PC 30510-30530:
Assault Weapon Definitions

California's assault weapon definition is among the most complex in the nation, built through three separate legislative acts spanning 15 years. Penal Code Section 30510 establishes the named model list,^[1] Section 30515 sets out the characteristics-based test,^[2] and Section 30530 addresses .50 BMG rifles.^[3]

Prong One: Roberti-Roos Named Model List (PC 30510)

The Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act of 1989 (SB 292) created the original assault weapon ban by listing specific makes and models. Section 30510 enumerates these firearms by name, including models from manufacturers such as Colt (AR-15 series), Norinco, Bushmaster, and others. A firearm that appears on this list is an assault weapon regardless of its physical features. The list has not been expanded since 1989, and many of the named models are no longer manufactured. However, any surviving examples remain classified as assault weapons.

Prong Two: Characteristics Test (PC 30515)

SB 23 (1999, effective January 1, 2000) added a characteristics-based definition to close the loophole created by manufacturers producing firearms functionally identical to those on the named list but under different model designations. Section 30515 defines an assault weapon as a semiautomatic centerfire rifle that does not have a fixed magazine and has any one of the following features: a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action, a thumbhole stock, a folding or telescoping stock, a grenade or flare launcher, a flash suppressor, or a forward pistol grip. The section applies similar but distinct criteria to semiautomatic centerfire pistols and semiautomatic shotguns.

Prong Three: .50 BMG Rifles (PC 30530)

AB 50 (2004) added .50 BMG rifles as a separate category. Section 30530 defines a ".50 BMG rifle" as a center fire rifle that can fire a .50 BMG cartridge and is not an assault weapon under Section 30510 or 30515, or a machinegun. This provision was enacted specifically to address the perceived threat of long-range .50 caliber rifles, which had not been captured by the prior two definitions.

Interaction Between Prongs

The three definitions are independent and cumulative. A firearm may be an assault weapon under any single prong or under multiple prongs simultaneously. Persons who lawfully possessed assault weapons during their respective registration periods may retain them if properly registered with the California DOJ. New acquisition of any firearm meeting any of these definitions is generally prohibited.^[4]

ATF Pistol Brace Rescission: No Effect on California Law

On April 29, 2026, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives rescinded its 2023 rule that had classified pistols equipped with stabilizing braces as short-barreled rifles (SBRs) subject to the National Firearms Act. Under the rescinded federal rule, braced pistols were treated as SBRs absent registration. The rescission restored the prior federal classification: a pistol with a stabilizing brace is generally treated as a pistol, not an SBR, for federal purposes.

The federal rescission does not change California law. California's assault weapon classification operates entirely independently of the federal NFA framework. Under Penal Code Section 30515, a semiautomatic centerfire pistol that accepts a detachable magazine and has any one of the following features is an assault weapon: a threaded barrel capable of accepting a flash suppressor or silencer, a second handgrip, a shroud that permits holding the firearm while firing to protect the hand, or the capacity to accept a detachable magazine outside of the pistol grip.

A stabilizing brace does not by itself trigger the PC 30515 characteristics test for pistols, because a brace is not one of the enumerated features. However, a braced pistol that also has a threaded barrel, a second handgrip, or another listed feature is a California assault weapon regardless of its federal status. The practical guidance:

• If a braced pistol has any PC 30515 disqualifying feature (threaded barrel, second handgrip, shroud, or accepts a detachable magazine outside the pistol grip), it is a California assault weapon.
• The ATF's federal classification of the firearm as a pistol (not an SBR) does not override California's independent analysis under PC 30515.
• California does not recognize the federal brace rescission as expanding what firearms are lawful to possess under state law.

Owners of braced pistols who moved to California under the assumption that federal law governs should consult the DOJ's assault weapon classification guidance or a licensed California attorney before bringing such firearms into the state.

See also: PC 30600: Assault Weapons Prohibition