How Much Modification Can Be Done?

[markalite@yahoo.com]

Hey All

How much can one modify or customize a pistol or pistol frame? I assume that you can modify it as long as it doesn't obliterate serial numbers or places it into the AW category. My friend says no.
Any RKI'ers know for sure?

[bwiese]

CW -

There's no law limiting or controlling modification of handguns that you (legally) own.

You just can't modify them into AWs (i.e., MechTech carbine conversion on Glocks or 1911s makes these into AWs) or obliterate serial # information. Also, changing into full-auto/NFA stuff would be illegal too.

CA 'safe gun' laws only control the sale of guns w/various safety tests, features and approvals within CA. The laws are specific enough that no further 'legislative intent' could be inferred from the law (other than the fact you can't make a new 'unsafe' gun from scratch).

Other than this, if you have a pistol or frame you wanna tweak, go for it.

Many people, for example, remove mag disconnect safeties. And even if AB352 goes thru, I believe changing slides, etc. will still be legal.


Bill Wiese
San Jose

[imported_lunde]

As Bill wrote, and as you originally stated, you can modify a pistol as long as you don't turn it into an assault weapon (for example, attaching a threaded barrel would do this) or tamper with its serial number.

The point is that you can make these changes after you take possession of it, meaning after the ten-day waiting period.

Some examples. Let's say you want an HK P7M8 or a Valtro 1998A1, but with a hard-chrome finish. Only the blued versions are certified. The Valtro 1998A1 is offered in hard-chrome from the factory. For the HK P7M8 it is done by various third parties, such as Tripp Research in Texas. In this case, you cannot DROS these pistols if they already have a hard-chrome finish, unless it's a PPT or a consignment sale (another form of PPT), which are exempt from being California-certified.

I took possession of my Valtro 1998A1 in blued finish, and returned it to Valtro USA to have it hard-chromed. Here are before/after photos:

[Turbinator]

Simply beautiful...

Turby

[markalite@yahoo.com]

Thanks guys! I kind'a thought it would be alright as long as serials were kept and AW laws observed! Thanks!

That is one nice lookign pistol!
Never heard of a 1998a1. Is it based on the Colt 1991a1?

[CraigC]

Originally posted by CW:
Thanks guys! I kind'a thought it would be alright as long as serials were kept and AW laws observed! Thanks!

That is one nice lookign pistol!
Never heard of a 1998a1. Is it based on the Colt 1991a1?

The Colt 1991A1 is a Series 80 pistol, with the firing pin safety (tied to the trigger, which some say alters the feel of the trigger pull). The Valtro pistol is closer to the Colt Series 70, with no firing pin safety (a more true reproduction of the original 1911 design). I think the reason why it's the 1998A1, is because it's the first year Valtro started making them.

[imported_lunde]

CraigC, you wrote:

I think the reason why it's the 1998A1, is because it's the first year Valtro started making them.

I think it's because it was the year that John Jardine originally planned to start making them, but it took a couple more years beyond the projected 1998 to get themm rolling.