Automatic knife kits > California

Posted: 9/25/2008 10:33:58 PM EDT

Do they fall under "part is part", or are they banned in Cali?

Posted: 9/26/2008 10:47:12 AM EDT

[#1]

Mags and knives have different rules.

You can purchase parts to repair a legal magazine, but I don't think there is a legal automatic knife (except for the >2" thing).

Posted: 9/26/2008 10:50:41 AM EDT

[#2]

I am referring to unassembled part kits, not a completed knife.

Posted: 9/26/2008 11:10:16 AM EDT

[#3]

Sorry, that's above my pay grade.

Posted: 9/26/2008 2:05:42 PM EDT

[#4]

Some ought to post a thread about California weapons laws and tack it to the top of this forum and make one post for each type of weapon or law.

Legal if less than 2 inches.

Knives

653k.
Every person who possesses in the passenger's or driver's area of any motor vehicle in any public place or place open to the public, carries upon his or her person, and every person who sells, offers for sale, exposes for sale, loans, transfers, or gives to any other person a switchblade knife having a blade two or more inches in length is guilty of a misdemeanor.

For the purposes of this section, "switchblade knife" means a knife having the appearance of a pocketknife, and includes a spring-blade knife, snap-blade knife, gravity knife or any other similar type knife, the blade or blades of which are two or more inches in length and which can be released automatically by a flick of a button, pressure on the handle, flip of the wrist or other mechanical device, or is released by the weight of the blade or by any type of mechanism whatsoever. "Switchblade knife" does not include a knife that opens with one hand utilizing thumb pressure applied solely to the blade of the knife or a thumb stud attached to the blade, provided that the knife has a detent or other mechanism that provides resistance that must be overcome in opening the blade, or that biases the blade back toward its closed position.

For purposes of this section, "passenger's or driver's area" means that part of a motor vehicle which is designed to carry the driver and passengers, including any interior compartment or space therein.

12020.

(a) Any person in this state who does any of the following
is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year
or in the state prison:

(1) Manufactures or causes to be manufactured, imports into the
state, keeps for sale, or offers or exposes for sale, or who gives,
lends, or possesses... any ballistic knife, any nunchaku, any metal
knuckles, any belt buckle knife, any leaded cane, any shuriken,
any lipstick case knife, any cane sword, any shobi-zue, any air gauge
knife, any writing pen knife, or any instrument or weapon
of the kind commonly known as a blackjack, slungshot, billy,
sandclub, sap, or sandbag.

12001.1.
(a) Any person in this state who commercially manufactures
or causes to be commercially manufactured, or who knowingly imports
into the state for commercial sale, keeps for commercial sale, or
offers or exposes for commercial sale, any undetectable knife is
guilty of a misdemeanor. As used in this section, an "undetectable
knife" means any knife or other instrument with or without a
handguard that is capable of ready use as a stabbing weapon that may
inflict great bodily injury or death that is commercially
manufactured to be used as a weapon and is not detectable by a metal
detector or magnetometer, either handheld or otherwise, that is set
at standard calibration.

More on knives here: pweb.netcom.com/~brlevine/ca.txt

Posted: 9/26/2008 5:12:56 PM EDT

[#5]

FWIW i'll just add that the possession of a "switchblade" in California is restricted but not prohibited.

You can have as many as you want inside your house.

You can carry one in the trunk of your car.

It is only illegal to carry one on your person or in the passenger compartment of your car in public.

Punishment for a 653k conviction is usually 1-year informal probation. That doesnt sound too bad, right? Wrong, the probation terms will include "possess no weapons"

Posted: 9/27/2008 9:59:31 AM EDT

[#6]

Well there is no law on you owning or buying a "kit". There are laws on you offering a auto-knife for sale and carring one, but none on making the kit into a knife. By using the spring you are making an Auto-knife, BUT I have never found a PC stating making an auto-knife "Switch Blade" for yourself is illegal.
There maybe one, I know there are laws against making other knives like "Pen Knives", so if that same law covers switch-blades..then you can't assemble it WITH THE SPRING.

The fact is there is no law on owning a switch blade of any size.....

The law states, making, selling and transporting...not buying...(To my knowledge).

So if LEO for some reason searched your home and found a 12" long switch blade, they would have to prove...
1)You transported it into the state.
or
2) (If it is in fact illegal to make one)...You made it.

Posted: 9/27/2008 5:50:01 PM EDT

[#7]

Auto knives are really not worth the risks in CA. Just get a spring assist knife and be happy. I carry a Kershaw Leek (who doesn't?), and while it may not be as cool as a real auto, it is just as fast and actually more convenient than may autos that don't offer tip-up carry. TIp up carry is way faster than tip-down. Get a Kershaw or SOG and use them, they can actually take being used as a tool and don't cost a fortune.

Posted: 9/28/2008 12:40:25 AM EDT

[#8]

I've been happy with CRKT M16 type folders for going on 5-6 years now.

I've become used to them and won't be getting anything else in the distant future. I'm LE now and don't even have a desire for an automatic.

Posted: 9/30/2008 6:23:21 AM EDT

[#9]

I carry an M-13, but also have the assisted Mi Tighe, which is a legal option to the switch blade.

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