The TARFU Times

With a singular gun store remaining in business in the general Beverly Hills area of Los Angeles, those living in those swanky zip codes are heading just as fast as their limos can carry them to BeverlyHillsGuns.com.

The crush of panicked people wanting to buy guns is so severe, Beverly Hills Guns will only allow customers in by-appointment only.

As noted by reporter Melissa Koenig of London’s the Daily Mail (emphasis mine);

As Long Angeles crime spirals out of control, even some of the city’s wealthiest residents have flocked to Beverly Hills’ only gun store to buy firearms to protect themselves and their belongings.

Beverly Hills Guns first opened by appointment only in July 2020, and has seen upscale residents from Santa Monica to the Hollywood Hills increasingly in a panic following some high-profile smash and grabs and violent home invasions in recent weeks, Los Angeles Magazine reports.

Many are self-proclaimed progressives who’ve never even held a gun before, but who’ve been so spooked by soaring crime in the famously wealthy enclave that they’ve decided to arm themselves.

Some have also discussed more elaborate security measures, such as armored cars, safe rooms and bulletproof glass inside their homes, after some celebrities, including a star of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and a BET host were stalked by robbers into their homes.

Jacqueline Avant, 81, a philanthropist and the wife of music legend Clarence Avant, was also killed in a home invasion robbery and shooting earlier this month.

But over the past year, Hollywood’s total violent crime rate increased 25 percent with its homicide rate doubling, robberies up 41.6 percent and shootings up 54.2 percent over last year, Los Angeles Police Department shows.

That is higher than the crime rate in the rest of the city, which saw homicides climb 12 percent over last year, robberies up 5.3 percent and shootings up 14.8 percent.

‘Beverly Hills is definitely a target,’ said David Perez, a security expert who previously worked security in the Clinton White House and at the Pentagon.

‘We’re telling clients “Hey don’t go out with flashy jewelry. Try to keep a low profile. Instead of driving the Bentley maybe just take the SUV.”‘

Allow me to come out and say it: Those that live in Bel Air, Santa Monica, Brentwood, Laurel Canyon, Beverly Hills, Topanga Canyon, Malibu, etc., have zero idea how to keep a “low profile.”

Being inconspicuous is antithetical to these people.

But for those of us fortunate enough to live in a Red State, the good folks over at Beverly Hills Guns have posted exactly what a rat maze law abiding, decent Californians have to go through just to exercise their rights under the Second Amendment;

Buying handguns in California can be a tricky process. Here is a guide to help you take the first steps into handgun ownership.

In order to purchase a handgun, you have to complete the following steps:

1. Identification, age verification, and proof of residence
2. Firearms Safety Certificate
3. Dealer’s Record of Sale (DROS)
4. Background check / 10-day waiting period
5. Safe handling demonstration
6. Proof of ownership of a safe or lockbox, or purchase an approved Firearms Safety Device (a lock, lockbox, safe)

IDENTIFICATION, AGE VERIFICATION, AND PROOF OF RESIDENCE

You will need 2 proofs of residency, your driver’s license or ID can count as one. All documents must have the same name and address.

• California driver’s license, or ID (REAL ID – See next section if you do not have a REAL ID)
• Utility bill from within the last 3 months
• Current DMV Disabled Placard
• Current DMV Vehicle registration
• Notarized Rental/lease agreement
• Notarized Mortgage documents
• Notarized Property deeds
• CA CCW permit
• Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
• Curio & Relic (C&R) Federal Firearms License (03 FFL)

IDENTIFICATION DOES NOT MATCH RESIDENCE

If your driver’s license or ID is does not match your current residential address, then you will need two documents from the above list that are not your ID and you’ll need at least one of the following:

• Tax bill
• Vehicle Registration
• Voter Registration
• Anything issued by a Government agency showing your current address

NON-REAL ID / FEDERAL LIMITS APPLY

If your driver’s license or ID is not a “real ID” or states “Federal Limits Apply” on the top right corner of the front of the card, then you will need one of the following:

• Certified copy of your birth certificate
• Current/Valid Passport or Passport Card
• US Immigrant visa or I/94 Document
• Certificate of Naturalization or US Citizenship

PEACE OFFICERS

Peace officers, including reserve and retired peace officers, may present valid credentials issued by a California law enforcement agency in lieu of the other required residency documentation. This consideration is given to peace officers who do not want to provide documentation of their residential address for security reasons and who otherwise do not object to having their credentials copied by the firearms dealer for inclusion with the DROS record. Peace officers may have the dealer associate remove his/her residential address from the DROS transaction and include his/her agency address.

FIREARMS SAFETY CERTIFICATE

You will need to hold a valid firearms safety certificate. If you do not have one, you can generally take a test at any gun store. The test is 30 questions, and you must score at least a 75% to pass (23/30). If you fail, you can take the test again at the same place after 24 hours have passed. The test incurs a $25 fee and is valid for 5 years from the date of issuance.

There are many exemptions to needing the FSC, please see the list below:

• Military – Active Duty or Reserve
• Military – Honorably Retired (DD-214)
• Law Enforcement – Federal and State
• Retired Law Enforcement – Federal and State
• Carry Concealed Weapon (CCW) Permit Holder
• P.O.S.T. 832 PC (Firearms) Training
• Licensed Armed Security Guards

SAFE HANDLING DEMONSTRATION

Prior to releasing the firearm to you, you must complete a safe handling demonstration. This can be performed either on the day you start your paperwork, or on the day you pick up, depending on the dealer’s procedures. The dealer will perform the safe handling demonstration, and you will be asked to repeat the demonstration.

SAFE HANDLING DEMONSTRATION TIPS

• Always follow the 4 safety rules
• Try to keep the gun pointed in the safest direction possible. This means not pointing at you, not pointing at the dealer, and not pointing at other staff or patrons in the surrounding areas
• Keep your finger off the trigger, unless the demonstration warrants doing so (it should not)
• Feel free to ask questions, or ask the dealer to repeat the demonstration if you are unclear of the procedures

DEALER’S RECORD OF SALE (DROS)

At this stage, the dealer will start your paperwork, collect and verify all documents, make copies, and take a thumb print. Both you and the dealer will be filling out relevant parts on the form 4473, which is an ATF document. In California, the DROS fee is currently $37.19. This fee is paid on top of any sales taxes and does not include the $25 FSC test if one is needed.

DROS NOTES

• Your DROS will be sent to the CA DOJ for processing.
• The DROS will be used to run your background check.
• The DROS will also serve as your “registration”. The DOJ will make a registration entry based on the information from your DROS
• You may only DROS ONE new firearm within 30 days
• You may DROS multiple firearms on one DROS fee (in this case, PPT firearms)

BACKGROUND CHECK / 10 DAY WAITING PERIOD

Although it may only take a few minutes to run a background check, California imposes a waiting or “cool off” period of 10 days. This is 10, 24-hour periods that must pass before you can take possession of your firearm. You have 30 days from the time of the sale, or when the DROS is submitted to pick up your firearm. That means you have 20 days after your initial pick up date, otherwise the sale is cancelled, and you will need to start a new DROS process.

BACKGROUND CHECK / 10-DAY WAIT NOTES

• Be mindful of your dealer’s hours, make sure they are open on your pick up date
• Allow for a full 240-hour period from the date and time marked on your DROS paperwork. A dealer cannot release the firearm until the DOJ has cleared the background check, and a full 240 hours have elapsed
• During times of panic or high-demand, these checks have been known to be extended to an unknown amount of time.