Gifting a shotgun to family in California

[CarlMc]

My son and his wife are living in San Diego, and I live in Washington State. He mentioned getting a HD shotgun the other day to me in a brief conversation, then I realized there was a lot of things to consider (which I told him to go look up.) Later he changed his mind, but I starting thinking about getting them a shotgun as a gift.

Here are the challenges:
He's in the service, living off base.
His wife is short. Really short. Tiny is a good choice of words. He can probably shoot most anything I put in his hands, so she's the main criteria.
They live in an apartment in San Diego, CA.

My thought was to get them an inexpensive youth model 20 ga with the longest magazine I can get and the shortest barrel. Pistol grip would be nice, but I'm not sure about California's laws in that regard, despite having done some research.

Should I get him one locally and bring it to him and his wife in CA next time we I go on a road trip, what are the California specific processes I need to jump through?

Does anyone have any suggestions for models that would be legal for them? What do most SoCal bases have for rules about off-base firearms in private homes, and how all that plays in with California's gun laws?

I spent a few hours trying to find information, but I'm not sure I was that much wiser when I called it a night.

Thanks!

 

[Sam1911]

Probably the easiest way is to give him the cash before you go shopping, and then go with him together to his local gun shop(s). Let him buy his new gun with the money you gave him. That avoids all the suggestions of impropriety that might arise regarding "straw purchases." It also avoids interstate transfer, which are a needless hassle here, and the guns he will see are all going to be CA legal guns that he can lawfully own.

Win, win, win.

 

[gbran]

Also, as of Jan 2014, CA registers long guns the same way they do for handguns.

 

[ArmedLiberal]

The only California shotgun limits on features are for semi-auto. If it's semi-auto it cannot have both a folding/telescoping stock and a pistol grip.

Pump action SG have no such limitations.


I'm sure a local gun store can order a 20 Gauge if they don't have in stock.


http://www.mossberg.com/products/shotguns/mossberg-500-tactical/500-special-purpose-20-gauge


This one is kinda cute.

http://www.mossberg.com/product/sho...gauge-muddy-girl-500-special-purpose-20-gauge

 

[Librarian]

Probably the easiest way is to give him the cash before you go shopping, and then go with him together to his local gun shop(s). Let him buy his new gun with the money you gave him. That avoids all the suggestions of impropriety that might arise regarding "straw purchases." It also avoids interstate transfer, which are a needless hassle here, and the guns he will see are all going to be CA legal guns that he can lawfully own.

This is probably the best plan.

California is not particularly stringent on common shotguns; Short-Barreled Shotguns are illegal to possess, and semiauto shotguns with removable magazines (eta, and as Armed Liberal notes, folding stocks plus pistol grips), are generally 'assault weapons', but neither of those seems to be under consideration here.

 

[Frank Ettin]

...Should I get him one locally and bring it to him and his wife in CA next time we I go on a road trip, what are the California specific processes I need to jump through?...

Since you and he are residents of different States federal law requires that the transfer go through an FFL. You could hand deliver it to an FFL in California for transfer, if the FFL is agreeable.

 

[CarlMc]

I'm talking to a shop somewhat local to him, and it's apparent that having them provide the shotgun makes a lot of sense logistically and so on. Now to find training for both of them (separately) and to decide if low recoil 12ga is better than a 20 ga shotgun in the big picture (long term ammo cost, for example.)

 

[Sheepdog1968]

Probably the easiest way is to give him the cash before you go shopping, and then go with him together to his local gun shop(s). Let him buy his new gun with the money you gave him. That avoids all the suggestions of impropriety that might arise regarding "straw purchases." It also avoids interstate transfer, which are a needless hassle here, and the guns he will see are all going to be CA legal guns that he can lawfully own.

Win, win, win.

Before my wife and were married. I bought her a gift card at a local gun store one Christmas. Just made things easier.

 

[g.willikers]

Yeah, unless you're going to hide it in a cake and send it for Christmas, just keep it simple and send him the money to buy his own.
A generous check travels easier than firearms.
Why complicate things.