§ 9.36.170. Saturday night special defined.

A.

Except as provided in subsection B of this section, term "Saturday night special" as used in this article means any of the following:

1.

A pistol, revolver, or firearm capable of being concealed upon the person, as those terms are defined in the California Penal Code Section 12001(a), which contains a frame, barrel, breechblock, cylinder or slide that is not completely fabricated of heat treated carbon steel, forged alloy or other material of equal or higher tensile strength;

2.

A semi-automatic pistol which:

a.

It is not originally equipped by the manufacturer with a locked-breech action, and

b.

Is chambered for cartridges developing maximum permissible breech pressures above twenty-four thousand one hundred (24,100) Copper Units of Pressure as standardized by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute,

c.

For purpose of subsection (A)(2)(b) of this section, "semi-automatic pistol" means a firearm, as defined in California Penal Code Section 12001(b), which is designed to be held and fired with one hand, and which does the following upon discharge: (i) fires the cartridge in the chamber, (ii) ejects the fired cartridge case, and (iii) loads a cartridge from the magazine into the chamber. "Semi-automatic pistol" shall not include any assault weapons designated in California Penal Code Section 12276;

3.

A pistol, revolver, or firearm capable of being concealed upon the person, as those terms are defined in California Penal Code Section 12001(a), which:

a.

Uses an action mechanism which is substantially identical in design to any action mechanism manufactured in or before 1898 that was originally chambered for rimfire ammunition developing maximum safe permissible breech pressures below nineteen thousand (19,000) Copper Units of Pressure as standardized by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute, and

b.

Is chambered to fire either centerfire ammunition or rimfire ammunition developing maximum permissible breech pressures above nineteen thousand (19,000) Copper Units of Pressure as standardized by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute, and

c.

Is not originally equipped by the manufacturer with a nondetachable trigger guard, or

d.

If rimfire, is equipped with a barrel of less than twenty (20) bore diameters in overall length protruding from the frame,

e.

For purposes of this subsection (A)(3), "action mechanism" means the mechanism of a firearm by which it is loaded, locked, fired and unloaded commonly known as the cycle of operation.

B.

Exclusions. The term "Saturday night special" does not include any of the following:

1.

Any pistol which is an antique or relic firearm or other weapon falling within the specifications of paragraphs (5), (7) and (8) of subsection (b) of California Penal Code Section 12020; or

2.

Any pistol for which the propelling force is classified as pneumatic, that is, of, or related to, compressed air or any other gases not directly produced by combustion; or

3.

Children's pop guns or toys; or

4.

An "unconventional pistol" as defined in California Penal Code Section 12020(c)(12); or

5.

Any pistol which has been modified to either: render it permanently inoperable, or permanently to make it a device no longer classified as a Saturday night special.

(Ord. 11903 § 1 (part), 1996: prior code §§ 2 12.03, 2 12.04)