Looking to buy first handgun - tokarevs illegal in CA?

[JWil]

So when I was around 14 I knew a family friend who had a tokarev, and remember it being pretty fun to shoot. Now, wanting to buy my first handgun, I went out and found some options. Unfortunately, it seems like they can't be ordered and shipped to an FFL? Any in - state options or should I just get a different pistol?

[wamphyri13]

Shop consignments and PPT are your only options. Depending on where you are, City Arms in Pacifica usually has one or two Tokarevs and Makarovs in their consignment case. Owners are Russian, so maybe that's why.

[BaronW]

C&R handguns are exempt from the roster, so you can order one online (e.g., https://www.classicfirearms.com/roma...okarev-pistol/ ) and get it shipped to a local FFL for transfer.

[Milsurp Collector]

Tokarevs are very interesting and cool, I have 6 of them, but finding ammo even after the current shortage is over won't be easy. For your first handgun I recommend something that uses more common ammo.

[Garv]

Make sure your FFL understands the process and will release on "Undetermined".

Make sure you know what the FFL will charge, the price can vary by a lot.

You can also post a Want To Buy (WTB) ad here, but be careful of scammers.
I suggest removing your personal email from being visible, that is where you will get a number of PMs telling you to call their friend, they have what you want or similar.
Go to "User CP", "your profile", "profile privacy", friends only.

[Quiet]

Looking to buy first handgun - tokarevs illegal in CA?

So when I was around 14 I knew a family friend who had a tokarev, and remember it being pretty fun to shoot. Now, wanting to buy my first handgun, I went out and found some options. Unfortunately, it seems like they can't be ordered and shipped to an FFL? Any in - state options or should I just get a different pistol?

Tokarev pistols are CA legal, but they are considered off-Roster.

Unless an exemption is utilized, a CA FFL dealer can only transfer handguns that are listed on the CA Roster of Handguns Certified for Sale.

C&R handguns are exempt from this.

Most Tokarev pistols are C&R, but some are not C&R.

Therefore, before you order one online, make sure that it is a C&R Tokarev pistol.

[naz]

OP. How about applying for FFL03 and Ca coe while you search

[SkyHawk]

I imported all of these Tokarevs into CA - they are all C&R and so they are legal to import.

Yugoslavian M57





Chinese Norinco Type 54






Romanian TTC

[TomReloaded]

Tokarevs are good 5th guns. Definitely not a great first.

Get something new and reliable for a first handgun. Tokarevs are awesome, but that's a range toy or a collector item.

[bruss01]

I agree, the Yugo M57 is a decent pistol, C& R and thus CA legal.

I own one and enjoy shooting it. The 7.62 TOK is a decent small caliber high velocity round.

That said, there's better bang/buck options out there. It has marginal sights and 8 round capacity. Sights are so bad I had a gunsmith mill dots into mine so I could see them.

You won't go wrong with a Springfield XD or CZ, if you can find one. If the M57 is all you can score, don't despair- they are good guns and 7.62 tok is a good round. I keep one for defense in certain specific situations which I won't go into here.

[JWil]

C&R handguns are exempt from the roster, so you can order one online (e.g., https://www.classicfirearms.com/roma...okarev-pistol/ ) and get it shipped to a local FFL for transfer.

That's actually the site I tried originally, but when I put it in my cart and went through the checkout process I got this message "Your cart contains hand guns that can't be shipped to you due to a C&R restriction in your state. If you feel that you have gotten this message in error, please call 704-774-1102 or email us at sales@classicfirearms.com.", and googling "CA C&R restriction" I got "In California, buyers may not purchase a curio or relic online, inside the state or across state lines that can be concealed, such as a pistol, unless purchased from a class-one licensed FFL dealer". So it seems like even with a C&R license I couldn't have it shipped to me, but I'm new to all this.

[JWil]

I agree, the Yugo M57 is a decent pistol, C& R and thus CA legal.

I own one and enjoy shooting it. The 7.62 TOK is a decent small caliber high velocity round.

That said, there's better bang/buck options out there. It has marginal sights and 8 round capacity. Sights are so bad I had a gunsmith mill dots into mine so I could see them.

You won't go wrong with a Springfield XD or CZ, if you can find one. If the M57 is all you can score, don't despair- they are good guns and 7.62 tok is a good round. I keep one for defense in certain specific situations which I won't go into here.

What's a decent shooting semi - auto hand gun within the same sort of 200 - 300 USD price range?

[JWil]

OP. How about applying for FFL03 and Ca coe while you search

I've got the paperwork and have it filled out, I just have to submit it and have it go to my local CLEO and what not.

[JWil]

Tokarev pistols are CA legal, but they are considered off-Roster.

Unless an exemption is utilized, a CA FFL dealer can only transfer handguns that are listed on the CA Roster of Handguns Certified for Sale.

C&R handguns are exempt from this.

Most Tokarev pistols are C&R, but some are not C&R.

Therefore, before you order one online, make sure that it is a C&R Tokarev pistol.

How would I go about achieving this this exemption?

[JWil]

Make sure your FFL understands the process and will release on "Undetermined".

Make sure you know what the FFL will charge, the price can vary by a lot.

You can also post a Want To Buy (WTB) ad here, but be careful of scammers.
I suggest removing your personal email from being visible, that is where you will get a number of PMs telling you to call their friend, they have what you want or similar.
Go to "User CP", "your profile", "profile privacy", friends only.

I'm no stranger to buy/sell forums, but I am a stranger to buying/selling guns. It seems like the bigger issue I'm having is just getting through the stinking check out system lol.