Overview
- Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1127 on Oct. 10, expanding California’s machine gun definition to cover semiautomatic pistols with cruciform trigger bars that can be readily converted with a backplate “switch.”
- The NRA, Firearms Policy Coalition, Second Amendment Foundation, Poway Weapons & Gear, and two NRA members filed the federal case Jaymes v. Bonta, arguing the sales ban violates Supreme Court precedent protecting arms in common use.
- The statute targets dealer transactions only, leaves possession legal, exempts law enforcement, and allows private-party sales under existing rules, according to coverage and the bill’s summary.
- Retailers report a run on Glock-style models following the bill’s signing, with some stores saying they sold out as buyers sought affected handguns before the dealer-sales restrictions take effect.
- Outlets report differing start dates for the dealer-sales ban in 2026, while ATF data cited in reports show a 570% rise in seized conversion devices from 2017 to 2021.