this procedure would be completely legal from several points, but has pitfalls.-your friend buys the pistol and completes all the paperwork in the jurisdiction in which he lives/buys the firearm. when the firearm is transfered to you it must be done through an ffl. for all practical purposes what happens is as far as the paperwork is concerned, he 'transfers' the firearm to the ffl in your state. the ffl then 'transfers' the firearm to you in accordance with all state, local, and federal law. if i were you my concern would be Kalifornia's illegal gun laws. if you don't have the funds to fight them in court i would suggest finding a servicemaster in-state. even if you jump through the hoops for the feds Kali may still screw you. does Kali's 'approved'list have the colt commander and clones listed? if not and the law says 'no importation' into the state except for law enforcement of military, you and your friend are legally screwed if you bring one into the state and Kali acts on it.