Prudent Prepping: Making CA-compliant AR Rifles

The dust has settled and the First 72 Hours have passed. Follow along as I build a long term plan via Prudent Prepping.

Here at Blue Collar Prepping we do not write on politics or allow others to do the same. This is not a political post, but a theoretical and practical way to make residents of the Great State of California compliant with the LETTER of state law.  

Very Important! I Am Not A Lawyer! I do not hold a Federal Firearms License! This is in no way intended to be legal advice nor am I recommending a way to bypass  your city and state laws. Your local laws may/will vary from mine.

Keeping Your Rifle Legal
California is one of a very small group of states that restrict the features found on Modern Sporting Rifles, and law-abiding citizens of those states need to follow their regulations. To keep from registering a rifle as an "Assault Weapon" in California, certain steps need to be followed and pieces need to be added or removed. To make matters worse, some of the recommended steps appear to be in conflict with each other.
Since there is some confusion, I will be ignoring any discussion of meanings and definitions to focus on presenting some of the popular ways of following the current law.

"Featureless" Rifles
Here is a PDF guide to one company's explanation of what a "featureless" rifle entails.

Thordsen Customs
This is what (currently) counts as a "featureless" rifle. There is no adjustable or folding stock, pistol grip, forward vertical grip or flash hider.

The picture is of a Thordsen Customs FRS-15 Gen III stock, a popular way to have a detachable magazine on a rifle.

Photo courtesy of Thordsen Customs

Hera Arms
Another take on a "featureless stock" is from Hera Arms, a German manufacturer supplying aftermarket parts to military and civilian customers. 

To make this particular stock CA legal, the opening needs to be filled in, since it is technically a "thumb-hole stock' currently prohibited.

HERA CQR Buttstock

Both of the stocks shown are somewhat adjustable for length of pull by adding and subtracting spacers, available at extra cost.

What Is a "Featured Rifle"?
Believe it or not, it is defined as having all the parts most Modern Sporting Rifles have when leaving the factory: an adjustable length stock, pistol grip, forward grip, flash hider and a detachable magazine.

Here are two different ways to release a magazine and maintain all your rifle features:

AR Maglock
This is one of the more popular ways to keep your features, and AR Maglock devices are used by many companies selling rifles in California. This short video explains what it does much better than I can:




Juggernaut Tactical 
Here is a slightly different way to do the same thing from Juggernaut Tactical:



 From the Juggernaut website:

By changing out your rear take down pin and replacing it with our modified take down pin in combination with a new bolt catch now used as a magazine lock, you will have a completely California Compliant AR. You no longer have to use a Featureless AR solution. Our system will allow you to keep all of your current features, including a pistol grip, a forward grip, and adjustable butt stock. You can even reinstall a mil-spec magazine release. No need for a bullet button.

• Ultra-fast magazine changes
• Easy to install in 30 minutes or less
• Featureless AR components no longer needed
• No need to permanently modify your upper or lower
• No need for bullet button
• Available for any AR-15 or AR-10
• 100% made in the U.S.A.
• Finished in black or stainless steel
• Patent pending

So there you have it: two different systems to make your Modern Sporting Rifle legal in CA.

For now.

The Takeaway

• Isn't Capitalism wonderful? Here are four private companies making a lot of money selling parts to law-abiding citizens, who are obeying the law! 

The Recap

• Nothing was purchased by me this week for this post. 
• These companies sell their parts direct and/or through online parts retailers. Check around for the lowest prices. 

Just a reminder: if you plan on buying anything through Amazon, please consider using our referral link. When you do, a portion of the sale comes back here to help keep this site running!

If you have comments, suggestions or corrections, please post them so we all can learn. And remember, Some Is Always Better Than None!

NOTE: All items tested were purchased by me. No products have been loaned in exchange for a favorable review. Any items sent to me for T&E will be listed as such. Suck it Feds.