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May 28, 2026
How to Build a Featureless AR-15 (California & NY 2026)

A featureless AR-15 takes a detachable-magazine rifle out of a state's assault-weapon feature test by removing the listed features. The rules differ sharply by state: a muzzle brake on a threaded barrel is legal in a California featureless build but is itself a banned feature in New York. This guide covers the state-by-state feature lists and the verified grips, stocks, muzzle devices, and 10-round magazines that build a compliant rifle.

How to Build a Featureless AR-15 (California & NY 2026)

A featureless AR-15 keeps standard detachable magazines and a standard magazine release by stripping the cosmetic features that trip a ban state's assault-weapon test. The catch is that the feature list is written by your state, not by the rifle. A muzzle brake on a threaded barrel finishes a legal California build and simultaneously creates two banned features in New York. This guide separates the two regimes and lists the verified grips, stocks, muzzle devices, and 10-round magazines that build a compliant rifle in each.

By AB|Last reviewed May 2026

What Makes an AR-15 Featureless

A featureless AR-15 is a detachable-magazine semi-auto rifle that has had every feature on its state's assault-weapon list removed, so it falls outside the legal definition of an assault weapon. The reward for going featureless is the part that matters: you keep a standard detachable magazine and a standard magazine release instead of locking the action into a fixed-magazine "bullet button" or maglock setup. The cost is that you give up the pistol grip, the adjustable stock, and (depending on the state) the muzzle device.

The single-feature test that drives this is most often associated with California, where Penal Code 30515 lists the features for a detachable-magazine centerfire rifle: a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action, a thumbhole stock, a folding or telescoping stock, a flash suppressor, a forward pistol grip, and a grenade or flare launcher. Remove all of them and the rifle is no longer an assault weapon under that statute. New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut run their own versions of the test, and the lists are not identical. That difference is the whole reason this guide exists.

Going featureless is one of several ban-state compliance paths. If you would rather buy a finished compliant rifle than configure one, the best California-legal tactical firearms guide covers factory featureless and fixed-magazine options, and you can mock up a parts list on the custom AR platform in our rifle builder before you spend a dollar.

California vs. New York: The Feature Lists Diverge

California and New York both use a single-feature test, but they disagree on muzzle hardware, and that disagreement decides your parts list. California (Penal Code 30515) bans only the flash suppressor and explicitly permits a muzzle brake and a threaded barrel. New York (Penal Law 265.00) lists the flash suppressor, the muzzle brake, the muzzle compensator, and the threaded barrel all as banned features, so a compliant New York rifle wears a bare, non-threaded muzzle. The device that completes a California featureless build is itself a violation in New York.

Pistol grip (protruding conspicuously)
Banned feature
New York (PL 265.00)Banned feature
Featureless FixFeatureless grip (Strike Simple, Juggernaut) or FRS-15 kit
Folding / telescoping stock
Banned feature
New York (PL 265.00)Banned feature
Featureless FixFixed stock or FRS-15 kit (fixed length of pull)
Thumbhole stock
Banned feature
New York (PL 265.00)Banned feature
Featureless FixStandard fixed stock
Forward / second pistol grip
Banned feature
New York (PL 265.00)Banned feature
Featureless FixHand stop or angled grip, not a vertical foregrip
Flash suppressor
Banned feature
New York (PL 265.00)Banned feature
Featureless FixMuzzle brake or comp (CA) / bare muzzle (NY)
Muzzle brake / compensator
Allowed
New York (PL 265.00)Banned feature
Featureless FixKing Comp, VG6 Gamma, SLR Synergy CA (CA only)
Threaded barrel
Allowed
New York (PL 265.00)Banned feature
Featureless FixNon-threaded barrel required in NY
Bayonet mount
Not on rifle list
New York (PL 265.00)Banned feature
Featureless FixRemove bayonet lug in NY
Grenade / flare launcher
Banned feature
New York (PL 265.00)Banned feature
Featureless FixNot present on civilian builds
Magazine capacity
10-round cap
New York (PL 265.00)10-round cap
Featureless FixPMAG 10 Gen M3 (also CT, NJ)

New Jersey and Connecticut tighten things differently again. Both use a two-feature test rather than California's single feature, and both treat a threaded barrel or a flash suppressor as a counted feature. For the New York rules in full, including how the muzzle ban reshapes a build, see the best NY-legal tactical firearms guide; the New Jersey two-feature breakdown and the Illinois compliance path after PICA cover the other major ban-state regimes.

