Pre-Ban 20 & 30 mags legal in PRK

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I have some AR mags that I purchased in the early 90s. I know it's legal to own, but is it legal to use it in the Su16ca or would that make it an aw?

[tatsuosan1964]

Perfectly legal to use in your SU-16. As long as they were in your possession before Jan.01,2000 you may own and use.

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Perfectly legal to use in your SU-16. As long as they were in your possession before Jan.01,2000 you may own and use.

Cool The rifle looks way better with mag sticking out. Thanks!

[aj1000101]

provides a very handy front grip for me...

almost like a front end pistol grip...

[Harm]

I am always fascinated by the laws in my state of CA. My question is, if I were to go to any nearby state where hi cap mags are legal and bring them home with me, how would anybody know if I had purchased them before or after the ban? Is this another example of a law which cannot be enforced?

[stevil]

Exactly, it's almost unenforceable.

Here are some responses direct from a CA DOJ agent regarding some specific magazine related questions...

Q1: Can you import newly manufactured parts to repair a legally obtained hi-cap magazine?
A1: Yes.

Q2: Are there any restrictions on which parts can and cannot be imported?
A2: No.

Q3: Can you import all the parts of a single hi-cap magazine at once, provided they are unassembled?
A3: Yes.

Q4: Can a California resident travel to another state, purchase a hi-cap magazine in that state, dissassemble it and ship the required replacement parts back to themselves in California?
A4: Penal Code section 12020(a)(2) makes it illegal to import a large capacity magazine into the state of California. If you traveled to another state in order to import a large capacity magazine, you would be guilty of a felony, even if you disassembled the large capacity magazine before returning to California. If you disassembled the large capacity magazine with the intent to use it only as repair parts, you could lawfully bring the parts in to California. In either case, you would test the limits of the law, and be at risk of criminal prosecution.

Q5: Can you replace the magazine body with one marked "For Law Enforcement Only"?
A5: While theoretically you could use such a part to repair a lawfully owned large capacity magazine, most dealers would be unlikely to sell you such a magazine body, unless you were a law enforcement officer.

Q6: Is there any limitation to the number of parts you can replace in a legally obtained hi-cap magazine? (Scenario: if on successive days I replace each individual part of a legally obtained hi-cap magazine, am I guilty of assembling a new hi-cap magazine once the final part is replaced?)
A6: Whether the scenario you describe constitutes repairing or manufacturing a large capacity magazine depends upon the legal opinion of the prosecutor in the jurisdiction where the acts occur. There are 58 district attorneys in California's 58 counties. They could elect to prosecute you for a felony (Penal Code 12280(a)(2)), if they believed that you were manufacturing a large capacity magazine.

Q7: If the magazine body is replaced with one clearly manufactured after 2000 is there any burden of proof upon a California resident that they did in fact replace a worn/obsolete part and did not illegally purchase/import a new hi-cap magazine.
A7: A California resident who repairs a large capacity magazine that was owned before January 1, 2000 does not have any "burden of proof" that the magazine was repaired, rather than replaced with a new magazine. However, it would be prudent in such a case to keep records documenting the purchase of the part necessary for the repair in order to demonstrate that the large capacity magazine was repaired, not replaced.

Q8: Can you use parts designed for a 10-round magazine to repair a legally obtained hi-cap magazine?
A8: If parts designed for a 10-round magazine are interchangeable with parts of a legally obtained large capacity magazine, there is no legal barrier to using them.

Q9: Can you have enough spare parts to assemble a new hi-cap magazine provided they are unassembled and intended for use as replacement parts?
A9: Whether the scenario you describe constitutes posession of magazine parts with the intent to manufacture or with the intent to repair a large capacity magazine depends upon the legal opinion of the prosecutor in the jurisdiction where the acts occur. You could be charged with a felony (Penal Code 12280(a)(2)), if a prosecutor believed that you were manufacturing a large capacity magazine.

[Rags]

Thanks for the info. stevil. Now I won't worry if one of my Previously owned mags breaks on me.

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Time for road trip!

thanks for the info, I do need to replace the body of my 30rd mag, fits too tight in the mag well of the CA.

[rcmodel]

I do need to replace the body of my 30rd mag, fits too tight in the mag well of the CA.

That's probably going to be a mag well issue, rather then a mag issue.

If your 30 round mag is mil-spec, it's going to be pretty much the same exact size as any other mil-spec mag.


rcmodel

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I'm pretty sure it's the mag body. The mags that I have that fit too tight are the Cooper ones which are known to be a little oversized. The Colt mags I have fit just right and drop when I press the mag release button.