Are AR-15 style weapons legal in California?

[searly]

Hello everyone,

I'll be driving out to California soon to visit some relatives, and we want to do a little plinking during the visit.  I'm planning to bring along a couple of my own rifles including a new Bushmaster rifle.  But I thought i'd ask the folks here who know, are AR-15's legal to possess in California?

Searly

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

Leave the Bushmaster at home and get a Mini-14 for visits to Kali.

[mcwoodduck]

Yes and no.
Depends on the range you go to.
I have a legal AR that is registered as an Assault rifle and have paper work with it.
There are a few loopholes in the AR law and you can buy an AR here you just can not make it an Assault Rifle.
So either fixed mag with pistol grip stock or other than pistol grip stock with detachable mag, no mags over 10 rounds, no bayonette lugs
I have never been asked for the paper work at any of the ranges I have gone to.  You may also want to go to the range in a CA car.
If you plan on pulling over and shooting out in the desert somewhere.... Expect the county sherifs department to crawl all over you.
While hunting is legal, formal or informal target shooting is not.
You may want to go on to the CA DOJ website and send them an e-mail.
OH and having a 30 round mag on an SKS is a felony here.  SKS fine, no detachable mags or extended past the factory 10.

[searly]

Thanks for the reply.  Maybe I'll leave the new rifle at home. Though according to your post the bayonette lug is the only problem.  Thats dissapointing.

searly

[mcwoodduck]

No.
The Bayonette lug is only one of the problems.
If you have a pistol grip on your gun you have to have either a fixed mag or it needs a tool to remove it.
If you have a removable mag (no more than 10 rounds even if you have a pre- ban 20 or 30 you can not legally use them in one of the Post ban NON Assault Rifles) then you CAN NOT have a pistol grip and need to have one of the alternate grips that is not a thumbhole stock.
Flash hider is a NO-no
Colapsible stock is a No-no unless you have a fixed mag.
So of the things that make a rifle and assault rifle you are allowed to have 3.

Semi auto (the lower is always semi auto)
detachable mag,
Pistol grip
Colapsible stock
flash hider
bayonette lug
High capacity mag

[searly]

Touché
Really, really dissapointing.

searly

[mcwoodduck]

Sorry,
It just makes me mad at the level of stupidity here.
That a few features here or there make the rifle and assault but if you remove small features like the flash hider and replace it with a compinsator, you get a more accurate rifle that can hide flash but if you call it something else it is OK.
So if anyone asks about the bayonette lug, it is not a bayonette lug it is a tool adapter point.
I have also been suprised that someone did not make a Bipod that used the bayonette handle as the mounting.

[searly]

Thanks for your responses.

What is your opinion of the "Bullet Button"?

searly

[mcwoodduck]

There was a kid at my last club that was a machinist and made a really cool bullet button.
It used a schrder valve wrench and if you had the slot in line with the barrel it worked as a standard mag release.  If you turned it 90 degrees it needed a bullet or tool to work.
So when he would come to the 3 gun matches he moved the mag button to the "cleaning Position" and when he was leaving he inserted an empty mag and moverd it to the "shooting" position.
and with how fast you can change one out it really does not make a diff and again is one of those silly rules.
The only crime that has been commited with a legal assault gun was commited by a Police officer and his department owned M-16.

[sk330lc]

Cal.   Not even a Nice place to Visit.   

[His lordship.]

Reminds me of the days of the Clinton administration with the restrictions.  Back then I used to bring my questionable guns early in the season to the ranges as there were less eyes about due to the fact that the Fall hunting season really brought the rifleman out.  If asked, I told people that they were "grandfathered in", which was true when I bought them.

I was more of a bolt action person back then anyways, but had a few semi-autos.