CA gun laws

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killgore

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Hello people! I am new here and found out some great info so far. I need some help though...

I am a resident of Virginia currently and I am planning a move to the Sacramento area of California. Being ignorant until recetly I have not looked into CA's gun laws. I own a Bushmaster Xm15 series rifle. It's on the CA ban list as most of you know.

My question is, is there ANY possible way to own this gun in the state of California? I dont want to give up my favorite rifle and I wont move there if that's so. That's how much I believe it's such a crock of BS there because of the laws set into place during those LA shootouts a long time ago.

I have no problem legally registering or whatever may be needed to own my rifle and move to CA. Is it possible at all to bring this gun with me?
 
wow! Thanks for the replies! This is sad to me. Though I figured it was next to impossible to get myself and my guns there.

Let me ask another question; Is there currently any legislation in place to get rid of this law or at least relax it to a point that could be bearable?

Very unfortunate...
 
Well I really would enjoy living near the Sierra Foothills with the sun and somewhat of 4 seasons. I cant stand cold weather. But I am an American tried and true. I served 9 years in the 101st Airborne and I am not going to give up my guns because 2 idiots decided to shoot at the cops in the 90's. I'm just not down with that!

This is very unfortunate for me now. I've got to admit that this single law is going to break my decision. Ridiculous!
 
killgore said:
Well I really would enjoy living near the Sierra Foothills with the sun and somewhat of 4 seasons. I cant stand cold weather.
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It gets cold enough in Sacramento to freeze exposed water pipes on occasion. Weeks on end of valley fog can chill a person to the bone!
 
Is there currently any legislation in place to get rid of this law or at least relax it to a point that could be bearable?
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No, in fact the state assembly is now trying to pass a law requiring permits to transfer ammunition, among other things...
 
re:killgore

You will have to pass through my state to get to California. In fact I am right next door as in Nevada. I am willing to make you a deal.

Drop off your noncalifornia compliant guns here with me. I'll give them a good home. My other guns are quite friendly and well welcome them. Heck, I'll even take them out to play once in awhile. Liberal visitation rights are part of the deal.

I'm so nice I won't even charge you anything for this service.
 
Killgore,

The bad news is that you cannot bring your Bushmaster XM15 rifle to California, nor the 20 round magazines. But you can own an AR-15 type rifle in California with a few modifications.

The down side is that the Bushmaster was named in the SB-23 "Roberti-Roos" act which named models to be banned. These guns are codified in Penal Code § 12276. This means if your rifle has Bushmaster's name on it with an XM-series model it's illegal.

A second law was passed that describes the features a that make up a so-called "Assault weapon". These are described in §12276.1 (see above link). This section starts with:
12276.1. (a) Notwithstanding Section 12276, "assault weapon" shall also mean any of the following:
(1) A semiautomatic, centerfire rifle that has the capacity to accept a detachable magazine and any one of the following:
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It then lists the "evil" features of an Assault weapon. In California, we have had both CAL-DOJ and the courts recognize that a "detachable magazine" means a magazine that can be removed without the use of a tool. By replacing the magazine catch with a CA-compliant type which requires a tool, the rifle no longer has a "detachable" magazine. There are Prince-50 kits and "Bullet-Button" kits which require using the nose of a bullet to activate the mag release.

With that said... if you purchase a stripped lower receiver from a manufacturer not on the list (referred to as an off-list-lower or OLL) then transfer your parts to the new lower, install the CA-Compliant magazine catch and a 10-round (max) magazine -- and it's a legal rifle. The lower receiver can then be stored outside of California if you want to retain it.

For more information on OLL's and off-list AR rifles, I recommend you visit http://www.calguns.net and ask question there. This site has a lot of activists on it working to fight the legicritters in Sacramento.

No, in fact the state assembly is now trying to pass a law requiring permits to transfer ammunition, among other things...
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It's AB-2062. Just today, I spent some time phoning committee members to voice my objection. Their staffers do record & tally these phone calls and it often does work in our favor. One office I called, when I said I was calling about AB-2062, the lady laughed and said are you against it too? At another office, the staffer revealed that he was "running out of room" on his tally sheet for the nays. :cool: (California members - keep calling!)
 
re:killgore

Now a more serious response. Until two years ago I lived in the Golden State. Please listen to the reponses here. Make darn sure that any firearm you take their is 100% kosher. California's DOJ has very little sense of humor when it comes to these laws. It ain't worth it.
 
