DIRECTIONS FOR USING THIS BOOKLET
For the purposes of this guide, assault weapons are divided into three categories. These are: Category 1 - Penal
Code section 12276 subdivisions (a), (b), (c) (Roberti Roos Assault Weapons Control Act of 1989); Category 2
- Penal Code section 12276 subdivisions (e) and (f) (Kasler v. Lockyer, AK and AR-15 series assault weapons);
and Category 3 - Penal Code section 12276.1 (SB 23 - generic characteristic assault weapons). A combined
listing of Category 1 and Category 2 assault weapons can be found on page 82.
Category 1. The Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act of 1989
This was California’s first assault weapons act. Under this act, any firearm on a list specified in Penal Code
section 12276 is considered an assault weapon. Such assault weapons are controlled (i.e., may not be legally
purchased, kept for sale, offered for sale, exposed for sale, given, lent, manufactured, distributed, or imported)
after December 31, 1991, and were required to be registered as assault weapons with the Department of Justice
no later than March 31, 1992. In addition, the Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act controlled AK and
AR-15 series assault weapons (Penal Code section 12276, subd (e) and (f) - see Category 2). These assault
weapons are controlled regardless of whether they have Category 3 (Penal Code section 12276.1 - SB 23)
characteristics.
Category 2. AK and AR-15 Series Weapons
The California Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act of
1989 in Kasler v. Lockyer. This decision took effect August 16, 2000. Effective August 16, 2000, firearm
models that are variations of the AK or AR-15, with only minor differences from those two models, are assault
weapons under the original Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act of 1989. AK and AR-15 series weap-ons
are controlled as of August 16, 2000, and must be registered as assault weapons with the Department of
Justice on or before January 23, 2001. The only alternatives to registration are permanently removing from the
state, rendering permanently inoperable, destroying, or relinquishing the weapon to a law enforcement agency.
These assault weapons are controlled regardless of whether they have Category 3 (Penal Code section 12276.1 -SB
23) characteristics.
Category 3. Generic Characteristics
As of January 1, 2000, Senate Bill 23 (Chapter 129, Statutes of 1999) provides that firearms that have characteristics
falling under any of the categories listed in Penal Code section 12276.1 are also considered to be assault
weapons. These assault weapons are controlled as of January 1, 2000, and must be registered as assault weapons
with the Department of Justice on or before December 31, 2000. As an alternative to registration, these
weapons may be permanently removed from the state, rendered permanently inoperable, destroyed, relinquished
to law enforcement agencies, or have the assault weapon characteristics permanently removed before December
31, 2000.
http://caag.state.ca.us/firearms/forms/pdf/awguide.pdf
CATEGORY 1
The Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act of 1989
The Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act of 1989 was California’s first assault weapons act. The Act is
still in effect and specifically identifies assault weapons by make and model. Assault weapons under this act
include those firearms that are marked as specified in Penal Code section 12276, as well as those makes and
models specified by the Attorney General pursuant to Penal Code section 12276.5. As of October 2000, the
Attorney General has not utilized the add-on provisions of Penal Code section 12276.5 subdivisions (a)-(f).
Except as otherwise noted, firearms described in this publication have been physically identified as assault
weapons by their markings. Those markings generally, but not always, include both the name or trademark of
the manufacturer and the model name or number of the firearm. Each description includes identification mark-ings
and an indication of where those markings, if any, are found on the firearm.
Caution must be used in identifying Roberti-Roos assault weapons because of the ease in which their appear-ance
may be altered with attachments or different types of stocks; however, removing a characteristic does not
change a firearm’s status as an assault weapon. A firearm specified in Penal Code section 12276 by make and
model but which does not match the picture included in this publication is a controlled assault weapon. If in
doubt about the identity of a particular firearm, or if identifying marks have been removed or altered, please
consult the Department of Justice Firearms Division at (916) 227-3703.
CATEGORY 2
AK and AR-15 Series Weapons (Kasler v. Lockyer)
This California Supreme Court decision took effect on August 16, 2000. Under this decision, any firearm of
minor variation of the AK or AR-15 type (i.e., series weapon), regardless of the manufacturer, is a Category 2
(Kasler v. Lockyer) assault weapon under the original Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act of 1989.
All AK and AR-15 series weapons had to be possessed before August 16, 2000 and must be registered on
or before January 23, 2001. The Department of Justice is required to identify these series weapons and
includes in this publication a listing of identified AK and AR-15 series weapons.
It is important to note that removal of a firearm’s characteristics does not affect its status as a Category
2 assault weapon. A Category 2 assault weapon is still an assault weapon even if it has no Category 3
(SB 23 - generic characteristics) features.
Category 2 assault weapons may be of any caliber, including .22 caliber rimfire.
