Hi guys, can someone tell me the difference between a CA approved mill spec 1911 in 45 ACP vs one that I would buy here in Arizona ? In ordered a new arched MSH Friday and was asked by the gal in customer service if my pistol was a CA approved or a standard. Is there a difference in the MSH ? If so , what are the differences. My gun was originally bought in CA , does this mean only those parts will fit ? Any help here would be greatly appreciated.
Ca approved VS everywhere else
- Thread starter Hdrk
- Start date
belladonna
Hellcat
I do not know the answer to this, but I am sure someone will be along shortly with more knowledge than I have on this subject. 
TEXASforLIFE
SAINT
most of the time the trigger pull weight is increased, but shouldn't be any other difference..........I'm not a 1911 person, so I couldn't tell you much anything else. Mag capacity should still be 7 or 8 rounds, controls should be the same.
Annihilator
Emissary
Mainspring housings are all the same unless you like arched or flat, plastic or metal are the only difference, no difference in a CA approved gun to one bought in any other state. All the same.
Old_Me
SAINT
when i bought a CA approved 1911 at my LGS here in RI mind you, it had a keyed lock built into the MSH.
living here, i simply went to Ed Brown, got a new MSH that had no lock, and of course i also got the new spring assembly as well. didn;t cost much, maybe all of about $70..??
my LGS had gotten a few guns thru Gunbroker, from other gun dealers during the scamdemic, which is why i ended up with one.
HansGruber
Ronin
Keyed lock on the MSH, often a low-mass (eg, titanium) firing pin since SA 1911’s are “series 70”-no firing pin block, and a “loaded chamber indicator”—notch cutout on the chamber hood.
BassCliff
Professional
Hi,
Sorry, I'm late to the party. Most people here know that I'm a California escapee who used to have a CA CCW. Here's an article that explains what it takes for a manufacturer to get a handgun on the CA roster.
www.guns.com
The CA DOJ has its own test criteria, safety requirements (magazine disconnect, loaded chamber indicator, striker block), and fees, etc. The most egregious is the "micro-stamping" requirement. That's why you'll see a lot of "legacy" models that don't have to adhere to the micro-stamping rule, rather than newer guns the manufacturer doesn't want to spend the money to make CA compliant. Otherwise, a gun sold in California is functionally the same as the same model sold anywhere else.
Thank you for your indulgence,
BassCliff
Sorry, I'm late to the party. Most people here know that I'm a California escapee who used to have a CA CCW. Here's an article that explains what it takes for a manufacturer to get a handgun on the CA roster.
What Makes a Handgun California Compliant? :: Guns.com
Today, we’ll take a look at California Compliance and break down what it takes to make a handgun legal to own in the state.
www.guns.com
The CA DOJ has its own test criteria, safety requirements (magazine disconnect, loaded chamber indicator, striker block), and fees, etc. The most egregious is the "micro-stamping" requirement. That's why you'll see a lot of "legacy" models that don't have to adhere to the micro-stamping rule, rather than newer guns the manufacturer doesn't want to spend the money to make CA compliant. Otherwise, a gun sold in California is functionally the same as the same model sold anywhere else.
Thank you for your indulgence,
BassCliff