AR Sponsor
Posted: 9/7/2006 7:10:36 PM EDT
|
I have been told that it is illegal to build an AR15 in CA with a detachable magazine lower. Is this correct? If so, who makes a lower without the detachable magazine well, and what parts are necessary to load it from the top? |
You can build an AR15 with a detachable magazine if it does not have a combination of features:
Read the CA DOJ's Assault Weapon definition here: www.ag.ca.gov/firearms/regs/genchar2.htm |
| You can get a prince 50 kit for $20. It replaces the stock mag release button with one that you can insert a long grub screw. With the screw inserted you cannont depress the magazine release and it is then "locked" in place. To load the gun you simply have to push the rear take down pin and flip the top of the gun up. You can then load the magazine, close the top and push the pin back. It's really not that much of a hassle if you are only target shooting. If you go out of state with the gun you can remove the grub screw and the magazine release will then function normally. This way you get the best of both worlds. The other less popular option I have seen is to replace the pistol grip with and unconventional non-pistol grip, in which case you can have removeable magazines. |
I'd be a little careful about buying one of these for a CA build at this point. It seems DOJ has sort of modified their position on this and now considers "temporarily modified" (as in a simple mag release lock that can be removed) to be the same as having a detachable magazine. Using a mag lock, then building your AR as normal with any of the banned features will result in an illegal AW. Pinning the mag in place through the receiver wall is still legit, but using hex key set screws in the mag release is not the same anymore. Read this... http://www.ag.ca.gov/firearms/forms/pdf/AWpolicyrev4.pdf It seems pinning or welding the mag in place, or using a receiver with a closed mag well, like the FAB-10, are your only options for actually building the gun. |
So that would mean that in california you could have a normal AR15 with a detachable magazine as long as it had a fixed stock and a non threaded barrel (no muzzle devices). So what's the deal with everyone talking about this CA legal crap? Do people really want a flash hider that bad that they put a 10 round magazine and fix it with a screw? That is really stupid IMO. |
That also means no pistol grip, which is the biggest problem. If you leave the detchable magazine in place, you cannot have a pistol grip. There are some non-pistol grip products out there that supposedly qualify, but they are more of a burden than having a fixed magazine. I think people would be happy leaving out the threaded muzzle and folding stock if they could at least fire the weapon with a normal grip, but that's not the case either. |
From the rules, it states that 1) you can have a semi automatic centerfire rifle with a detachable magazine AND any one of the following. The "any one of the following" that I was including was the A) pistol grip. No thumbhole stock, folding/telescoping stock, flash hider, grenade launcher, or forward grip. So that should be completely legal. And you should be able to shoot it normally like any other AR. AR's dont come standard with grenade launchers, thumbhole stocks or forward grips so you dont have to worry about that. However, telescoping stocks and flash hiders are usually standard on carbine AR's, so make sure you have a fixed stock and no flash hider and you should be straight with the law to have a detachable magazine and pistol grip assuming I understand this correctly. edit: Oh wait, I see that having a detachable magazine AND any of the following means that it is an assault weapon. My bad. Yes, the only way to fix that is to make the magazine fixed I guess... which really sucks. I thought it was saying that it's legal as long as you have a detachable magazine and only 1 of the other things. |
You got it. CA is far worse than the old federal AW ban. |
|
Vulcan sells a CA-Legal lower that has the magazine PINNED/WELDED in place. Stripped lowers are very legal right now in CA. Problem is, once you build it out, you just built out an "assault weapon". :( that damn thumbhole stock part is a pain. Becuase JP make a nice thumbhole stock but it's a no-no with that detach mag well. |
| Call DD's Ranch or ColdWarShooters and they will have a list of FFL's on file for you to choose from. As long as you get a kit like the Prince50 (available at tenpercentfirearms.com) it will be legal. There is a difference between what is actually law and what the DOJ has unoffically said through memos. Until the law actually changes, the Prince50 kit is legal as defined by the law. Hope this helps. Also be sure to check out calguns.net for all CA legal info regarding AR's. |
AR Sponsor