what would california classify a harmonica gun as?

[bohoki]

i'm working on an idea for a vertical harmonica gun where the chamber pack goes up the grip i know it will require an offset sight like a bren

but i am wondering what would it dros as? and would a chamber pack holding more than 10 cartridges be a "high capacity feed device"?

[NoHeavyHitter]

That's easy, it would be illegal - just like every other firearm that is not recognizable as such.

[The Gleam]

Typically they are C&R or antique, so they are already "classified" as that, and available in CA for purchase. Martin B. Retting in Culver City, has had several off and on in their C&R case since the 1980s, which is as at least for as long as I've been going there.

Some even still have dust on them SINCE the 1980s!

However, if it were a modern pistol, it would be subject to the Roster.

And it were a rifle, and semiautomatic in a way that ejected the spent casing, you might find that they would define the rack as a magazine if it were detachable and require it to be "featureless". If the rack were not detachable, you are limited to 10 rounds (which would be all you could make/sell in CA anyway even if detachable, without a high-capacity magazine license or some silly such thing.)

[Uncivil Engineer]

The best comparison would be the https://www.uberti-usa.com/1873-cattleman-22-revolver with the twelve round cylinder.

The question is. Is the cylinder a feeding device which would be illegal or is it part of the action which would make it legal. I'd say it's part of the action as it holds the chamber. If a feeding device doesn't feed into a chamber then what does it feed into?

The usfa 12/22 is another example of a 10+ revolver.

For legal purposes the action of a harmonica seems best compared to a revolver.

Swapping cylinders is possible but it you have some sort of fast swap in mind. Especially if you try and patent it the comparison could start to break down.

[The Gleam]

The best comparison would be the https://www.uberti-usa.com/1873-cattleman-22-revolver with the twelve round cylinder.

The question is. Is the cylinder a feeding device which would be illegal or is it part of the action which would make it legal. I'd say it's part of the action as it holds the chamber. If a feeding device doesn't feed into a chamber then what does it feed into?

The usfa 12/22 is another example of a 10+ revolver.

For legal purposes the action of a harmonica seems best compared to a revolver.

Swapping cylinders is possible but it you have some sort of fast swap in mind. Especially if you try and patent it the comparison could start to break down.

It's not semi-automatic. Doesn't matter. So like you noted, comparing it to a revolver makes sense.

Would still be subject to the Roster, which in this case, probably not a big deal to pass.

[Uncivil Engineer]

As for the roster Franklin Arms just got the ca7 AR pistol on the roster. If they can get an AR on the roster it should be possible to get anything on the roster. It just needs to be single shot when it is made and sold. Many buyers are converting CA7s to semi auto by replacing the upper. Suppose your harmonica was a single action only and didn't reset the hammer or move the harmonica. That should be easy to get on the roster. Then you just need to watch as people figure out how to convert it to double action.

[bohoki]

hmm so i limit them to 10 rounds now what if i have the modules dovetail together

the gun will look like a "pistol" i guess its similarity would aproximate a luger i envision the pack looking like a parallelogram

but am running into the gap sealing issue so i may need to keep them rectangular so the may look more like a tokarev

[Quiet]

The question is. Is the cylinder a feeding device which would be illegal or is it part of the action which would make it legal. I'd say it's part of the action as it holds the chamber. If a feeding device doesn't feed into a chamber then what does it feed into?

Under CA laws/regulations...

A firearm with a less than 16" barrel length is a "handgun".

A "handgun" can be further classified as a "pistol" or as a "revolver".

A "revolver" has a cylinder that contains the firearm's chambers and it rotates around a central axis so that it can be discharged by the shared firing mechanism through a common barrel.

A "pistol" has it's chamber as part of the firearm's barrel.

[Wheellock]

Sounds like some drawings/sketches or pictures would help. I have seen harmonica guns that were muzzle loaders...something like that?

[bohoki]

Sounds like some drawings/sketches or pictures would help. I have seen harmonica guns that were muzzle loaders...something like that?