Firstly, the law is B.S., but there are a ton of rumors as to what it says; there is no "melting test", also, a manufacturer doesnt have to submit each model of handgun, as long as the different models have similar characteristics, but different calibers may need testing. The text is:
12131.5. (a) A firearm shall be deemed to satisfy the
requirements of subdivision (a) of Section 12131 if another firearm
made by the same manufacturer is already listed and the unlisted
firearm differs from the listed firearm only in one or more of the
following features:
(1) Finish, including, but not limited to, bluing, chrome-plating,
oiling, or engraving.
(2) The material from which the grips are made.
(3) The shape or texture of the grips, so long as the difference
in grip shape or texture does not in any way alter the dimensions,
material, linkage, or functioning of the magazine well, the barrel,
the chamber, or any of the components of the firing mechanism of the
firearm.
(4) Any other purely cosmetic feature that does not in any way
alter the dimensions, material, linkage, or functioning of the
magazine well, the barrel, the chamber, or any of the components of
the firing mechanism of the firearm.
The testing requirements are as follows::
12126. As used in this chapter, "unsafe handgun" means any
pistol, revolver, or other firearm capable of being concealed upon
the person, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 12001, for which
any of the following is true:
(a) For a revolver:
(1) It does not have a safety device that, either automatically in
the case of a double-action firing mechanism, or by manual operation
in the case of a single-action firing mechanism, causes the hammer
to retract to a point where the firing pin does not rest upon the
primer of the cartridge.
(2) It does not meet the firing requirement for handguns pursuant
to Section 12127.
(3) It does not meet the drop safety requirement for handguns
pursuant to Section 12128.
(b) For a pistol:
(1) It does not have a positive manually operated safety device,
as determined by standards relating to imported guns promulgated by
the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
(2) It does not meet the firing requirement for handguns pursuant
to Section 12127.
(3) It does not meet the drop safety requirement for handguns
pursuant to Section 12128.
12127. (a) As used in this chapter, the "firing requirement for
handguns" means a test in which the manufacturer provides three
handguns of the make and model for which certification is sought,
these handguns not being in any way modified from those that would be
sold if certification is granted, to an independent testing
laboratory certified by the Attorney General pursuant to Section
12130. The laboratory shall fire 600 rounds from each gun, stopping
after each series of 50 rounds has been fired for 5 to 10 minutes to
allow the weapon to cool, stopping after each series of 100 rounds
has been fired to tighten any loose screws and clean the gun in
accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, and stopping as
needed to refill the empty magazine or cylinder to capacity before
continuing. The ammunition used shall be of the type recommended by
the handgun manufacturer in the user manual, or if none is
recommended, any standard ammunition of the correct caliber in new
condition. A handgun shall pass this test if each of the three test
guns meets both of the following:
(1) Fires the first 20 rounds without a malfunction that is not
due to faulty magazine or ammunition.
(2) Fires the full 600 rounds with no more than six malfunctions
that are not due to faulty magazine or ammunition and without any
crack or breakage of an operating part of the handgun that increases
the risk of injury to the user.
(b) If a pistol or revolver fails the requirements of either
paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (a) due to either a faulty
magazine or faulty ammunition, the pistol or revolver shall be
retested from the beginning of the "firing requirement for handguns"
test. A new model of the pistol or revolver that failed due to a
faulty magazine or ammunition may be submitted for the test to
replace the pistol or revolver that failed.
(c) As used in this section, "malfunction" means a failure to
properly feed, fire, or eject a round, or failure of a pistol to
accept or reject a manufacturer-approved magazine, or failure of a
pistol's slide to remain open after a manufacturer-approved magazine
has been expended.
12128. As used in this chapter, the "drop safety requirement for
handguns" means that at the conclusion of the firing requirements for
handguns described in Section 12127, the same certified independent
testing laboratory shall subject the same three handguns of the make
and model for which certification is sought, to the following test:
A primed case (no powder or projectile) shall be inserted into the
chamber. For pistols, the slide shall be released, allowing it to
move forward under the impetus of the recoil spring, and an empty
magazine shall be inserted. For both pistols and revolvers, the
weapon shall be placed in a drop fixture capable of dropping the
pistol from a drop height of 1m + 1cm (39.4 + 0.4 in.) onto the
largest side of a slab of solid concrete having minimum dimensions of
7.5 X 15 X 15 cm (3 X 6 X 6 in.). The drop distance shall be
measured from the lowermost portion of the weapon to the top surface
of the slab. The weapon shall be dropped from a fixture and not from
the hand. The weapon shall be dropped in the condition that it
would be in if it were dropped from a hand (cocked with no manual
safety applied). If the design of a pistol is such that upon leaving
the hand a "safety" is automatically applied by the pistol, this
feature shall not be defeated. An approved drop fixture is a short
piece of string with the weapon attached at one end and the other end
held in an air vise until the drop is initiated.
The following six drops shall be performed:
(a) Normal firing position with barrel horizontal.
(b) Upside down with barrel horizontal.
(c) On grip with barrel vertical.
(d) On muzzle with barrel vertical.
(e) On either side with barrel horizontal.
(f) If there is an exposed hammer or striker, on the rearmost
point of that device, otherwise on the rearmost point of the weapon.
The primer shall be examined for indentations after each drop. If
indentations are present, a fresh primed case shall be used for the
next drop.
The handgun shall pass this test if each of the three test guns
does not fire the primer.
--dan
Good thing I got my Sig P226 earlier this year. I'm not sure what to do in January when it starts firing at random when I'm not home...Maybe Gore's gunowner registation program will help.