[45R]

An old friend of mine passed away earlier this year and he left behind a handgun.

His spouse wants to keep it but does not know what to do with it. The handgun has never been registered in CA and she is very unsure of its were abouts. She is not sure if this was something that he may have picked up in one of the many wars that he fought it. What does she need to do to legally own this handgun in the PRK?


TIA


45R

[Telperion]

... unless you move into the state with handguns -- and I suspect this is subject to the same massive non-compliance as assault weapons registration.

[4v50 Gary]

Let's call it community property. If said handgun was acquired during the course of the marriage, it belonged not to the hubby the vet but to the community - husband & wife. With the expiration of one member of the community, the survivor takes all.

Therefore, the gun is now the exclusive property of the wife and since she's always had an interest in it, there's no need to register it.:)

[Jim March]

Right, there's no legal requirement that she register it.

The ONLY advantage to voluntarily registering it is this: if she wants to carry it illegally on the street without a CCW permit, registering it would reduce the resulting crime from a felony to a misdemeanor.

Other than that, she can own it in the home, use it for home defense, shoot at the range with it (while following proper transport locked-unloaded rules) or even hunt if it can kill a boar or whatever.

She can also legally sell it at any time at an FFL, or transfer it privately (no paperwork) to any of her sons or daughters. (Or HER parents, come to think.)

[45R]

Thanks guys. She will be relieved to hear what you guys had to say. I thought along the same lines as the pistol now belongs to her but I didnt want to give her the wrong information!


THR guys are the best!!!


45R