Advice on California compliant A/R for precision rifle competition.

[Rant Durden]

I finally completed an AR for local precision rifle competitions and now there is a state law requiring me to register my "bullet button" gun as an assault weapon. I don't want to do that. Now if I remove an evil feature like the pistol grip or make it a straight pull single shot, I'm good. Eisenach arms side charging upper with bcg and Lantac make uppers which fit the bill, but I would love any advice or suggestions to : stay legal, not have to register my "assault weapon," and be competitive with most of what I've built so far. No, I cannot move out of my ridiculously cheep house to somewhere better/ freer. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[hlee]

What you think is rediculously cheap in California is just rediculous in the rest of the country. And, there are few things you can do for work in Cali that you cannot in the rest of the country. I worked in the biotech industry in Cali, but now live in a "free state"- still employed by the same company.

That said, what features need to be removed to make it compliant without registration? There are some stocks that get around the pistol grip, appear relatively ergonomic, and would make the gun look only a little weird. Hera arms comes to mind. Is the threaded muzzle an issue? Can you pin and weld a muzzle brake to eliminate it? Or even pin and weld an end cap? I've seen mag adapters that require you to un-pin the upper to release the mag, and stripper clips that allow you to load a mag from the ejection port. For a gas gun division PRS style rifle, where rapid reloads or jam clearance drills are typically not required, I think these measures would be fine. But, having moved from Cali a number of years ago, I'm not confident about current legislation and semi-auto compliance.

https://www.rainierarms.com/hera-arms-cqr-buttstock-black-10728/
Full disclosure- I've never handled this butt stock, I've just seen the ad copy.

 

[Mute]

If you do not need semi-auto capability, making your gun into a single shot firearm will effectively put you in compliance and no longer in need of registering your gun as an "assault weapon." If you want to change as little as possible on your gun, the easiest route to compliance will be some kind of "fixed" magazine solution. One solution you can take a look at is the AR Maglok 2/Kingpin combination:

https://www.armaglock2.com/product/ar-maglock-ar-15-223-5-56-gen-2-with-kingpin/

I have no affiliation with these guys. I did use this particular set up for one of my AR pistols to avoid the need for registration. It works. You can also go featureless but you'd need to make sure you don't have a flash hider or a collapsible stock and you'll need to replace your pistol grip with some kind of compliant grip solution.

 

[Rant Durden]

What you think is rediculously cheap in California is just rediculous in the rest of the country. And, there are few things you can do for work in Cali that you cannot in the rest of the country. I worked in the biotech industry in Cali, but now live in a "free state"- still employed by the same company.

That said, what features need to be removed to make it compliant without registration? There are some stocks that get around the pistol grip, appear relatively ergonomic, and would make the gun look only a little weird. Hera arms comes to mind. Is the threaded muzzle an issue? Can you pin and weld a muzzle brake to eliminate it? Or even pin and weld an end cap? I've seen mag adapters that require you to un-pin the upper to release the mag, and stripper clips that allow you to load a mag from the ejection port. For a gas gun division PRS style rifle, where rapid reloads or jam clearance drills are typically not required, I think these measures would be fine. But, having moved from Cali a number of years ago, I'm not confident about current legislation and semi-auto compliance.

https://www.rainierarms.com/hera-arms-cqr-buttstock-black-10728/
Full disclosure- I've never handled this butt stock, I've just seen the ad copy.

I was kidding about the cheap part. Nothing in Kali is cheap if you're employed.

 

[mikehotel]

There's more then one way to skin a California kitty. Calguns forum has a couple thread regarding this.

For me the easiest solution was replacing the BB with a standard mag release, non collapsing stock, brake instead of flash hider and the "strike industries" fined grip with thumb shelf. I also have one equipped with the Cross Armory 'quick pins' which I find a little awkward at times. There are other kits like the hell fighter.

Good luck, I hope you find something that will work for you.

 

[longshot2000]

I am not a CA firearms dealer or expert, but we do sell into CA (which is interesting, in and of itself, as CA law reaches its long arm to Northern Virginia where our shop sits next to the CIA campus, and requires us to register and to apply to ship firearms to a dealer in CA).

The best solutions that we hear with AR style weapons is to get a device (BAD has one) that will keep the magazine from releasing whilst the gun is operating, and drop when you open the receiver. Seems like a good fix, and you don't register your gun.

 

[Chetly78]

I went featureless with the grip fin. Doing bench shooting, I don't really see the need to wrap my thumb around the grip. Now, if it was a 3 gun setup then opions would change.

