PPS in California?

[tbryntesen]

New member, but I've been skulking around for a while reading the forums. Got interested in the Walther PPS & went to my local gun shop, in San Diego, & low & behold, was told they weren't selling them in California yet. Something about Walther paying Cal government for the privilege of selling in CA. What's that about?

 

[modifiedbrowning]

CA has a silly requirement about testing pistols to make sure that they are "not unsafe". The MFG has to pay the state to test the pistol for them. Maybe Walther (and S&W) is smart enough not to pay CA's extortion fee.
BTW, checkout www.waltherforums.com , plenty of good info there.

 

[Zoogster]

CA extorts an annual fee from all gun manufacters who wish to sell thier product in CA. The scam is that it is done for "safety" purposes. The law however came into effect to prevent the selling of cheap guns which were easily available to low income individuals and therefore widely used by criminals because they were the guns they would come across most to steal (as many of thier victims live with them in low income areas.)

So to prevent the selling of these cheaper guns CA set requirements that such firearms at bargain prices will not meet, even those that were quite safe to the user.

The result though is that manufactuers only list thier most commonly sold models or those that there is a big market for. To pay a yearly annual fee and go through the procedures for a gun unlikely to sell much especialy if they have another model available for the consumer is not done.

This "approved firearms list" also has the requirements change every time some new lawmaker thinks extra restrictions can "reduce crime" or at least reduce gun purchases or ownership and others are gullable enough to buy it.

The only way to avoid additional new requirements is to already have the gun on the approved list and continue to pay a yearly extortion fee to keep it on the list. Otherwise it falls off the list and then must meet these new requirements, some of which would require a redesign of the pistol to meet.

Some of the new requirements in addition to the original ones include a magazine disconnect so the firearm cannot fire a round in the chamber without the magazine inserted, a chamber indicator to externaly show when it is loaded, and starting in 2010, microstamped capability to imprint miniature numbers on every cartridge fired.

So if the firearm you are interested does not come with the mag disconnect feature (which it is better without since that can be one more thing to go wrong, and who wants to not be able to defend themselves with one in the pipe while changing magazines or having the mag get disconected in a scuffle) or a loaded chamber indicator (so idiots can treat guns like they are not loaded because the idiot button says it is safe) then that firearm can no longer be put on the approved list even if the manufacturers are willing to pay the extortion fee.

 

[Quiet]

Link to see what's on the CA "approved" list.

http://certguns.doj.ca.gov/

 

[denfoote]

Now, if Walther wants to sell in California, they are going to have to modify every pistol with that silly "microstamping" BS in addition to all the other BS they have to do to get that "privilege".

Look for all the gun makers to tell Kali to "F.O."!!!!

I understand Glock has already done just that!!

Good luck getting your hands on one!!

 

[Quiet]

The microstamping requirement doesn't go into effect until 2010.

So, anything on the "approved" list prior to 2010 can still be legally sold by a CA FFL.

The magazine disconnect and loaded chamber indicator is what went into effect this year.

So, any pistol submitted to CA DOJ for testing must have a loaded chamber indicator and a magazine disconnect in order for it be be eligible for testing.

 

[crazed_ss]

Exactly.

As a result, we most likely wont get the PPS here.

 

[mekender]

ive seen em on gunbroker advertised as both the CA model and regular model... silly marketing ploys...

 

[tbryntesen]

thanks for all the info, even if it is depressing as hell.

 

[230RN]

From their search window:

Select a manufacturer [or all] from the drop-down menu, then click FIND.
There are 1320 models in the database.

That ought to be plenty for anyone.

I'm amused that they specify "blue" in several of the carbon steel models, and some specify adjustable sights:

Example (under Taurus guns):

"PT99 (Blue w/adj sight) / Blue Steel "

I wasn't aware that the gun's finish or sighting system affected the gun's safety. I must keep that in mind on my next purchase.

You learn something every day.

 

[blindluck]

week old thread, anyway....

I called Walther 2 days ago about the PPS being certified for the CA crap. The guy I spoke with said the process has already started and it generally takes months to get certified. He did not know when the the ball started rolling and was too lazy to find out.

Also, it won't apply for the "Saturday Night Special/Junk Gun" ban crap either due to it being assembled by S&W in the good ole US of A.

I think the gun started shipping to the rest of the country in August/September so hopefully we'll have them in the first few months of the new year.

 

[joe4702]

Quote:
Select a manufacturer [or all] from the drop-down menu, then click FIND.
There are 1320 models in the database.

That ought to be plenty for anyone.

It's not plenty if the particular gun or variant you want is not on the list. Also, guns from smaller manufacturers, limited editions, commemoratives, etc are not likely to get listed.

And the list is going to shrink going forward as existing models are discontinued or undergo design changes which cause them to fall off the list (and not come back on due to the mag disconnnect and/or microstamping requirement). In 20 or 30 years, I fear the list is going to be mighty short.