What to Address First

Start with the grip and the stock, because those two features appear on every featureless list and a stock-and-grip kit clears both in one purchase. The pistol grip is the feature most builders trip on first: a fin-style featureless grip forces a straight-wrist grasp that removes the "protruding conspicuously" geometry. The telescoping stock is the next, and a fixed stock or an all-in-one shell like the Thordsen FRS-15 settles it.

Only after grip and stock are sorted does the muzzle matter, and the muzzle is where the build forks by state. In California, swap any flash hider for a muzzle brake or compensator and you are done. In New York, the muzzle work is subtractive: pull the threaded muzzle device, and run a bare, non-threaded barrel with no brake, comp, or flash hider at all. The magazine is the last piece, and it is a separate law entirely, covered below.

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Featureless AR-15 Build Components

The parts that take a detachable-magazine AR-15 out of a ban state's feature test. Grips and stocks address the grip/stock features in every featureless state; muzzle devices and threaded barrels are legal in California but are banned features in New York, so read the state notes on each muzzle pick.

1

Strike Industries Simple Featureless AR Grip (SI-AR-SFG)

Best value featureless grip

$16.99
View at OpticsPlanet
  • +Under $20, the cheapest featureless grip path
  • +No permanent receiver modification
  • +Standard magazine release stays functional
  • Reinforced polymer flexes more than billet aluminum
  • Featureless grasp is less comfortable than a standard pistol grip
  • Only removes the grip feature; stock and muzzle device still need addressing
2

Thordsen Customs FRS-15 Gen III Stock Kit

Best all-in-one (replaces grip + stock)

$145
Shop at Brownells
  • +Addresses two features (grip and stock) with one purchase
  • +Rigid 33% glass-filled nylon shell
  • +Fits standard mil-spec buffer tubes without gunsmithing
  • Fixed length of pull, no adjustment once installed
  • Heavier and bulkier than a bare featureless grip
  • Does not address the muzzle device feature
3

Strike Industries King Comp .223/5.56 (1/2x28)

Best value CA muzzle brake (NOT NY-legal)

$45.95
View at OpticsPlanet
  • +Cheapest of the featureless-legal muzzle brakes here
  • +Effective dual-chamber recoil and muzzle-rise control
  • +Steel with durable parkerized finish
  • Loud with significant side concussion
  • Steel is heavier than titanium/stainless competition
  • Prohibited in New York featureless builds (muzzle brakes are a banned feature there)
4

VG6 Precision Gamma 556 (1/2x28)

Best lightweight CA muzzle brake

$80.99
View at OpticsPlanet
  • +Pure brake-and-comp design with no flash-suppression geometry
  • +Lightweight 17-4 stainless construction
  • +Strong recoil and muzzle-rise control
  • Pricier than the King Comp
  • Loud with side blast
  • Do not substitute the flash-hiding VG6 Epsilon on a CA featureless build
5

SLR Rifleworks Synergy Comp 5.56 Mod1 California Legal (1/2x28)

Best premium CA muzzle device (explicit California model)

$113.99
View at OpticsPlanet
  • +Manufacturer sells it as the California model, removing interpretation risk
  • +Excellent recoil and muzzle-rise reduction
  • +Durable 416 stainless and melonite construction
  • Most expensive option in this guide
  • Loud with side concussion
  • Prohibited in New York featureless builds
6

Magpul PMAG 10 AR/M4 GEN M3 (5.56)

