Firearms: converter pistols.

Assembly Members Gabriel and Stefani's firearms legislation prohibits licensed dealers from selling semiautomatic pistols that can be readily converted into automatic weapons through the installation of "pistol converters." The bill defines these "machinegun-convertible pistols" as semiautomatic firearms with cruciform trigger bars that can be modified using common tools to fire automatically with a single trigger pull.

The measure establishes a graduated penalty system for dealers who violate the sales prohibition, which takes effect January 1, 2026. First violations incur fines up to $1,000, second violations risk license suspension and fines up to $5,000, and third violations result in mandatory license revocation and removal from state dealer databases. The bill also expands California's definition of "machinegun" to include any machinegun-convertible pistol equipped with a converter device, subjecting these weapons to existing restrictions on automatic firearms.

Certain transactions remain permitted, including sales to law enforcement agencies, private party transfers through licensed dealers, and temporary transfers for repair or safekeeping. The Department of Justice holds authority to implement regulations outside standard administrative procedures. The provisions contain exemptions for hammer-fired pistols and other designs that resist converter modifications through mechanical barriers to trigger interference.