ATF Says Weapons Used in San Bernardino Shooting Were Illegal in California

From PJ Media via H/T at Instapundit:

The media proudly reports that the firearms were purchased legally. They are trying to create the narrative that the current gun laws allowed this to happen. They want you to know: "Hey, this was all legally done. We need more laws to stop this from happening again."

But not so fast. It may be true that these guns were purchased legally, but they were not used legally and in fact, they were modified in violation of the California firearms laws, says the ATF.

While they were originally sold legally, with magazine locking devices commonly known as bullet buttons, the rifles were subsequently altered in different ways to make them more powerful, according to Meredith Davis, a special agent with the ATF.

The Smith & Wesson rifle was changed in an attempt to enable it fire in fully automatic mode, while the DPMS weapon was modified to use a large-capacity magazine, she said.

Those alterations made the weapons unlawful under California’s ban on assault weapons, which bans guns with magazines that can detach for quick reloading.

The state legally allows the sale and ownership of assault weapons that have fixed magazines.

EDITED TO ADD: Modifying a gun for fully automatic fire is illegal in every state, it's a federal law. A VERY SERIOUS federal law.

So the terrorist violate State AND Federal firearms law..........

So what other law would have stopped these terrorists? Oooops, they already broke a bunch of laws, what's one more.