California Gun Laws

[Jericho_223]

Ok, this is going to be a bit of a doosie. My girlfriend and I may end up in California so she can go to grad school. The question is- will I be able to keep my Beretta Cx4? It currently has all the rails on it, as well as a light and fore grip. I know that the gun laws in California are pretty strict, and I guess I want to know if I should plan on selling my Cx4 before I move or what. I'd really like to keep it, since it's a sweet little carbine! California's laws are the same reason why I haven't bothered to convert my Saiga .223 yet, since as I understand it they're California legal in their stock condition, and I really don't want to install a bullet button. Stupid laws.... so, any thoughts?

 

[BJ Orange]

California ain't so bad. There are a few annoying rules, but you can tell from the fact that more guns are bought and sold in California than any other state that it has a thriving firearms community.

Because your semiauto rifle has a detachable magazine AND at least one of the evil features (a pistol grip), it is illegal. To circumvent this, see if the bullet button option is available for your rifle. It probably is somewhere. Although this flowchart was meant for AR-15s, it still applies for all such black rifles. You can also find a plethora of information on calguns.net.

EDIT: On second inspection, if your semiauto, centirefire rifle is less than 30", it might not be legal anyway. Have a friend hold on to it while you live in California or sell it to fund a legal AR purchase.

 

[Ar180shooter]

Maybe sell the Cx4 and pick up a Ruger Police Carbine or Marlin Camp Carbine? Should be Cali legal (I'm not 100% on this), but still do about the same thing.

 

[Jericho_223]

I never considered going the route of selling the Cx4 to fund an AR or a mini-14. Those are both pretty good options, considering the circumstances. Mainly I just don't want to get rid of the Cx4, may end up just leaving it with my father, who will probably stay in upstate NY forever! OK, thanks a lot for the info guys!


How about Oregon? Is the Cx4 legal there? I tried looking around for an answer but I have a bit of a hard time navigating the legalese... thanks in advance!

 

[Sheepdog1968]

The highroad.org has a sticky on the main page with a flow chart that will let you know if legal or not

 

[firesky101]

PRK arms in fresno and visalia always has cx4's on their tables at gunshows. They do require a bullet button, but it is easily installed/uninstalled. The other option is to use some kydex to fashion an extended cover for your pistol grip that makes it look more like a traditional stock in profile. I had never seen this work around till a gunshow last year. I thought it was pretty cool. Also make sure you don't have a "flash hider" they are evil, "compensators/muzzle brakes" are fine though.

 

[Quiet]

The Beretta CX4 can be made CA legal.

There are two methods of doing so.

1. Fixed magazine.
Add stock spacers so that the overall length is 30" or greater.
Install a maglock + 10 round or less magazine.

2. Featureless.
Add stock spacers so that the overall length is 30" or greater.
Attach a piece of kydex so that it fills in the thumbhole stock.

 

[Librarian]

As Quiet notes; plus remember to bring no magazines greater than 10 rounds capacity.

See also the Calguns Foundation Wiki article -- Moving to California with Firearms

 

[Black Knight]

Do you have family that you can leave the CX4 with? If you do let them keep it for you while you are in California. You could pick it up when you leave California.

 

[Jericho_223]

Do you have family that you can leave the CX4 with? If you do let them keep it for you while you are in California. You could pick it up when you leave California.

Yeah my father lives in upstate NY, and I'm sure he'd just love for me to leave the Cx4 with him for a while! Haha! He really loves the rifle and has a lot of fun with it! Definitely an option.

 

[ArmedLiberal]

Librarian is one of the world's foremost experts on CA Gun Law. He hangs out on Calguns.net also.
CalGuns is a great place to ask Gun Law questions.

California DOJ Bureau of Firearms

http://oag.ca.gov/firearms​

For New Residents

http://oag.ca.gov/firearms/ab991​

CalGuns Assault Weapons Flowcharts

http://calnra.com/cgi-bin/flowchart.cgi

http://www.calguns.net/caawid/hgflowchart.pdf

http://www.calguns.net/caawid/sgflowchart.pdf​

CalGuns.net

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/index.php​