I just put my house on the market. I am officially moving out of California. I will soon be a Wyomingite. This is a bittersweet move; I’m leaving many good friends that I love and respect behind. People who share my love of firearms and cherish their gun rights. But I’m not abandoning them. My attempts to help the residents of California gain more rights and freedom won’t cease once I move . . .
I will still donate to California Rifle and Pistol Association, the gun rights group on the front lines against the fascist politicians and crazy liberals demanding more and more of residents’ firearms freedom. I will still write about my experiences in California, shedding light on what the Golden State has done to its gun owners. Knowledge is power, right? Speaking of which, let’s do the math . . .
My family will be saving over $600 a month in taxes. That’s an enormous expense in an expensive state. When it comes to guns, California dings you every way you turn. For starters, here’s a rundown (from the state website) of what you have to pay the state to purchase a firearm in California:
The total state fee is $25. The DROS [Dealer Record of Sale] fee is $19.00 which covers the costs of the background checks and transfer registry. There is also a $1.00 Firearms Safety Act Fee and a $5.00 Safety and Enforcement Fee. In the event of a private party transfer (PPT), the firearms dealer may charge an additional fee of up to $10 per firearm. If the transaction is not a PPT the dealer may impose other charges as long as this amount is not misrepresented as a state fee. When settling on the purchase price of a firearm, you should ask the dealer to disclose all applicable fees.
There are fees and regulations for just about everything gun related. For example, if you give a handgun to your spouse, “the recipient must obtain a Handgun Safety Certificate prior to taking possession and must also submit a Report of Operation of Law or Intra-Familial Handgun Transaction, pdf and $19 fee to the DOJ within 30 days after taking possession. The same rules apply to the return of the firearm at a later date.”
I’ve written here about the costs and hassle associated with obtaining and maintaining a California concealed handgun license, which doesn’t “allow” open carry. In my new home state, there’s no permit or fees for residents who wish to open or conceal carry a firearm. I can buy any gun I want and leave the store with it. No literacy test-like pre-purchase “training,” no tyrannical waiting time, no registration or dictatorial list of guns I’m allowed to buy.
Again, I’m not giving up on California. I know that the gun owners in California aren’t the ones making the laws. To say they “deserve” less freedom because the live inside a certain state isn’t fair; they’re vastly outnumbered. Some people have no choice but to stay “behind enemy lines.” It’s in everyone’s interest to take the fight to the enemy. If you give up on an anti-gun state simply because you don’t live there, don’t be surprised when the anti-gun virus spreads from its borders.