Best California Legal AR-15 or M4

[RudyN]

Go to Calguns and check the AR Flowchart. It will help a lot. As to which AR to get that is up to you, but I have a Stag Model 2 with a BB and I really like it.. Also have another Stag with the 1H upper and a U15 stock which isn't made anymore as far as I can tell.

[Nippy]

If you want the best CA legal AR-15 or M4 I suggest building one up from parts.

So buy a upper or complete upper (with or w/o handgaurds) of your choice. Noveske probably being the best out there but the most expensive. BCM, LMT are good to go as well.

Find someone to sell you a stripped lower so you can put your BulletButton on it. You can buy the bullet button from riflegear.

Purchase the misc accessories that you want such as stock, grip, handgaurds, BUIS, optics etc.

If you want the best bang for your buck rifle I can recommend something like this:
BCM upper
BCM BCG
Magpul CTR stock
DD Omega 7.0 Rail
Magpul BUIS
Eotech XPS / AimPoint T1 Micro w/ respective La-Rue mounts.
Whatever Stripped Lower Reciever ~ $100-$120.0
DPMS lower parts kit
Lights:Surfire G2LED w/ Viking Tactics light mount
H buffer tube and spring
Bullet Button from Riflegear

I think anyone would be decently happy with that setup if they were to start out.

If you want to go the featureless route I suggest this setup to start you off:
BCM upper
BCM BCG

DD Omega 7.0 Rail
Magpul BUIS
Eotech XPS / AimPoint T1 Micro w/ respective La-Rue mounts.
Whatever Stripped Lower Reciever ~ $100-$120.0
DPMS lower parts kit
Lights:Surfire G2LED w/ Viking Tactics light mount
H buffer tube and spring
ACE Entry skeleton Stock <Fixed Stock>
Primary Weapons Systems TTO compensator <No Flash Suppressor>
SolarTac kydex grip thingy / Exile Machine's hammerhead Type IV configuration <No Pistol Grip>

The last three are to make your rifle "featureless"

Lastly you won't find anything that has the "blessing" of the CA DOJ since they don't do that anymore. So all BB's/Featureless Grips are not CA DOJ approved but follow the letter of the law. The Calguns flow chart is also distributed to police departments so if you read through it you should be good to go.

[Ian111]

For a CA legal AR I'd prefer to go with a MonsterMan Grip or other grip options that would allow normal mag changes. They may be awkward to use but those who've used them say one can get used to it. In general a bullet button AR is fine for the range but I would not change it out for home defense purposes. You may have legal justification to use deadly force but you're using an illegal weapon. Might as well change it to full auto or get a full auto AK from a crackhead while you're at it if you intend to defend yourself with an illegal weapon.

I prefer other options like a Saiga, Mini-14, M1 Carbine, SKS, or an M1A variant and not add any potential legal problems. They may not be ideal choices but they can do for most of us given the choices we have. Its not like these CA legal AR's is that great of a choice to begin with.

[lowracer]

Exile Machine's hammerhead Type IV configuration <No Pistol Grip>

Did you mean Type III? Our market surveys show half of our customers deploy our product into a Type III config (grip-only, no pistol buffer tube):



and the other half split 50/50 between Type I (stock rightside up):



and Type II (stock inverted).



Type IV is much less common. Type IV gives you a similar underhand hold as a Monsterman or Kydex wrap.

Just an update we are now making the Hammerhead in injection molded polymer, in both Black and FDE. Weight has been reduced from 14 down to 4.6oz.

-Mark

[FMJs-of-Freedom]

This best Kali AR is when you move out to a free state like I did. FMJs-of-Freedom

[mattjmcd]

Riflegear is pretty good people. They are in OC, though, so prepare to drop some coin in there as they only stock LWRC, DD, Noveske, etc.

IMO though, you might at least consider a more CA-friendly platform like the M1A.

Another good shop is Gunrunners in Duarte. They see *a lot* of LE business, so they are on the up-and-up. Most of my friends from LA County and CHP shop there regularly. Riflegear is more consistent and has a good selection of cool-guy stuff all the time, but Gunrunners has much better pricing. YMMV.