Which firearms are currently listed by the California Attorney General as prohibited assault weapon models?
Executive summary
California law bans assault weapons both by specific make and model and by generic characteristics; the Attorney General maintains a published identification guide and a roster that names the prohibited models — notably including all AK-series and Colt AR‑15‑series firearms — and provides the definitive, searchable list for which firearms are currently designated as prohibited [1] [2] [3].
1. What "listed" means under California law
California’s statutory framework treats some guns as prohibited because the statute names specific types, series, or models and treats others as assault weapons based on combinations of features; the Attorney General is required to maintain and publish the list of models and series that are expressly designated as restricted assault weapons (Pen. Code §30510 referenced on the AG site) [1] [4] [5].
2. Where to find the current, authoritative list
The document the Attorney General publishes — the Assault Weapons Identification Guide and its appendices — is the authoritative source for the names and model series that the DOJ has physically identified as assault weapons; that publication contains the combined listing (Appendix A) and is the place to look for the currently designated models [2] [6].
3. Examples that signal the scope of the roster
The Attorney General’s guide and DOJ materials explicitly identify whole series such as AK‑series and Colt AR‑15‑series firearms as restricted, meaning all models and variations within those series are covered by the AG’s designations; the Giffords law center summary and DOJ FAQs reiterate that AK and AR‑15 series firearms are included on the list [3] [4] [2].
4. How the list interacts with the "features" test
Beyond named models, California’s law defines another class of assault weapons by generic characteristics (the Category Three/“SB 23” features test), so a firearm can be prohibited either because it appears on the AG’s list or because it meets the statutory combination of features that define an assault weapon [1] [5].
5. Limits, disputes, and enforcement differences
There is litigation and dispute over how far the Attorney General can extend model‑by‑model listings; gun‑rights groups stress court rulings that firearms not expressly listed cannot be designated solely by series‑style language without formal AG designation, and enforcement practices vary across counties — urban prosecutors often enforce the ban strictly while some rural authorities may not — so the AG list is central to legal certainty [7] [8].
6. Practical takeaway for researchers and owners
Because the AG’s Identification Guide is the controlling public record that names prohibited models and series, anyone seeking the definitive, current roster should consult the DOJ’s Assault Weapons Identification Guide and the DOJ/AG website search tools rather than secondary summaries; the guide contains the long-form model list and appendix that the state uses to determine which specific firearms are prohibited [2] [9] [6].
7. Notable ancillary categories on the roster
The DOJ roster and explanatory materials also identify other categories of banned weapons, such as military look‑alike firearms and .50 BMG rifles, and the AG’s publications and FAQs explicitly treat those as falling under the prohibited-weapon framework [10] [4].
8. Why the named list matters now
Recent legislative activity addressing ghost guns, accessory regulation, and roster changes underscores that the AG’s list is dynamic and that statutory changes or administrative updates can alter which models are prohibited or how firearms are classified — reinforcing why consulting the Attorney General’s current guide is the only reliable method to know which firearms “are currently listed” [11] [12].