HPD and the AG has thus far declined and/or refused to give a legal meaning to the words  "readily restore".

You mean a Hawaii Senator or Representative has actually requested an opinion from the AG on the definition of "readily restore" and was refused?   

Here in WA our AG has consistently refused to issue opinions on our most recent bkgd check law.  He is a coward.

Ranb

Hello, this is my 1st post as a member of the forum.  I was stationed in Hawaii (USN) from 1989 to 1999 and was a home based FFL from 90-94.  I'm living in WA now.  I searched a bit but did not find the answer to the questions I have.

In the early 90's after the assault pistol ban was passed I modified my Browning Hi-power, P14-45 and AR-15 magazines to hold ten rounds to be in compliance with 138-8.

(c) The manufacture, possession, sale, barter, trade, gift, transfer, or acquisition of detachable ammunition magazines with a capacity in excess of ten rounds which are designed for or capable of use with a pistol is prohibited. This subsection shall not apply to magazines originally designed to accept more than ten rounds of ammunition which have been modified to accept no more than ten rounds and which are not capable of being readily restored to a capacity of more than ten rounds.

 

The problem was no one I talked to knew what readily restored meant.  One of the larger gun dealers in Honolulu told me that most people just inserted a spacer above the mag base plate and riveted it in place.  They also said the police refused to define the law and were waiting to see what the courts said.  In other words when someone was arrested for an improperly modified mag, then we might find out what is legal and what is not.

One low volume dealer told me he just turned over the mag parts to his customer as the law did not apply to mag parts.  During a BATFE compliance inspection I asked the agent what he thought about the spacer riveted to the base plate method; he thought it was a legal way to modify the mags.  I did see Colt five round mags for sale after the ban which were the usual 20-rounds mags with the spacer spot welded to the sides.

Anyway, I'm involved in a gun control debate on an anti-gun forum I belong to.  I and a few others fight the good fight there and try to educate people on gun control laws.  I'm being told on a regular basis that I'm breaking the law because silencers, short barreled shotguns/rifles blah blah blah are illegal in the USA.  My latest argument is about how I modified my magazines while in Hawaii. 

I'm being told by a anti-gun zealot that a magazine with a riveted spacer on the base plate can still be readily restored to original capacity even though I have to cut metal (with a drill bit) to take the spacer out.  Did Hawaii law enforcement ever come out with any guidelines at all concerning modification of magazines?  Was there ever any court case that settled the issue?  Was anyone ever arrested for possession of an improperly altered magazine?

If this has been addressed on the forum in the past please give me a link.    Thanks.

Ranb