Anyone know how to get a handgun without a license in CA?

[BattleditOut]

First, apologies if this topic is not allowed, I'm not sure if there are rules about posting this type of thing. Anyway, I'm in northern ca and I'm thinking of jumping but the required height is petrifying to me.

I have an illness that I have been battling with and would like to have a quick, easy way to exit if it comes to it. A handgun would be perfect. If anyone knows or can help me procure one in SF Bay area I would be highly appreciative.

 

[ArtVandelay]

You need a firearm safety certificate in order to legally purchase a handgun in California. You should be able to apply and take the written test at most gun dealerships. I wouldn't recommend acquiring one illegally...you would probably face significant jail time if caught.

 

[NOT]

I thought that in US you can buy a gun over the internet. 2nd amendment, greatest country in the world type of stuff.

 

[TheGoodGuy]

From a gun show or private seller then you don´t need a license.

Also if you know people who sell drugs you could ask them? I know it seems like a stereotype but I have met a couple people who could at least get me a sawed off shotgun illegally and that is in Denmark.

 

[ArtVandelay]

I thought that in US you can buy a gun over the internet. 2nd amendment, greatest country in the world type of stuff.

When you buy a gun online, it has to be shipped to a licensed firearm dealership, not to the consumer's home. Also, the gun laws vary from state to state. States are always trying to make their own laws that challenge the US constitution. California especially.

 

[TAW122]

When you buy a gun online, it has to be shipped to a licensed firearm dealership, not to the consumer's home. Also, the gun laws vary from state to state. States are always trying to make their own laws that challenge the US constitution. California especially.

Yes, this is how I obtained my shotgun, I purchased it online and had it shipped to my state (NC) and then I picked it up at an pawn shop (which oftenly has an FFL - Federal Firearms License). When you go to pick up the weapon, you will fill out a form (ATF Form 4473, Firearms Transaction Record) and go through a federal background check, and if you pass, you get to pick up your weapon on the same day.

@BattleditOut
As far as California, I think it will be very difficult as they have their own background state via their own state database and other red tape and legal hoops to navigate. If it is possible, I would suggest relocating to a gun friendlier state, such as Arizona or Nevada.

 

[TiredHorse]

From a gun show or private seller then you don´t need a license.

In CA you do: their laws are very tight. Even private sales need to go through a licensed dealer --I discovered this when I sold a gun to my stepfather, in CA.

I thought that in US you can buy a gun over the internet. 2nd amendment, greatest country in the world type of stuff.

Despite public perceptions outside the US, there are many, many rules about purchasing guns here, and those rules vary wildly from state to state, and even within a given state. It can range from terrifyingly simple to virtually impossible. And even within that beaurocratic labyrinth, different types of guns have different purchase requirements, ranging from flintlock or cap-and-ball reproductions that yes, anyone can buy over the internet without any background check at all, to fully automatic belt-fed military long arms, which require not just a background check but a license specific to that individual weapon that must be renewed every few years.

But to address the OP directly, @ArtVandelay offers the best approach: just get your certification and go about the purchase legally. The SF Bay Area is challenging, with very restrictive laws, but not impossible, and in the end the process will be simpler and cheaper.

 

[IronTusk]

Go for a private sale in oregon or washington.

 

[NOT]

Gun was my option, but I don't know if you ever fired though. That thing is literally spitting fire. Anyways I tried to apply for a license, they asked me to do ultrasound scan, like they do to pregnant woman and wanted to draw my blood for analysis. I was eventually stuck at the psychiatrist exam, offcourse. I am gonna inherit Beretta from my father anyway, but for me gun is a last resort.

 

[housecat]

Is it not easier to get a shotgun? Those seem to have better success rates anyway.

 

[NOT]

I wouldn't dismiss it though. If you have a chance to get a piece, you get it and lock it away somewhere. But brain is unpredictable. 70 years ago if you suffered from psychosis like me they would do a lobotomy on you, removing a part of your brain that regulates behavior and you would live on. Highly unlikely that you would survive shot to the head, don't get me wrong.