Got my answer plz delete.

[steelholder]

Thanks guys.

[norcalAF]

Years ago a friend sold a gun he brought into the state while on active duty and never registered it with the state prior to doing the PPT. There wasn't an issue with the PPT as far as he told me. YMMV

[Librarian]

Very important question: is he separating, or returning on PCS orders?

PCS is probably easier, but see below. Both CA law and Federal law say military with PCS orders to a state are residents of that state for gun buying/selling purposes, so in the ordinary case, no need to register anything, easy to sell.

It's the "returning back home to CA (has a Ca residence and valid Ca ID)" that could be a mess.

It's PC 27585 we need to consider - the relevant part is the beginning

27585.

(a) Commencing January 1, 2015,

a resident of this state

shall not import into this state, bring into this state, or transport into this state,

any firearm that the person purchased or otherwise obtained on or after January 1, 2015, from outside of this state

unless the person first has that firearm delivered to a dealer in this state for delivery to that resident pursuant to the procedures set forth in Section 27540 and Article 1 (commencing with Section 26700) and Article 2 (commencing with Section 26800) of Chapter 2.

Does that apply to a service member who maintained CA residency while outside CA and is now returning on orders? I don't think anyone knows for sure.

Does that apply to a service member who maintained CA residency while outside CA and is now returning and separating? It very well might, but again, I certainly do not know.