California gun owners, and would be gun owners, face many significant challenges when it comes to owning the best choice tool for self-defense. California has many gun laws which make gun ownership more difficult than most other states. However, these laws need not be seen as an absolute obstacle. Rather, they are just something to be negotiated and worked around.

The Purchase Process

California requires a Firearm Safety Certificate to purchase a firearm. To get an FSC a prospective buyer must take and pass a test relating to basic firearm function and safe handling. Of course, there is a fee associated with this certificate, which is ultimately paid to the Sate of California. Next the purchaser needs to select their firearm. If one wants a handgun, the gun must be legal to sell in California. This means it must be on the “Roster of Approved Handguns” or “Roster” as it is frequently termed. Gun can be placed on the Roster if they pass a drop safety test, and a durability test. This might sound like it is a win for the consumer, and if it stopped there, one might be hard pressed to argue otherwise. Sadly, that is not the end of it. Semi-automatic handguns must also be capable of micro-stamping a unique serial number on expended shell casings. It might surprise the uninitiated that such technology does not exist, and as such, no new semi-auto pistols can be placed on the roster. Revolvers are exempt from micro-stamping, but not the safety and destruction tests. Despite this restriction, there are many suitable self-defense handguns available on the roster, currently.

Ammunition

Of course, anyone can see that having more ammunition in a self-defense scenario seems to make sense. However, in the State of California magazines with a capacity of greater than ten rounds may not be sold or imported, or even given away. In other words, unless you have a standard capacity magazine from times gone by, you are limited to ten round magazines.

A firearm is really just an exotic paperweight unless one has ammunition for it. In California, ammunition can only be purchased following a background check that is similar to that required for the purchase of a firearm. The good news is that the background check does not require a 10 day wait. It typically takes about 15 minutes to complete the ammunition purchase. Unless the buyer is rejected for any reason, which reportedly has been happening at a wholesale rate. Then the buyer needs to submit a special ($19) request to California DOJ to unscrew the mess and be allowed to buy ammunition. Don’t even think about going to a neighboring state for your ammunition needs. Bringing it back to California is a crime. The only way to purchase ammunition without the background check is to buy it at a shooting range, and then consume it there prior to leaving. Luckily, this actually works for a good number of people, who buy ammunition to practice, when they go to the range.

Some Good News

Recently more counties have moved away from not issuing Concealed Carry Permits. Many California counties now allow for Concealed Carry Permits, so one may be allowed to carry a concealed firearm for self-defense. As one can imagine, larger cities with a smaller base of firearms experience are less inclined to issue such permits. Smaller, more rural or urban counties where there is less fear and more knowledge of firearms are more likely to allow Concealed Carry Permits. This means that a defensive minded citizen stands a much-improved chance for a Concealed Carry Permit, which of course will help keep them, and the community at large safe.

Now What?

So, what can the good people of California do to enhance their safety and be prepared and armed for their protection from a violent attack? First of all, resign yourself to the Roster. The previous iterations of many handguns, which are still on the Roster, are perfectly suitable for self-defense. For sure they are not the latest and greatest. There is usually a reason manufactures update their products. Still a pistol designed for the U.S. Army in 1911 can still be a viable choice for self-defense. One just needs to accept some limitations. Select a firearm that suits you and continue forward.

As for reduced magazine capacity, one can purchase additional magazines for their firearm. So, if your choice comes with two 10 round magazines you can buy a few more 10 round magazines, giving you similar total capacity. However, you need to learn how to exchange magazines in your gun with efficiency and speed. This is something we teach and review in every handgun class, from Basic Pistol classes to our fast-paced Urban Tactics course.

If the pistol is not to your liking, or you want the latest in metallurgy as the foundation for your gun, you might consider a revolver. New revolvers are being placed on the Roster at a regular pace. They can be chambered for very potent cartridges. While the design technology is significantly older than a pistol, revolvers may still have a place in the self-defense role.  Revolvers are always welcomed in our classes, and in fact, we even offer a revolver only class for those who are fans of the wheel gun. We typically teach three or four different types of reloading for revolvers that can be almost as fast as a semi-automatic pistol. So, again, reduced capacity need not be a significant impediment to self-defense.

At the end of the day, the availability of particular handguns and the difficulty in purchase does not need to be anything more than an inconvenience. As long as the owner seeks competent instruction in the firearm’s use and deployment, as well as the proper tactics for self-defense, then they should not feel too disadvantaged. And they certainly should not just give up and relinquish their personal safety to fortune or the availability of others to save them.

 

About the writer

Mike Lazarus
Military and Law Enforcement Veteran
FBI certified firearm instructor
MP5 and Sub Machine gun instructor
Defensive tactics instructor