Hey all.  Currently live in NC, but due to business downturn I may have to move to Tehachapi, CA (or somewhere close by...not Bakersfield)....thoughts?

The other item is that I'm selling some of my ammo on Gun Broker, and today an auction was won by a person from CA, not an ammo vendor, a private individual.   From what I'm reading, it's illegal for me to ship it to him.   Unless I read things wrong, is this correct?

The location where I may be working is in Mojave, CA.   Any thoughts on safer/less expensive locations?  Tehachapi seems pretty decent, but a bit of a haul.   Interested in more rural areas, etc.

Neither Tehachapi  or Lancaster/Palmdale to Mojave are serious commutes by California standards.  Tehachapi at almost 4,000 feet elevation will have somewhat more moderate weather.  It's in a mountain pass area and higher than Mojave, Lancaster and Palmdale.  People commute from Lancaster and Palmdale to the L.A. area (and some vice versa).  I'd start looking at Tehachapi because it's less crowded and higher elevation.

It's dry.  There is a lot of important and sensitive and impressive aviation/space industry in the area so it's not all low end affordable housing and "Not L.A."

Mojave is withering on the vine.  It's no longer a railroad center of activity.  Most trains these days have no reason to stop there.  The north-south and east-west highways are now freeways and pretty much bypass what's left of the city.  There is aerospace activity at the airport.  But the major shopping areas are in Lancaster, Tehachapi or on Edwards AFB.  You are not going to want to live in anything that is less expensive than Mojave.

Tehachapi now has a prison which has supplanted the area railroad and farming industries.  The weather is nicer than Mojave most of the time.  Tehachapi has picked up some retiree interest over the years and living conditions pretty much beat the hell out of Mojave.  It's easier to get to the Kern River recreational activities from Tehachapi.  It's about 3 1/2 hours to the coast, 1/2 an hour more from Mojave. 2 hours to Lone Pine and 3 hours to Bishop, 4 hours to Mammoth for great outdoors recreation.  @ 1/2 hours to Sequoia, 3 1/2 hours to Kings Canyon , 4 1/2 hours to Yosemite Valley.  So it has a lot of good things going for it.

Now that is some really good info!!!!  Thanks much for all of the replies.   In Tehachapi it looks like the community of Bear Valley Springs.   Ran across a person who I have worked with in the past, and they seem to vouch for that area.   Now of course comes the old transfer of my gun collection.... lot of AR pistols.   Looks like the old button lock will get me in the door for most of it.    I think my shockwave may be a ??

Thanks for the update on the Mojave area being on the decline.   That does help to shed some light.   Also looking at hunting, so the higher elevation helps out, and just getting away from the crowd, and around real people.   Believe me, leaving the beautiful state of NC, and all of the freedoms we enjoy is not an easy prospect....but hey, with the current economy, I'd rather move than taking one between the eyes.

A new resident can be a personal importer of his/her own firearms.  Much like swapping driver's licenses, re-registering cars and the like, there are time frames in which it is "required."  I put that in quotes because I have little insight into how rigorously some of those things are enforced.  Often it comes up, I think, after some sort of problem and one finds themselves on the wrong side of it.  Say a car accident, etc.  My impression is the DoJ, etc., are more enthusiastic about enforcing firearms things but they have little insight into what you are doing, again, until something happens.

Two things seems to cause confusion.  One is the so-called "Handgun Roster."   It applies to new sales, FFL transfers and there are limited exceptions.  It doesn't apply to private party transfers (the handgun is already legally in the state and transferred between individuals), certain interstate transfers within a limited family relationship. One can personally import handguns which are not on the roster.  Incidentally, one can ppt those handguns after they are imported/registered.  However one can not import handguns which would be defined under California law as an assault weapon.

One can not import assault weapons (and some other firearms).  The Ca. DoJ site goes into detail on what is considered an assault weapon or other prohibitions under Ca. law.  Likewise if something is covered by an NFA license, like a suppressor or short barreled something or other, likely a big nope, too.  Note that there were a couple of time frames where an "assault weapon" could be registered.  Not now.  Anything imported must meet current requirements.  A possible pitfall?  Some of the earliest attempts at defining assault weapons listed some by name.  Current requirements are by "feature."  One may not apply current legal features to a named AW and import it.

There are stickied threads which would contain the definitions, etc., as well.

Thanks much, very good info!  I found a few CA YouTube videos on the importation requirements, and as I watch similar videos it seems there are some common threads that help to understand.    Quite interesting with bringing your own gun collection as opposed to what residents can legally purchase (off roster).  The one that I have received different opinion on is the Mossberg Shockwave....legal, or illegal to transfer into CA?

I think I'll take all of my magazines that don't meet CA requirements, package them up, and store in another state with family members until I move out of CA (or the laws change).   Flash hiders off...comps on.   Some of the AR pistols may need a non threaded barrel....I think?  Will probably go with fixed mag, as I don't like the look or feel of "featureless".    Worst case, I will just disassemble all but 1-2 AR's, and leave them disassembled until such time as CA laws change, or I move out of state.   Bring on the lever guns!

I don't have or follow the various Shockwaves so won't offer advice there. I don't see any way a semi-automatic AR pistol can be made Ca. legal.  (Not saying one can't, just it doesn't leap out at me.)  Rifles, pistols and shotguns have different definitions when it comes to being an AW so just a threaded barrel is sufficient to be illegal on a "pistol."  Other features of an AR pistol appear to be out of bounds as well.  OTOH, muzzle devices can be an issue on featureless rifles but aren't a problem on "fixed" magazine rifles.  Disassembly works.  Separating the two halves of an AR precludes it from being an AW.

You need a 18" barrel on a SG in CA. Not sure if you could fit a longer barrel on the shockwave while in CA. Otherwise, take the barrel off.

The only AR pistol I know of for sale in CA now is the CA7 from Franklin Armory. Single shot with a detachable magazine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lz5UYaYWE8

Franklin removes the gas tube and has no gas block (and gas port I assume) on the barrel. There is no gas key on the carrier. If you removed the gas tube from your AR pistols and flipped the gas block up side down so the set screw was over the gas port or had a gas block that allowed you to completely shut off the gas you would essentially have the same configuration. Can't say for sure if that would make your AR pistols CA legal or not coming in from out of state.

Here's a current case of a LEO modifying a CA7 to semiauto and its gone to court: https://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1632127&page=4 He also added a FH, brace and had a 30 rd mag in it. Outcome TBD...