Perhaps the most important thing to know is this: It’s perfectly legal for a police charity to raffle off a semiautomatic rifle and a semiautomatic pistol.

Whether it’s entirely appropriate, however, may be another story.

Several deputy sheriffs’ associations – including those in Orange County and San Diego – sold tickets for the rifle raffle on behalf of another organization (one ticket for $5, five tickets for $20). The grand prize: An AR-15 rifle which, in some incarnations in years past, fell under the federal assault weapons ban, and was on the failed 2013 Assault Weapons Ban’s no-no list.

Second prize: A Beretta 92FS pistol, which one gun broker describes as “the most trusted and tested personal defense weapon in history … with a short recoil, delayed blowback system for faster cycle times, exceptional accuracy and greater reliability.”

Some law enforcement officials have expressed extreme discomfort with the availability of semiautomatic weapons, saying they’re the weapons of choice for gang members and drug dealers, and are all too often used against police officers.

The deputy sheriffs’ associations were just middlemen here, though, helping promote ticket sales for the charity running the auction. That charity is the new-ish California Fraternal Order of Police Foundation, founded in 2010, which lists a Santa Ana address on its tax returns.

Its main mission: To establish and maintain a peace officer memorial fund to commemorate slain peace officers, and to assist the families of slain police officers suffering from serious medical conditions, according to filings with the Internal Revenue Service.

Ticket sales for the raffle began in April, and were open to both law enforcement and the public. If a member of the public wins, however, they get the cash value of the rifle, but not the rifle itself.

We wanted to hear more, but phone calls and emails to the organization and its principals were not returned by Tuesday afternoon.

Tom Dominguez, president of the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs, said that gun raffles are not unusual in law enforcement circles, and are frequently used by hunting organizations, athletics boosters and other community associations across the country as an effective method of fundraising.

“One hundred percent of the proceeds of the California FOP Foundation raffle will help fund emergency aid to law enforcement officers and their families in a time of need,” Dominguez said in a statement. “The rifle and handgun offered as prizes are legal for any citizen to purchase and possess as long as they fulfill the requirements to purchase them under California law. As stated on the raffle flier, winners must pass the California state background check in order to collect a gun prize.”

The Sheriff’s Department itself is keeping its distance.

“AOCDS is selling tickets for this fundraiser being conducted by the Fraternal Order of Police, independent of the Sheriff’s Department,” said spokesman Lt. Jeff Hallock. “We do not have an opinion other than to acknowledge that the weapons being raffled are legal to possess.”

A quick spin through the Fraternal Order of Police Foundation’s financials shows that over its first two years, it reported revenues of $90,595. It spent $63,493, breaking down as follows:

• $32,925 for core program expenses. That’s 52 percent of spending. Charity watchdogs like to see at least 65 percent spent on programs, but new organizations often need a while to ramp up before they can hit those numbers.

• Management expenses were $9,699, or 15 percent of spending, which is about right. No one in the organization drew a salary.

• Fundraising expenses were $20,869, or 33 percent. That’s a bit high, as watchdogs like to see around 10 percent; but again, new organizations often have higher fundraising costs.

There has been some chatter over the issue online.

“Despite what the current California Attorney General, Kamala Harris’, attitudes might be, at least the California Fraternal Order of Police sees the value in firearms,” wrote user Vectrexer of Pacifica on calguns.net.

Contact the writer: tsforza@ocregister.comTwitter: @ocwatchdog