i have a remington .22 rifle but im looking into handguns. mostly for protection but i'll probably take it to the range too.
whats the age laws for buying a handgun in cali? and do i need a lisence? how long does it take to get a lisence? and what would be a good handgun for a newbie?
im willing to spend a couple hundred. maybe 2 or 3 hundred. any suggestions and pics? thanks
You must be 21 to buy a handgun. Federal law. You may be able to shoot a handgun at 18. That is up to your local jurisdiction. It's best to ask your police or sheriff's department. Few people on this forum are qualified to give legal advice.
AH is right. I believe you can own rifles and shotguns, but you can't own or buy a handgun until 21. I believe that you can't buy handgun ammo until 21 either. Which sounds stupid because some rifles use handgun ammo. I maybe wrong.
I heard you could be as young as 11yrs and own a handgun legally in California as long as you belong to an established gang like the bloods or crips. sam.
Welcome we need young people in our sport to keep it going. Each state has different laws on how old you must be for a handgun and they keep going up because of school shootings etc. You must be 21 to buy a new one from an FFL its the used ones from other places that the laws differ. Back in the sixty's I bought used 22's from friends and family and that was legal back then but new laws keep coming so check with your local officials.
Your question has been answered so I'll just chime in and say this.
First of all, welcome to G&G. Secondly, you don't have long to wait, 21 is right around the corner. Besides, trust me, after 21 the just seem to fly by. lol To make sure there will be something there for you to have and get when you turn 21, do what you can to fight for those rights. Join the NRA and or any other group. A lot of places are offering to help pay $10.00 of a 1yr. membership. So it only costs you $25 bucks. Shop or spend money at places that support the 2nd Amendment. Buy little if anything from places like eBay that are anti-gun.
Most importantly, register to vote and vote for those that not only are pro-gun and pro-2nd Amendment as well as whom you feel will do not only what's best for you, but what's best for this country.
Find yourself and buy another decent rifle. There's a lot of cool, good shooting rifles you can buy and still own. Buy yourself a Mosin. They seem to be allowed in Cali., STILL ,anyhow. You can still enjoy shooting and help to keep your, all our rights rights from being attacked and slowly chiseled away. Don't get discouraged by the fact you can't own a hand gun until you're 21. It will happen soon enough, trust me.
Again, welcome to the site and take the time to read up on all the others that have asked the same question in regards to buying a first gun. See what suggestions they got. Take the time and learn a little more about rifles and what they have to offer.
Good luck.
__________________ "My next door neighbors two dogs have created more shovel ready jobs then Obama has." - Gary Johnson
im assuming most the users on here are "old" then lol.
boohoo i guess im waiting till im 21 then hah.
well then maybe ill get a new .22 rifle to hold me over till then. my friend and his dad i think built their own stocks for their .22's. they look like an AUG its pretty cool.
so what would be a good rifle for me? i think it would be cool to get one with a scope cause i feel old school with my peep sight lol.
EDIT!!!!:
my friend just txt messaged me and his girlfriends dad is a cop and he said you only have to be 18 to get a handgun in cali!!!! SWEET!
thats what i figured cause i didnt think big 5 would lie about the age to get a gun....the sign said 18 to get a handgun,rifle,shotgun,knife, etc etc.
so any suggestions on what kind of handgun to get? i like the rugers.
Last edited by true66gt; 03-18-2008 at 06:27 PM.
Reason: Automerged Doublepost
"What is the process for purchasing a firearm in California? All firearms purchases and transfers, including private party transactions and sales at gun shows, must be made through a licensed dealer under the Dealer Record of Sale (DROS) process. California imposes a 10-day waiting period before a firearm can be released to a buyer or transferee. A person must be at least 18 years of age to purchase a rifle or shotgun. To buy a handgun, a person must be at least 21 years of age, and either 1) possess an HSC plus successfully complete a safety demonstration with the handgun being purchased or 2) qualify for an HSC exemption."
Were saying he is either ill informed or misunderstood your question. Federal law is 21 for hand guns, it sucks I felt your pain to when I was twenty. Buy yourself a .308 it will hold you over well.
I've been a hunter now for almost 40 yrs, and after reading most of these posts, I'm ashamed. This guy gives the excuse to purchase a hand gun as protection! Owning a hand gun is not protection... In his case the best protection for him is to get an education.... If he had any brains, he wouldn't get himself into a situation where a firearm would be needed. The only thing a hand gun was ever designed for was up close combat. It has no hunting capabilities what so ever. Anything past 50 yds, it's useless. And further more, all you LEGAL Historians out there, go and REALLY read the Second Amendment! I'm all for owning a firearm for Hunting Purposes, and Hunting Purposes Only! The Second Amendment Only states owning a firearm for the right to bear arms as a MILITIA........... The NRA would naturally want you to believe otherwise! The gun manufacturers would want you to belive otherwise. Theres too much financial gain to be lost if it were otherwise!!!! The best protection has always been Education!!!!!
You can buy a Mosin, but I wouldn't jump out and spend a lot of money unless you feel the need for a rifle. Save your money and when you turn 21 buy TWO handguns. The first would be a .22 to practice with and the second would be the best you can afford that serves your purposes. Take this time to learn and see what is available; not just what is popular. What features you think are important now might not be in a couple of years. Tastes change and who knows what new models or refinements of existing handguns will exist in 3 years.
You're in California...you like guns...RUN BOY RUN!!!! Get the heck outa that state as fast as you can!!!
Cali is so screwed up that the Olympic Pistol Team members that live there aren't allowed to keep their target pistols in the state due to them being of higher capacity than is legally allowed in that state.
I'm still waiting for that 9.9 richter scale earthquake that'll put Cali in the ocean and make Nevada Oceanfront!! Everyone has to have a Dream!!
Location: a secret lab on the shores of lake titicaca
Posts: 23,063
Quote:
Originally Posted by john8288
I've been a hunter now for almost 40 yrs, and after reading most of these posts, I'm ashamed. This guy gives the excuse to purchase a hand gun as protection! Owning a hand gun is not protection... In his case the best protection for him is to get an education.... If he had any brains, he wouldn't get himself into a situation where a firearm would be needed. The only thing a hand gun was ever designed for was up close combat. It has no hunting capabilities what so ever. Anything past 50 yds, it's useless. And further more, all you LEGAL Historians out there, go and REALLY read the Second Amendment! I'm all for owning a firearm for Hunting Purposes, and Hunting Purposes Only! The Second Amendment Only states owning a firearm for the right to bear arms as a MILITIA........... The NRA would naturally want you to believe otherwise! The gun manufacturers would want you to belive otherwise. Theres too much financial gain to be lost if it were otherwise!!!! The best protection has always been Education!!!!!
wow only the 2nd post and it's a rant!?!
__________________ "I don't practice what I preach because I'm not the kind of person I'm preaching to."
True66gt, first you say you're 18, and then you say you're older than 18 but less than 21. In either case you can't legally buy a handgun. There is no need to tell stories here in G&G. Telling little fibs won't get you the respect of the people in here or anywhere else. You don't have to take the advise of older people, but it's always a good idea to listen. Welcome to G&G!
__________________ Don't go off half cocked! 1911's Rock!
Keep practicing with that .22 Rifle, believe us, time will pass before you know it, and then you will be old enough. This is a good place to get educated.
1911's Rock! 
