AR Magazines

[bravomike101abn]

Just got off Active Duty, with multiple tours in Iraq. Have acquired several hundred AR magazines over the years, but I am aware of the high-capacity magazine ban that is in effect. My question is, if I purchase magazine blocks to limit the round capacity, from 30 down to 10, does the modification have to be permanent? I ask this, as I may be moving back out of state, and would like to be able to remove the blocks, to restore the mags back to the 30-round capacity? Thanks.

[TwinStick]

Welcome home and thank you for your service!!!

It has to be "permanent". Your idea of permanent may differ from what others may think, but I'd just pull them all apart and hang on to them as rebuild kits until you know if you're moving out of state.

[IrishPirate]

it has to be permanent in the sense that you can't change the capacity without disassembling the magazine. once you disassemble the magazine it's no longer a magazine, it's a parts kit, so as long as when it's in magazine configuration there is no way to add an 11th round, you're fine. But it can be a non-attached, loose part that sits in the magazine. the plastic blocks that are sold at most gun stores now are perfectly fine.

if you legally acquired them while in CA, then you can legally keep them in 10+ round configuration as long as you don't use them in a gun with a mag lock (ie: only use them in featureless rifles).

[SgtMerc]

While i was at the Vallejo Gun show this last weekend, found a vendor selling magblocks for all my old issue mags.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=356046

This is the exact kind.

I did have a little bit of a problem with cutting the tab off the followers. As you can see, with the green followers, there's a tab that fits into the notch. it needs to be trimmed down a bit.

Do NOT cut too much off, or you will be able to force an 11th round in and your mod will be wasted.

On top of that, with the exact same follower mod to each of my mags, some held 10 perfectly, some held 11, and some held 9. So the 11s needed a shim added to the bottom of the magblock. the 9s needed a little shaving down of the block.

And after you've got them sized properly, make sure to fully load them and see if they seat/chamber in your rifle properly. My first mod fit 10 but it was so tight it wouldn't chamber, requiring multiple racks and forward assisting. I had to shave down the block, and then it was almost capable of 11rds.

Also, since you epoxy the spring to the bottom of the block, it is "permanent". The DOJ has stated that "Permanent" is not the same as "irreversible." based on this pdf page 33, (A4.11/A4.12)

http://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/pdfs/firearms/regs/fsor.pdf

978.20(d) - Permanently Altered


The way i see it, if you epoxy the spring down, then the only way you can "revert" is if you get a replacement spring, or spend a lot of time cutting that crud off.

[russ69]

Just got off Active Duty, with multiple tours in Iraq. Have acquired several hundred AR magazines over the years...

Acquired, as in, I bought them or acquired as in, recovered from my previous employer?

[Dreaded Claymore]

Active duty military personnel are exempt from the law that forbids importing magazines into California, and the law does not forbid possessing them in California. So if you were in California when you got off active duty, then you legally possess them in California, you didn't import them illegally, and you don't have to block them to 10 rounds. Enjoy your special privileges, we're happy for you. (Similarly, LE officers can legally keep all their personal high-capacity magazines when they retire from the force.)

I'm assuming you didn't steal all those magazines from Uncle Sam. A while back, one fellow talked about the magazines he had from when he was a Soldier. Other current/former military people told him that he had stolen U.S. government property by keeping the mags instead of turning them in. He replied that he had tried to turn the mags in on multiple occasions, but they were refused each time, and he had been instructed to keep them or throw them away.

[SgtMerc]

Active duty military personnel are exempt from the law that forbids importing magazines into California, and the law does not forbid possessing them in California. So if you were in California when you got off active duty, then you legally possess them in California, you didn't import them illegally, and you don't have to block them to 10 rounds. Enjoy your special privileges, we're happy for you. (Similarly, LE officers can legally keep all their personal high-capacity magazines when they retire from the force.)

I'm assuming you didn't steal all those magazines from Uncle Sam. A while back, one fellow talked about the magazines he had from when he was a Soldier. Other current/former military people told him that he had stolen U.S. government property by keeping the mags instead of turning them in. He replied that he had tried to turn the mags in on multiple occasions, but they were refused each time, and he had been instructed to keep them or throw them away.

Yeah, CIF doesn't really care anymore, because it's easier to let you keep stuff that's not on your "inventory list" than it is for them to admit they issued you gear they didn't account for.

Use them in a featureless, or block them for legal cali use. figure every 5 modified mags saves you $100 in new purchases, right?

[glock7]

Take em apart stick them in the safe and wait till you move out of this state. Why ruin a perfectly good standard capacity magazine?

[Quiet]

If you were issued large capacity magazines while you were in the Military and was stationed in CA, then you legally acquired them while in CA and can re-import them as large capacity magazines.

If you were issued large capacity magazines while you were in the Military and was never in CA, then you can not import them into CA as large capacity magazines. They will need to be disassembled into parts and/or made into permanent 10 round magazines.

[Sniper3142]

If you were issued large capacity magazines while you were in the Military and was stationed in CA, then you legally acquired them while in CA and can USE them as large capacity magazines.

If you were issued large capacity magazines while you were in the Military and was never in CA, then you can not import them into CA as large capacity magazines. They will need to be disassembled into parts and/or made into permanent 10 round magazines.

Fixed it for you.

If he was issued these magazines, then it was Uncle Sam who imported them.

[Quiet]

Fixed it for you.

If he was issued these magazines, then it was Uncle Sam who imported them.

He's coming back from OCONUS deployment.

So, if he was stationed in CA and issued magazines. Then took those magazines outside of CA. When he comes back to CA, it would be re-importation. Which is allowed, if he got issued the magazines when he was in CA.