Tool mag release or no mag release?

[JohnG3]

I've searched the AR threads but haven't seen this mentioned. Would an AR with the magazine release button removed from the weapon (essentially making it a single shot rifle) make the rifle California legal?

[WILDMAN442]

If you remove the button how will it hold the magazine?

Justin

[SoCalRandy]

If you remove the button how will it hold the magazine?

Justin

If it's "single shot" you wouldn't use a magazine at all....

[WILDMAN442]

I guess it would then because it wouldnt be capable of holding a magazine. But why wouldyou want to do that? Bullet buttons are cheap and maglocks are even cheaper...

Justin

[reidnez]

I've searched the AR threads but haven't seen this mentioned. Would an AR with the magazine release button removed from the weapon (essentially making it a single shot rifle) make the rifle California legal?

I'm not sure it's been tried, but I don't think so. The rifle would still be technically capable of accepting a detachable magazine, since you could insert and remove a magazine by hand with no tools. The "remove" part is really what makes the difference; that is what makes a BB-equipped rifle legal.

I supposed you'd have to hold the magazine in place while shooting, and the rifle would likely jam a lot, but my suspicion is that CA DOJ would still view that as a fully-functioning, detachable-magazine rifle, and not a single-shot rifle. Their interpretations consistently err on the side of jail time.

As the others have mentioned, there's really no practical reason to do this anyway. You have two viable solutions available: the bullet button or a featureless build. Neither is really optimal compared to the weapon as it was designed, but you can be reasonably satisfied with one or the other.

[JohnG3]

No Mag release

Thanks for the replies. Its a moot point at this time as the BB came in the mail today.