IMI Baby Desert Eagle Replacement

[Kramskry]

I'm currently serving in the US Air Force up in North Dakota, but will be separating soon and moving back to my beloved state of California. I'm selling my Century Arms C93 because I can't take it back with me and am going to be buying the wife a handgun with the funds.

We went to a few local gun shops and the one she really fell in love with was a 9mm Baby Desert Eagle, but low and behold CA doesn't have them on the approved handgun list. So my question is, what other handguns would be of similar weight, style etc to this that we can try out that is also legal in CA? I'm asking this because it's kind of difficult to go to the gun store, try out all these guns and then wonder which of them we can actually take back.

Thanks for the help!

[DrewTheBrave]

Welcome to the maelstrom of California gun laws. Be sure to read the CA Roster sticky thread:

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=81127

The Baby Eagle is legal to own here, just not legally purchasable from a Federal Firearms Licensed dealer.

If you purchase a handgun as a resident of another state, you are legally allowed to bring it with you when you move to CA provided it is not considered an assault weapon. You're then given (I believe) 60 days to register any handguns you brought with you with the CA DOJ if you want to keep it, or you can sell the gun through a Private Party Transfer to another CA resident. The CA roster only dictates which handguns are legally "safe" to be sold by an FFL.

If you're set on the Baby Eagle, buy it in North Dakota, and then bring it with you when you move. Just be sure to disassemble the high-capacity magazines or have them permanently blocked to 10-rounds before you do. There's another sticky thread about magazines:

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=387409

FYI: The Baby Eagle is a copy of the CZ 75 design, which is on the CA roster, if that makes any difference to you.

[rromeo]

You can take the C93 back if you install a magazine lock.

[proclone1]

buy buy buy!!! (and modify the C93 and keep it!)

[Kramskry]

Oh. My. God. You have made my wife and I so happy about this! I spent hours online searching for these answers, I guess I should have just come here first. Thank you so much for the information.

I can't keep the C93, the funds I'm getting from selling that are going to buy the wife a handgun :P

One question tho; do I need to keep certain documents with me to show that I bought it in North Dakota? The only reason I ask is when you buy a gun here all you get is a receipt for your payment, nothing showing that you bought the gun here or anything.

[GunSafari]

there is no penalty for not registering the handgun once it is brought into california. i've got an imi jericho in 9mm myself, awesome gun

[railroader]

Kramskry, if you go to buy replacement 10 round mags magnum research has two different style of 9mm pistols.` Older baby eagle pistols are cz clones and the newer ones use walther p99 mags.

[Icypu]

Kramskry, if you go to buy replacement 10 round mags magnum research has two different style of 9mm pistols.` Older baby eagle pistols are cz clones and the newer ones use walther p99 mags.

The Baby Eagle II's are made by IMI and are clones of the Jericho 941 with a tactical rail. They are available in steel or polymer frame. The Baby Desert Eagle are Walther P99 clones with a polymer frame.

And I agree, the Baby Eagles are completely California legal. I have one in .40 and it is awesome.

[GunSafari]

how much lighter are the new polymer ones, i've yet to see or handle one? I've got the original steel heavy frame