Selling a rifle in California as a non-resident - CA residents please chime in

[colonel00]

Long story short, I'm working again in San Jose (Bay Area) and I have a coworker out here that wants to buy a rifle from me. Well, this has been a crash course in your crazy laws and processes. After finding out that you cannot just do a private sale and you have to do a transfer through an FFL, we were all set and I had the rifle out with me. Went up to the nearby Sportsman's Warehouse only to be told that they could not do the transfer because I was not a California resident. That's all they said there. I couldn't find anything about the seller having to be a resident on the CA website. Just all the crap that the buyer has to do.

Earlier today I was at Bass Pro and spoke to a guy at the gun counter. He explained a little more. I guess the issue is they (the FFL) has to "take possession" of the firearm in order to start the transfer and run the check on the buyer. Apparently, the issue is if the buyer isn't approved for the sale then the store is stuck with the gun because they cannot transfer it back to me since I'm not a resident. He said that it's more of a store policy so they don't get stuck with guns. He did, however, mention that some FFL's are possibly willing to do transfers like this.

So, anyone have any experience with this circus act? Possibly recommend an FFL nearby that could help?

The only other option is to take the rifle back home and have my FFL transfer it and ship it to an FFL here. Such a assbackwards system here. Insert the monkey and the football..

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

Crazy laws. Heck, you can come to a Alaska and buy a long gun, even if you ain’t a resident of the state as long as you live in like 48 other states (not sure of the exact number but it was less than 50).

 

[Corey Paulsen (teamkabob)]

Call the California DOJ

Also stop in at Reeds indoor gun range and talk to them. Went shooting there a lot when I lived in the bay.
reedsindoorrange.com

Sportsman’s and Bass pro out there probably won’t do it as it’s probably a store policy.

 

[Milestone522]

Call a private owned shop and not a chain store. There are several in the south bay and on the peninsula, and I am sure one of them can do a transfer. The only one I have ever been in down there was the Gun Vault in Mountain View, the staff was knowledgeable and friendly. Worth making a few phone calls....

 

[colonel00]

Crazy laws. Heck, you can come to a Alaska and buy a long gun, even if you ain’t a resident of the state as long as you live in like 48 other states (not sure of the exact number but it was less than 50).

Yeah, it's crazy. I'm from Kansas City and we are the same way. I actually drove up to Iowa to buy a rifle years back. Just nuts out here but luckily it's only temporary.

 

[colonel00]

Call the California DOJ

Also stop in at Reeds indoor gun range and talk to them. Went shooting there a lot when I lived in the bay.
reedsindoorrange.com

Sportsman’s and Bass pro out there probably won’t do it as it’s probably a store policy.

Cool, I'll stop by Reeds. I popped in there once as it's not very far.

Yeah, I get the policy at the big stores after the guy at Bass Pro explained it better. Apparently they had been bit a few times by the issue and it was a mess.

 

[colonel00]

Call a private owned shop and not a chain store. There are several in the south bay and on the peninsula, and I am sure one of them can do a transfer. The only one I have ever been in down there was the Gun Vault in Mountain View, the staff was knowledgeable and friendly. Worth making a few phone calls....

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll add them to a list to call.

 

[Rob5589]

The second shop was correct. If the buyer were to fail the background, the only way the shop could return the rifle is to send it to your home state for transfer back to you.

 

[Rob5589]

To add; if the buyer is unsure if he would pass the DROS, have him fill out a PFEC (personal firearms eligibility check) before you go to a shop.
THE resource for California's stupid laws are on Calguns.net. Someone there will have the definitive answer.

 

[colonel00]

Thanks Rob. I'm pretty confident that the buyer is good to go. He has all of his info and cards and whatever. And, he's made retail purchases of firearms recently.

 

[couesbitten]

Just nuts out here but luckily it's only temporary.

I think CA's crazy is permanent and going to get even worse!

 

[colonel00]

I think CA's crazy is permanent and going to get even worse!

Heh, I should have been clearer. My stay in the state is only temporary