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AR15.COM
5/18/2011 9:42:06 PM EDT
It is legal to build on AR pistol here in cali?
5/18/2011 10:16:05 PM EDT
[#1]
Yes and no.  

Given the individual steps and given that pistol receivers are hard to get in CA due to 'safe handgun'
Roster, you're probably better off just ordering an AR pistol from a quality vendor that  (1) isn't a CA
assault weapon because it has a BulletButton installed,  and  (2)  is Roster exempt because you buy
it as a single-shot pistol  (it has a zero-round magazine locked in;  after DROSing and taken

Do NOT try to build an AR pistol from an ordinary bare off-list receiver you get at a CA FFL;   those are
DROSed to you as long guns and  there may be some risk the receiver is 'contaminated' by this and
not eligible to be built into a pistol (i.e, there's risk of CA or Fed SBR drama).  

[There is a small chance you could find a legit AR pistol receiver for sale via PPT/consignment from an
LEO.]   Normally CA FFLs cannot sell [outside of PPT/consignment xfers]  nonexempt  folks like us
handguns that are not C&R / not  exempt dimensionally-compliant single shot pistols/single action
revolvers /  not  Rostered  / not compelete  handguns (i.e, just  frames).

Bill Wiese
San Jose CA





5/19/2011 3:56:50 AM EDT
[#2]
Quoted:
Yes and no.  

Given the individual steps and given that pistol receivers are hard to get in CA due to 'safe handgun'
Roster, you're probably better off just ordering an AR pistol from a quality vendor that  (1) isn't a CA
assault weapon because it has a BulletButton installed,  and  (2)  is Roster exempt because you buy
it as a single-shot pistol  (it has a zero-round magazine locked in;  after DROSing and taken

Do NOT try to build an AR pistol from an ordinary bare off-list receiver you get at a CA FFL;   those are
DROSed to you as long guns and  there may be some risk the receiver is 'contaminated' by this and
not eligible to be built into a pistol (i.e, there's risk of CA or Fed SBR drama).  

[There is a small chance you could find a legit AR pistol receiver for sale via PPT/consignment from an
LEO.]   Normally CA FFLs cannot sell [outside of PPT/consignment xfers]  nonexempt  folks like us
handguns that are not C&R / not  exempt dimensionally-compliant single shot pistols/single action
revolvers /  not  Rostered  / not compelete  handguns (i.e, just  frames).

Bill Wiese
San Jose CA







But you can remove the single action legally right?
5/19/2011 9:16:47 PM EDT
[#3]
Correct. There is no law against changing the actions of a firearm. For instance, you can pull the gas system of any gas operated firearm and turn it into a bolt action. Remember those silly PAR pump AKs, plenty of people have turned those into semi autos. The single shot mod is just to ear the roster exemption.
5/19/2011 10:16:37 PM EDT
[#4]
Thanks for the response. i guess building on ar pistol is out of the question.
5/20/2011 6:40:26 AM EDT
[#5]
Quoted:
But you can remove the single action legally right?


Please, please, please - call it  "removing single-shot status".   There's no 'single action' involved.

Terminology is vtially important. and should be used as the law is written, for maximal clarity.  
For example, there is indeed a "single-action revolver" exemption to the Roster, but some idiots
thought that was just 'single action'  (without regards to the word 'revolver' and thought that 1911s
could be Roster exempt without mods!!!!

But yes, once you walk out the door (after DROS and 10 day wait)  with your new Roster-exempt
single-shot pistol, you are free to modify it by removing orchanging anything imparting single-shot
status.   Or, you can just step back over the threshold and reenter the gun shop and they can perform
'gunsmithing services'  for you to make such changes.   (This is quite common for folks getting
their non-Rostered Glock Gen4s, 1911s, etc.


Bill Wiese
San Jose CA




5/20/2011 6:48:58 AM EDT
[#6]
So its perfectly legal to remove the single shot status. Sounds good.

Is it registered as a handgun or rifle? As in can anyone walk in and pick up a ar pistol without a license.

Im just asking so we can maybe tact this as the ar pistol forum for future people can refer to.
5/20/2011 6:49:30 AM EDT
[#7]
Quoted:
Thanks for the response. i guess building on ar pistol is out of the question.


Not completely out of the question but there is quite a bit higher barrier to overcome to
get a legit pistol receiver:

- an LEO friend sells a receiver he DROSed as a pistol;  (since he's Roster exempt he can get it)

- an individual has a legit pistol receiver he moved into CA with and now wants to sell it  via
  PPT or consignment (CAREFUL!  wanna make sure the paper trail and assembly history
  is clearly virgin/non-rifle)

- you have a lineal family member (parent, child, grandparent, grandchild) outside of CA who legally
   acquires an AR pistol receiver - then you use a knowledgabe CA FFL to perform a Roster-exempt
   "interstate intrafamily" transfer.

