In the current political climate in California, we are forced to comply to excessive and unnecessary regulations placed on our AR-15’s, however these regulations shouldn’t stop you or discourage you from exploring the world of AR’s and the joy of building one yourself. While we wait for the Franklin Armory “Title 1” firearm to go through the legislative process and potentially change the world of firearms in California, we still must confront the options to enjoy AR’s in California with minimal impact on functionality.
What are the current options?
Currently we really have several options to become California compliant: Non-pistol grip conversions, or magazine locks. We will talk about both, specifically the ones that I personally have had experience with and my take on them.
The Magazine Lock
Magazine locks were remarkably inconvenient when they were first released, companies rushed development to meet the new demand and created a whole host of options, varying dramatically in quality, fitment and functionality. I own an AR with such a magazine lock. (image below)
This was a maglock I purchased several years ago with haste to comply to California regulations. Its a very simple design that replaces a traditional Magazine release with a poorly machined mess of a metal rod that presses against the upper receiver, forcing you to open the rifle to allow to to depress the release and thus; drop the magazine. Although very simple it comes with a whole host of issues. It is extremely slow, it doesn’t catch the upper from opening completely and as a result, longer barreled or heavier uppers can quickly swing open and pinch your fingers when you’re in a hurry to drop the magazine. This kit (if you can call it that) also didn’t come with a modified rear take-down pin, so you have to press the pin out the way you would normally for a complete disassembly. later models came with modified take-down pins, which I will cover shortly. HOWEVER by far and away the worst feature of this maglock system is the little round hole where the standard screw would go. According to the shop that I originally purchased this system from, I was REQUIRED BY LAW to press fit a small round metal disc inside thus making this system “permanently fixed”, and boy were they not joking, this system cannot be disassembled. Ever. They further told me that I was required to superglue it into place. This completely ruined my rifle, as I stupidly complied, and GLUED MY MAG RELEASE INTO PLACE the glue seeped into my lower and glued my mag released shut. My mag release now wont even open when I drop the upper receiver. The magazine that is in that rifle now simply can’t be removed without a hammer. I have to hammer my mag release and my lower receiver to drop a magazine. The only redeeming feature of this kit was the price, which was about $20, and I use “redeeming” very loosely. This kit simply isn’t an option. Never buy a kit even remotely similar to this one if you want to have a functional rifle. Spend the few extra bucks and buy a quality one.
Something much better is the option on my buddies AR (pictured below)
This system comes with only one part modification: the rear take-down pin, this example of a much less archaic system came out several months later. The spring-loaded pin can simply be pressed which cracks open the upper receiver just maybe a centimeter, which allows you to drop the magazine with the standard mag release, then just slap the upper back down (the system catches the upper on its own without any manipulation of the pin) and you’re ready to go. This kit costs about $60 (The Hellfighter Mod kit) but similar systems will be around the same price. I personally will probably get a similar kit to this one for my next build (stay tuned for that). The only complaints that I have heard or personally experienced with this kit, are that the spring and button can come loose, and potentially ping right off the rifle. My buddy and I spent a good 10 minutes rummaging though range scrap and spent steel cartridges searching for the little spring and button, eventually finding it. Just check it occasionally to make sure its still tight and you should be okay. Similar, but more modern kits have addressed this problem, and curb the issue, but don’t entirely solve it. All-in-all, I personally think this is the best option to stay compliant if you’re willing to sacrifice the mag release for a half second extra work, if not, see below.
Modified Grips for AR-15s
Grip modifications are the other common option for AR’s in California, From Kydex Grip wraps, to Thordsen stocks; there is a whole host of options to explore. I personally own a rifle that uses the Thordsen stock (image below)
The Thordsen Stock is probably the best I-dont-want-to-modify-my-guns-functionality option. All of the mechanical components on this rifle are exactly the same as a standard non-ban state AR-15, the only difference is the grip/stock combination. Simply because the grip angle is that of a bolt rifle, or a standard “hunting” rifle, and because the stock and grip are one assembly that it is not connected to the buffer tube. It can be a little awkward to get used to, and can irritate the webbing of your hand as it rubs against the point where the lower meets the stock. The bolt holding the whole thing to the lower also can and will get loose after a day of shooting. Locktite or superglue it into place if you wish, but as is evident from my past experiences, glue and guns don’t work well for me. The magazine tube also starts to wiggle itself loose after a day of shooting, but simply hand tighten it and you should be fine, in my experience at least. I can’t really complain too much about this kit, other than those things. It was a little pricey (about $125 when I purchased it) but I can easily say its my favorite compliance option that allows me to use my standard mag release, and there is something really nice about dropping my magazine with no worries, it is also really nice for clearing jams, which is more than I can say about some of the mag-lock kits which make it much more complicated.
Grip wraps, angled grips and the rest
Honestly, I don’t have much to say about them, they are perfectly fine if you are okay with not holding your rifle in a familiar manner. Grip wraps are designed to not allow your thumb to wrap around a standard pistol grip and make for a strange firing grip. Much stranger than a Thordsen stock in my opinion. The same goes for the other angled grips. They all have the common feature of stopping your thumb from wrapping around the grip, and come in a whole host of difference shapes, designs and sizes. However, they can be cheap, like really cheap compared to other options. I have seen Grip wraps cost as little as $10 and boom, you are compliant. This holds true for other grip options as well, especially on sale. Buyer beware though, they are cheap for a reason, and most people in today’s environment go with options that I covered more in depth above. I personally would rather spend a little extra and go with the longer standing more proven systems, but honestly can’t blame someone for going cheap with these options. In fact, my Extreme Budget Build rifle (build coming soon) will probably incorporate a grip wrap.