How to buy a gun in California (and ammo)

For the last month, I have been seeing a lot of snakes. Too many of them have been rattlesnakes. It didn’t take long for me to want a gun. I had lots of advice (see below), and I finally bought one a few days ago. Before the memory of the experience fades, I wanted to blog about how to buy a gun in California.

(See my only other post about guns, from 2015: What are we afraid of? Guns, gun control, & fear)

Warning: This post is meant to be humorous. If you take your guns or your gun control too seriously, you might want to skip reading it. Or alternatively, you can have a lot of fun writing a comment. I promise to share all (but no vulgarity please!)

Jump to:

Snakes, or why I bought the gun
Deciding on a gun
Finding a gun
Purchasing a gun (Requirements, tediousness…)
What’s that about ammo?

Periodically–every 2-3 years or so–throughout my life, I’ve felt the urge to get a gun. For one reason or another, the desire has always left me before I actually made a purchase. Previously, I always wanted a Glock. Glocks aren’t really meant for snake-killing though. So this time, I wanted a revolver. (Yes, a shotgun might be better, but I wanted something small and easy to carry.) This time, I’ve bought a gun.

Was I just waiting for an excuse that wasn’t “Glocks are cool and I’d like to exercise my right to bear arms?” Maybe. The certain thing is that there are many snakes this year. As an added incentive, I ride alone all the time, in cattle ranches in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. (All about those rides and their purpose.) A gun could be useful to put down a suffering animal, scare off wildlife, etc.

Land of many snakes

I killed my first rattler–slithering behind the house where I walk down to the horse corrals at least twice a day. It was not fun. My boyfriend who carries a revolver with snake shot, wasn’t home. There was no shovel within easy reach (even though we must have 8-10 shovels around the place). The only thing I could find without leaving the snake unattended was a crowbar. I tried to drop the crowbar on the snake’s head (or right behind it), but I ended up pinning it by the “tail.”

That just made it angry, and what had been a calm, placid snake started rattling and trying to bite me. Fortunately, it was good and pinned. I grabbed a nearby paving stone and dropped that on it, breaking it’s neck. Or back. Whatever. As you can see in the video below, it still refused to die.

It’s normal for rattlesnakes (and all other snakes) to keep biting after you cut their heads off. (National Geographic article on the topic). It’s due to a reflex reaction, which is not the same as the snake being alive. It still made me feel like a sadistic reptile torturer.

Rattler # 2

Less than a week later, I was walking down to the hay barn (in sandals and a dress because I’d been to visit my brother and sister-in-law) when I came across another rattlesnake. It was in the middle of the driveway, where I walk all the time. Again, no shovels in sight (and no other heavy objects). Fortunately, my boyfriend came home within a few minutes, and went up to the house to get his little Smith & Wesson compact revolver that he keeps loaded with snake shot. More fortunately, the snake didn’t move, and said boyfriend had time to get the gun and kill it… INSTANTLY!! That convinced me.

Rattlesnake at my parents’ place

The next day, I arrived at my parents’ place to find my dad pinning a rattler with a shovel through a fence. He had the blade of the shovel behind the snake’s head, but the ground was so soft, he couldn’t decapitate the snake. My mother and he had been trying to kill that snake for some time, tracking it from the yard, where my mom’s hound dog had found and announced it, to a PVC pipe and then into the old sheep pen. I ended up grabbing another crowbar and smashing its head in.

It’s very very important to destroy the head, because it can keep biting long after it’s been cut off.

Rattlesnake # 3

This one was behind the house, on a slope where we’ve got succulents, cacti, and palo verde. I was picking up cardboard boxes that had been blown there in the last heavy wind. My boyfriend was down at the barn, and there was no shovel… so I let it go. It slithered into a nearby rockpile that is no doubt infested with snakes.

I got a great video of it slithering away, rattling to warn me not to get too close.

Other snake sightings

The day before I killed that first rattler, we were visiting friends just over the hill. Next to their shop, we saw a large rattlesnake (about the same size as the one I killed). It rattled to warn us, then slithered under the shop. Between snakes 1 and 2, my boyfriend and I saw three gopher snakes within five minutes. (Here is a cool video of the first one, hunting). The day I bought the gun, we had a large rattler near the gate we go through twice every day to feed the horses.

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Gopher snakes are fine, even near the house. Rattlesnakes are not. I shared a photo of Rattlesnake #3 on facebook with the comment: “I’m clearly a snake magnet. I want a gun.”

