While we live in the land of the free and the home of the brave, it can sometimes feel like the level of freedom we enjoy might be on a sliding scale. AR enthusiasts feel this pain the most, especially in states such as California, New York, and New Jersey to name a few. States such as these have done almost all that they can to remove AR 15’s from the hands of citizens, but the market has created some interesting solutions to the problems created by law makers. Follow along as we go through a list of some AR parts that will help to make your AR 15 in compliance from draconian gun legislation.

Credit: r/CA Guns

Some states use the moniker “featureless rifle” to describe what is legal to own by civilians inside their boarders. This generally means that the rifle will not have any features that fit certain definitions of “assault rifle” as described in their laws.

The most common features that must somehow be removed or omitted from the AR 15 to be considered featureless are telescoping buttstocks, pistol grips, forward grips, detachable box magazines, and flash suppressors. More recently the thumbhole stock, which was previously a work-around for California’s ban on pistol grips, has come under fire as well. Of course, you will also have to leave out your underslung grenade launchers and flamethrowers to remain compliant with local laws in these states.

There are multiple products and design methods available to help you enjoy the AR 15, even in states that try to limit your right to own one by outlawing features.

There are a variety of stocks available to help you avoid prison time for exercising your Second Amendment rights. A fixed stock will obviously help to avoid the telescoping stock issue, but this still leaves the problem of the pistol grip. Stocks such as the Thordsen stock and Hera CQR either redesign the way you grip the rifle and reach the trigger well, or integrate a grip that does not allow your thumb the ability to wrap around the grip; either of these options, or others similar, redesign the rear end of the rifle enough to make them legal. Another option for the pistol grip is to use what is commonly referred to as a shark fin or featureless grip which uses a blade of polymer to prevent you from grasping the grip in the same manner as a pistol grip.

Flash suppressors are not considered legal muzzle devices, but we are lucky enough to live in a time where there are probably hundreds of different muzzle devices you can use that are not considered a flash suppressor. Muzzle brakes are a great option for shooters who live in restricted states because they are both legal and they make the rifle easier to control during operation. Since muzzle brakes are designed to redirect the gasses expelling from the muzzle of the rifle, and not diminish the flash signature, they are considered legal in states like California. This is maybe one of the easiest ways to keep your sporting rifle functional and legal.

Since detachable box magazines can be a legal problem in certain states, as well as limited magazine capacity, there are also solutions for that problem. Of course there are lower capacity magazines available for the AR platform, and there are limiters that can be placed inside of a traditional capacity magazine to limit their capacity. There are also kits available that can lock your magazine into your lower receiver which will cause your AR 15 to be a fixed magazine design. The Hellfighter CA Mod kit from Juggernaut Tactical is a kit that helps you to fix a magazine into your lower for compliance with local laws, or there are several websites that will walk you through a DIY method for permanently fixing a magazine into you lower.

When you are building or modifying your AR to be compliant with local laws, you will likely lose some of the ergonomics and functionality of the rifle. Luckily there are ways to help overcome these challenges.

If you are using a stock or shark fin grip to limit your thumb’s access to the far side of the rifle, you will find it difficult to reach the safety selector switch. An ambidextrous safety switch can be had for only a few dollars and can be swapped out in just a few minutes, giving you easy access to the switch yet again.

If you have a fixed magazine in your AR 15 you will inevitably find that it is a chore to load your rifle. The easiest way is to separate the upper and lower receivers, so you have access to the top of the mag, but this is a pain and is likely to cover your hands in carbon. Luckily there are companies that have created speedloaders to help ease your aggravation when reloading between matches on the range.

Credit: r/CA Guns

While running an AR 15 in some states might not be totally ideal, it is ridiculous for people to pick up and move so they can be in a state that does allow an un-molested AR 15. Running away from a government system that is limiting to the Second Amendment is not an effective way to fight and hopefully reverse those laws. There are ways to modify the original design of the AR 15 to make it fit your states laws, and this might be one of the best ways to prove how ridiculous some of these laws might be.