Would this be legal: Stuffing the internals of a BDM 30 round mag into a pre-ban body

[mxpatriot51]

Bought a Ceiner kit awhile ago and I love it, it's just a pain the butt being stuck with ten rounds.

Would it be legal if you "built" a 30 round Ceiner mag out of a pre-ban .223 magazine body? Basically, you stuff the ceiner or BDM parts into the pre-ban body.

Would that still be considered pre-ban, even though the internals are now different?

I've always thought "once a high cap, always a high cap", meaning if I could modify an 11 round magazine to hold 100 rounds, that's fine, since it was already a legal high cap. Is this true?

[bobfried]

What you say is partially true, once a high cap always a high cap.

But the rub is in the converting them to load a different caliber in a completely different class of weapon. By your reasoning I could convert any of my high capacity magazines to any other weapon and caliber. You go from having ZERO high capacity 22lr. magazine into having ONE 22lr. high capacity magazine, that's manufacturing, no ways around it.

[mxpatriot51]

What you say is partially true, once a high cap always a high cap.

But the rub is in the converting them to load a different caliber in a completely different class of weapon. By your reasoning I could convert any of my high capacity magazines to any other weapon and caliber. You go from having ZERO high capacity 22lr. magazine into having ONE 22lr. high capacity magazine, that's manufacturing, no ways around it.

That's a good point, but how is it different then using a .223 magazine for something like 6.8SPC? What if you change the follower and put something else in it?

At what point is the line between "modified existing magazine" and "created new magazine".

[NSR500]

I'd like to know the answer to this as well... As far as I understand; "Once a High Capacity, always a High Capacity". So, If you already own a legal High Capacity Magazine; what does it matter what caliber it is?

[rksimple]

I thought it had to be able to be used in the same firearm after changing parts. It's the same lower, so is it the same firearm? Does caliber matter? Also waiting for a good answer...

[darkest2000]

As long as you don't MODIFY any of the parts, there's no laws that say anything about that being illegal...

You're not creating new hicaps, you're just changing the caliber.

But, generally speaking if you gotta ask, don't do it. Or keep it to yourself.

[Boomer1961]

I thought it had to be able to be used in the same firearm after changing parts. It's the same lower, so is it the same firearm? Does caliber matter? Also waiting for a good answer...

I don't think the DOJ has put out a memo/cirular letter on this.

The BATFE put out a circular letter on the now expired Clinton ban that did say the magazine had to still function in the weapon it was designed for.

Now this gets me to thinking since that letter did not address ammo caliber that it is still designed to funcition in the weapon it was made for, just in a different caliber.

I would think though that falling back on the old Federal interpretation might be good legal standing until the DOJ clarifies.

[bwiese]

I think Boomer's advice generally good about prior ATF stances as guides.

I think any mag stuff you're thinking about SHOULD ALWAYS ALLOW THE MAG TO FUNCTION IN THE EXISTING CALIBER+FIREARM FOR WHICH IT'S DESIGNED.

If it happens to feed ammo of another caliber in another gun OK (40cal HK USP40 mags in an HK USP9, for example) that's "just the way it is", and it's indeed a hicap mag.

[mxpatriot51]

I think Boomer's advice generally good about prior ATF stances as guides.

I think any mag stuff you're thinking about SHOULD ALWAYS ALLOW THE MAG TO FUNCTION IN THE EXISTING CALIBER+FIREARM FOR WHICH IT'S DESIGNED.

If it happens to feed ammo of another caliber in another gun OK (40cal HK USP40 mags in an HK USP9, for example) that's "just the way it is", and it's indeed a hicap mag.

You mean high cap .40 mags,right? Because if you put more than ten rounds in a ten round magazine, isn't that making it a high cap, regardless of its intended use?

As for the BDM/pre-ban body swap I'm not planning on doing that at this point, I'm just trying to figure out if it can be legally done, and if so, how.

[mxpatriot51]

In a similar question: Was there very a ruling on the whole 10 round .50 Beowulf/30 round .223 magazine thing?