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C&R ffl and COE

If it’s out of state you’ll need to report to the DOJ. I’m not sure if that applies to instate acquisitions.

Yeah it applies in state too. You have to report all C&R you buy. No way CA would be ok with you not notifying them of acquiring a firearm even if its over 50 years old. But at least its only $19 flat fee in CRIS. You can report multiple guns at a time. Last year I bought 3 C&Rs out of state and reported them all at once for $19 total.
 
Do I have to log it also if I got my C&R rifles transfer via a FFL01 (online purchases, shipped to a 01)?
 
Yeah it applies in state too. You have to report all C&R you buy. No way CA would be ok with you not notifying them of acquiring a firearm even if its over 50 years old. But at least its only $19 flat fee in CRIS. You can report multiple guns at a time. Last year I bought 3 C&Rs out of state and reported them all at once for $19 total.
What's your favorite site to get C&R guns from? Have you ever bought from this forum? Did they have to ship it through an FFL01 to your door?
 
Well. By the letter of the law (to my understanding) all pistols/handguns have to go through a FFL01. Long guns from out of state cannot go to your door. They are also supposed to go through FFL01 unless you are personally bringing it in state after personally acquiring out of state. You still have to fill some form out and record it. Long guns can be transferred face to face and I think you can mail ‘em to each other in state cause it’s sorta same thing
 
What's your favorite site to get C&R guns from? Have you ever bought from this forum? Did they have to ship it through an FFL01 to your door?
I've never bought a C&R online, that defeats the whole purpose of having a C&R license because if you buy online it has to be shipped to an 01FFL for a transfer and that adds on a transfer fee, DROS fee, sales tax and gun tax = stupid.

Instead, whenever I go out of state, I'll stop at a shop or gun show and pick up C&R firearms (handguns and long-guns) that way, cash and carry. As long as you buy in person out of CA, you are good to go. You just have to pay the $19 registration fee when you bring them back into CA. No transfer fee, no DROS, no taxes (if you buy from a private party). If you buy from a shop, then you obviously have to pay the sales tax for that state.

I have bought C&R long-guns from private parties in CA which is perfectly legal. Just showed them my license if they even wanted to see it, entered their contact information in my logbook then went online and registered them. In state C&R long-gun acquisitions don't need to go through a dealer. Only in state C&R handguns need to go through an FFL.

However no matter which way you acquire a C&R, whether it be in state, out of state, online, they have to be registered with CA DOJ, you can't avoid registration.
 
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Well. By the letter of the law (to my understanding) all pistols/handguns have to go through a FFL01.
Only if in-state or shipping in from out of state. You can buy C&R handguns out of state in person and take them with you back into CA. Then you have to register them.

One of the coolest feelings is buying a handgun from a resident of another state in person, no background check, no dealer involved and just taking it with you. Feels like, freedom. Perfectly legal as long as the firearm is over 50 years old and you are doing the deal out of CA. Note that the reason why it is legal is because you have a license issued by the ATF so you are on a list of licensees and you obviously had to pass a background check to get the license.

If you go to a gunshow out of state make sure the seller is not a CA resident. If they are then you can't do the deal because you are both residents of CA. In that case, you would have to both go back into CA and do a PPT. I have run into CA residents at gun shows in Nevada trying to sell their guns to residents of other states. Just have to make sure you check which state they are a resident of.
 
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Yeah I was referring to the online part. In person out of state hand/long gun the same as long as other party isn’t also from CA. It can make for interesting travels
unfortunately online isnt worth it. Theres really no advantage to having a C&R if buying online. The only benefit is not having to wait 10days for pickup but thats only if the 01FFL knows what they are doing and many 01FFLs are super ignorant about C&Rs. If its a handgun, they will have to agree that it qualifies as a C&R to be roster exempt. IMHO the coolest thing about having an 03FFL is to not have to deal with an 01FFL.
 
It really is depressing collecting C&R guns in this state. In practically any other state anything 50 years old can just ship straight to your door with an FFL03. Bought a 180$ Carcano from RTI a few months back. 180+30 shipping+37 dros+~15 bucks sales tax +~20 bucks excise tax+15$ dealer transfer fee. Brought a 210 purchase up to 297, and I'm incredibly lucky to have found an FFL who's willing to do transfers for so cheap. Closest gun store near me does them for $150. Cheapest in a 25 mile radius is $70. On top of the state of California nickel and diming us most FFLs want to suck our blood too.
 
It really is depressing collecting C&R guns in this state. In practically any other state anything 50 years old can just ship straight to your door with an FFL03. Bought a 180$ Carcano from RTI a few months back. 180+30 shipping+37 dros+~15 bucks sales tax +~20 bucks excise tax+15$ dealer transfer fee. Brought a 210 purchase up to 297, and I'm incredibly lucky to have found an FFL who's willing to do transfers for so cheap. Closest gun store near me does them for $150. Cheapest in a 25 mile radius is $70. On top of the state of California nickel and diming us most FFLs want to suck our blood too.
I will sell my left nut to you for information about that $15 transfer fee.
 
Yes it is depressing. It is unconstitutional too. Federal Law outweighs State Law and a C&R FFL is Federal. This was never voted on, the California legislature just passed it and it needs to be challenged in court. Add to that the ridiculous DROS fees, 110% FET Tax, Sales Tax, Dealer fees and it makes it unaffordable. But that is the whole plan from the Liberals who love their regulations and hate Constitutional freedoms.
 
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