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Posted: 2/2/2006 10:52:32 AM EDT
Does anyone know if a declared Assault Rifle must still have a barrel length of 16"?  I'm assuming that an AR with a barrel less than 16" must be registered not as a rifle, but as a handgun or short rifle?
Link Posted: 2/2/2006 11:38:29 AM EDT
[#1]
Barrel length less then 16" will be consider short barrel rifle. Bill W. has point out that you can't register it as handgun because all handgun are subject to CA DOJ safety test. As for SBR, good luck getting a permit if you are not in the movie industry. Bottom Line: registered AW is NOT SBR, change to barrel shorter then 16" you will have both DOJ and ATF knocking on your door, making you a roommate, perhaps girlfriend of Bubba.
Link Posted: 2/2/2006 11:39:33 AM EDT
[#2]
Yes, it does, not because of state AW law, but because of federal NFA requirements.
Short-barreled rifles (SBR's) are next to impossible to obtain legally in CA.
And you can't register it as a handgun because it's not on the approved handgun list.
Link Posted: 2/2/2006 11:43:06 AM EDT
[#3]
All rifles in CA must have a minimum 16" barrel length, whether or not they are AWs, semiautos or bolt guns, etc.

Barrels shorter than 16" are short-barreled rifles (SBRs) and require special Federal permission/tax stamp - but more importantly are also essentially illegal in CA without special permission which you'll never get (just like machineguns, etc.)   Bottom line, you can't have an SBR in CA.  

IIRC, I believe there's a 26" min overall length for rifles too.

But in CA, any semiautomatic rifle with an overall length less than 30" is considered an assault weapon - regardless of features, regardless of presence/absence of detachable magazine.

As for pistol, don't try it.  Even if you have a receiver that ATF allows to be considered a pistol since it was not built into a rifle yet ("once a rifle, always a rifle") it's illegal to build untested/unapproved 'unsafe handguns'.   You can't make your own handguns in CA with the exception of certain single-action revolvers and, starting 2006, certain single-shot pistols - otherwise you've violated PC 12125.


Bill Wiese
San Jose CA


Link Posted: 2/2/2006 12:00:31 PM EDT
[#4]
OAL for rifles is 26", 16" BBL.

OAL for centerfire semiauto in CA is 30" otherwise it is an assault weapon.

If you have a registered assault weapon, you may make it 16" BBL minimum OAL 26"
Link Posted: 2/2/2006 12:11:44 PM EDT
[#5]
Link Posted: 2/4/2006 10:05:36 AM EDT
[#6]
If you threw on a longer barrel and made it over 30", does that change anything??hinking.gif
Link Posted: 2/4/2006 4:46:13 PM EDT
[#7]
What about a Mini-14 with a Choate M-14-style muzzle brake?

Barrel was cut so that when brake is pinned on, the barrel is 17" and total O.A.L.
is about 38".???



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