DarkEdge is correct; godsdice and bigben2k are wrong. Civilians in the U.S. can indeed own fully automatic weapons. You need to qualify for and obtain a Class III license, which is controlled/granted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF) and requires the endorsement of the senior law enforcement official in your area (I think; can't check from work). Only weapons manufactured before 1985 are eligible for civilian ownership, and are subject to a federal transfer tax when purchased.
Class III license holders can also own suppressors, subject to state law. I don't recall whether those must be pre-1985 or not. They are also subject to the transfer tax.
The original poster's story strikes me as bullshit. Normally the portion of the weapon considered to actually be "the gun" is the receiver (long gun) or frame (pistol). This is why you can buy other components, like barrels, slides, etc., without any red tape. It's the main body that's regulated by law, and if sold must be shipped to an FFL (Federal Firearms License) holder (normally only possessed by part- or full-time gun dealers, due to the costs involved). If it's illegal to own a particular type of weapon in California, then it would be illegal to own parts, or at least the main functional component, as well.
Besides the fact that this statement: "can quite easly be made in to full auto" reeks of media hype. The only people who could "easily" do such a thing are skilled machinists, and they could also build the entire thing from scratch if they so chose. You certainly can't do it "easily" in your living room with a file. The firearms manufacturers aren't as stupid as you seem to think.
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