If you want to buy a handgun, you have to have a Handgun Safety Certificate: http://oag.ca.gov/firearms/hscinfo
Not difficult to get, but it is another bureaucratic hoop to jump through.
There is talk of requiring a certificate to purchase long guns, but I don't believe that has happened yet.
Yeah, I had to get the "safety certificate" when I bought my last handgun a few years ago. It's super simple and an untrained chimp could pass it, but you're right, it IS another bureaucratic hurdle, and if I remember right, I had to pay to get it, so it's more money to the state for anti-gun stuff.
I read up on this current ruling a bit more at CalGuns, and what I get out of it is that there are three ways to bypass the waiting period.
1) CCW permit
2) Already have purchased a gun that is in the database.
3) Cert of Eligibility AND have purchased a gun already in the database.
Which makes me wonder why #3 is even in there if you can't bypass with COE without already having a gun in the system.