California: replacement magazine bodies

[Duke of Lawnchair]

California residents,

Have any of you purchased replacement magazine bodies from Brownells?

I've been perusing the CA AWB/high capacity magazine laws and can't seem to find any legalese regarding the purchase of replacement magazine bodies.

Is the purchase of said replacement bodies legal in CA?

-Jim

 

[SIGarmed]

Yes I beleive it is. You should be able to purchase replacement magazine bodies.

 

[stv]

First - I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice. However, as I understand it:

It is legal to purchase standard capacity magazine bodies provided that they are solely for the purpose of repairing damaged magazines that you owned prior to 1/1/2000. It is, however, a felony to use said replacement bodies to assemble brand new magazines with brand new springs and followers. It's also probably hard to find someone who will ship standard capacity mag bodies to California, since mag bodies are not often damaged beyond repair.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

[railroader]

I don't know about other companies but cz- usa will ship mag bodies to cali. As far as I know it is legal too. The restrictions on mags pertain to complete mags not parts. Now building new full capactity mags from parts is another story in cali. It's a no no. Mark

 

[tyme]

stv, is it really a felony? I used to think so too, but on checking it appears it's only a misdemeanor. 12020 (a) and 12020 (a) (2).

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=pen&group=12001-13000&file=12020-12040

 

[stv]

Felony or misdemeanor, I'll skip it. Thanks for looking that up though.

 

[Duke of Lawnchair]

Thanks THR crew.

One of my Sanchez ar15 magazines took a dive this evening. Quite possibly before today.

I noticed that a feed lip is nearly severed from the rest of the mag body while inspecting them for a range trip tomorrow.

I've been doing some research on the CA DOJ website and it seems that the purchase of replacement magazine bodies is kosher.

Out with the old, in with the new. Poor magazine.

-Jim

 

[carp killer]

Why don't you just ask the DOJ?

 

[Duke of Lawnchair]

Why don't you just ask the DOJ?

Because I want to get all my ducks in a row before I actually ask them.

It's called research.

 

[FNFiveSeven]

so, if you're replacing the mag body of a 30 round AR-15 mag, can you replace it with a 40 round body? Are you allowed to upgrade mags and change things out, so long as no new mags are created?

 

[Uncle Ethan]

I stopped going to this forum because I was discussing this very subject [a month or so after the forum started up] and a mod closed the thread indicating that discussing breaking the law or trying to circumvent the law wasn't allowed here, and that was why the forum was called the "High Road." As this thread hasn't been closed yet maybe one of you gentlemen shot the sucker [I hope.]As far as I know buying replacement parts from Brownells is legal, and I have never heard of anyone being checked out to see if they replaced the body with a higher capacity.

 

[FNFiveSeven]

Don't bother asking the DOJ, they don't know their own laws, I found this out first hand. The people who work at the DOJ have opinions, and they're usually founded on a lesser understanding of the law than that possessed by the average dude here. I have had phone conversations with them before where they have told me they "don't know" and I've also had them tell me things were illegal that weren't, and tell me things were legal that were illegal
Opinions of the people who work at the DOJ are just that... opinions. What they say is not the law: what's WRITTEN is the law. Period. The way I see it, changing out a 30 round body for a 40 is not the "importation or construction" of a new high capacity magazine, it is simply the modification of an existing one. It should be no different in the eyes of the law than painting my magazine pink... unless of course that is agains the law