Curious about DROS

[Seesm]

I searched but did not find any answer.... I am just curious when did they start (in California anyway) needing to do PPT and DROS on a used gun? I think in Nevada and some other states you do not need to do this still.... (In free states)

Just curious as years ago I got a rifle and sold it cuz my Mom did not want a gun in the house and I am curious when they made it law to do the selling through a dealer...

I am not talking super old as I have bought some 50+ year rifles FTF and such but I am talking newer (old) guns... For that matter let's say handguns and or rifles 49 yrs old or newer...?

I hope I am making sense.

Thanks

[Librarian]

1991 was when the law changed to require using a California-licensed FFL for almost all transfers.

DROS itself dates from 1924, but not all transfers had to go through dealers.

[Seesm]

Right... So 1991 you were required to do all transfers through them? For Long guns.... The Dros dates back further for just handguns? I have alot of stuff from my Grandpa he left for me when he passed on but I have bought stuff with the dros system and some over 50 year old guns.... Just curious of all the timelines...

[Vin496]

All gun transfers had to go through an FFL starting in 1991. The only exceptions are long rifles over 50 years old.

[CSACANNONEER]

DROS date back to 1924 for all guns that went through a dealer. That doesn't mean that there was a wait or background check. It just means that the dealer had to keep a record of sale (Dealer Record Of Sale). Also, it did not apply to any gun that was transfered without going through a dealer. In 1924 that would have included PPTs involving SBRs, MGs, handgranades and other DDs (I don't think the term was around yet), handguns, long guns, AOWs, etc.

[Seesm]

Right... OK so a long gun bought lets say in like 1971-91 (using only as a example) PPT would have not had to go through a dealer but a handgun would?

[leelaw]

PPT was still private pre-91

[Librarian]

Right... OK so a long gun bought lets say in like 1971-91 (using only as a example) PPT would have not had to go through a dealer but a handgun would?

No, no transactions (outside full auto, I suppose) needed to use a dealer before 1991. Anything before then may or may not have gone through a CA licensed dealer - either way was legal. Pre-91 dealer handgun transactions would have gone through DROS.

ETA - this is within-CA only; interstate transactions would generally have needed an FFL somewhere in the process, but I wasn't buying guns before 91, so I don't know how interstate sales worked, in detail, at that time.

[Saigon1965]

We use to call it horse trading - Here take mine - Oh let me get yours -

[Seesm]

Ahhhh.... got it.