Earlier this month, I was at a gun show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. I have been to many gun shows, but this one was different. I noticed many AK's, AR's, and even an FNH P-90 with what looked like silencer on it. All of them had price tags on them. I picked up a few of the AR's, and asked the vendors about buying one. They said they were completely legal in CA. I was confused because I was aware of all laws against these types of weapons. According to the gun experts there, they said this new thing called a %26quot;bullet button%26quot; makes them legal. It's a mag release that won't drop the clip without a little tool or a pen. Aside from the evil black listed guns, is this the new thing that makes these guns legal?
What changes in law made AR-15 style rifles legal in CA recently?
The %26quot;Bullet Button%26quot; is not legal in CA despite what you've been told by someone wishing to sell you something. No person or persons in Sacramento (states capital for you okies) have given approval to this design because it skirts the law. Once the Tool is used any magazine including a high cap mag can be inserted and that makes it illegal like it or not. The thing is they (officials) have not prosecuted all that many cases and have been leaving it up to local counties to police their own districts. Don't be fooled by a slick talking salesman they are not legal. Hey and don't get me wrong I think a large portion of gun laws are wrong but but like it or not the Bullet Button isn't legal yet because no official has said it is.
EDIT: You guys gave me thumbs down couldn't be more wrong about what you are saying. The whole point of needing a tool to remove magazine was only meant for cleaning not the ability of rapid reloading by the use of spare magazines. One day the goofs in Sacramento will get off their rear ends and take a stand. Again don't get me wrong I am not in favor of this law or lack of it I just think everyone has the right to know the truth and just because some yahoo has thought of a way to circumvent the spirit of the law does not make it so.
What changes in law made AR-15 style rifles legal in CA recently?
um its a %26quot;magazine%26quot; not %26quot;clip%26quot; and btw bullet button is what it sounds like u use a live round to release magazine..........and it's not that new....been around for a few years.....
To Mr. P: You don't need a law to make something legal, only the absence of a law which makes it illegal.
CA has banned a ton of guns by name. So what people do is buy AR-15 receivers that haven't been banned by name. These are called 'Off List Lowers' because they don't appear on the banned list.
Now, CA also bans guns based on how many 'evil' features they have. You can only have 2 or possibly 3 evil features before the gun is illegal. What people in CA originally did was alter an AR-15 to have a fixed magazine. But of course, half the fun of an AR-15 is being able to quickly pop in a fresh 30 round mag. These first guns were altered in a way you'd need to grab a pliers and a wrench to take a bolt out to get the magazine free.
Now the same technology is being applied, BUT the 'fixed magazine' is designed in such a way that the only tool needed to get the mag out is some pointed doohicky to release a button inside. A bullet tip works fine, but a bent cloths hanger or a nail would work fine too.
Still the law sees it as a 'tool needed to remove' and hence it is still technically a 'fixed magazine'
The bullet button has been around for a number of years. If the magazine (NOT CLIP) is under ten rounds in capacity and there is a 'bullet button', the rifle is legal in CA as long as the usual procedures are followed.
Keep in mind that as some gun shows (maybe not in CA), some class III dealers bring Class III and other 'restricted' guns to display or sell/trade to other C3 dealers.
ADDED: the california law does not specifiy that the bullet button is legal or not. It simply says that a magazine my not be 'detachable' without the use of tools. The bullet button fullfils this requirement, provided a pointed FMJ or nail or allen wrench is considered a tool. There are no documented cases (to my knowledge) of the use or sale of a bullet button being questioned in a court of law. The law simply doesnt say anything about it in specific, and it meets the criteria for use of a 'tool'.
Also, another answerer's comment about you 'being able to insert high capacity magazines' is pointless, you can insert a high capacity magazine in just about any rifle or pistol regardless..... it just isnt legal in Californistan.
