California Update

[DAN]

There is hope!!! There is a new sheriff in town! Fresno County Calif has been one of two or three counties in the state that required "only calif Safe Guns could be on your CCW permit".

Sheriff Mims just dropped that requirement. Now Fresno County (Central Calif) CCW holders can carry any legal firearm they want. As long as they demonstrate proficiency with it.

This is a big deal, for about 7 years now Fresno County CCW holders could only carry firearms that were on the Calif Safe Gun List. This is a list of guns that have passed the California safe gun test and where the manufactures have paid the fees required to get them on the list. Only guns that are on this list can be sold in Calif. by dealers.

The impact was that you could not carry your colt revolver that you have carried for 30 years because that mdl was out of production and colt could not have it tested.

I owned probably 30 handguns when this went into law and none of them were on the list except for my MDL 85 Taurus. It was ugly.
Now things are a little better.
Dan

[VegasGeorge]

Oh man, pardon my ignorance, but what the heck is a "Safe Gun." I know I could research CA law and find out for myself. But, it's so much more fun to ask you! :lol:

[DAN]

Only calif could do this.
Quick and dirty... A safe gun is a gun that is in production, has a built in locking system (auto) and is submitted to calif DOJ to be tested. The test?? Dropped from a distance, 10 feet I think Icould look it up, on the hammer or top of the frame loaded. If it doesn't fire, it is safe. there are some other requirements but they are silly also.
This was done to slow down the number of manufacturers who wanted to sell in Calif. The manuf. has to pay $3000,, again by memory. for each model tested. Each mdl includes stainless or not, each barrel length is a different model, etc.
So a gun must be on this list to be sold in Calif.
Did it work?? there are 1500 guns on the list as of 9-07. Springfield alone has 35 on the list.

[CA CCWInstructor]

Here is the actual test per Penal Code.

12127. (a) As used in this chapter, the "firing requirement for handguns" means a test in which the manufacturer provides three handguns of the make and model for which certification is sought, to an independent testing laboratory certified by the Attorney General pursuant to Section 12130. These handguns may not be refined or modified in any way from those that would be made available for retail sale if certification is granted. The magazines of a tested pistol shall be identical to those that would be provided with the pistol to a retail customer. The laboratory shall fire 600 rounds from each gun, stopping after each series of 50 rounds has been fired for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the weapon to cool, stopping after each series of 100 rounds has been fired to tighten any loose screws and clean the gun in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, and stopping as needed to refill the empty magazine or cylinder to capacity before continuing. The ammunition used shall be of the type recommended by the handgun manufacturer in the user manual, or if none is recommended, any standard ammunition of the correct caliber in new condition that is commercially available. A handgun shall pass this test if each of the three test guns meets both of the following:
(1) Fires the first 20 rounds without a malfunction that is not due to ammunition that fails to detonate.
(2) Fires the full 600 rounds with no more than six malfunctions that are not due to ammunition that fails to detonate and without any crack or breakage of an operating part of the handgun that increases the risk of injury to the user.
(b) If a pistol or revolver fails the requirements of either paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (a) due to ammunition that fails to detonate, the pistol or revolver shall be retested from the beginning of the "firing requirement for handguns" test. A new model of the pistol or revolver that failed due to ammunition that fails to detonate may be submitted for the test to replace the pistol or revolver that failed.
(c) As used in this section, "malfunction" means a failure to properly feed, fire, or eject a round, or failure of a pistol to accept or eject the magazine, or failure of a pistol's slide to remain open after the magazine has been expended.

[CA CCWInstructor]

After it has been tested then it is droped per Penal Code.

12128. As used in this chapter, the "drop safety requirement for handguns" means that at the conclusion of the firing requirements for handguns described in Section 12127, the same certified independent testing laboratory shall subject the same three handguns of the make and model for which certification is sought, to the following test:
A primed case (no powder or projectile) shall be inserted into the chamber. For pistols, the slide shall be released, allowing it to move forward under the impetus of the recoil spring, and an empty magazine shall be inserted. For both pistols and revolvers, the weapon shall be placed in a drop fixture capable of dropping the pistol from a drop height of 1m + 1cm (39.4 + 0.4 in.) onto the largest side of a slab of solid concrete having minimum dimensions of 7.5 X 15 X 15 cm (3 X 6 X 6 in.). The drop distance shall be measured from the lowermost portion of the weapon to the top surface of the slab. The weapon shall be dropped from a fixture and not from the hand. The weapon shall be dropped in the condition that it would be in if it were dropped from a hand (cocked with no manual safety applied). If the design of a pistol is such that upon leaving the hand a "safety" is automatically applied by the pistol, this feature shall not be defeated. An approved drop fixture is a short piece of string with the weapon attached at one end and the other end held in an air vise until the drop is initiated.
The following six drops shall be performed:
(a) Normal firing position with barrel horizontal.
(b) Upside down with barrel horizontal.
(c) On grip with barrel vertical.
(d) On muzzle with barrel vertical.
(e) On either side with barrel horizontal.
(f) If there is an exposed hammer or striker, on the rearmost point of that device, otherwise on the rearmost point of the weapon.
The primer shall be examined for indentations after each drop. If indentations are present, a fresh primed case shall be used for the next drop.
The handgun shall pass this test if each of the three test guns does not fire the primer.

[CA CCWInstructor]

Three guns are submitted. The lab keeps one, DOJ gets one. One get returned to the mfg.

If approved, it shows up on this list.

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