ATF Worries California Officers Illegally Selling Guns

[livingston]

ATF Worries California Officers Illegally Selling Guns
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is concerned that California police officers are acquiring “off-roster” guns, then “illegally” selling them.
Officers can take advantage of an exemption allowing them to purchase guns that law-abiding citizens are not allowed to buy–“if they passed a three-day basic firearms training course [to be] covered under the exemption.” On the other hand, law-abiding citizens are limited to a roster of California-approved handguns.


The ATF is concerned that officers are acquiring the “off-roster” weapons, then selling them for profit.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the ATF’s concern came to the forefront with the recent seizure of two truckloads of guns from Pasadena Police Department Lt. Vasken Gourdikian. Although Gourdikian has not been charged, “federal records show investigators seized 57 firearms from the home, including pistols, rifles and shotguns.” The Los Angeles Times reports the weapons were “worth tens of thousands of dollars.”

The Union-Tribune reports the ATF views the possibility of California police officers acquiring “off-roster” guns to sell on the side as an “emerging problem.”
ATF Worries California Officers Illegally Selling Guns

 

[livingston]

California law that lets cops buy 'off-roster' guns expanded to include more in law enforcement
ne day in February, agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives searched a home on a quiet street in the Los Angeles County city of Sierra Madre, and left with enough guns to fill two trucks.

The home was owned by Pasadena police Lt. Vasken Gourdikian, the department’s spokesman and former top aide to the chief. Federal records show investigators seized 57 firearms from the home, including pistols, rifles and shotguns.


The search also led to a letter six weeks later from the head of the ATF field office to police agencies across California, warning them of an “emerging problem” of police officers who may be illegally selling guns.

The search and letter have shined a light on a little-known provision of the state’s gun control measures that allows peace officers to buy weapons the general public can’t.
Public Safety News: Fires, Police Reports & Crime - San Diego Union Tribune

 

[livingston]

California's incredible shrinking handgun roster turns 15
California’s incredible shrinking handgun roster turns 15
1/06/16
The list of handguns approved for sale in California continues to decline at a steady rate as no new guns are added due to microstamping requirements and older guns are removed.

California’s Unsafe Handgun Act, which includes a roster of handguns that meet the state’s expansive safety requirements was established Jan. 1, 2001, and is getting gradually smaller.

Under state law, new semi-automatic firearms sold in California must have the capability to permanently stamp shell casings fired through the gun with an identifying mark. In effect, creating a serialized shell casing that could be tracked back to the gun that fired it. However, this technology is not in a current production handgun.

Since January 2014, when the UHA roster contained 1,152 approved models, it has constricted to 741 in the past two years as legacy handguns, certified for a five-year period, cannot meet the state’s new microstamping mandate that took effect in 2013 and fall off the list. In 2008, the number of guns on the roster stood at over 1,400.

This month no less than 80 guns to include several models of Colt’s M1991, a dozen Sig Sauer P-series variants, a whole page of Springfield XDs and the last two Ruger semi-autos on the list — the discontinued P95/KP95 pistols — all passed their certification period and were subsequently removed.

Worse, the list of guns recently added is blank as manufacturers to include Ruger and Smith & Wesson have declined to re-submit any of their guns following the addition of the microstamping requirement.

“California’s handgun roster and microstamping laws are a nothing short of a ban on safe, modern firearms that are commonly purchased by residents of other states for lawful purposes like self-defense,” Brandon Combs, executive director of the Calguns Foundation told Guns.com Tuesday.

 

[BerettaGuy]

FYI when they say "off roster" it does not me unregistered guns but banned guns. They don't have registration like we do in NY. Instead. they have a list of "Approved" guns. Anything not approved is off roster.

 

[MilesTeg]

FYI when they say "off roster" it does not me unregistered guns but banned guns. They don't have registration like we do in NY. Instead. they have a list of "Approved" guns. Anything not approved is off roster.

Like gen 4 Glocks, what a joke!

 

[Airborneguy]

If all goes well, this roster will be the undoing of many a gun law when it eventually is challenged at SCOTUS.

 

[MothMan]

This would never happen with NYS LEO!

 

[Marine Cpl]

What the hell does the ATF care? No federal laws are being broken assuming they sell their personal handguns they no longer want.

 

[Acer-m14]

its all legal , NYPD was handing out permits and making a buck or 2 ..

 

[spat]

What the hell does the ATF care? No federal laws are being broken assuming they sell their personal handguns they no longer want.

If that's all it is.

The accusation makes it more of a "side business" sort of thing, which would require an FFL, and following CA's asinine rules.

If they were buying them with the intention of reselling them, that is the question. Could be an issue of straw purchases as well, if they were taking "orders" for what to buy.