California Legal Firearms

by Richard Nance • November 28, 2011 • 21 comments

You may have thought those poor dears out in the Golden State were bereft of AKs and ARs and pretty much anything else fun to shoot. Never count our American ingenuity when it confronts government stupidity. Californians may not be shooting exactly what you are, but they’re shooting things their legislators never imagined and laughing all the way home. Read more about it in the 1/20/12 issue of SGN.


California legislators thought they could keep out ARs an AKs with a stroke of the pen. They didn’t count on the ingenuity and resourcefulness of gun owners.


The DPMS A-15 is California legal, unlike its predecessor, the “Panther”, which is banned. The only difference between the two is the stamp on the receiver.


When a tool is required to remove the magazine, it’s considered “non-detachable”, as is the case with this MSAR. The tool need not be complicated.


Silly, but California legal. After purchase, the owner removed the long barrel and dummy magazine and had the LCP restored to its original configuration.


This Masterpiece Arms MPA930 SST has a wooden block screwed into the magazine well, making it legal for sale in California. A buyer then can remove the block.


Retailers like Tracy Rifle and Pistol owner Mike Baryla have to know the ins and outs of California’s quirky gun laws, which confuse even those who enforce them.


Century Arms uses a fixed 10-round magazine with a follower button and hold-back to allow feeding through the ejection port. It’s not fast, but it’s legal.


No magazine button? That’s because this Century AR has a fixed 10-round magazine and is loaded by driving out the rear pin and swinging the upper receiver open.


An evil AK that no Californian can own? Nope, the perfectly legal Arsenal SGL23. The difference is a magazine catch that requires the handy little Arsenal tool.


The Atlantic Firearms Mini Draco pistol is presumably just the sort of gun legislators sought to bar from California, but with a bullet button, it’s legal.


The IO, Inc. Hellhound is a very well-equipped AK variant that, with a Califonia compliant bullet button, you can enjoy just like anyone elsewhere in America.


Surely this MAC-10 lookalike can’t be had in California! Wrong. It’s supplied with a dummy sled magazine. Substitute a real magazine and you’re in business.


These Saiga rifles from J&G will accept a 10-round magazine, but not the original 30-round AK mag. With a conventional buttstock, they are California legal.

In Featured, Long Guns • Tagged , ,

21 Responses

  1. Mark Lowenstein

    These stupid restrictions are clearly for one purpose only: Make certain the People are not equally or better armed than a militarized totalitarian police/military. Good to know that these stupid restrictions can be easily overcome and corrected. More evidence why California is becoming insolvent and breaking down as a sovereign state. Stupidity seems to rule California – It was once the best place on earth everyone to live. Now – Utterly bankrupt and overrun with illegal aliens, gangs and criminals, yet the asinine legislature is concerned and focused on lawful citizens (We know the federal government has been supplying assault weapons to gangs and criminals in the US as well as Mexico, so the REAL criminals are supported, aided and abetted by the feds to be militarily outfitted with assault weapons, while the same feds focus on disarming or making certain the People are at a complete disadvantage with regards to firepower and ordinance.

    On December 7, 2011 at 7:44 am • Reply
  2. MacAaron

    Boy am I glad I live in Wyoming.

    On December 8, 2011 at 5:06 am • Reply
  3. Stix213

    The "bullet button" setups are the easy, no brainer, way to make AR/AK or other evil rifles CA legal. There is also what's called "featureless" where you give up a collapsible stock, and use an altered grip (in addition to a few other features) and you can use a regular magazine release and any size magazine you possess.

    On December 9, 2011 at 12:56 am • Reply
  4. Stix213

    The work arounds for these laws are doing one helpful thing though…. They are starting to wake up the citizens of California to the ridiculousness of these laws. We have restrictions on models, grips, magazine releases, etc, but anyone with any intelligence quickly notices none of these laws do anything with regard to the piece of lead launching out the tip. Its become apparent that CA legislatures just watched a bunch of 80's and 90's movies and tried to ban everything they saw on screen, without any thought to reality.

    On December 9, 2011 at 1:01 am • Reply
  5. Timdp

    "The Atlantic Firearms Mini Draco pistol is presumably just the sort of gun legislators sought to bar from California, but with a bullet button, it’s legal."

    This needs to be edited to say: The Atlantic Firearms Mini Draco pistol is presumably just the sort of gun legislators sought to bar from California, but with a bullet button and a 10 round magazine, it’s legal.

    Any gun with a bullet button (long gun or pistol) is limited to using 10 round maximum mags

    On December 9, 2011 at 2:30 am • Reply
    • Mike

      actually it is not illegal to possess or use standard capacity magazines. and you can purchase used ones from the nice people in the armored transport business. it IS illegal to import, manufacture, and sell them tho. common misinformation.

      On January 23, 2012 at 2:00 am • Reply
  6. franklinarmory

    Good job SGN!

    Mike is really a well respected California gun rights advocate in California. It's stupid what Ca legislatures have created here, but Mike and some other dealers have adapted the law creatively while staying 100% within the four corners of our penal code.

    ….Long live the 9th and 10th amendment! :)

    On December 9, 2011 at 4:26 pm • Reply
  7. Michael

    Never thought living under big brothers laws in NEW YORK, would be better than living in sunny california!

