TransplantedTexan
Inactive
First, the background: 27 years ago, when I was 19 in California, I screwed up and got involved in something I never should have. I went to court and accepted a plea bargain to plead guilty to a felony charge that would be reduced to misdemeanor after 12 months. It wasn't until 17 years ago that I had the money to hire an attorney to go back to court and file the motion for reduction, which was accepted by the court. I received a court order reducing the felony to misdemeanor via California Penal Code section 17(b)(3). PC 17(b) reduces a felony to a misdemeanor charge "for all purposes" in CA, including the right to bear arms. Fast forward 16 years....
Last year I got interested in shooting for sport with friends. I contacted the CA DOJ to ensure my record was accurate and reflected the reduction. After getting the record updated, I applied for and received a Personal Firearm Eligibility Check affirming the right to purchase and possess firearms in the state of California. I went out and bought a Ruger 10/22 through an FFL to shoot paper targets and successfully passed a CA DROS with no issue. I then purchased a handgun, and again I passed DROS with no issue. As the CA laws became more restrictive, I went out and purchased an AR-15 stripped lower before the 1/1/17 deadline...again, no issues.
Now CA background checks are supposed to be some of the toughest in the nation as they both check NICS as well as local criminal databases...or at least I thought.
Then I got a job in Texas...Freedom!!
Imagine my surprise when I went to purchase a shotgun for home defense in TX only to be delayed and then denied by NICS. Who would have thought I'd have more gun rights in CA than in TX. =( Now I've appealed the denial with all court documentation, a copy of my CA criminal history reflecting the reduction, as well as the FBI identity summary reflecting the reduction...but being that they're backlogged by almost 2 years, I find myself wondering, am I actually prohibited by federal law, but CA let me purchase anyway? What do I need to do with the guns I own until a final determination is reached? For now, they've all been handed over to the wife who keeps them in a storage unit off premises that I do not have access to.
Almost makes me wish I'd never left CA.
Last year I got interested in shooting for sport with friends. I contacted the CA DOJ to ensure my record was accurate and reflected the reduction. After getting the record updated, I applied for and received a Personal Firearm Eligibility Check affirming the right to purchase and possess firearms in the state of California. I went out and bought a Ruger 10/22 through an FFL to shoot paper targets and successfully passed a CA DROS with no issue. I then purchased a handgun, and again I passed DROS with no issue. As the CA laws became more restrictive, I went out and purchased an AR-15 stripped lower before the 1/1/17 deadline...again, no issues.
Now CA background checks are supposed to be some of the toughest in the nation as they both check NICS as well as local criminal databases...or at least I thought.
Then I got a job in Texas...Freedom!!
Imagine my surprise when I went to purchase a shotgun for home defense in TX only to be delayed and then denied by NICS. Who would have thought I'd have more gun rights in CA than in TX. =( Now I've appealed the denial with all court documentation, a copy of my CA criminal history reflecting the reduction, as well as the FBI identity summary reflecting the reduction...but being that they're backlogged by almost 2 years, I find myself wondering, am I actually prohibited by federal law, but CA let me purchase anyway? What do I need to do with the guns I own until a final determination is reached? For now, they've all been handed over to the wife who keeps them in a storage unit off premises that I do not have access to.
Almost makes me wish I'd never left CA.