CCW — Concealed Carry Weapon. A license to carry a concealed firearm on your person. (California law does not honor or recognize CCW licenses issued outside of California.)
COE — Certificate of Eligibility. A yearly certificate issued by California’s Department of Justice certifying that the certificate holder is not prohibited from acquiring or possessing firearms.
DROS — Dealer Record of Sale. The California Department of Justice, Bureau of Firearms system for conducting background checks, managing waiting periods, and registering firearms acquisitions, purchases and transfers.
FFL — Federal Firearms License, or sometimes Federal Firearms Licensee. A license issued in the United States by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives that enables an individual or a company to engage in a business pertaining to the manufacture or importation of firearms and ammunition, or the interstate and intrastate sale of firearms.
FORM 4473 — Firearms Transaction Record, or ATF Form 4473. A seven-page form prescribed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), required to be completed when a person proposes to purchase a firearm from a Federal Firearms License (FFL) holder, such as a gun dealer.
FSC — Firearm Safety Certificate. See information here
Handgun — A short-barreled firearm designed to be held and used with one or two hands. The two most common handgun sub-types in use today are revolvers and semi-automatic pistols.
Long gun — A category of firearms with long barrels. In small arms, a long gun or longarm is generally designed to be held by both hands and braced against the shoulder, e.g. rifles and shotguns.
PPT — Private Party Transfer. California law requires that all firearms purchases/transfers go through a licensed California Firearms Dealer. Two individuals can sell to one another, using the FFL as the transfer agent. (Exceptions to this requirement exist, such as Operation of Law or Intra-Familial firearm transfers.) The current state-mandated PPT fee is $37.19 + $10 per firearm (e.g. PPT fee for 3 firearms would be $67.19).
Receiver — Part of a firearm which integrates other components by providing housing for internal action components such as the hammer, bolt or breechblock, firing pin and extractor, and has threaded interfaces for externally attaching (“receiving”) components such as the barrel, stock, trigger mechanism and iron/optical sights.