Deciding on a gun

I got a lot of advice about guns after that Facebook post! The first specific recommendation was for this Smith & Wesson compact revolver. It looked good, small and lightweight, but I was quickly informed by my CHP brother that I wanted an external hammer. Why? Because it’s easier and faster to aim. Once I started picking up guns, I understood the physical aspect of it, but it’s easy to understand. When the hammer is internal, pulling the trigger both cocks and releases the hammer (double-action, but this term applies to more scenarios). This means that it is more difficult to fire, manually (it takes more force). When the hammer is external, you have to cock it manually (or you can… most modern revolvers are also double action, i.e., you can also just pull the trigger to cock the hammer and fire), and then pull the trigger (single-action). This means that the trigger is much lighter.

With an internal hammer, you have less risk of it catching on clothing. With an external hammer, you can aim more precisely. (Note I say “can.” External hammers are considered better for accuracy, but accuracy is dependent upon the person holding the gun!)

My brother said Smith & Wesson was the best, but the next day suggested Taurus Protector Poly as a much cheaper, decent revolver that would be a good entry-level gun for me. He had held one… but he didn’t specify which (maybe this one). I liked this one, on the Taurus site, but when I called around to local gun shops, no one carried it. (“Not on the roster.”)

I realized I’d need to go to gun shops and hold guns in my hand before I could decide.

The loaner gun

In the meantime, there were still rattlesnakes. Some friends had offered me the loan of a gun; at first I had declined, but when I realized that it might take longer than I had anticipated to get my own, I accepted. It was a sweet little Smith & Wesson 36, a classic model known as the Chief’s Special. It’s the basis for all later lightweight compact S&W revolvers. I had looked at this model online, and liked it, but it’s expensive! It was great to have one to use though.

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They also gave me some snake shot (a precious gift–it’s very difficult to find) and 25 rounds (.38). I promised to spend some time target shooting before loading the gun with snake shot. The purpose was to learn how the gun shoots (it sights high). I agreed, and drew myself a target on cardboard.

After the first five rounds, I knew I’d be buying more ammo. It was far more entertaining than I had expected. To shoot, you have to get your mind in the right place. This means emptying it of all the extraneous junk we carry around 24/7 (at least, I do) and focusing. So many benefits to emptying your mind like this. I imagine it’s what happens if you meditate successfully, something I’ve never been able to do.

Finding a gun

Before getting in the car…

I have to admit, I was very disappointed to find I could not easily order a gun online 😉 You can, in some cases, order one to be shipped to a local dealer. Sort of like Ship to Store at lowes.com or Tractor Supply. But that is dependent upon having the right stores near you.

(Of the used guns you can find online, a disproportionate number of them are pink, something which I find wrong for many reasons. To be addressed in a later blog post…)

Yes, I suppose I should have known. But really, nothing you have to do in person at a gun shop (see below) cannot be done online. The fact that you cannot take your gun home with you (you have to wait ten days in California) totally negates the usual advantage of buying in person.

At the urging of my boyfriend (who wanted to go gun shopping with me, but didn’t want to spend all day doing it), I called many shops. I asked them if they carried the Taurus Poly Protector (none did), Smith & Wesson J-frames, and/or similar guns. I made a list of possibles.

Gun shopping

Last Friday my boyfriend and I used google and my list to target various stores in Tulare and Visalia. The first was CGG Firearms. It was well-reviewed, and it’s hard to find, if your imagination doesn’t extend to there being gun shops inside gas stations. Nothing like being able to buy gas, boos, guns, and ammo in one stop! I ended up going inside because google maps insisted it was there, and (mainly) because there were two CHP cars outside.
I should have gone to their site first, because I would have then known they didn’t have anything I was looking for. Their site is very useful, not least because it has a link to the ROSTER everyone was talking about: the list of handguns that are legal to sell in CA. The Taurus Poly Protector is not on the list.

See this piece on What makes a gun legal to sell/buy in California

Next was Turner’s Outdoorsman. They had several compact revolvers I could look at, including two (6-shot) Taurus models. I didn’t like them. They had the hammerless S&W 642 Airweight. It felt much nicer (but no hammer). They also had ammo! Four boxes of .38. I tried to buy two boxes. Turns out you cannot buy ammo if you are not a gun owner… (well, not quite. See below.)

Our last stop in Tulare was on the way to Visalia, TK Firearms. We really liked them. A small place, but nice, and a decent selection. They didn’t have what I wanted though. Just more 6-shot Tauruses.

Our final stop was Sportsman’s Warehouse in Visalia… final, because there I found a gun I was happy with: A Smith & Wesson M637. It’s lightweight (lighter than the M36, because the frame is aluminum alloy), 5-shot, with an external hammer.

Purchasing a gun

Finding a gun is difficult, but it’s only half the battle. It took me an hour and a half to buy that gun, and it’s not because they didn’t want to sell it to me. (Note that technically I have not yet purchased it, because the ten days for my background check have not passed.) Part of the wait was due to being second in line when the woman in front of me was attractive and having a long conversation with the senior salesman! Part of it was due to the many prerequisites you need to have to buy a gun in California.

