Moving to California

[George P]

I believe they restricted rifle ammo a while ago, but the upland ban is new. Perhaps some of the CA folks here can clarify.

 

[jmorris]

It’s a phased in ban.

“
In April 2015, the Fish and Game Commission adopted CDFW’s proposed regulations, which will implement the nonlead requirement in the following three phases:

• Phase 1 – Effective July 1, 2015, nonlead ammunition required when taking Nelson bighorn sheep and all wildlife on state wildlife areas and ecological reserves.
• Phase 2 – Effective July 1, 2016, nonlead shot required when taking upland game birds with a shotgun, except for dove, quail, snipe, and any game birds taken on licensed game bird clubs. In addition, nonlead shot required when using a shotgun to take resident small game mammals, furbearing mammals, nongame mammals, nongame birds, and any wildlife for depredation purposes.
• Phase 3 – Effective July 1, 2019, nonlead ammunition will be required when taking any wildlife with a firearm anywhere in California.

“

https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Nonlead-Ammunition

 

[George P]

Thanks, guess that makes using an air rifle out of the question then.....

 

[Dudedog]

Thanks, guess that makes using an air rifle out of the question then.....

There are non lead pellets available.

https://www.gamousa.com/pellets.aspx?ammoType=NL177HP

Gamo has them in .177, .22 and .25

 

[herrwalther]

Prayers upon your house. And I am not even religious.

It’s a phased in ban.

“
In April 2015, the Fish and Game Commission adopted CDFW’s proposed regulations, which will implement the nonlead requirement in the following three phases:

I remember reading about phase one in 2014 or 13. Just a gradual way to make firearms harder to use. CA just uses the line of "wildlife safety." Might as well get ahead of the curve. I remember CA talking about banning lead based ammo outright under environmental reasoning. Birds eating rounds at ranges and whatnot.

Thanks, guess that makes using an air rifle out of the question then.....

Some of the first pellets I got for my air rifle were gold. And I still have them, as I don't practice with it much. At the time I figured them for novelty. Would be a good idea to look into those.

Not to sidebar the thread but I am curious. Is it generally easier to transfer firearms in or buy new ones in state once you move there? It seems the way CA does it with approved firearm rosters that it would be easier getting new, CA legal firearms, once you are in state.

 

[BilliamB.]

You might be okay hunting with an air rifle, as most states (with the notable exception of New Jersey) do not consider them to be firearms. Check your game laws, too, as some states (Pennsylvania, for example) restrict hunting with airguns.

Naturally, you should research this more carefully, and, perhaps, query a California airgun dealer such as Mac1.

 

[danez71]

Not to sidebar the thread but I am curious. Is it generally easier to transfer firearms in or buy new ones in state once you move there? It seems the way CA does it with approved firearm rosters that it would be easier getting new, CA legal firearms, once you are in state.

It's pretty much the same.

 

[rsrocket1]

Whether they will have checkpoints on Donner Summit, I doubt it; but one never knows.

Right now, all they do at Donner Summit is ask if you brought any fruits or plants into CA (as if we don't already have enough of those already). They don't ask anything about firearms although one time I saw them pull over a pickup truck filled with aluminum cans in clear plastic trash bags. I think they broke up a clandestine CA CRV smuggling ring that day.

If you are moving into the state, buy every handgun you can afford now even if it means taking out loans. Even ones on the roster are often sold for as much as a new one and if it's off-roster, especially the "latest and greatest", you can try it out, shoot it, and still sell it for many hundreds more than what you paid for (or "change your mind about the gun" and sell it as new for an even higher premium).

 

[Dudedog]

Here is a link to the list of approved handguns,
what you can purchase new from a dealer

https://www.oag.ca.gov/firearms/certguns

https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/regulations


http://www.eregulations.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/18CABG-LR2.pdf
(page 39) snip below
So yes no lead in certain areas