Primer on building rifles

[Fjold]

Gentlemen, I am pretty new here so forgive me if this has been talked to death.
I am interested in building a couple of semi-automatic rifles but somewhat intimidated by all of the potential legal and logistical pitfalls of doing so. Is there a post or string of posts that outlines what you need to buy and where you can get the parts to build Commiefornia legal rifles in the FAL and AR styles?

[Fjold]

Gentlemen, I am pretty new here so forgive me if this has been talked to death.
I am interested in building a couple of semi-automatic rifles but somewhat intimidated by all of the potential legal and logistical pitfalls of doing so. Is there a post or string of posts that outlines what you need to buy and where you can get the parts to build Commiefornia legal rifles in the FAL and AR styles?

[bwiese]

You'll have to do a scan/search of some posts here to get full details. I'm not a lawyer but this is pretty good guidance. For the record, all my ARs and FALs are registered "AWs" (assault weapons) but I got them before the ban set in. But I am familiar with what the law allows/disallows...:

"Bottom line":

California-ized AR:
A Calif.-legal AR-type rifle must have a special lower receiver that has a fixed 10 rd (or smaller) magazine. ShoelessVentures/ GoGoGadgets produces the FAB10, the only current readily available legally approved AR lower receiver for CA. They've been selling these for a couple of years now. VulcanArms supposedly has another one certified, dunno when it will hit stores, or anything about its quality. Evan's Gunsmithing Works (EGSW) in southern CA has a CA Assault Weapons permit and is apparently legally modifying Bushmaster lower receivers to be CA legal and approved for non-AW use.

[Do NOT try to modify a regular AR15 lower (of any brand) as these are essentially banned - except for existing registered owners who got them before 2000 - by the Aug 2000 Kasler decision. Even if you modified one to lose the evil detachable hicap mag feature, you would've illegally had it in first place.]

Otherwise, building operating and shooting a FAB10 "AR" is much like building any other AR.

I'd recommend getting a quality barreled upper and bolt carrier from reputable mfgr/vendor (Bushmaster, Armalite, Colt, Rock River Arms).
I'd also recommend getting a chrome-lined barrel with milspec (not tight "match") chambering to allow you to reliably use a wide variety of ammo.


California-ized FALs:
Unlike AR lower receivers, you can buy clone regular FAL receivers in CA as long as they are not specifically marked "FN FAL" (meaning Fabrique Nationale): true FN FALs were banned by name by orig Roberti-Roos Assault Wpn Ctrl Act of 1989.

(BTW: the serialized part of a FAL is the UPPER receiver, unlike on an AR.)

But FAL clones are only banned by 'evil features' and not name/style so are unaffected by things like Kasler decision. A non-FN FAL clone AW is a Type III Calif AW: you can legally have a FAL variant in CA that is not considered or registered as an AW if it has either a (1) fixed 10rd magazine or (2) no pistol grip.

The latter solution is really only for those that wanna possess the FAL but shoot it only outside CA. DO NOT PUT THE PISTOL GRIP ON IN CA OR YOU WILL HAVE CREATED AN ILLEGAL, UNREGISTERED ASSAULT WEAPON. Possesion of parts of a Type III 'by features' unregistered AW is legal as long as parts not assembled: removing one requisite 'evil feature' (like the pistol grip here) renders it back into non-AW form.

The other option is more realistic. A semiauto rifle can have a pistol grip if it doesn't have a detachable hicap magazine. Thus a FAL clone that has a fixed 10rd magazine is legal. By 'fixed' it essentially means not readily detachable and requires tools & time to remove, outside of regular operation. So your rifle runs w/fixed mag and is easier to reload, a special 'stripper clip' top receiver cover is used.

DSArms sells these fixed-mag FAL conversion kits.

Bill Wiese
San Jose

[freonr22]

how far we have come

[technique]

thats a new low as far as necro posting goes.....

[Black Majik]

Pretty interesting however, this pre-dates OLLs, so it would have been an inquiry on FAB10 and top loading FALs.

My what a long way we've come. Thanks to Arthur, Bill, Wes, and everyone who has made this all possible.

[k1dude]

I'm confused by what bwiese wrote. Here's how I understand it:

California legal AR:

1) Any listed AR that you have an assault weapons permit for. You can use high capacity magazines if you owned them pre-ban.

2) Any AR not on the list that has a bullet button installed if the rifle has evil features (ie. pistol grip, flash hider). You are limited to 10 round mags whether they are 10 rounds, 10/20's, or 10/30's. You can build your own AR using an OLL (off list lower) in this configuration.

3) Any AR not on the list that has no evil features. You are limited to 10 round magazines (10, 10/20, 10/30) unless you owned high capacity magazines pre-ban. You can build your own AR using an OLL in this configuration.

California legal FAL:

Basically the same as the info I wrote for an AR.

Am I wrong in what I wrote?

[k1dude]

Doh! Sorry guys. I didn't look at the OP posting date. Now I get technique's "necro post" comment. I'm a little slow.

[Black Majik]

Heh, 168 views. Back then, that was the entire membership viewing the post once.

[rg_1111@yahoo.com]

10,000 post and your new here. WTF?

[freonr22]

rg, its from 5years ago