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Any Other Weapon (AOW)s in 2026?

This is distressing to hear.

I’ve got a couple of AOW’s, and wanted to add one or two more. Hopefully ATF straightens out on this.
 
LarpAnonymous said:
Bump.

Anyone have any insight?
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My eForm 4 was approved back in 2025 but I have not seen a 100% proven to be non LEO approval for a Californian in the year 2026 so far. We know there's been at least 16 approvals, someone filed a FOIA request for that information but it did not discern whether these were LEO related approvals or civilian approvals. We do know that anyone who has already been approved for an AOW stamp is okay for now and I don't honestly know why they're doing this, it seems arbitrary and unnecessary, almost like the CADOJ is involved since AOWs became very well known within the last couple of years in the California 2A Community. Before 2024, it was known but not like it is now. There was also almost no information on how to acquire a tax stamp except for a few tidbits on CalGuns.
 
timthetwin said:
What type of weapons were being processed as AOWs? Shotguns and smooth bore rifles?
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My Serbu Super Shorty was approved so smoothbore AOWs and I saw AR Pistol configurations being approved for AOW stamps so they could put vertical foregrips and have pistol brace protection in California.
 
TheRatDragon said:
My Serbu Super Shorty was approved so smoothbore AOWs and I saw AR Pistol configurations being approved for AOW stamps so they could put vertical foregrips and have pistol brace protection in California.
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Recently?
 
LarpAnonymous said:
Iv been into guns since I was 12.

Bought my first gun the day I turned 18.

Im 37 now, and havent been able to taste that freedom yet.

Entire family and wifes family are in Sacramento. She wont move until our kids land somewhere to be close to grandkids.

I got at least another 25 years until that happens.

Enjoy the freedom, "old man"! lol
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understand this, but kinda the opposite side, my parents wont move because of my brother and sister families and dont want to leave their grandkids. once they pass ill be leaving cali to another state. me and my siblings are first born in cali and got family in other states 🤠
 
grandpapeepap said:
understand this, but kinda the opposite side, my parents wont move because of my brother and sister families and dont want to leave their grandkids. once they pass ill be leaving cali to another state. me and my siblings are first born in cali and got family in other states 🤠
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Yeah, I plan on moving to either Nevada or Idaho at some point down the road, I want to be surrounded by trees and lots of land that I can do whatever the F- I want and be able to buy any guns I want and pay less taxes too. I'm only here for my family. I understand the sentiment though lol
 
tried to AOW my AR pistol last summer and it got rejected, one of the reasons was that I didn't include a photo of it configured as an AOW. Seems odd to theoretically commit a crime (installing VFG) during the process. If I try again I'll separate the upper and lower, but after reading this I'm wondering if it's worth the trouble. I wouldn't call the application quick or easy. I want the option to hunt with my 12.5" Grendel upper and figured an AOW would be one more fun thing to throw at the game wardens
 
DuckDawg22 said:
tried to AOW my AR pistol last summer and it got rejected, one of the reasons was that I didn't include a photo of it configured as an AOW. Seems odd to theoretically commit a crime (installing VFG) during the process. If I try again I'll separate the upper and lower, but after reading this I'm wondering if it's worth the trouble. I wouldn't call the application quick or easy. I want the option to hunt with my 12.5" Grendel upper and figured an AOW would be one more fun thing to throw at the game wardens
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It wasn't too bad
 
DuckDawg22 said:
tried to AOW my AR pistol last summer and it got rejected, one of the reasons was that I didn't include a photo of it configured as an AOW. Seems odd to theoretically commit a crime (installing VFG) during the process. If I try again I'll separate the upper and lower, but after reading this I'm wondering if it's worth the trouble. I wouldn't call the application quick or easy. I want the option to hunt with my 12.5" Grendel upper and figured an AOW would be one more fun thing to throw at the game wardens
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Oh yeah, were you the guy who posted the disapproval reason on the /r/CAGuns subreddit on this thread?

https://www.reddit.com/r/CAguns/comments/1qenz0f/comment/o00a21u
 
DuckDawg22 said:
yep that was me
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F*cking ATF, I don't get it tbh. AOWs are clearly legal stateside in the California Firearms Penal Code, where the grey area lies is whether they're considered handguns under California law or not but the thing is is that the AOW exemption ALSO exempts them from the unconventional handgun law too so they're kind of their own category tbh. It makes no goddamn sense to me. And there are thousands of AOWs in California and thousands of legal Californian AOW owners such as myself. I just don't get it. Someone should tell the ATF that they don't need to contact and consult their legal experts and communicate with the CADOJ, the literal exemption is on their website. They literally have California's Firearm Penal Code on their own website lmao.

And the fact that they wanted you to commit a literal state felony and record a picture of yourself doing it is BEYOND me. When I saw your comment, I was furious not just for you but furious at the ATF for this backwards mentality despite apparently being a "pro-gun" administration, they definitely aren't pro gun at all.

Edit: The OP on that thread where you posted your disapproval updated his situation about ten days ago, he got the same bullsh*t answer everyone else has been receiving. ATF is really giving us the runaround. Check out his update if you get the chance.
 
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I have two pending, 1 from Jan and 1 from March. PGO shotgun "other" and an AR pistol I am adding a VFG to. No responses from the ATF so I am currently going through my federal congressman to have this worked out. I'll update when I have an update, just got off the phone with them should be 45 business days.
 
CadeH said:
I have two pending, 1 from Jan and 1 from March. PGO shotgun "other" and an AR pistol I am adding a VFG to. No responses from the ATF so I am currently going through my federal congressman to have this worked out. I'll update when I have an update, just got off the phone with them should be 45 business days.
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Sounds like my situation. Except I don't know who to reach out to.
 
M_N04H said:
Sounds like my situation. Except I don't know who to reach out to.
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If you don't mind me asking, where do you live? Not exactly where, just your general area. There's also a website where you can see who your local representative and senator is. But you want to first contact your LOCAL representative even if they are anti-gun. Once that doesn't work you move on to your nearest pro-gun representative.
 
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