The cruciform trigger bar, physically
A striker-fired pistol like a Glock uses a stamped sheet-metal trigger bar that runs from the trigger, rearward, to release the striker. On the Glock-pattern design, the tail of that bar widens into a small horizontal cross-piece (a short arm sticking out on each side of the vertical bar) so the part looks like a lower-case t or a plus sign laid on its side. That cross shape rides on the connector and drops the striker as the trigger completes its travel.
That cruciform (cross-shaped) tail is the feature AB 1127 names. It is why the Glock family and pistols built on the same fire-control mechanism (not a brand, a mechanism) are the models in scope. Because the trigger keys on geometry rather than a logo, whether any specific pistol is covered is ultimately a DOJ determination, not something a model list settles.
What the statute restricts
Since July 1, 2026, Penal Code section 27595 (added by AB 1127) bars licensed California dealers from selling semiautomatic machinegun-convertible pistols as defined in section 16885, commonly described as the cruciform-trigger-bar (Glock-pattern) design, except as provided in section 27595(c). The operative act is the licensed dealer's sale or transfer: one class of transaction, by one kind of party.
Section 27595(c) lists exceptions, including pistols delivered to a dealer before January 1, 2026 (paragraph (1)), private party transfers conducted through a licensed dealer (paragraph (3)), and sales to specified peace officers (paragraph (9)).
What it does NOT do
- · Possession. Owning an affected pistol stays lawful. No registration, no surrender.
- · Ownership transfer by PPT. Private Party Transfers through an FFL are excepted (§ 27595(c)(3)).
- · Inheritance. Intrafamilial transfers operate under their own exemption.
- · Gunsmith service. Transfers for service or repair are excepted (§ 27595(c)(4)).
- · Magazines & ammo. Separate laws, unchanged by this bill.
Why the PPT door stays open
California law treats a Private Party Transfer as a transaction between two individuals that a dealer merely processes: the dealer isn't the seller of record and isn't moving its own inventory. AB 1127 restricts the dealer's own sale, and section 27595(c)(3) expressly excepts a private party transaction conducted through a licensed dealer. That is the entire reason an off-the-shelf Glock and a private-sale Glock are now treated so differently: same gun, different transaction.
Penalties and effective dates
AB 1127 was signed into law in October 2025 and the restriction became operative July 1, 2026. The penalties fall on the licensee who makes a prohibited sale: a dealer risks their FFL and state license exposure, not the customer. An individual faces no penalty for owning an affected pistol or for acquiring one through an exempt path. Litigation is live; track it on the litigation tracker.
How it relates to the roster
The handgun roster is California's list of models approved for new dealer sale, gated for years by a microstamping requirement that has kept most new designs off it. AB 1127 layers a design-specific bar on top: even a pistol that could otherwise qualify is restricted from dealer sale if it is a covered design, subject to the section 27595(c) exceptions. The roster's future, and any path back for these models, turns on the microstamping determinations covered on the re-roster window page.
Questions people actually ask
Is my Glock now illegal to own?
No. AB 1127 restricts what a licensed dealer may sell new. It does not touch lawful possession of a pistol you already own, and it creates no registration or surrender obligation for owners.
Can I still acquire one?
The restriction lists exceptions, and a Private Party Transfer at a licensed FFL is one of them: A private party transfer conducted through a licensed dealer is excepted from the AB 1127 restriction by Penal Code section 27595(c)(3). An affected pistol can change hands between two individuals with the dealer running the DROS and, unless an exemption applies, the 10-day wait. See the PPT path.
Can I inherit an affected pistol?
Intrafamilial transfers between a parent and child or a grandparent and grandchild (Penal Code sections 16720 and 27875), and some transfers by operation of law, such as a firearm passing to a surviving spouse (sections 16990 and 27920), are not dealer sales, so AB 1127's dealer restriction does not apply to them. The usual eligibility and reporting rules still apply. Confirm your situation with the CA DOJ or an attorney.
Can a dealer sell a used Glock?
The statute does not turn on new versus used. Section 27595(a) covers a dealer's sale or transfer of a covered pistol, and section 27595(c)(1) excepts a pistol that was delivered to a firearms dealer before January 1, 2026. Whether a particular pistol falls within an exception is fact-specific. Verify before relying on it.
What about a gunsmith returning my pistol?
Section 27595(c)(4) excepts a transfer to a gunsmith or other qualified entity for service or repair, and paragraphs (6) and (7) cover returns to a private party after temporary safekeeping storage or a temporary prohibition. Normal transfer/return procedures continue to apply.
Are there law-enforcement or exempt-buyer carve-outs?
Yes. Section 27595(c)(2) excepts sales to listed law-enforcement agencies and the military for official duties, and section 27595(c)(9) excepts sales to specified active and reserve peace officers authorized to carry a firearm on duty. Whether a specific exception reaches a given transaction is fact-specific.
Does this affect magazines or ammunition?
No. AB 1127 is about the pistol's trigger-bar design. Magazine capacity limits and the standalone ammunition eligibility check are separate laws with their own status, unchanged by this bill.
Who actually gets penalized?
The dealer. The restriction and its penalties attach to the licensee who makes a prohibited sale. An individual is not penalized for owning, nor for acquiring an affected pistol through an excepted path such as a PPT.
We'll email only when the law moves: an injunction, a new deadline, or a change to what dealers can sell.