JMortimer, as I understand it, if you moved from Riverside county to San Bernardino county (quite doable for many people), you would probably be able to get a California CCW. From what I heard when living *just* inside of Los Angeles county a couple of years ago (sigh), the sheriff of San Bernardino county is pro-CCW and issues them to anybody he is convinced is fit and competent. California, being a "may issue" state, has uneven (and sometimes outright weird) practices when it comes to concealed carry.
Fortunately my husband and I now live in Nevada, so California's issues are no longer our problem except when visiting his family (who live in the greater LA area) or my work (Silicon Valley). I love many things about California, but I'm not missing the dysfunctional politics and laws a bit. :/
