AB 1127: California's Convertible Pistol Ban (Effective July 1, 2026)

Quick Answer: Since July 1, 2026, licensed California dealers may not sell, transfer, or deliver semiautomatic machinegun-convertible pistols, which covers most Glock-pattern designs with a cruciform trigger bar. Possession is not banned, existing owners are unaffected, and private party transfers through a dealer remain lawful. The federal government has sued to overturn the law in United States v. California, but no court has blocked it and the ban is in force.

AB 1127, signed by Governor Newsom on October 10, 2025, prohibits the sale, transfer, and dealer delivery of "semiautomatic machinegun-convertible pistols" in California. The prohibition took effect on July 1, 2026 and is now in force ^[1].

In Force Since July 1, 2026

AB 1127 took effect on July 1, 2026. No court has enjoined it, and the dealer sales ban is being enforced. California residents who own a Glock-pattern or other striker-fired pistol with a cruciform trigger bar (defined in the bill as a "semiautomatic machinegun-convertible pistol") keep their firearms. The law restricts dealer sales and transfers but does not ban possession of pistols already owned.

What the Law Bans

A "machinegun-convertible pistol" is defined as any semiautomatic pistol with a cruciform trigger bar that can be readily converted into a machinegun by the installation of a pistol converter -- a device that replaces the slide's backplate and interferes with the trigger mechanism to enable automatic fire ^[1]. In practice, this targets most Glock-pattern pistols and striker-fired clones that use a cruciform trigger bar design.

What Is Prohibited

Since July 1, 2026:

- Licensed dealers may not sell or transfer a machinegun-convertible pistol
- Manufacturers may not sell or transfer such pistols to dealers for retail sale
- Private party-to-private party transfers through a licensed dealer are exempt -- existing owners may sell a machinegun-convertible pistol through a PPT after July 1, 2026

Possession of existing pistols that qualify as "machinegun-convertible" is not banned. Current owners may continue to possess and use their firearms. The law only restricts new sales and transfers.

Important: possessing a machinegun-convertible pistol together with a pistol converter is a separate criminal offense. AB 1127 also enacted Penal Code Section 16880(d), which expands California's definition of "machinegun" to include any machinegun-convertible pistol that is "equipped with a pistol converter." Possession of a machinegun in California is a crime under Penal Code Section 33410, punishable as a wobbler (up to three years in county jail as a felony, or up to one year as a misdemeanor). If you own a Glock-pattern or other cruciform-trigger-bar pistol and you also own a pistol converter (sometimes marketed as an "auto switch"), you must not have both items together. Possession of the converter alone may also violate federal NFA law.

Exemptions

Law enforcement agencies, military, and certain government agencies are exempt. The law also does not apply to pistols that have been permanently modified so they can no longer accept a conversion device.

Compliance Now That the Ban Is in Effect

If you want to buy a machinegun-convertible pistol: Dealer purchases are no longer available, with one exception. A dealer may still sell a qualifying pistol that was delivered to that dealer before January 1, 2026 under Penal Code section 27595(c)(1). Otherwise, the lawful route is a private party transfer (PPT) from an existing California owner, conducted through a licensed dealer, which remains exempt under section 27595(c)(3).

If you already own a machinegun-convertible pistol: No action is required. The law restricts dealer sales and transfers only. You may continue to possess, use, and carry (with applicable permits) your existing firearm indefinitely. You may also sell it through a PPT conducted through a licensed dealer.

If you are a dealer: Do not sell, offer for sale, exchange, give, transfer, or deliver any machinegun-convertible pistol. Inventory delivered to your business before January 1, 2026 may continue to be sold under Penal Code section 27595(c)(1). Other statutory exemptions cover sales to law enforcement agencies and the military, PPTs, transfers to gunsmiths for service or repair, sales to other licensed dealers or out-of-state licensees, forensic laboratories, and returns after safekeeping or prohibition periods. The DOJ has not published implementation guidance or a list of models it has determined to be machinegun-convertible, so classification currently rests on the statutory definition in Penal Code section 16885.

Legal Challenges: United States v. California

The operative challenge to AB 1127 is now United States v. California and Robert Bonta, No. 8:26-cv-01697 (C.D. Cal.), filed by the federal Department of Justice on July 1, 2026, the day the dealer sales ban took effect ^[3]. The complaint attacks both AB 1127 and the Unsafe Handgun Act roster, arguing that Glock-pattern pistols are arms in common use protected under District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) and NYSRPA v. Bruen (2022). On July 9, 2026, Judge Monica Ramirez Almadani denied the federal government's ex parte application for a temporary restraining order without ruling on the Second Amendment merits, leaving the government free to seek a preliminary injunction on a regularly noticed motion ^[4]. No injunction is in place, and the ban remains enforceable while the case proceeds.

An earlier private challenge, Jaymes v. Bonta, No. 3:25-cv-02711 (S.D. Cal.), was filed by the NRA and other plaintiffs in October 2025 ^[2]. The court stayed that case on March 27, 2026, and the docket shows it was terminated on April 13, 2026, reportedly by voluntary dismissal.

Practical Impact

If you currently own a Glock or similar striker-fired pistol in California, you may continue to possess and use it. You can no longer purchase one from a dealer unless it falls within the pre-2026 inventory exception, and no manufacturer has announced a California-compliant redesign eliminating the cruciform trigger bar as of July 2026. Sixteen Glock Gen3 listings remain on the DOJ Certified Handguns Roster with certifications running through January 1, 2027, but roster listing no longer means a dealer may sell them, because Penal Code section 27595 overrides roster status for machinegun-convertible pistols. The private party transfer market is the remaining route for buyers, and supply there depends on existing California owners choosing to sell.