Are .50 BMG rifles legal in California?

The definition has two layers. First, PC 30525 defines the ".50 BMG cartridge" as a cartridge designed and intended to be fired from a center fire rifle that meets all four of these measurements:

1. Overall length of 5.54 inches from the base to the tip of the bullet.
2. Bullet diameter from .510 to, and including, .511 inch.
3. Case base diameter from .800 inch to, and including, .804 inch.
4. Cartridge case length of 3.91 inches.

Second, PC 30530(a) defines a ".50 BMG rifle" as "a center fire rifle that can fire a .50 BMG cartridge and is not already an assault weapon or a machinegun."

The chapter that holds these rules is named the "Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act of 1989 and the .50 Caliber BMG Regulation Act of 2004" (PC 30500).

• Covered: a center fire rifle that can fire the cartridge described in section 30525. The statute's test is what the rifle "can fire" (PC 30530(a)).
• Already an assault weapon or machinegun: a rifle in either of those groups is not a ".50 BMG rifle" under this definition (PC 30530(a)).
• Antique firearms: excluded. For this section, "antique firearm" means any firearm manufactured before January 1, 1899 (PC 16170(a)).
• Curios or relics: excluded, as defined in federal regulations (PC 30530(b)). The federal definition covers firearms of special interest to collectors, including those manufactured at least 50 years before the current date, but not replicas (27 CFR 478.11).
• Cartridge definition: section 30525 lists four measurements and requires that a cartridge meet all of them. The section does not name any other cartridge.

A person who lawfully possessed a .50 BMG rifle before January 1, 2005, was required to register it with DOJ "no later than April 30, 2006" (PC 30905(a)).

DOJ's FAQ puts it this way: the rifle "must have been owned by 12/31/2004 and registered by April 30, 2006." DOJ says the public registration periods ended years ago, with an exception for specified peace officers who have written authorization from the head of their agency (DOJ FAQ).

• Where it may be possessed: only under the conditions in PC 30945, unless a permit allowing additional uses is first obtained. The listed places include the owner's residence, place of business, or other property; certain target ranges and shooting clubs; and certain firearms exhibitions. Transport between those places must follow the section's requirements.
• Inheritance: a person who obtains title by bequest or intestate succession must, within 180 days of receipt, render the rifle permanently inoperable, sell it to a licensed gun dealer, obtain a DOJ permit, or remove it from the state (PC 30935). The period for assault weapons is 90 days, so the two differ.
• Sale or transfer: a registered rifle may not be sold or transferred within the state on or after January 1, 2005, except to a licensed gun dealer or as section 31100 provides (PC 30930). DOJ says it cannot be transferred to a family member or pawned (DOJ FAQ).

• New residents: a person moving into the state who lawfully possesses a .50 BMG rifle must either obtain a DOJ permit before bringing it into California, or have it delivered to a licensed gun dealer in the state (PC 30940).
• Nonresident competitors: the possession and import prohibitions do not apply to a nonresident who is attending, or traveling directly to or from, an organized competitive match that involves the use of a .50 BMG rifle, if every condition in PC 30665 is met. The conditions cover the range, the sponsor, transport, and the person's age and eligibility.