AR15 in .22LR... are larger mags allowed

[michaeltpo]

I found this on the web and wondered if a 27 round .22LR magizine was legal in California. (If it was I'm sure it would draw attention)

On a technical note, would the AR still be semi-auto.

I have a lower and would do 99% plinking so I thought this would be good to learn the rifle...cheaply.

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/GunTech/NewsletterArchive.aspx?x=v&p=0&t=1&i=1300

Thanks.
Michael

[MikeWithBRD]

no... no bullet button needed but unless you had the mags before the ban, you can't.

[alex00]

I don't think brownell's will disassemble the magazine for you to use as a rebuild kit. I assume you already own a similar magazine, and are looking to replace the worn out parts. If that is the case, there may be some vendors here that can supply you with the rebuild kit.

The .22lr would still be semi auto, and would be allowed to run detachable magazines. The AW restrictions only apply to semi automatic centerfire rifles.

Enjoy the gun.


Edit: I think I misread your post. I thought the link was to the magazine, not the conversion. Since you already have the magazine, you are good to go. I shoot the 25 rounders in my 10/22 and never recieve another glance. There are so many people running high caps in featureless builds, or 10/20 & 10/30 mags, that I would not worry about drawing attention to yourself.

[michaeltpo]

I don't have an upper yet. I was considering a Grendel but I wouldn't use it to its capacity and its too expensive so I'm thinking a 5.56 would be OK for the upper. Using this, I could plink up to say 75 yards quite cheaply for just a few cents a round. ($230.00 for 5K rounds at CMP).
As for the magizines , I had none before the ban but if its a .22LR and a rimfire I guess the ban doesn't apply to it but I'm sure I'd get some looks with a large looking magizine on an AR platform. Thanks.

[69Mach1]

but its a .22LR and a rimfire so I guess the ban doesn't apply to it

Wrong

[MikeWithBRD]

I don't have an upper yet. I was considering a Grendel but I wouldn't use it to its capacity and its too expensive so I'm thinking a 5.56 would be OK for the upper. Using this, I could plink up to say 75 yards quite cheaply for just a few cents a round. ($230.00 for 5K rounds at CMP).
As for the magizines , I had none before the ban but its a .22LR and a rimfire so I guess the ban doesn't apply to it but I'm sure I'd get some looks with a large looking magizine on an AR platform.

The ban DOES apply to rimfire magazines. You could only use 10rd mags. Sure, it will look bigger, but thats no different than a 10/30 223 mag.

[DDT]

Well, they are legal to own but not legal to buy, mfg., be given etc.

This means that you can't buy these magazines legally. If you owned one, in California, before the ban you can buy repair kits for them.

If you moved to CA after the ban was passed you're SOL.

Penal Code 12020...

(25) As used in this section, "large-capacity magazine" means any ammunition feeding device with the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds, but shall not be construed to include any of the following:
(A) A feeding device that has been permanently altered so that it cannot accommodate more than 10 rounds.
(B) A .22 caliber tube ammunition feeding device.
(C) A tubular magazine that is contained in a lever-action firearm.

[michaeltpo]

OK.... No mags of any type larger than 10 rounds regardless of caliber.

[alex00]

I'm sorry if I was confusing. I thought you were aware that the magazine ban and the Assault Weapon ban were two separate things.

[bohoki]

hmm this brings up an interesting point

if you have a 30 round 223 magazine can you rebuild it into a 30 round 22lr magazine (think the polymer army conversion mag or the ciener mag?

cause technically it does fit in the same gun

[alex00]

hmm this brings up an interesting point

if you have a 30 round 223 magazine can you rebuild it into a 30 round 22lr magazine (think the polymer army conversion mag or the ciener mag?

cause technically it does fit in the same gun

That sounds legal to me. The big hangup is if it still works in the same gun. You have not created a new hi-cap.

[saki302]

As far as I know, the only legal pre-1994 mags out there were from the Ciener and Atchinson (sp?) kits. If you're lucky enough to own a pre-ban one, you probably paid around $100 for it pre-99.

If you owned these pre-ban, and one broke, I don't see why you couldn't rebuild it into one of the newer platic units, since they work int he same rifle and hold the same number of bullets (though this is probably an unnecessary point). As far as I can tell, only the springs would interchange.

As far as building a .223 mag into a .22 hi-cap, I don't see how it could be done- not one single part interchanges- not the spring, follower, body, or base plate. In other words, you cannot have rebuilt anything, even if you dismantle the old mag- what part have you recycled?

-Dave

[69Mach1]

As far as I know, the only legal pre-1994 mags out there were from the Ciener and Atchinson (sp?) kits. If you're lucky enough to own a pre-ban one, you probably paid around $100 for it pre-99.

If you owned these pre-ban, and one broke, I don't see why you couldn't rebuild it into one of the newer platic units, since they work int he same rifle and hold the same number of bullets (though this is probably an unnecessary point). As far as I can tell, only the springs would interchange.

-Dave

Springs, followers, baseplate plugs, and bodies will interchange.

[ohsmily]

As far as I know, the only legal pre-1994 mags out there were from the Ciener and Atchinson (sp?) kits. If you're lucky enough to own a pre-ban one, you probably paid around $100 for it pre-99.

If you owned these pre-ban, and one broke, I don't see why you couldn't rebuild it into one of the newer platic units, since they work int he same rifle and hold the same number of bullets (though this is probably an unnecessary point). As far as I can tell, only the springs would interchange.

As far as building a .223 mag into a .22 hi-cap, I don't see how it could be done- not one single part interchanges- not the spring, follower, body, or base plate. In other words, you cannot have rebuilt anything, even if you dismantle the old mag- what part have you recycled?

-Dave

You don't have to have "recycled" ANY parts. That isn't the issue. The issue is whether using a 30 round ar-15 magazine and rebuilding it into a 22LR AR-15 magazine makes the magazine no longer functional in the gun it was originally designed for. Is the ar lower with a rimfire upper on it a "different gun" than an ar lower with a 223 upper on it?

[Ironchef]

So if I make a lever action rifle that stores ammo in a tube, I could potentially make that tube 6 feet long and fill it with ammo? lol That'd be cool..like a crossbreading of a mosin nagant 91/30 and a lever action 22.