Keith Lusher 09.26.25
California’s reputation as one of the nation’s most challenging states for gun ownership received further confirmation when even its own governor found the laws too complex to navigate.
The situation began during Newsom’s July appearance on “The Shawn Ryan Show,” where host Shawn Ryan, a former Navy SEAL, surprised the governor with a Sig Sauer P365-Xmacro pistol worth approximately $700.
“This is fabulous,” Newsom said during the recorded interview, holding the boxed pistol. “The last thing people would expect is that I respect this gift.”
The governor told Ryan he was “not anti-gun at all” and described himself as being “for gun safety, common sense.” He added that he was “deeply mindful and respectful of the Second Amendment and people’s constitutional rights.”
However, California Assemblyman Carl DeMaio revealed in late July that Newsom ultimately rejected the gift off-camera due to compliance issues with state regulations.
“DeMaio’s office has now learned that off-camera Newsom rejected the gift because of compliance rules and left the firearm behind in Tennessee,” according to a statement from DeMaio’s office published in the Fallbrook & Bonsall Village News.
The assemblyman’s office reported that Newsom’s team “admitted that the California anti-gun laws are so complicated that they have had to hire legal counsel to conduct a legal review.”
According to California law, transferring a firearm requires multiple steps, including a background check, obtaining a Firearm Safety Certificate, completing a Dealer Record of Sale (DROS) submission, observing a 10-day waiting period, and providing a safe storage affidavit. The process also involves special taxes and fees.
DeMaio noted the complexity of bringing the gun into California legally, saying the governor would need to navigate “the painful, bureaucratic maze he built” as the architect of many of the state’s current gun regulations.
Newsom’s spokesperson, Izzy Gardon, confirmed that the pistol would have been the first firearm registered in the governor’s name. The gift exceeded California’s $630 limit for political gifts, requiring Newsom to pay Ryan the difference if he accepted it.
During the podcast, Newsom defended California’s gun laws, arguing they have helped the state achieve one of the country’s lowest rates of gun-related deaths. He expressed support for background checks and age restrictions while stating concerns about “large capacity magazines” and “weapons of war.”
The governor shared that he was raised in a household with firearms and mentioned that his father-in-law had gifted his 11-year-old son a rifle, calling it “a point of pride” and noting the emotional attachment it created between his son and grandfather.
Gun rights advocates criticized Newsom’s handling of the situation. Sam Paredes, executive director of Gun Owners of California, called the incident “the height of hypocrisy” and said it demonstrated how difficult California has made it to own firearms legally.
The Sig Sauer P365-Xmacro is a popular concealed carry pistol that Ryan told Newsom was “California compliant.” Despite this assurance, the transfer process proved too complicated for the governor’s office to complete without professional legal guidance.
DeMaio sent letters to both U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and California Attorney General Rob Bonta requesting assistance to help Newsom comply with the state’s gun laws, though it remains unclear whether the governor intends to pursue the transfer.
The incident has drawn attention to the complexity of California’s firearms regulations, which critics argue have made legal gun ownership unnecessarily burdensome even for the state’s highest elected official.
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