Ok, I was wondering if anyone knew what would the penalty be if you were caught with an AR-15, not registered in California? No proir arrests or anything like that, just a good law abiding(almost) citizen with an illegal weapon.

Also I heard on the news about a month ago or so that the law in California wouldn't prevent someone from buying an AW out of state and bringing it here.  We all know that the news isn't always truthful.  But is that incorrect?  If so what would happen if you lived outside of CA and legally bought and registered an AW and then moved here?  Are you forced to sell it, or get rid of it?

I have never shipped any firearms before but I was wondering, if I had a friend out of state who had a lower receiver for an AW that he wanted to ship to me could he go down to a FFL dealer and have them ship it to a FFL dealer here in CA or would they refuse?

FFL in Kali would refuse. I don't know all the Kali laws, but at minimum I would expect that they confiscate the rifle and tell you to get lost, but you may well end up as bubbas entertainment.

I know of one fellow who was shooting his non-registered AW's, and Park Rangers came upon him.

They arrested him, seized his weapons, but it didn't end there.  They wound up taking all his semi-autos, charged him with several felony counts, which were plea bargained down to a misdeameanor after $20k in attorney fees, and weapons were destroyed.  He can still own guns still, after his 3 year probation.

In other words, if you are a CALIFORNIA resident, stay within the law, dont' import ANYTHING from out of state, unless you can afford a good lawyer, and dont' mind possibly losing the right to vote AND own any more guns for life.

Its not worth it.....or move to Nevada, and commute to your job in CA.

Hehe....quite a few LV area residents do that!  Crazzzzy!

Quoted: Ok, I was wondering if anyone knew what would the penalty be if you were caught with an AR-15, not registered in California? No proir arrests or anything like that, just a good law abiding(almost) citizen with an illegal weapon. Also I heard on the news about a month ago or so that the law in California wouldn't prevent someone from buying an AW out of state and bringing it here.  We all know that the news isn't always truthful.  But is that incorrect?  If so what would happen if you lived outside of CA and legally bought and registered an AW and then moved here?  Are you forced to sell it, or get rid of it? I have never shipped any firearms before but I was wondering, if I had a friend out of state who had a lower receiver for an AW that he wanted to ship to me could he go down to a FFL dealer and have them ship it to a FFL dealer here in CA or would they refuse?

Quoted: I know of one fellow who was shooting his non-registered AW's, and Park Rangers came upon him.

First off, I'm not questioning your story. But you said Park Rangers. Just curious if it was really park rangers, or if he was in the national forest or on BLM land. If it was park rangers, that would mean he was in either a national park, state park, county or city park. In all of those places (at least here in CA) AFAIK, it's illegal to discharge a firearm with the exception of if you are in your camp site and using it to defend yourself. If it was a "park" ranger that arrested him then maybe that was the reason. Not initially because it was un registered. Maybe you could find out from your friend.

Quoted: Welcome to the site. Here's the California DOJ's web site with everything you ever wanted to know about Califronia's efforts to ignore the 2nd, 9th, and 10th Admendments to the Federal Consitution. caag.state.ca.us/firearms

You forgot the 14th...

You know what, I, as he, called them as they see it.....if you're not in the city, its a park ranger!

I forget that I"m posting on ARfcom, and details count.  He was not in a national forest, but was taken while shooting in BLM land, in Riverside.

He was on BLM land when they came upon him, and later with other agencies he'd never heard of, raided his home and took what they found "unregistered".

Its too bad you just can't go out to the desert, and shoot......here I just drive 20 minutes, take an exit....drive about 2 miles inland, and blast away.  Occasional BLM officers come by, but they just want to see what I'm shooting, and making sure I"m not dumping anything illegal (lots of POS's do that here).

As with everyone, he kindly solicited his story, as I asked why he was not into semi-auto rifles, and only handguns.

Quoted: Quoted: I know of one fellow who was shooting his non-registered AW's, and Park Rangers came upon him. First off, I'm not questioning your story. But you said Park Rangers. Just curious if it was really park rangers, or if he was in the national forest or on BLM land. If it was park rangers, that would mean he was in either a national park, state park, county or city park. In all of those places (at least here in CA) AFAIK, it's illegal to discharge a firearm with the exception of if you are in your camp site and using it to defend yourself. If it was a "park" ranger that arrested him then maybe that was the reason. Not initially because it was un registered. Maybe you could find out from your friend.

they'll most certainly prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.

You're a gun owner; you are to the peanut gallery in Sacramento what Jews were to the Nazis.

Plus, you don't have any "mitigating circumstances," such as being a disadvantaged minority.

Quoted: ... Also I heard on the news about a month ago or so that the law in California wouldn't prevent someone from buying an AW out of state and bringing it here.  We all know that the news isn't always truthful.  But is that incorrect?  If so what would happen if you lived outside of CA and legally bought and registered an AW and then moved here?  Are you forced to sell it, or get rid of it?...

You heard wrong.  You need a special Dangerous Weapons Permit from the state Department of Justice in order to import any weapon defined by the state as an AW.  The only exception is if you are entering the state to go directly to an organized shooting match.