Required 10-round magazine for capacity-capped states

$14.19
View at OpticsPlanet
  • +Legal capacity in every 10-round-cap state (CA, NY, NJ, CT)
  • +Same Gen M3 reliability as the 30-round PMAG
  • +Short body handles well from bench and prone
  • 10-round cap is a hard state-law limit, not a product limit
  • Black polymer shows wear over time
  • Heavier than aluminum 10-round USGI magazines
7

Juggernaut Tactical Featureless Grip

Best premium aluminum featureless grip

$64
View Deal
  • +Billet aluminum does not flex under a firm firing grip
  • +Keeps the standard magazine release functional
  • +Hard-anodized finish is durable
  • Roughly 3x the price of the Strike Simple grip
  • Heavier than polymer featureless grips
  • Direct purchase only

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Featureless Grips

A featureless grip removes the protruding pistol grip feature by forcing a straight-wrist hold, and it is the cheapest entry into a compliant build. The grip drops onto a standard AR lower with no permanent receiver modification and keeps the standard magazine release working, which is the practical payoff of the whole featureless approach. The choice between picks is mostly material: reinforced polymer for the lowest price, billet aluminum for a grip that does not flex under a firm firing hold.

The Strike Industries Simple Featureless Grip is the value default at under $20 and is the fastest path out of the grip feature for either California or New York. The Juggernaut Tactical Featureless Grip is the premium aluminum answer for shooters who want a rigid grasp and are willing to pay roughly three times the price for it. Both keep the standard magazine release functional.

Featureless Stocks

A featureless stock clears the telescoping-stock feature, and the most efficient option clears the pistol grip at the same time. The Thordsen Customs FRS-15 Gen III stock kit replaces both the protruding pistol grip and the collapsible stock with a single fixed-length shell, mounting to a standard mil-spec buffer tube without gunsmithing. One purchase, two features off the list. Its 33% glass-filled nylon construction stays rigid, and it is made in California, which is a fitting detail for the rifle most likely to wear it.

The trade-off is a fixed length of pull with no adjustment once installed, and added bulk over a bare featureless grip. For a New York build, the FRS-15 is the whole project: it addresses grip and stock, and because New York bans muzzle devices outright, there is no brake to add afterward. For more on standard AR stock options when compliance is not the constraint, the best AR-15 stocks guide covers the adjustable and fixed field in detail.

Muzzle Devices: California Only

In California, the only banned muzzle feature is the flash suppressor, so a muzzle brake or compensator on a threaded barrel is legal on a featureless rifle. Swap a flash hider for a brake and the muzzle feature is solved. The picks here are all pure brakes or compensators with no flash-hiding geometry, which is the line that keeps them compliant. Read this section as California-specific: in New York, every device below is a banned feature, and a compliant New York rifle runs a bare, non-threaded muzzle instead.

The Strike Industries King Comp is the budget answer, a dual-chamber compensator that drops onto any 1/2x28 5.56 barrel for under $50. The VG6 Precision Gamma 556 is the lightweight stainless pick, and the distinction matters: run the Gamma, which has no flash-suppression geometry, not the flash-hiding VG6 Epsilon, which carries prongs that read as a flash suppressor and put a California build at risk. The SLR Rifleworks Synergy Comp California model is the premium choice precisely because SLR sells it as the California-legal variant, which takes the interpretation risk off the table.

For the broader logic of muzzle brakes, compensators, and flash hiders outside the compliance context, our muzzle device guide breaks down what each design actually does at the muzzle.

Stock Up on 10-Round Magazines

Going featureless does not raise your magazine ceiling. California, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut all cap detachable magazines at 10 rounds, and that cap is a separate law from the feature test; a perfectly featureless rifle fed by an 11-round magazine is still illegal in those states. The Magpul PMAG 10 Gen M3 is the default, with the same anti-tilt follower and reliability as the 30-round PMAG in a 10-round body that handles cleanly from the bench and prone. Buy them in quantity; they are inexpensive, and a featureless rifle is only as useful as the magazines feeding it.