 

[grebski]

I finally completed an AR for local precision rifle competitions and now there is a state law requiring me to register my "bullet button" gun as an assault weapon. I don't want to do that. Now if I remove an evil feature like the pistol grip or make it a straight pull single shot, I'm good. Eisenach arms side charging upper with bcg and Lantac make uppers which fit the bill, but I would love any advice or suggestions to : stay legal, not have to register my "assault weapon," and be competitive with most of what I've built so far. No, I cannot move out of my ridiculously cheep house to somewhere better/ freer. Any advice would be appreciated.

Go featureless. Fixed rear stock either an Luth AR MBA1 or Magpul PRS, muzzle brake of your choosing and a fin wrapped grip. Looking into a magpul MIAD with Exile machine back grip or the strike industries featureless grip. No registration required.

 

[dcuttler]

I just rebuilt my AR using a current lower to replace the "banned by name" Bushmaster lower (anyone want to buy it?), and removed the flash hider. I am already using it with an A2 stock, so that was no problem. Replaced the pistol grip with a sharkfin from Magpull, and with the thumb rest, I like it as much as the pistol grip.

As for the magazines, I rebuilt them with 10 round restrictors, which is not an issue because I will be using them for high power matches where you need 2 magazines each stage loaded with 5 rounds for rapid fire.

 

[Cotay]

I've assembled about a dozen AR platform rifles as featureless. I have used the following on my various builds:

1. Grips: Strike Megafin, CRG-15, Resurgent Arms.

2. Stocks: MFT Minimalist with Strike Stock Stops; Strike Viper Fixed, Rock River Operator, Odin Works Zulu, Hogue OverMolded Fixed Stock, Thordsen FRS-15.

3. Muzzle Devices: Kaw Valley Linear Comps, Midwest Industries Blast Diverter, VG6 Gamma 65 and 30 cal (Note: The 22 cal version has been advertised as having flash capability on both the packaging and website in the past. The design has not changed so I would not use it in a 5.56/.223 application), Seekins ATC (both 22 and 30 cal).

At least this way I can use the AR magazine the way it was intended and don't have to register. Someday when i move I'll open up that box of Ergo Grips and flash hiding capable muzzle devices. We are hoping to be out within 24 months.

 

[LawnMM]

California!!

 

[Rant Durden]

Yea, both sides of my head hurt...

 

[SuperSneakySniper]

The Strike Megafin grip has a thumbshelf that works great because it mimics how I hold a bolt gun when shooting. As for stocks, i prefer fixed stocks anyways, always felt more solid, while the castlenut and wiggley collapsibles feel more like an afterthought (i know there are great collapsible options, my favorite is the Hogue) but the solid Luth AR, Magpul PRS, and Lancer Carbon Fiber stocks are my all time faves.
And lastly muzzle brake, pick your poison! Most people run brakes anyways, no compromise there.

 

[Cotay]

And lastly muzzle brake, pick your poison! Most people run brakes anyways, no compromise there.

The problem is that "flash hider" isn't legally defined, so you may buy a muzzle device that has flash hiding capabilities and not realize it. We are talking about a semi-auto with a detachable magazine, which cannot have one of the "evil" features. For that type of firearm in California, in relation to the muzzle device, the only truly 100% safe thing is to run a thread protector. That said, most folks who have gone featureless (as opposed to fixed magazine) are running a comp, linear comp, or break so long as the manufacturer has never advertised it has having some additional flash signature reduction capabilities and it is perfectly flat on its front face (i.e. no prongs or nubbins).

For example, the VG6 Gamma 556 Muzzle Break at one time advertised on its packaging that it has "Radial Design For Reduced Muzzle Flash and Stable Trajectory". VG6 subsequently changed the packaging and removed that statement, but because it was out there before and the design of the break has not changed (it still has nubbins on its face), the CA DOJ or some over zealous prosecutor may rightfully claim it is also a flash hider. I have a new in box 556 Gamma Comp that I can only run on a bolt gun, rimfire, or fixed magazine semi-auto. The VG6 Gamma 65 and VG6 Gamma 762 are the only versions that have the flat front face, so I run those on my detachable magazine semi auto 6.5 Grendels and 308s. The other versions of the Gamma will trip you up. Also, the VG6 Epsilon is no-go for a detachable magazine semi-auto (unless it has a fixed magazine) in California.

The bottom line is the safest thing is to run a thread protector for any semi-auto that has a detachable magazine in California. For comps/breaks, make sure the front is perfectly flat and do your best to ensure that it hasn't been advertised as having flash hiding capabilities. This can be difficult since manufacturers are getting wise and removing wording from websites and packaging...you'd never know if that has been something they've done in the past so you can't really rely on the present advertising or product descriptions. Linear comps are generally safe, but make sure it doesn't have any prongs. When in doubt, ask the good folks over on Calguns...they'll set you right.