suggestions on good places to rent, good stores, classes, etc.

[paultakeda]

If you are in the LA area the widest rental selection of pistols would probably be the LA Gun Club in downtown.

[559BearDown]

I'd say you've narrowed down to 3 very good options.

[Litespeeds]

The biggest thing is your magazines must only hold a maximum of 10 rounds. Anything more will be deemed illegal in CA. All handguns are legal to have in CA as long as the barrel is not threaded. All handguns that are not on the CA Roster can be purchased through Private Party Transfers (PPT).

The one gun that you should add to your list to try is the CZ 75 SP-01. You will thank me later.

[buicknutt]

I wouldn't worry about buying off roster guns as you are going to be paying a huge premium markup from what they cost new at retail. Off roster guns are more geared towards collectors. But if cost is no worry to you, the vp9 gets my vote.

[nikki#2]

A friend from a watch forum I frequent... I'm VERY new to gun ownership... first gun... 9mm... G19.

You're on the right track... Definitely hold and shoot a G19 / G17 side by side... pay particular attention to how your fingers fit the finger grooves + how your hand fits the grip.
I find the G17's grip fits my hand better... obviously YMMV. Seeing that you have no illusions about concealed carry, the G19 offers no advantage.

Glock is the Seiko of handguns... You know what I mean, and it's a safe, solid choice. And for a 1st handgun, it could well be your best choice.
There are a million after-market parts to "make it your own", it's simple enough for you to work on yourself (there are only 34 parts!), and there are a million youtube vids
showing you exactly how to do it. It was my first handgun... and to me, customizing it was half the fun (though everyone here will advise you to keep it stock).
Think of the Gen4 as a Seiko JDM. It requires more effort to acquire and it's more expensive... And it's still just a Seiko. Only you can determine if it's worth the Delta.
To many the answer is "No"... same with the Seiko JDM's... Often ignorance is bliss.

I bet you own more than one watch... I bet you will own more than one handgun. Good Luck!

[bassjam99]

You're on the right track... Definitely hold and shoot a G19 / G17 side by side... pay particular attention to how your fingers fit the finger grooves + how your hand fits the grip.
I find the G17's grip fits my hand better... obviously YMMV. Seeing that you have no illusions about concealed carry, the G19 offers no advantage.

Glock is the Seiko of handguns... You know what I mean, and it's a safe, solid choice. And for a 1st handgun, it could well be your best choice.
There are a million after-market parts to "make it your own", it's simple enough for you to work on yourself (there are only 34 parts!), and there are a million youtube vids
showing you exactly how to do it. It was my first handgun... and to me, customizing it was half the fun (though everyone here will advise you to keep it stock).
Think of the Gen4 as a Seiko JDM. It requires more effort to acquire and it's more expensive... And it's still just a Seiko. Only you can determine if it's worth the Delta.
To many the answer is "No"... same with the Seiko JDM's... Often ignorance is bliss.

I bet you own more than one watch... I bet you will own more than one handgun. Good Luck!

Don't get me going on watches my friend! Thank you for the valued input.

[bassjam99]

If you post your general location people might have suggestions on good places to rent, good stores, classes, etc.

I live in Ladera Heights, which is sandwiched between Westchester and Culver City. The closest range to me would be the LAX Range and I'm not sure of the variety of guns they would have for rental. I would love some good local store, classes suggestions. I did briefly stop by Turners in Torrance where I work to window shop...

[Eljay]

I live in Ladera Heights, which is sandwiched between Westchester and Culver City. The closest range to me would be the LAX Range and I'm not sure of the variety of guns they would have for rental.

I'm from up north so I can't help you. Anybody have any suggestions the OP's area?

[bassjam99]

If you are in the LA area the widest rental selection of pistols would probably be the LA Gun Club in downtown.

Cool! Thanks for the suggestion. Going downtown is only a 20 min drive from my house.