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As I write this I am not happy with Cabelas or Bass Pro Shops - I think they have gone extreme corporate and it is no longer in my best interest to do business with them. Others may have different opinions and everyone is in a different situation and the calculus for the amount of BS one is willing to tolerate varies widely.
To start, I am a California resident (for now) and I have a 03 FFL and a CA COE. I stopped at the Boomtown Cabelas on my way back from Reno last Saturday. My plan was to provide a copy of my renewed 03 FFL for their file and browse to see if there were any C&R firearms I wanted to add to my collection. Two years ago I purchased three handguns from them using by C&R license and took them home without any issues. Things have changed.
The first person I spoke with told me California law no longer allows them to do this. He said the law changed this year. I know and you know this is not correct. I asked him to show me his source for this and he was unable. I wound up talking to a more experienced employee in the gun library (I have his card, but I am not going to include his name here) and he told me in essence that CA DOJ twisted Bass Pro/Cabelas figurative arm and they will only sell cartrige firing firearms to CA residents, irrespective of licensing, by shipping to a CA 01 FFL. Fine, it is not the law, but it is their policy and they are entitled to implement whatever policy makes the best sense to their business.
Needless to say, I am somewhat disappointed in Cabelas kowtowing to CA DOJ - they are not bound by CA law, and under CA and Federal law what I proposed was lawful now and when I did it two years ago.
What they did tell me, that offered a little hope, is that Cabelas will ship from any Cabelas gun library to the Rocklin Bass Pro, without shipping charges and Rocklin Bass Pro does not charge either shipping or a FFL transfer fee on the transaction, and for a C&R with proper documentation one can take the gun the same day. DROS and sales tax must still be paid. So far so good - I thought that would work.
Today I called the Rocklin Bass Pro and spoke with Mark who told me he is the firearms buyer. He agreed that they waive the FFL transfer fee and for an 03 FFL with a COE they do not require the 10 day wait for a C&R, but they charge shipping and per Bass Pro Policy they charge $5 for a lock - no safe affadavit accepted (I was considering the purchase of a C&R long gun). He also alluded to the paperwork taking 45 minutes or more! I said that sounds somewhat inefficient based on my experience in many shops completing the paper work in 15 minutes or so (Sac Gun Club for one). Mark told me the extra time is taken up by extra corporate paperwork.
I doubt I will buy anything from Bass Pro or Cabelas - they are entitled to their policy, but for now I am not interested in supporting their acquiescence with the CA DOJ arm twisting. They are not Dick's, but I think they are headed in that direction.
I commend Mark and the gentleman at Cabelas Boomtown for taking the time to discuss this, and I am sorry we disagree.
To start, I am a California resident (for now) and I have a 03 FFL and a CA COE. I stopped at the Boomtown Cabelas on my way back from Reno last Saturday. My plan was to provide a copy of my renewed 03 FFL for their file and browse to see if there were any C&R firearms I wanted to add to my collection. Two years ago I purchased three handguns from them using by C&R license and took them home without any issues. Things have changed.
The first person I spoke with told me California law no longer allows them to do this. He said the law changed this year. I know and you know this is not correct. I asked him to show me his source for this and he was unable. I wound up talking to a more experienced employee in the gun library (I have his card, but I am not going to include his name here) and he told me in essence that CA DOJ twisted Bass Pro/Cabelas figurative arm and they will only sell cartrige firing firearms to CA residents, irrespective of licensing, by shipping to a CA 01 FFL. Fine, it is not the law, but it is their policy and they are entitled to implement whatever policy makes the best sense to their business.
Needless to say, I am somewhat disappointed in Cabelas kowtowing to CA DOJ - they are not bound by CA law, and under CA and Federal law what I proposed was lawful now and when I did it two years ago.
What they did tell me, that offered a little hope, is that Cabelas will ship from any Cabelas gun library to the Rocklin Bass Pro, without shipping charges and Rocklin Bass Pro does not charge either shipping or a FFL transfer fee on the transaction, and for a C&R with proper documentation one can take the gun the same day. DROS and sales tax must still be paid. So far so good - I thought that would work.
Today I called the Rocklin Bass Pro and spoke with Mark who told me he is the firearms buyer. He agreed that they waive the FFL transfer fee and for an 03 FFL with a COE they do not require the 10 day wait for a C&R, but they charge shipping and per Bass Pro Policy they charge $5 for a lock - no safe affadavit accepted (I was considering the purchase of a C&R long gun). He also alluded to the paperwork taking 45 minutes or more! I said that sounds somewhat inefficient based on my experience in many shops completing the paper work in 15 minutes or so (Sac Gun Club for one). Mark told me the extra time is taken up by extra corporate paperwork.
I doubt I will buy anything from Bass Pro or Cabelas - they are entitled to their policy, but for now I am not interested in supporting their acquiescence with the CA DOJ arm twisting. They are not Dick's, but I think they are headed in that direction.
I commend Mark and the gentleman at Cabelas Boomtown for taking the time to discuss this, and I am sorry we disagree.
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