Browning hp is on the roster. I actually saw one for sale in a store in Carlsbad, CA. Handled it and dry fired. The trigger pull was awful. Forgot the exact asking price but it rather expensive. For that much money I would rather buy a used c&r.
You can "gift" any off-roster handgun to your son in CA, as long as it is not prohibited for reasons other than not being on the roster (assault weapon, shotgun, other weirdnesses). It, of course, must go through a CA FFL.