Title 32
SECTION 552.126
552.126 Definitions.
§ 552.126 Definitions.For the purpose of this part, the following definitions apply:
(a) Ammunition. Projectiles together with their fuses, propelling charges, and primers that are designed to be expelled from a firearm. This includes any type of military and commercial ammunition (ball, trace, incendiary, blank, shotgun, black powder, and shot). Items shall only be considered as ammunition when loaded into a cartridge with its bullet and primer.
(b) Pellet and BB Guns. Any type rifle, pistol, or other instrument designed or redesigned, made or remade, modified or remodified to expel BBs or pellets by springs, compressed air, CO2, or any other compressed gas cartridge.
(c) Dangerous Instruments. Any device which is designed or redesigned, made or remade, modified or remodified to be used as an offensive or defensive weapon. Devices of this type include but are not limited to:
(1) “Constant companion” or any similar weapon, designed or redesigned, made, or remade modified or remodified to be worn as a belt buckle, brass knuckles, “Knucklers,” and “Knucks.”
(2) Studded or spiked wrist bands, or any device designed or redesigned, made or remade, modified or remodified to fit over the hand or wrist which can be used to cause grave bodily harm.
(3) Blackjacks, slapjacks, slappers, saps, including homemade substitutes, other bludgeons (with or without handles), and metal pipes.
(4) “Nanchaku” (num-chucks), two or more sticks connected by rope, cord, or chain and normally used as a martial arts weapon. “Shuriken”, a disc or any geometrical object designed to be thrown as a weapon. “Manrikiqusari” or “Kusari,” a rope or cord joined to a weight at each end and designed to be used as a weapon. “Sai” fighting forks or other similar weapons.
(5) Any finger ring with blades or sharp objects that are capable of being projected/extended from the surface of the ring.
(6) Any device capable and primarily intended for discharging darts or needles.
(7) All firearms.
(8) Slingshots (not including small slingshots made for use by children), other missile throwing devices, or any other instrument designed to produce bodily harm.
(d) Explosive, incendiary, and pyrotechnic devices. Any type of military or commercial explosive, incendiary, gas or smoke bomb, grenade, rocket, missile, mine, blasting cap, “dummy” and/or practice device such as simulators, and other similar detonating devices which are capable of being altered to contain a live charge, and pyrotechnic devices such as firecrackers, cherry bombs, bottlerockets, and starclusters.
(e) Firearms. (1) A shotgun having a barrel or barrels of less than 18 inches in length.
(2) A weapon made from a shotgun, if such weapon as modified has an overall length of less than 26 inches or a barrel or barrels of less than 18 inches in length.
(3) A rifle having a barrel or barrels of less than 16 inches in length.
(4) A weapon made from a rifle if such weapon as modified has an overall length of less than 26 inches or a barrel or barrels of less than 16 inches in length.
(5) A machine gun.
(6) A muffler or a silencer for any firearm whether or not such firearm is included within this definition. The term shall not include an antique firearm or any device (other than a machine gun) which, although designed as a weapon, by reason of the date of its manufacture, value, design, and other characteristics is primarily a collector's item and is not likely to be used as a weapon. For purpose of this definition, the length of the barrel on a shotgun or rifle shall be determined by measuring the distance between the muzzle and the face of the bolt, breech, or breechlock when closed and when the shotgun or rifle is cocked. The overall length of a weapon made from a shotgun or rifle is the distance between the extreme ends of the weapon measured along a line parallel to the center line of the bore.
(f) Knives, sabers, swords, and machetes. Any instrument having a sharp blade which is fastened to a handle, or made with a handle. Measurement of the blade will be from the tip of the blade to the point where the blade meets the handle. This includes folding knives, switchblades, gravity knives, stilettos, lock blade knives, swords, sabers, and machetes.
(g) Machine gun and automatic weapon. Any weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot automatically more than one shot without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger. The term shall also include the frame or receiver of any such weapon, any part designed and intended solely and exclusively, or combination of parts designed and intended, for use in converting a weapon into a machine gun, and any combination of parts from which a machine gun can be assembled if such parts are in the possession or under the control of a person.
(h) Pistol. A weapon originally designed, made, and intended to fire a projectile (bullet) from one or more barrels when held in one hand, and having:
(1) A chamber(s) as an integral part(s) of, or permanently aligned with, the bore(s).
(2) A short stock designed to be gripped by one hand and at an angle to and extending below the line of the bore(s).
(i) Public gathering. Shall include, but shall not be limited to, athletic or sporting events, schools or school functions, churches or church functions, rallies, or establishments at which alcoholic beverages are sold for consumption on the premises.
(j) Revolver. A projectile weapon, of the pistol type, having a breechloading chambered cylinder so arranged that the cocking of the hammer or movement of the trigger rotates it and brings the next cartridge in line with the barrel for firing.
(k) Rifle. A weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from the shoulder. Also, designed or redesigned and made or remade to use the energy of the explosive in a fixed cartridge to fire only a single projectile through a rifled bore for each single pull of the trigger, and shall include any such weapon which may be readily restored to fire a fixed cartridge.
(l) Shotgun. A weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from the shoulder; and designed or redesigned, made or remade, to use the energy or the explosive in a fixed shotgun shell to fire through a smooth bore either a number of projecting (ball shot) or a single projectile for each single pull of the trigger and shall include any such weapon which may be readily restored to fire a fixed shotgun shell.
(m) Silencer. Any device for silencing, muffling, or diminishing the report of a portable firearm, including any combination of parts, designed or redesigned, and intended for the use in assembling or fabricating a firearm silencer or firearm muffler, and any part intended only for use in such assembly or fabrication.
(n) Weapon. An instrument used in an offensive or defensive manner.