Is a 10 shot Bersa Thunder 22 legal in California?

A

aarondhgraham

New member
Okay,,,
One of my friends is graduating this coming May.

We've been shooting dozens of times,,,
She really loves shooting my Bersa Thunder 22,,,
I'm considering buying one for her but there is one big hitch.

She has a job waiting in San Jose, California. :(

The Bersa has 10 round mags plus one in the chamber,,,
I can't find it on their approved list so she can't buy one there,,,
But I'm wondering if I give the gun to her can she then take into California?

When she gets there does she have to register the pistol?

I need some solid info here,,,
The last thing I want to do is gift her with a potential felony.

Can anyone help me out in this matter?

Aarond

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Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but all of the Bersa pistols went off roster in late 2012.

Their .380 pistols used to be grandfathered in. Then they changed the design of the lock on their pistols, which would have required them to be resubmitted. Problem is, they don't have a loaded chamber indicator, which makes them ineligible.
 
IANAL, but I'm pretty sure it is completely legal to own one in CA. They can't be sold by retailers (stupid CA law -- the "Roster"; Tom mentioned it above), but they can be owned by citizens, and she could even sell it some day if she chose.

Assuming you can legally give / sell the gun to her and assuming she can legally take ownership in your state, make that happen and when she moves to CA, she only needs to register the gun within 60 days. Details:

http://wiki.calgunsfoundation.org/Moving_to_California_with_firearms
 
If the OP and the intended recipient of the gun are both residents of Oklahoma at the time the gun is given to the recipient as a gift, she my legally possess it in California after she becomes a resident of California. Within 60 days of moving she will have to file a form and pay $19.00 to register it.

The roster only applies to transfers by dealers in California.
 
Thanks Gentlemen,,,

Yes, we are both residents of Oklahoma.

It's as I thought,,,
As long as she owns the gun before the move,,,
She can legally register it as hers once she makes the move to San Jose.

Thanks for the verification.

Aarond

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To expand on one small, important point:

The California Roster of Handguns Certified for Sale does not apply to any handgun brought to California (at least, so far in 2015) by someone who is moving here or visiting here.

But the silly 10-round magazine law DOES apply; in this case, that is not an issue, but many guns sold this century come from the factory with magazines of greater than 10-round capacity.

Import of those magazines can be charged as a felony, even for visitors or folks 'passing through'.
 
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