Here's a link to the entire Penal Code.  Firearms laws begin at Section 12000 and are scattered throughout the next several binder volumes:

www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/calawquery?codesection=pen&codebody=&hits=20

Bottom line - You can't import one legally.

Only NON CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS can bring them into the PRK for organized matches, and does not apply to CALIFORNIA residents (at least according to the DOJ when I called early last year for a 3-Gun match I wanted to do in the PRK), so in the eyes of California, only non-residents have more rights than residents.

Sad...........

Quoted: Quoted: ... Also I heard on the news about a month ago or so that the law in California wouldn't prevent someone from buying an AW out of state and bringing it here.  We all know that the news isn't always truthful.  But is that incorrect?  If so what would happen if you lived outside of CA and legally bought and registered an AW and then moved here?  Are you forced to sell it, or get rid of it?... You heard wrong.  You need a special Dangerous Weapons Permit from the state Department of Justice in order to import any weapon defined by the state as an AW.  The only exception is if you are entering the state to go directly to an organized shooting match. Here's a link to the entire Penal Code.  Firearms laws begin at Section 12000 and are scattered throughout the next several binder volumes: www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/calawquery?codesection=pen&codebody=&hits=20 Bottom line - You can't import one legally.

BLM land in a city?  I'm sure you know the answer to that, of course you can't shoot outdoors, in an incorporated city, and nonetheless, a rifle.  

In any event, if your stuff is all kosher, and registered, then you'd have nothing to worry about then.

Without giving out names on a public forum, send me an IM if you want to know a little more, but there have been instances where overzealous park rangers simply over react to shooting on public lands, especially for you guys stuck there.

As with what you're shooting, it all depends on the circumstances, and by whom you're being approached by.

Since I'm assuming all your stuff is registered, and show up with Norinco 86S, Maadi AK, Cobray M11's, Tec 9's, AR15, etc, then you'd have nothing to worry about, if you have your DOJ letters.

But if you're shooting handguns, and bolt action rifles, and FAB10's.....I can see why you weren't even bothered, despite what you're shooting.  

BUT...if you're shooting what I listed above, I'm sure you'd raise a few eyebrows, but once again, depends on the circumstances, type of LE agency, and how bad your local PD wishes to make the evening news about a sizeable "assault weapons seizure from rumored Meth lab Biker Gang illegal kitchen table dealer, who has a Rush Limbaugh bumper sticker on his Ford F150, and "I Love Iraqi Oil" sticker on the rear window....", or some other typical media hype from papers there.


Either way, being that I have quite a bit of family in the PRK and visit every month or so, I never risk bringing anything of mine that's not legal here, and am still fortunate that I can still bring 3 of my evil weapons to the PRK, as I chose wisely, when I WAS in California, to ignore the NRA/CRPA, and voluntarily REGISTERED the 3 EBR/EBH I did have in my possession back in the early 90's.

I think they made a wrong decision in asking gun owners to ignore the DOJ, and NOT register their guns.  Now these poor souls are instant felons (unless you have a good attorney, and $) if you're ever caught enjoying your rifle/pistol/shotgun out in the desert/range, etc.

Also, for those that dont' know, come by this Sunday to Burro Canyon, TAC3A.....for a SoCal ARfcom shoot.  It'll be nice to meet a few more faces, besides Meat, Hitman, Roveak.

Quoted: I live in Riverside and don't think that there is any BLM property in the city, and two any place that I know of less than a couple of hundred of yards from a house! Riverside COUNTY I can see. Riverside city no. I do have to drive 60 minutes to my favorite shooting spot in San Berdinino county. That's from putting the car in reverse in my driveway to putting in park near the end of ten miles of sand and rock roads. The nearest home is six or so miles away at that point. I've been visited by the rangers four or five, possibly more times in my 20 years shooting in California. Not once have they asked me for ID, looked at a weapon, or cited me even when shooting on "no shooting" posted land.

Even if you are a "Mute Eskimo with one Nut" they need examples of how well these laws are doing.<p>

 

And yes, if you pay attention to where you are, you can just drive out into the desert and shoot. I've probably done it close to a hundred times over the years.

Can you run into "Park" Rangers out there?  Yes, at Rainbow Basin National Monument and possibly in the Mojave National Monument even if on "BLM" land (I believe the Monument includes both BLM and NM land., And of course up at Death Valley, and maybe a few places around the Salton Sea.  State Park Rangers in Anza-Borrego

Regarding unregistered AR's.  I believe that if you had purchased it in california before the 2000 ban and have receipt showing such, the penalty is only a fine.  Not sure what they do with the rifle though.

Quoted: Regarding unregistered AR's.  I believe that if you had purchased it in california before the 2000 ban and have receipt showing such, the penalty is only a fine.  Not sure what they do with the rifle though.

Incorrect. There was a 1 year "grace period" which ended in Jan 2001.

Posession of an unregistered assualt weapon in PRK is a FELONY.