Recommended 10-Round AR-15 Magazines

Magazines & Feeding • $14.19

Magpul PMAG 10 AR/M4 GEN M3 (5.56)

  • 10 rounds
  • 5.56x45 / .223
$14.19
View at OpticsPlanet

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Build Cost by Path

Grip only (CA, brake later)
$17
PartsStrike Simple grip
Features AddressedPistol grip
Premium grip (CA)
$65
PartsJuggernaut aluminum grip
Features AddressedPistol grip
All-in-one (CA + NY)
$146
PartsThordsen FRS-15 Gen III
Features AddressedPistol grip + stock
CA muzzle (budget)
$192
PartsFRS-15 + King Comp
Features AddressedGrip + stock + flash-suppressor swap
CA muzzle (premium)
$260
PartsFRS-15 + SLR Synergy CA
Features AddressedGrip + stock + explicit CA brake
NY featureless
$146
PartsFRS-15 + bare non-threaded muzzle
Features AddressedGrip + stock; no muzzle device, no thread

Costs cover featureless parts only and exclude the host rifle, magazines, and any FFL transfer. California prices assume a brake swap; a New York build adds no muzzle device and requires a non-threaded barrel. Sources: California Penal Code 30515, New York Penal Law 265.00. General guidance, not legal advice. Verify your configuration with your transferring FFL, and consult a California or New York firearms attorney for any specific situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes an AR-15 featureless?
A featureless AR-15 is a semi-automatic centerfire rifle with a detachable magazine that has had every feature on its state's assault-weapon list removed, so it no longer meets the legal definition of an assault weapon. In California (Penal Code 30515) that means no pistol grip protruding conspicuously beneath the action, no thumbhole stock, no folding or telescoping stock, no flash suppressor, no forward grip, and no grenade or flare launcher. Removing those features (typically with a fin-style featureless grip and a fixed or featureless stock) takes the rifle out of the feature test even though it still runs standard detachable magazines and a standard magazine release.
Is a muzzle brake legal on a featureless AR-15?
It depends entirely on the state. In California, a muzzle brake or compensator and a threaded barrel are both allowed on a featureless rifle; only a flash suppressor is a banned feature, so devices like the SLR Synergy Comp California model, VG6 Gamma 556, and Strike Industries King Comp are legal CA muzzle devices. In New York the opposite is true: Penal Law 265.00 lists a muzzle brake, a muzzle compensator, and a threaded barrel themselves as banned features, so a New York featureless build runs a bare, non-threaded muzzle. A muzzle device that upgrades a California featureless rifle is itself a prohibited feature in New York.
Can I run a 30-round magazine in a featureless rifle?
Only if your state has no magazine-capacity limit. Going featureless removes the rifle from the assault-weapon feature test, but it does not change magazine law. California, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut all cap detachable magazines at 10 rounds, so a featureless AR-15 in those states must feed from 10-round magazines like the Magpul PMAG 10 Gen M3 regardless of its featureless configuration. The feature test and the magazine cap are two separate restrictions.
Do California and New York have the same featureless rules?
No, and the differences are large enough that a build legal in one can be illegal in the other. Both states use a single-feature test for detachable-magazine semi-auto rifles, but the lists differ. California bans the flash suppressor but permits a muzzle brake and a threaded barrel. New York bans the flash suppressor, the muzzle brake, the muzzle compensator, and the threaded barrel. New York also bans a bayonet mount, which California's rifle list does not. Build to the specific state you live in; do not assume a California featureless parts list transfers to New York.
Can you legally build a featureless AR-15 in California yourself?
Yes, building or configuring a featureless AR-15 is legal in California as long as the finished rifle clears Penal Code 30515 (no listed features) and feeds from 10-round magazines. The common parts are a featureless grip (Strike Industries Simple Featureless Grip, Juggernaut Tactical aluminum grip) or an all-in-one stock kit (Thordsen FRS-15) that replaces both the grip and the telescoping stock, plus a muzzle brake rather than a flash hider. Separate California rules govern serialization of self-built firearms and the purchase of receivers; this guide covers the featureless configuration, not the acquisition paperwork.