    On January 2, 2012 at 6:17 pm • Reply
  8. Rusty Shackleford

    Move out of cali, and into Texas !

    On January 5, 2012 at 9:37 pm • Reply
  9. Merle

    What is a bullet button?

    On January 18, 2012 at 7:17 pm • Reply
    • Mike

      its a device used in replacement to the magazine release found on rifles. one cannot simply push a button to drop the mag. requires a fixed magazine. or a magazine that can only be removed with the use of a tool. a bullet button requires the use of a tool to operate. that tool is the tip of a bullet, as these bullet buttons are typically found on semi automatic rifles chambered in .223/5.56nato or 7.62×39..

      On January 23, 2012 at 2:03 am • Reply
  10. scooter

    Some laws are stupid, however they are the law. If you don't like them, change them. I hope the scumbags that he sells this garbage to will come back to haunt him. I live in the area where he sells this crap and they have no place here. I hope he enjoy's his new Caddy, and someone blows someone close to him away with the shit he sells. He is a smart. ass little punk.

    On February 5, 2012 at 4:07 am • Reply
    • goodshot

      Scooter, your lack of knowledge is only surpassed by the idiots that passed the laws in the first place.

      On February 18, 2012 at 11:23 pm • Reply
  11. Scooter

    Oh I forgot to mention that his daddy paid for everything he has,
    His education the store and everything in it. He is a military want to be, but never had the guts, however some of his friends have had their ass on the line and I don't understand how they can stand to be around this want to be punk. You are poking the bear young man, and believe me you are going to pay for it in the end. Money isn't worth a whole lot in state prison.

    On February 8, 2012 at 2:11 am • Reply
    • @combs_brandon

      Scooter,

      Your virulent comment is filled with irrelevance. As could be expected, you close with some baseless implication going to "state prison" but don't cite any laws or facts. If you want to discuss the firearms that TRAP regularly has on its shelves, then discuss them and offer a cogent argument.

      -Brandon

      On February 11, 2012 at 8:13 pm • Reply
  12. MikeP

    Well aren't you just a ray of sunshine. Let me guess, disgruntled customer? Ex employee? Wouldn't transfer or sell you something illegal? His dog bang you? Or wait, a stodgy old crusty fart competitor that thinks someone his age shouldn't be in business. He's cutting int

    The guys at TRAP do plenty to help us common folk exercise our second amendment rights. I have bought many firearms from the guys at TRAP and I can tell you hands down, it's the best damn customer service I have ever received. Everyone is friendly and goes out of their way to make sure I leave happy. I can't say the same about other stores in the greater Bay Area.

    Pound sand asshat. Isn't jealousy a sin?

    On February 10, 2012 at 4:01 am • Reply
  13. MikeP

    It seems I didn't finish my sentence and there is no edit button. I meant to add " Is TRAP cutting into your profit?"

    On February 10, 2012 at 4:05 am • Reply
    • Scooter

      What profit? I have no dog in this fight. I have a shit load of guns, and want to keep them. You dumb ass people are going to screw things up for everyone in Ca. First we had the open carry morons. What did that get you? We now have a new law. If you think you are going to change things by sticking a piece of pipe in a not listed gun and make things better, you are an idiot. I am as pro gun as anyone you could find. The people that work for this money hungry punk will be looking for new jobs soon. As far as someone his age being in business I think is a great thing. Too bad he couldn't do it without daddy's money. One last thing, why would you think I am an ex employee? I guess you have heard the same things I have. He is an asshole to work for? You might want to go back to night school and learn how to make a cohesive statement. Have a nice day, and I will send you a nice package when you and your friend go to state prison. PS RL says hi.

      On February 11, 2012 at 4:55 am • Reply
      • @combs_brandon

        I would say that you're nowhere near "as pro gun as anyone [I] could find."

        In fact, you really don't have any point to make here except, maybe, that you're upset some people have more opportunity than others because their parents made better choices than yours did. Maybe you should quit pretending to be a gun rights supporter and find some redistribution of wealth scheme to back.

        No one is going to "state prison" for buying, possessing, or lawfully using the guns sold at TRAP. If you want to argue against that, cite laws and facts. (Hint: you can't.)

        -Brandon

        On February 11, 2012 at 8:19 pm • Reply
        • scooter

          The problem I have is, why in the hell would you give an interview with a national magazine about something that could cause all of us problems? You and your friend think you are smartest assholes in the room. I can remember when you could go to a gun show buy an M 1 carbine or Garand, or anything else and walk out the door with them. Those days are gone and if you think pushing the DOJ is going to make things easier is a fantasy. All this guy cares about is your money. If you don't understand that I can't help you. One more thing, what unit were you with in military?

          On February 12, 2012 at 2:25 am • Reply
  14. scooter

    Sorry Brandon. I just looked your profile and now know how you must feel. I guess I would have much more time for BS if my only family was two dogs. I am sorry. Maybe you will meet some nice young man or woman to spend your extra time with. It looks to me like you get most of your money from the state of ca. Sorry maybe you can get a real job someday.

    On February 12, 2012 at 3:00 am • Reply