PC 16150-16190:
Ammunition Definitions

California Penal Code Sections 16150 through 16190 establish the definitional framework for all ammunition regulations in the state. These definitions determine what products are subject to background checks, point-of-sale restrictions, and outright prohibitions.^[1]

Ammunition (PC 16150)

Section 16150 defines "ammunition" broadly to include any bullet, cartridge, magazine, clip, speed loader, autoloader, or projectile capable of being fired from a firearm with a deadly consequence. The definition also encompasses ammunition components such as primers and propellant powder when possessed together with other components in a manner that could be readily assembled into functional ammunition. Blank cartridges are excluded from this definition for most regulatory purposes.

Handgun Ammunition (PC 16650)

Section 16650 defines "handgun ammunition" as ammunition principally for use in pistols, revolvers, and other firearms capable of being concealed upon the person.^[2] This classification is significant because certain restrictions, including the prohibition on armor-piercing handgun ammunition, apply specifically to handgun ammunition rather than to all ammunition. Determining whether a given cartridge is "handgun ammunition" can be complicated when calibers are shared between handguns and rifles (for example, .22 LR or 9mm carbines).

Armor-Piercing Ammunition (PC 16660)

Section 16660 defines "armor-piercing ammunition" as a handgun cartridge with a projectile or projectile core constructed entirely from specific hard metals, including tungsten alloys, steel, iron, brass, bronze, beryllium copper, or depleted uranium. A full metal jacket projectile that contains a lead core is specifically excluded from this definition. The manufacture, importation, sale, offer for sale, or possession of armor-piercing handgun ammunition is prohibited under Penal Code Section 30315.^[3]

Proposition 63 and Implementing Legislation

Proposition 63, approved by voters in November 2016,^[4] and its companion legislation SB 1235 (2016), built upon these definitions to create a comprehensive ammunition regulatory framework. Beginning January 1, 2018, all ammunition sales require a point-of-sale eligibility check, ammunition may only be sold through licensed ammunition vendors, and the importation of ammunition by individuals from out of state is restricted. The definitions in Sections 16150 through 16190 determine which products trigger these requirements.