Is the SKS banned in California?
While California law generally outlaws assault rifles, an SKS can be purchased legally, so long as it hasn’t been modified to include a detachable magazine and at least one other illegal feature such as a pistol grip stock. At the same time, California law generally prohibits anyone under 21 from buying a firearm.
What gun mods are illegal in California?
Summary table
| Subject/Law | Long guns | Relevant Statutes (Penal Code except when noted) |
|---|---|---|
| NFA weapons restricted? | Yes | §12220, §12020, §12020 |
| Peaceable journey laws? | No | |
| Waiting period? | Yes | §26815(a)[3], §26950-27140 [4], §27540(a) [5], §27600-27750 [6] |
| Background checks required for private sales? | Yes | § 27545 |
Are SKS legal in CA 2019?
“The SKS is generally legally in California if it has a 10-round magazine and it’s got a full-length wooden stock. It looks like a hunting rifle,” said Sam Paredes, executive director of Gun Owners of California. There are hundreds of thousands of them in private possession in California, all legal.”
What makes an SKS illegal?
While it looks superficially similar to the better-known and more modern AK-47, the standard SKS does not have a pistol grip or detachable high-capacity magazine that would make it illegal under California’s assault weapons definition. A variation with an attached grenade launcher would be illegal.
Is the SKS a good rifle?
As for the reliability and capacity of the gun, the SKS rifle is a great option for new gun owners and a fantastic first rifle beyond the 22LR. The SKS, not surprisingly, is a popular hunting rifle. Due to its known mid-to-longer range ability, the SKS rifle is commonly used to hunt deer.
How many SKS rifles are there?
| SKS | |
|---|---|
| Number built | 15,000,000 |
| Variants | Chinese Type 56; Yugoslavian PAP; Romanian SKS; Albanian SKS; East German SKS; (North) Vietnamese SKS; North Korean SKS |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 3.85 kg (8 lb 8 oz). |
Can a SKS rifle be used in California?
It is my considered opinion that the SKS rifle works very well for citizens of California specifically, because it does not fall within the legal definition of an “assault weapon” in that state. It’s primary saving grace is that the SKS rifle does not have a detachable magazine. Additionally, it’s fixed magazine holds only 10 rounds.
What kind of magazine does a SKS rifle use?
Looking back, I wish I had bought a hundred of them. But then, hindsight is always 20-20. The SKS rifle, in case you are unfamiliar with it, is a handy little semi-automatic military surplus carbine with a 10 round fixed magazine that fires the 7.62×39 cartridge.
What’s the saving grace of a SKS rifle?
It’s primary saving grace is that the SKS rifle does not have a detachable magazine. Additionally, it’s fixed magazine holds only 10 rounds. It also has no pistol grip, no flash hider and a wooden stock.
Who was the inventor of the SKS rifle?
Well over ten million SKS rifles have been made by various countries around the world since the rifle’s invention by Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov in 1943. By today’s standards the SKS rifle is obsolete as a military arm.