Gun Located

[Rusled]

April 2019 recieve a call from the Bakersfield Police Dept informing me that a rifle i had reported stolen in 1981 has been located.
A person was trying to register it in northern Cali.
I live in Missouri, I give BKPD a big thumbs up in finding me .
Finally the gun is shipped to BKPD, I start the process with Calif DOJ, do everything asked of me. MY Daughter still resides in Bakersfield so I should say she did most everything.
I wont go into all the hassles of dealing with the DOJ, I am certain everyone here knows.
Saturday Nov 16 I finaly get a letter from Cal DOJ which informs me
"" The dept has NOT entered your firearm(s) into the Automated Firearm System ( AFS) because the system lacks the capability to except out-of-state adresses.. The agency may return the firearm(s) to you only if you present this letter to the agency within 30 days of the date of this letter. "
Of course they give me a phone number to call if I have any questions, this number I do not think leads to any person within the agency because myself and my daughter have called it numerous times without any luck for the past 3 months.
This was a rifle i had bought my wife for her birthday in "78", and since she passed on over 2 years ago my 3 children want that gun back .
Oh yes the letter was dated Nov 8, I recieved it on NOV 16. So I have 3 weeks not 30 days
The say " present to agency " ? is that the DOJ or the Bakersfield PD which have the rifle.
The rifle is a Sako Riiamakii in 222 remington. That being the case it will cost more for me to fly to pick it up.
My fear is , if the DOJ system doesnt except out of state addresses, how do I pick it up having an out of state address ?

[Romeo_alpha01]

How much is a flight?

[bohoki]

if the rifle is worth less than $500 is sounds like its more trouble than its worth

[sigstroker]

99% they will say no, but ask if they can ship to your local dealer if you pay for it?

[sofbak]

Maybe do an interstate intrafamily transfer? Send ID, DOJ letter, and gift letter to local LGS willing to help (paid help of course).

LGS takes possesion and transfers to daughter in Bakersfield.

May be other paperwork needed like power of attorney from you to LGS-idk. Find a sympathetic lgs in bk and talk to them.

[SkyHawk]

Present the letter to the agency who has the gun, sounds like BKPD.

DOJ just said they cannot enter the gun into AFS because you are a non resident, that doesn’t mean you can’t still pick it up. If the LEGR letter is in your name, go get the rifle. Be sure to clarify with BKPD. Some LE may not release if there is no record in AFS. But since they cannot enter a record for you in AFS, seems like PD should still release your property to you.

Book a flight to see your daughter. Hard to put a value on that. Claim the rifle while you are here. Bring a hard case with you to fly back with, or transfer the rifle to her or someone else while you are here.

[sofbak]

^^But OP is in Missouri, not wanting/willing (?) to travel back, and presumably the DOJ letter is addressed to him. Would a PD surrender a firearm to someone else with just that letter in hand?

[tehDiceman]

^^But OP is in Missouri, not wanting/willing (?) to travel back, and presumably the DOJ letter is addressed to him. Would a PD surrender a firearm to someone else with just that letter in hand?

I'm gonna go with not a chance.

We can't even buy ammo without a background check and CA ID.

[Rusled]

My daughter went down to BKFD PD talked to person who gave her an option not having to fly back. ( we hope )
An FFL dealer there can pick up the gun for me with paperwork in hand. I will fill out this paperwork here , get it notorized send it to FFL dealer.
I have a dealer here who can recieve it..
Being this is the case I wished I had known this months back. Police Dept told me go thru DOJ months ago, now told dont need them. I will hold my breath.
And to show you just how crazy it is there, I can carry any weapon in my vehicles loaded, as many as I choose, no permit required. I can conceal carry, no permit required. I do have a CCW for when I travel out of State.
I will keep this thread updated on results.
I think value wise the gun is probably worth from $600- $1500 depending on condition. Being it was my wifes varmit gun, priceless...

[sofbak]

Well IIRC, by ca law, you did need to go thru caldoj to get their authorization to release th gun. That letter is probaly going to be needed in hand when th ffl goes to reclaim it from bkpd. Make a copy and send it along with the other papers to b sure.

Best of luck.

[k1dude]

Don't you travel to visit your daughter on occasion? The holidays are upon us. Sounds like a double reason to visit.

[denpython]

Hope you get your rifle back and it is in good shape!

[SonofWWIIDI]

Good luck OP!!!


I hope you get it back with as little hassle as possible.

[racinjason233]

[TurboChrisB]

this gives me a tiny bit of hope that some of the almost 10 guns I had stolen back in 1999 might come back someday.