- machining an AR lower yourself from some starting material (often incorrectly referred to as an "80% lower")
 
 
In any of these cases, the gun assembled into AR pistol form MUST BOTH:
(1.)   not be an AW  - so it needs a BulletButton-style maglock installed on the lower BEFORE affixing upper to lower;
...AND...
(2.)   be first assembled as a Roster-exempt single-shot pistol - so a zero-round filler mag/"sled" device
        must be locked in place before fully assembling gun;


Bill Wiese
San Jose CA
5/20/2011 9:57:37 PM EDT
[#8]
Quoted:
 
 
In any of these cases, the gun assembled into AR pistol form MUST BOTH:
(1.)   not be an AW  - so it needs a BulletButton-style maglock installed on the lower BEFORE affixing upper to lower;
...AND...
(2.)   be first assembled as a Roster-exempt single-shot pistol - so a zero-round filler mag/"sled" device
        must be locked in place before fully assembling gun; How would you go about this? How would they know it had a zero-round filler mag/"sled" device, if your building it at home?

Bill Wiese
San Jose CA


EDIT: Thanks BWiese... by the looks of it you should start charging for your knowlegde.... lol
5/21/2011 2:10:47 AM EDT
[#9]
Quoted:
So its perfectly legal to remove the single shot status. Sounds good.



Is it registered as a handgun or rifle? As in can anyone walk in and pick up a ar pistol without a license.


Why would a handgun be  DROSed as a rifle?  If it is you're in deep sh*t on a Fed and CA basis sine
you're violating SBR laws.  

It's just another pistol that happens to be Roster exempt due to 12133PC single-shot exemption.
The FFL will denote it as such on the DROS entry screen (there's either a check box or some comment
field.)


Im just asking so we can maybe tact this as the ar pistol forum for future people can refer to.


It's already well-detailed on Calguns.  CG generally covers this stuff quite well.

Bill Wiese
San Jose CA


5/21/2011 2:24:48 AM EDT
[#10]
Quoted:
How would you go about this? How would they know it had a zero-round filler mag/ "sled"
device, if your building it at home?


That's another  "it's legal to carry a dead hooker in your trunk because the taillights work and tags
are current"  concept.

I'm betting that you're fairly young.  Sorry, but I'd also bet that if you were questioned by LE, DA on the
status of your gun you'd get flustered or try to explain somehing when you should STFU.  I've seen
too many people screw up -  including one dude that lost a perfectly legal 50BMG non-rifle that we
could have defended except for other conduct.  

If you do things right, then you don't have problems or anything to be secret about/hide.

"Sleds" are avalable for ARs so they can fire 'long" rounds loaded thru the chamber;  AR
magazines will not contain/feed rounds loaded w/80gr VLD (very-low-drag) match bullets.
When this 'sled' filler device is locked in via a BulletButton maglock, the rifle has one the
chamber capacity and zero round external capacity.

An alternative that may be cheaper is to take a 10rd magazine and block it to zero rounds -
however a minor bit of follower 'bounce'  (under ~1/4 round height movement) may be
necessary to allow so no 'drag' on bolt movement occurs.  Just make sure that that
mag can't accept any 5.56 rounds (or whatever the pistol is designed for).

To recap:
- the BulletButton keeps the gun from being an AW and when mag is installed the mag must hold 10 or less rounds;
- the Zero-round magazine or sled filler mag locked in by the BulletButton achieves part of single-shot exemption;
- the barrel being min. 6" or longer and overall length (parallel to bore) being 10.5" or longer achieves dimensional complaince.


Now, *WHY* people want an AR pistol, I dunno.   Short barrel==lower velocity makes your 223 a fast 22.

Bill Wiese
San Jose CA
5/21/2011 5:37:53 AM EDT
[#11]
Sac Black Rifle sells complete AR-15 single shot pistols. Last time I was in there they had three of them. They sell them with the single shot sled in place.

http://www.sacramentoblackrifle.com/

Sacramento Black Rifle
6671 Blue Oaks Blvd
Rocklin, CA 95677

(916) 771-3553
5/21/2011 9:35:57 AM EDT
[#12]
Quoted:

To recap:
- the BulletButton keeps the gun from being an AW and when mag is installed the mag must hold 10 or less rounds;
- the Zero-round magazine or sled filler mag locked in by the BulletButton achieves part of single-shot exemption;
- the barrel being min. 6" or longer and overall length (parallel to bore) being 10.5" or longer achieves dimensional complaince.


Now, *WHY* people want an AR pistol, I dunno.   Short barrel==lower velocity makes your 223 a fast 22.

Bill Wiese
San Jose CA


I was trying to get a thread with all the info for it to get tacted... lol... It would be cool to have a AR pistol, just to say " I have an AR pistol..."