How to Buy your First Handgun in California

I just bought my first gun and thought I would share the process. I will list everything I had to do. I ordered my gun from www.budsgunshop.com

It is important to lookup the laws in your city and county because each are different. This guide is meant to give you an idea of what you may need to do in your county. If you want to buy a gun online you need to check if it is legal in California. California has laws such as magazines that have a capacity higher than 10 rounds are illegal and so on. If you aren't sure the gun you want is CA legal ask customer service or just pick out a gun at an actual local gun shop.

What to do first
Before anything else just go to a gun shop and shoot some guns. You can simply walk in and rent guns to shoot without having to get any background checks or permits. You just need your ID to prove your age. Shooting at a range will cost about $50 in total with the gun rental, eye/ear protection, targets, and ammo.

How much money you will end up spending
-I spent a total of $500 (not including ammo or shooting at the range) so $500 for the gun, accessories, and all fees
-Handguns range from usually $300-$1000 and up
-Ammunition which varies in cost by caliber. The .22 ammo I got cost $10 for a box of 100 rounds. 9mm Ammo is $10 for 50 rounds. (Ammo is usually cheaper online than in a gun store). Ammo can be delivered to your house.
-All of the accessories add up to around $100 or a few hundred if you get a big gun safe. Gunbag, ear protection, cleaning kit, gun lock or safe, and eye protection plus anything else you may want to get like a laser, flashlight attachments etc.
-Fees will depend on where you go. The arms dealer in my city has its own pricing for certain things. If you buy your gun online you will need to choose a dealer to have it shipped to. The dealer I chose charges $50 for the transfer, $25 for the FSC card, $25 for the CA Background check (DROS).

Things you have to do
-Either go to a gun store or find an FFL (Federal Firearms License) dealer if you buy online (buds had a list of FFL dealers). The FFL dealer should be able to take care of everything you need to do.
-Have a California drivers license or California ID card to prove you live in California. Or something else that proves your current residence, like a utility bill.
-Be at least 21 years old to get a handgun. I believe it's 18 for a rifle/shotgun.
-Get an FSC card (Firearm Safety Certificate) This is a 30 question written test https://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/firearms/forms/hscsg.pdf?
-Get a background check
-Have the time to fill out a few forms and get your thumb finger printed
-Get a safe handling form where you demonstrate you can safely operate a gun. (I haven't done this yet but I think I'm going to when I go to pick up the gun.
-If you want to carry a concealed handgun on your person you need to Apply for a License to Carry a Concealed Weapon (CCW) You can find these on your counties sheriff website and usually at a gun shop. The gun shop I went to charges $65 for the CCW class which is required. Depending on what county you live in you will need to list what your reason is for having a concealed weapon a "good cause". Most counties simply require you to put for personal protection. Other less 'Merica counties have a more difficult process as you can see on the map below.

The gun I got
I got a Walther Arms 5120338 P22 Military California Pistol 22 LR 3.42
I got this because this was also the first airsoft gun I ever bought. It's cheap and is a decent gun to learn with because it's a .22 caliber so it is easier to shoot with than guns that have a higher caliber. The ammo is also cheap which makes it a good gun to shoot for fun. It's also good to let your beginner friends and family use. I've gone shooting a few times before but haven't actually practiced enough to have honed any shooting skills. I will be sure to get a higher caliber for the next gun I get since .22 guns aren't typically recommended for personal defense.

Now I am waiting 10 days for the background check to be completed. After the 10 days I will be able to pick up my gun.