Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Is it legal to hunt in CA with an AR?

I have heard conficting stories on this issue. The funny thing is that the fish and game up in sacramento can't give me a straight answer. Yes the guns are registered. I think there is just a magazine capacity limit but the F&G guy told me there wasn't one. Does anyone know? I also have a FAL that I'd like to use on pigs. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

FWIW:

1-I took a hog in CA with an AR in 1986. That was before all of the bans, though (Heck, it was before you needed a pig tag).

2--Semi-Auto Weapons are legal. A Buddy-o-mine, who is an NRA Lifetime member, and a California resident and California lawyer who is very conscious of gun laws, hunts Pigs with a Garrand.

3--Caliber may be an issue (is 223 too small?)

4--Legality of weapon may be an issue, CA has very sepcific Assault Weapons laws.

5--Carrying certain weapons in certain ways, on certain parcels of public land, each can be a problem. This is a real can-o-worms. I have seen issues with Butt Cuffs with ammo in them, no ammo in the gun, be a problem in certain places--its a "loaded weapon" . . yada, yada, yada.

Every time I go down there, my Buddy advises me about the 6 laws I broke this time. Just by carting my guns into the state in an "un-approved" manner.

These guns are locked in a case, unloaded, with ammo in a separate ammo can. But the devil is in the details (was the detachable box mag laoded? etc., etc.)

Check with a local chapter of the NRA for help is my advice

Good Luck,

BMT

Thanks BMT

I'm familiar with the general laws, although I think the stats say that there is a new gun law passed every month or somethin. I just don't want to be out with my AR and have it taken along with my zeiss scope, and maybe truck etc. If anyone has a clear-cut answer I'd appreciate it. I am convinced that they don't advertise their laws in hopes of catching you breaking the law. I couldn't even get a straight answer from F&G

IIRC, the CA assault weapon ban includes a clause that makes it illegal to fire an �assault weapon� anywhere but a licensed �assault weapon� range. Now you need to check to see if your particular gun is in fact an �assault weapon.� If it is, and this law is still in effect, then the answer is no.

As for hunting with a semi-auto in CA. You can hunt with a semi-auto that has a magazine capacity of no greater than 5 rounds. That doesn�t mean you can just insert 5 rounds into a 20 rounder, it actually has to be a 5 round magazine.

Might want to add to that the mag has to be fixed, locked in place not changeble with another mag. Rifle is loaded by lifting the upper and useing ten round stripper clips oh yes the fixed mag is limeted to a ten round max

blinddog - You're confusing the issue. What you are describing is a California Legal AR, approved for sale today. There are many of the non-pollitically-correct rifles still in California (meaning real AR's), that are legal to own, but the laws don't allow you to do anything with them.

Using the rifle you describe, you can hunt away without any regard for anything. It is considered under the law, a sporting rifle. If you have a real AR, then it's an assault weapon and subject to all the CA laws governing assault weapons.

Unless something has changed, where real AR's are concerned, you can't hunt with an AR. You can't even take on out to the woods and plink. You have to shoot it at a licensed assault weapon range.

The funny thing about all of this... When they made that law, the value of AR's skyrocketed in CA. I made a killing on a Colt H-BAR Flat-Top and I was happy to sell it since it (legally) became worthless to me.

Well I was just throwing on my 2cents I have decided that i am not going back to kalifornia for any reason period I have told my relitives there that also. All I know about the krazy kalifornia laws is what i have seen on here and other gun related sights.
When i retired some of my relations thought i should move there I was born in L.A. but grew up in AZ. I found out that my GLOCK was forbidden to go there G21 with 13 round mags. she retired with me and she still goes where I go
Ks. just passed a CCW I had thought we were way behind till I started researching the "more progressive states"I am going to apply for my CCW in july when it becomes avalible.
Even though I am retired LEO, I am still getting the regular CCW. I support the peoples right to keep and bear arms i I would not take any special privledge But now that non LEO's can get CCW I will also and use it somtimes

Fish & Game can't answer that question because assault weapons laws aren't covered under hunting laws but by the criminal code. As far as the DF&G is concerned you can hunt with any semi-auto that doesn't violate any caliber or magazine capacity restrictions.

CA DOJ has a site that explains the assault weapon laws. Not counting places irrelevant to hunting, it is only legal to possess an assault weapon on your own property and private property with the landowners express permission.

Technically, you could have it on state or federal land if specifically permitted by the managing agency of the land. Fat chance of that.