Notice to Arkansas Customers – AGFC Change of Position on Kali Key Use
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) has issued new guidance that changes how AR‑style bolt‑action conversion kits are treated during Arkansas’s Alternative Firearms (formerly muzzleloader) deer season.
In AGFC’s May 30, 2024 article, “Shooting Straight – Alternative firearms season opens new options for Arkansas deer hunters,” the Commission stated that there were “AR‑style platforms that are actually bolt actions” and “drop‑in conversion kits available that change some automatic rifles to bolt actions,” and that “those would be legal according to the code,” stated Lt. Col. Jake Dunn of the AGFC Enforcement Division.1
That language matched how the Kali Key operates: it converts a direct impingement AR into a manually operated, straight-pull bolt-action rifle by eliminating the firearm’s ability to self-cycle, thereby changing the firearm’s action, and redirects cycling gases away from the firearm and shooter.
AGFC has since issued updated guidance stating that, although drop-in kits for AR-style rifles are available, only those that replace the entire upper assembly will be considered legal for the Alternative Firearms season. They also now state that “conversion kits that simply disable the semiautomatic function of the rifle are not enough.” 2
Although there is no functional difference between a Kali Key‑equipped firearm and a “dedicated” bolt‑action upper—even under AGFC’s own definitions—and the Kali Key does not merely “disable” semi‑automatic cycling (there is no way to “cheat” with a Kali Key installed), under this new interpretation, the AGFC no longer considers conversion kits acceptable.
Why We Disagree with AGFC’s New Interpretation
Given AGFC’s rules as written, we respectfully disagree with this new interpretation:
- The Kali Key complies with both the letter and spirit of the rules as written.
Under “Deer-specific Hunting Regulations,” AGFC states:
“The following firearms are allowed during the alternative firearms season:
Non-semiautomatic centerfire firearms (including non-semiautomatic handguns with barrels 4 inches or longer) that fire a straight-wall cartridge .30 caliber or larger…. Lever-action rifles, single-shot rifles, pump-action rifles and bolt-action rifles (including semi-automatic rifles that have been converted to bolt action) are allowed.” [emphasis added] 3
- Independent technical sources recognize the Kali Key as a true bolt‑action conversion.
Technical descriptions and reviews consistently describe the Kali Key as converting an AR‑15/AR‑10 from semiautomatic to a manually operated, straight‑pull bolt action that cannot fire semiautomatically.4 This is not a matter of opinion but of mechanics: a Kali Key-equipped firearm lacks the parts necessary for self-cycling, thereby changing the firearm’s action. The Kali Key does not “disable” the semiautomatic cycle; it eliminates it. There is no way to “cheat” with a Kali Key installed. - AGFC’s own rules expressly contemplate converting semi-automatics to bolt actions.
The AGFC’s regulations explicitly permit “semiautomatic rifles that have been converted to bolt action,” confirming that switching configurations is allowed as long as the firearm is in a compliant configuration while hunting. Given the modular design of the AR platform, swapping dedicated uppers only involves pushing two pins—yet the AGFC now considers that approach more complicated and therefore acceptable than using a Kali Key, which achieves the same functional result in a different way. - Kali Key-equipped rifles are readily identifiable in the field.
A Kali Key is easily recognized without manipulating the firearm. It is marked as “bolt‑action” in multiple places, and, by sight, it is evident that the firearm lacks the parts necessary for semiautomatic cycling. - Other jurisdictions treat Kali Key-equipped rifles as lawful manual‑action hunting rifles.
For example, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has confirmed in writing that AR platform rifles equipped with a Kali Key are lawful for hunting when the Kali Key is installed, because it is easily identifiable to wardens and alters how the firearm’s action operates.5
A rifle that cannot self-cycle, lacks the parts needed for semiautomatic operation, and must be manually cycled after every shot is, by definition, a bolt-action firearm. The Kali Key, therefore, does change the nature of the firearm’s action, rather than merely “disabling” it. There is no functional distinction between a Kali Key-equipped rifle and a rifle built around a “dedicated” bolt-action upper; in either case, reverting to semiautomatic functionality would require installing parts in the upper that are not present in the compliant configuration.
Change in AGFC Communications
It is also worth noting that third-party archives of AGFC’s May 30, 2024, article (such as the Wayback Machine) still show the original language stating that drop-in conversion kits, which change automatic rifles to bolt actions (like the Kali Key), “would be legal according to the code,” even beyond the summer of 2025. Kali Key also confirmed that this language remained live well into Q4 of 2025.
Meanwhile, the current AGFC communication appears to keep all of the original article’s text but only edits the paragraph that originally permitted the use of drop-in conversions like the Kali Key. It now also shows an October 2024 date, even though the original article was published in May 2024 and, according to internet archives, remained unchanged until sometime in Q4 of 2025—more than a year after the new article’s date. This discrepancy between the stated publication date and what was actually on the AGFC’s website through Q4 of 2025 understandably causes confusion. Whatever the reason, it’s clear that AGFC’s stance on drop-in bolt-action conversions has recently changed.
This notice is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
The ORIGINAL guidance from the AGFC permitting conversions like the Kali Key is provided BELOW.
THIS IS THE ORIGINAL GUIDANCE AND STATEMENT FROM THE AGFC
COMPARING THE KALI KEY AND SEMI-AUTO SYSTEMS
This video explains why the Kali Key’s functionality differs from that of a semi-automatic cycling system.
Firearms equipped with a Kali Key function as bolt-action firearms because the Kali Key’s proprietary “gas key” is engineered to prevent cycling gases from accessing the bolt carrier group’s expansion chamber, thereby preventing the firearm from self-cycling. It employs a curved wall and hood to block and divert all cycling gases away from the rifle via the injection port, making semi-automatic cycling impossible.
By comparison, a semi-automatic gas key has a tubular opening that mates with a firearm’s gas tube and guides cycling gases directly into the bolt carrier group’s expansion chamber, thereby enabling semi-automatic cycling.
“THIS IS A BOLT-ACTION” INFO CARD
All Kali Keys sold come with this card inside the packaging.
RECENT INDEPENDENT VIDEOS SHOWING FUNCTIONALITY AND PURPOSE
