Type 03 FFL and COE

[elmo26]

Has anyone tried to get these 2?

was told it takes 30 days and around $152, and you can ship ammo to your house,
No 30 day wait period for multiple guns
Buy C&R direct in or out of CA

I’m mainly interested in the ammo aspect

 

[aema15]

Yes many of us have it. It's worth it. r/CAguns on Reddit has a nice step by step guide.

 

[fishlocs03]

Yea it’s really simple has been a 1 month process recently for a lot of people CaGuns on reddit has a bunch of info on it and people who can explain a bit to help.

 

[elmo26]

Yes many of us have it. It's worth it. r/CAguns on Reddit has a nice step by step guide.

Can you send me the link pls

I can order ammo from any website to my door?
I’m I still paying for the Cali taxes?

 

[cali_jazz]

Can you send me the link pls

I can order ammo from any website to my door?
I’m I still paying for the Cali taxes?

No, not any website. Many/most out of state ammo sellers will not ship to CA or only to an FFL where you will have to pay a transfer fee. But there are several who will ship to your door. This information has been discussed widely and not hard to find.

 

[Wolkenflieger]

I have my FFL03 and COE. We have a running list of who will or won't ship ammo to FFL03/COE holders.

My preferred vendor is Target Sports USA with their yearly Ammo+ membership for $99 per year.

No excise tax or bg checks, and free shipping. Order one box or a whole case without issue. Good way to try different ammo.

I also bought ammo from SuperVel and they sent it direct to my door once I sent them proof of my FFL03/COE.

 

[aema15]

Can you send me the link pls

I can order ammo from any website to my door?
I’m I still paying for the Cali taxes?

The link is in my reply. Click on the underlined "Reddit"

 

[Fidoucheiary]

Has anyone tried to get these 2?

was told it takes 30 days and around $152, and you can ship ammo to your house,
No 30 day wait period for multiple guns
Buy C&R direct in or out of CA

I’m mainly interested in the ammo aspect

Don't wait just get them. I waited years thinking about it. Should have done it in 2004 when you could still get decent priced surplus and ammo.
One of the biggest regrets in my life tbh.

 

[otatop]

The most expensive part is the live scan and you can get that done for ~$100. Then another $30 to apply for the FFL 03 and then postage to mail the application and the CLEO copy.

 

[Scubabugdiver]

I clearly see the up front cost, but are there any annual fees or hidden costs? I’m considering this myself. If you don’t buy ammo in bulk, is it worth it? And what happens if more ammo suppliers get scared of California’s laws and stop shipping to home addresses, can we let it lapse without penalties? Thanks for the information in advance….

 

[Hit Factor]

Don't wait just get them. I waited years thinking about it. Should have done it in 2004 when you could still get decent priced surplus and ammo.
One of the biggest regrets in my life tbh.

Prop 63 didn’t go into effect until July of 2019.

 

[gorgothmog]

I encourage EVERYONE to at least get a COE. It will solve any firearm purchasing issues. Having a COE is basically having an "always on" Live Scan. If anything comes down the pipeline that affects your eligibility they will let you know. It's actually the only thing that's DES adjacent at the Cal DoJ that works.

 

[otatop]

If you don’t buy ammo in bulk, is it worth it?

Not really tbh, you have to save at least $130 over what you'd usually spend to break even, and then if you get something like Ammo+ that's another $100 to offset.

Depending on what you buy though you can get much better deals, to use Bass Pro pricing as a comparison they sell 20 rounds of 9mm Federal HST for $32.99+11% FET+$5 background check, Ammo+ gets you 50 rounds for $32.19.

 

[Scubabugdiver]

I could probably look this up myself, but I think you hit the nail on the head with a $99 membership fee from Target Sports USA. How does that equal free shipping? I’d have to do the math, but I don’t know how many shipments of bulk ammo you’d have to buy it to break even. Does it come with any other perks?

 

[otatop]

You also get an 8% discount and they send you an ammo can, 50 rounds of 9mm, and some other miscellaneous goodies when you join. I think the shipping is usually ~$12 per order but I skipped straight to Ammo+ so I'm not sure.

It's worth it for me because I can buy a box or two of different types of ammo and have it delivered to my door, I'm not sure if I'll get my $230 worth but so far after a couple of orders I think I've saved at least $50.

 

[NapalmCheese]

You renew the COE yearly, thats $22.00/year and you have to upload pictures of your RealID.

You renew the 03FFL every three years, that's another $35.00 I think.

So that's about $32.00/year and now you have to stay on top of it and remember to renew. If all you're doing is buying ammo I'd say it's not worth it.

If you use it for it's intended purpose of collecting firearms (and especially if you travel out of state), it is worth it. I wouldn't want to spend any time dealing with government bureaucracy if I was only buying ammo when I could spend that time and effort having some shop transfer it to me in bulk and they can deal with the state and federal governments.

Unless your intention is to buy 1000 rounds of 9mm and post "Oh man having my 03 and COE is totally worth it, suck it plebs that have to buy stuff at the store" that is, even if thats probably not cost effective.

 

[psun786]

Not really tbh, you have to save at least $130 over what you'd usually spend to break even, and then if you get something like Ammo+ that's another $100 to offset.

Depending on what you buy though you can get much better deals, to use Bass Pro pricing as a comparison they sell 20 rounds of 9mm Federal HST for $32.99+11% FET+$5 background check, Ammo+ gets you 50 rounds for $32.19.

This. Whether it’s worth it depends on how much you shoot and in what calibers. For people who only go through a box or two of 9mm each month, it’s probably not worth the extra cost and effort. However, having the ability to order online gives you access to a much wider selection of calibers and types of ammunition.

 

[Wolkenflieger]

It's not just the ability to buy ammo but the convenience of expedited free shipping and having it delivered to your door with no FFL involvement or transfer fees, and no background check or associated fees.

Before, I'd order ammo and hope the LGS's distributor had it in stock, wait for the call that it was delivered to the FFL (if they could get it in a reasonable time frame), drive to LGS, pay transfer fee and background check fee, then haul it out to the car and drive home.

All the while I knew my LGS was not happy about selling ammo ordered online versus what they had in-stock because they make most of their profit from ammo sales. However, they don't stock 124gr and that's what I like to shoot, and my preferred brand is Sellier & Bellot because I'm a CZ fan. Most places don't stock S&B locally, especially not 124gr.

With my Ammo+ membership I can buy a single box of 147gr or some other brand to try it out and I still get free shipping. I can buy in bulk knowing it's rhe cheapest and most efficient delivery method to my door. Plus no ammo background check because the COE renders it moot.

The takeaway is that the FFL03/COE offers one freedom of choice and the highest level of efficiency and convenience, and I'm not limited to Target Sports USA.

 

[FriedChickies]

Has anyone tried to get these 2?

was told it takes 30 days and around $152, and you can ship ammo to your house,
No 30 day wait period for multiple guns
Buy C&R direct in or out of CA

I’m mainly interested in the ammo aspect

Pretty much most of us have it on here I’d reckon, especially if you’re an invested and seasoned shooter. The convenience it provides is unmatched

 

[joefrank64k]

They (03+COE) also exempt you from the new 3-in-30 law (previously exempted you from the 1-in-30 until it was enjoined).

You still get a nice discount at Brownells (not on everything, but when it applies it's often surprisingly generous)