Be 21

You have to be 21 years old to purchase a handgun. You can buy a .22 when you are 18. Some proof of age is necessary (Driver’s license will do.)

The Firearm Safety Certificate

First, you need to pony up $25 to take the test to obtain a Firearm Safety Certificate. They don’t give you time to study, nor tell you how to do so… and it’s not necessary. There are 30 questions; you can miss up to seven and pass.

You’d have to be an idiot to miss seven, even if you’d never held a gun. (And for the same $25, you get two attempts to pass.) This is why this test is absolutely ridiculous. I am all about firearm safety. I believe that everyone should know basic safety rules, even if they never plan to own a gun. But this test… it’s basically just another way to fill the coffers of… the State of CA DOJ?? I have no idea where that money goes, and I couldn’t find out with a quick google search.

The crazy thing is that I am sure entrepreneuring businesses will offer (paid) courses to prep people for ths exam.

Sample questions:

1. The safest place to carry your gun while driving is (a) loaded and n the passenger’s seat. (b) loaded and in the glove compartment (c) loaded and in the back seat (d) unloaded and in your trunk.
2. Is it legal to store a loaded firearm in the premises where children have access to? (a) True (b) False
3. Generally, it is legal to carry a concealed firearm in public under which of the following circumstances? (a) You are an experienced gun handler and know all of the safety rules (b) You were honorably discharged from the military (c) You are in an unsafe area (d) None of the above
4. When not using your gun, the best place to keep it is (a) Loaded on the coffee table….

You get the idea. In case you are curious, here is a site with practice exams. Some of the questions are identical to the ones on the real exam.

Proof of Residency

You think getting a California Real ID is bad? Try buying a gun! I thought that having the Real ID would get me a free pass, but no. They want proof of specific residence… TWO. The Real ID works as ONE. The other needs to be a utility bill. Who carries a utility bill around in their car?

Well, OK sometimes I do, if I’ve picked up the mail. Or I used to, before I changed to paperless. My problem is I live with my boyfriend, so most of the utilities are in his name. I pay for Internet, and I had a copy of the invoice in my email… but the address on it was wrong!! (I had never noticed!) Luckily, I called them (it’s a great little local company, Springville Wireless), and she emailed me a correct invoice in 20 minutes.

Signed oath that you are not….

1. A fugitive. My questions: Does anyone say yes? and if they do, does the store stop everything and call the police? Or just say, Sorry sir (or ma’am), we can’t sell you a gun today. Come back when you’re done being a fugitive.
2. A convicted felon. If you have been convicted of a felony, you can never legally own a gun (unless you are pardoned).
3. Under a restraining order.
4. Guilty of offenses such as domestic abuse, assault, stalking… I cannot remember them all.
5. Under certain restrictions due to alcoholism or alcohol abuse (can’t remember the exact wording either).
6. Mentally ill.
7. Other stuff of the same caliber I’ve forgotten.

Signed oath that you are….

1. A legal resident.
2. Maybe I’ve forgotten something here. I got a bit distracted by the fugitive question.

Have all these oaths supported by the required background check.

Apparently some people lie. I asked at Sportsman’s; they said most lies are about legal residency.

You pay the State of CA DOJ $37.19 for this privilege.

10-day wait period.

After you verify that the salesperson has your info and the gun info (especially the serial number) correct, they pack up the gun and tell you to come back in ten days.

What about ammo?

To buy ammunition in California you have to be a (legal) gun owner. That is, you must have a gun registered to your name. This is a bit irritating, but okay, I get the rationale. Otherwise you get resales and all that fun stuff.

What I find extremely irritating is that you have to buy (or otherwise obtain with a legal transfer) a gun every five years to maintain the right to purchase ammo. (Hmm, where’s the money? Who benefits here? The gun industry? The State of California? The politicians that were instrumental in passing such legislation? huh). Such a scam.

Oh, you can get around it by paying an extra $19 for the ammo background check (it costs $1 if you are a gun owner. And then you have to wait ten days… more extortion.

Lucky for me, Sportsman’s puts aside a box of ammo for everyone who purchases a gun. I’ll buy that one, and, if there are any in inventory when I pick up my gun, at least one more. I’ll need 50 rounds for the CCCW course (more on that in a later blog), and more to practice.

Disclosure:

I welcome all comments on this blog. I’d love to hear your experience purchasing a gun, the reasons you think it should be more or less difficult, and your opinions on gun control, as long as you are civil.

FYI, I am a liberal, what I would call just left of center. To give you an idea, I’ve used the tagline “Dissenting left-wing patriot” many times over the course of my online life. I support gun control, and I want to maintain my right to buy a gun. You aren’t going to make me change my mind about either, so you probably shouldn’t try 😉