I live in CA, which has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation. I would like to purchase a used handgun from a private party in another state. I understand that this person would have to take the gun to a licensed dealer, who then contacts the DOJ for authorization to ship the gun into CA. A licensed dealer receives the gun, charges about 0, and I then have to go through the 10-day waiting period, etc. etc….

My question is this. What would happen if someone decided to circumvent all of that hastle and the seller simply packaged the gun and sent it directly to the buyer’s home without going through the proper channels? My wife claims that this is done all of the time, that in fact a relatively significant percentage of firearms are transferred this way. Not that I’m intent on doing this, but I’m curious as to 1) how widespread this practice is 2) how likely it is that one or both parties will get caught 3) what the penalty would be for such a thing.
Note: It’s not that I need a gun so badly. I already own a 12-guage shotgun, have five children in the house and am a safety fanatic. I was just wondering what the consequences would be if one did not go through the proper channels.

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