BigJ, I don't think i can make this trip, but i'd me willing to tag along with you if you want to go down for another trip. I'm sure we could talk a cople other NorCal'ers into it too. Just need some advanced notice.
Its a plan 'nilla. Sounds like a blast!
PS: I just spent some good time up and around Shaver Lake. I went up there with a guy who grew up there, and he has several suggestions for some good "mountain goat" wheeling. Stuff the Raptor can fit on, for sure. I'll keep picking his brain and see what we can come up with.
So I'm up to meet up ... Only thing is what are Cali's laws on guns ?
I know my ar-15 and my 9 both had not legal for sale in Cali stickers when I bought them here in Nevada
So can I even transport them into Cali to go shooting ?
I'll keep searching the gun laws ... Otherwise I'm game to meet some other owners and have some fun in the dirt
**I am not a lawyer and I am NOT giving legal advise! I'm simply conversing. Do your own research!**
There are three issues you need to worry about: (1) Your 9, (2) your AR and (3) the magazines for either.
The magazines for any gun you bring: Unless the mags you bring are 10 rounds or less, they're illegal to bring in as complete units (its also illegal to assemble, buy, sell, give or even lend (unless you're with the person the entire time) them here). NOTE: It is NOT illegal to own or posses magazines of normal or hi capacity (11 or more rounds). It is, however, illegal to cross into California with assembled magazines of 11 or more round capacities.
So, in other words, if you get stopped literally on the border and the officer saw you cross it, you're screwed. However if you get stopped anywhere else, you are NOT violating any law by simply having them. An officer may ask where you got them, and you can decline to answer. It is his job to prove you brought them in, and under what circumstances. To my knowledge, no case has ever been brought to the California courts where an officer/prosecutor has tried to prove where and when someone aquired or assembled pre-ban magazines (at least, not as a crime on its own. I think there are plenty of cases where normal/high cap mag charges were added as enhancements to other crimes).
The 9: Assuming your 9 doesn't have a pistol grip in front of the magazine, you're good to go. Typically a not-legal-for-sale in California pistol has to do with the manufacturer's unwillingness to submit the design to California's DOJ for testing and approval (aka California requires manufacturers to pay thru the nose to be added to the approved list. Kinda like the CARB crap). "Off list" pistols are legal to own and even buy here (via private party transfer), but an FFL cannot sell them.
The AR: Your AR is another story. The Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986 guarantees you the right of safe passage through states where that firearm is illegal, but only as long as you are "just passing through" on the way to your destination. Pretty much all you can do is stop to eat, gas up, or stay the night somewhere that's not reasonably off your route. Stopping to sightsee, visit friends/family, shop or obviously shoot is a total no-no. Do any of things and its a felony.
Having said that depending on your AR's configuration, it most likely is California banned (no bullet button, I'm guessing?). To check if its legal here, you *must* do 1 and 2 or 1 and 3:
1. Make sure it is not on "THE LIST". There is a *cough* brief list of 84 weapons that are illegal specifically by name in California. Here's that list:
http://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/pdfs/firearms/infobuls/kaslist.pdf
and
2. If it's NOT on the list, then you may bring it in, as long as it does not have the capability to accept a detachable magazine. This means either
a) simply removing the magazine catch so they can't hold a magazine, or
b) replacing the magazine catch with a magazine lock that will lock the magazines in place and require a tool to detach them... aka a "bullet button" (this is a VERY hot topic these days. A ******* senator got freaked out by a CBS news report highlighting the bullet button and now has a piece of horribly written legislation working its way thru the process to ban them.)
or
3. If it's NOT on the list, and you chose to maintain its detachable magazine feature, you MUST strip all of the "assault weapon" "features" from the gun before entering the state. This includes (but is not limited to) pistol grips, flash hiders, collapsing stocks...
Aint this lovely state wonderful?