Let me ask another question; Is there currently any legislation in place to get rid of this law or at least relax it to a point that could be bearable?
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I lived in Sacramento for 15 years, then moved to North Carolina, and then to Georgia. Here in Georgia, people actively and often successfully work to expand the rights of legal gun owners. When I was in Cali, the anti-gun legislature worked 24/7/365 to strip away gun rights and to ostracize anyone who opposed them. Even when the state faced its first brush with the budget deficit under Gray Davis, and the power grid was failing with regularity, anti-gun legislation appeared to be the top priority. On top of that, most of the legal gun owners I met regarded gun ownership more as a hobby than a right. I would expect all of those conditions to continue changing for the worse, not the better, in the foreseeable future.
Well I really would enjoy living near the Sierra Foothills with the sun and somewhat of 4 seasons. I cant stand cold weather.
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Sacramento is in a valley. When the Moon rises, it will at first look orange due to all of the crud in the air. In the summer, temps will rise into the 100s. In fact, back in 1994, it got so hot that a part of Business 80 actually cracked and jammed up traffic. In the winter, temps can, but usually don't, get down to freezing. However, winter humidity is extremely high, which will make the temps feel MUCH colder.

After moving to NC, I tracked the humidity during the winter, and it was basically inversed with Sacto. In other words, high in NC during summer and low in winter, equally high in Sacto during winter and equally low during summer. Despite the snow in NC, the NC winter actually felt better. In addition, the Sacto valley tends to fog in for days, sometimes weeks, at a time during the winter. You get a sunshine break for a day or two, then it's back to being fogged in.

Finally, you'll be amazed at all the trash strewn along the highways and the streets. By comparison, NC looks like a giant golf green.

Frankly, I don't think you'll be missing much.
 
People in California need to get serious (like we ALL do everywhere) and get organized to vote these people out of office. If they are no longer legislators they can no longer pass silly laws.

JP
 
When I lived in Sacto, I knew about 50 people who were gun owners. Of that number, 5 or 6 were members of CRPA and the NRA. The rest weren't members of any gun rights groups because they regarded gun rights groups as "extremists." These same people complained about the increasing restrictions on gun owners but never voiced their complaints to the legislature because 1) "It never does any good" and 2) "I don't want to be seen as a gun nut." I suppose they believed that non-opposition somehow did some good, and that they're rather be seen as disarmed subjects. There's a lesson in all that.

The sad thing is that Sacto used to be a great city until Mayor Joe Serna declared it a haven for the homeless. When I go back to visit family, I feel like I'm entering the world's largest open garbage dump.
 
WhyteP38:

I am with you. I am. My senators in Michigan provide only lip service if their office bothers to take your call/concerns at all. In my opinion, calling your elected officals doesn't do a thing anymore (if it ever did in the first place). I have lost faith in the "practice" as a viable option for legitimate action. They really could care less.

Carl Levin (D) from Michigan won't even return a call. Where is the democracy in that? Talk about taxation without representation. I like the NRA but the extent of their true political action is lobbying (ILA being slightly different). Good to a point I guess in some cases but not far enough in many.

Voting people out of office can be done when folks get really sick of the same old game look at Minnesota and Jesse Ventura.

In many cases I think these politicians really believe that there is no real possibility of being voted out on a single issue no matter how important it may be. They are often correct. So it is business as usual.


Makes me sick.

JP
 
JP:

I understand what you're saying. I agree that some pols, the ones who are pretty firmly entrenched, don't give a rip what their "constituents" say. I'd put Schumer, Levin, and Feinstein in that category.

On the other hand, the less-firmly entrenched pols can be budged. And so can their non-pol supporters. Just look at the difference between how gun issues are discussed in this presidential election versus Reagan, Bush 1, Bill Clinton, and even the Gore/Bush battle. Bill Clinton claimed that the NRA cost Al Gore the 2000 election, and ever since the political dynamics have changed. This year, Obama and Hillary are masquerading as pro-2A. A mere 8 years ago, you would not have had that.

Phone calls, e-mails, and active participation all work. Not perfectly, but they are darned sure better than the alternative.

As to Killgore, if you want to move from VA, you can find places to go that will fit you better than CA.
 
Among the people you knew who weren't actively pro RKBA even though gun owners, did any elaborate exactly what they meant by the NRA and others being "extreme?" From what I am seeing first hand is that there isn't anything anywhere near what is "extreme" here at all...hell, I don't even see anything I'd label adequate.
 
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