AR-15 Series Weapons
The following pages show markings and illustrations of AR-15 series weapons. The Colt AR-15 was the
only AR-15 series weapon to be originally identified as an assault weapon under the Roberti-Roos Assault
Weapons Control Act of 1989, and was required to be registered on or before March 31, 1992. With the
exception of the Colt AR-15, all of the listed AR-15 series weapons were subsequently identified by the
Department of Justice as Category 2 assault weapons as a result of the Kasler v. Lockyer California Supreme
Court ruling effective August 16, 2000. Category 2 (Kasler v. Lockyer) weapons were required to be
purchased on or before August 16, 2000 and registered as assault weapons on or before January 23, 2001.
The markings on these firearms usually appear on the left side of the lower receiver.
Caliber has no bearing on a weapon’s status as a series weapon and should be disregarded when making an
identification. For example, upper receiver conversion kits are available to convert almost any AR series
weapon into .45 ACP, .40 S&W, 7.62 X 39 mm, 9 mm, 10 mm, or .223 caliber.
The makes and models provided in this guide include those which the Department of Justice was able to
locate prior to printing this booklet. It is probable that some series weapons in circulation are unknown to
the Department of Justice. If you encounter a suspected series weapon that is not specifically named in this
booklet, please contact the Firearms Division at (916) 227-3703 for identification of that weapon.
Additional assault weapon models as they are identified will be included in future versions of this guide and
will be posted on the Firearms Division website at
http://caag.state.ca.us/firearms/awguide/.
Assault Weapon Generic Characteristics (Penal Code Section 12276.1)
The Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act of 1989 (Penal Code section 12276) regulates specific assault
weapons by makes and models. Since its passage in 1989, many manufacturers created new firearm models
that have very similar characteristics to controlled assault weapons. In response, the Legislature passed and the
governor signed SB 23 (Chapter 129, Statutes of 1999), which created Penal Code section 12276.1 to define
assault weapons by generic characteristics. It is important to understand that the Roberti-Roos Assault Weap-ons
Control Act of 1989 (Penal Code section 12276), which lists assault weapons by make and model, is still
the law and those weapons were required to be registered on or before March 31, 1992 (with the exception of
certain AK series and AR-15 series weapons, which are required to be registered on or before January 23,
2001). Peace officers can not purchase assault weapons and must register their lawfully possessed personal
assault weapons. (Penal Code § 12276.1)
Penal Code section 12276.1 complements rather than supersedes the Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control
Act of 1989. A firearm that is of a type specified in Penal Code Section 12276.1 that has any of the specified
characteristics listed for that type of firearm is considered a Category 3 (generic characteristics) assault weapon.
Under the new law, a firearm’s make, model, or markings have no bearing on whether it is an assault weapon.
A firearm’s status as an assault weapon under this new category is determined solely by its characteristics.
There are three general types of firearms that are controlled by the new assault weapons laws. These types
include semi-automatic centerfire rifles, semi-automatic pistols, and semi-automatic or revolving cylinder
shotguns.
Generic Characteristics Defining Assault Weapons:
12276.1 (a) Notwithstanding Penal Code section 12276, “assault weapon” shall also mean the following:
Rifles
(1) A semiautomatic, centerfire rifle that has the capacity to accept a detachable magazine and any one of
the following:
(A) A pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon.
(B) A thumbhole stock.
(C) A folding or telescoping stock.
(D) A grenade launcher or flare launcher.
(E) A flash suppressor.
(F) A forward pistol grip.
(2) A semiautomatic, centerfire rifle that has a fixed magazine with the capacity to accept more than 10
rounds.
(3) A semiautomatic, centerfire rifle that has an overall length of less than 30 inches.
Note: Bayonets and bayonet lugs are not assault weapon characteristics under California law.
Pistols
(4) A semiautomatic pistol that has the capacity to accept a detachable magazine and any one of the following:
(A) A threaded barrel, capable of accepting a flash suppressor, forward handgrip, or silencer.
(B) A second handgrip.
(C) A shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles, the barrel that allows the bearer to
fire the weapon without burning his or her hand, except a slide that encloses the barrel.
(D) The capacity to accept a detachable magazine at some location outside of the pistol grip.
(5) A semiautomatic pistol with a fixed magazine that has the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds.
Shotguns
(6) A semiautomatic shotgun that has both of the following:
(A) A folding or telescoping stock.
(B) A pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon, thumbhole stock, or
vertical handgrip.
(7) A semiautomatic shotgun that has the ability to accept a detachable magazine.
(8) Any shotgun with a revolving cylinder.
Would it be possible to do the same thing with my Ford? Of course, the Ford has another use-getting me stuck in traffic on the freeway. 
