Might be moving to California...selling a gun question?

[Average Joe American]

So can someone explain the process when doing a face to face long gun sale in California? In Nevada its simple. Buyer shows ID that he is a resident and old enough...money is exchanged...buyer walks away with gun. Nothing else is needed in Nevada.

How about California?

[Mike's Custom]

In CA all firearms transfers (except for a few exempt ones) must be done through a FFL. Both parties MUST be CA residents with CA IDs.

[Average Joe American]

So say I have an inherited rifle from my grandfather who has since passed. He never registered the gun because he didnt have to back in the 40's. (or when ever it was he bought the gun?)

Its now in my safe and not registered to me obviously. Do I need to take it down and have it registered to me before I ever decide to sell it? Or can it sit unregistered until the day I sell it? If I ever sell it that is?

[2600fromAtari]

Joe, long guns aren't registered in CA unless it's an assault weapon. If you have your grandfather's automatic Colt AR for example (which I know isn't the case here since you're talking about the 40's, just throwing it out there in case you have other weapons in the safe), you can't bring it into the state. If it's a Garand, you should be fine.

[sirgiles]

http://www.ag.ca.gov/firearms/forms/pdf/ab991frm.pdf

[Mssr. Eleganté]

So say I have an inherited rifle from my grandfather who has since passed. He never registered the gun because he didnt have to back in the 40's. (or when ever it was he bought the gun?)

Its now in my safe and not registered to me obviously. Do I need to take it down and have it registered to me before I ever decide to sell it? Or can it sit unregistered until the day I sell it? If I ever sell it that is?

In California, firearms don't need to be registered to you before you can sell them. Long guns are not even registered here. And many handguns are not registered either, since they were acquired in way that, at the time, didn't require registration. There is no law here that says "all of your handguns need to be registered". But various laws have come into effect at different times over the past 90 years that required certain handgun transfers to be registered. Now all handgun transfers need to be registered.

[Mike's Custom]

Joe, long guns aren't registered in CA unless it's an assault weapon. If you have your grandfather's automatic Colt AR for example (which I know isn't the case here since you're talking about the 40's, just throwing it out there in case you have other weapons in the safe), you can't bring it into the state. If it's a Garand, you should be fine.

This is correct on longguns. In CA longguns are not registered, only a background check is done and the waiting period. Handguns are registered by Make, Model, Ser #, Cal., color and country of origin to you.

Inherited firearms do not need to go through a FFL but hand guns must be submitted with a form and $19 per hand gun if submitted seperatly or $19 for more then one if submitted all at the same time. When you move here you will have to do this for your hand guns but not longguns. No AWs are allowed but if you have a AW that is not specificlly banned then you can add a Bullet Button to it and bring it in.

[Average Joe American]

Ah good info guys. Thanks. The guns are mostly just old beater guns that arent worth a fortune anyways. (Mosin Nagant rifles, 22 rifles, mini 14, Marlin 30-30 and a cheap charter arms 38 snub nose revolver)

I was thinking of selling a few to help finance a quality gun like an M14 or AR15? I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there.