and picked up an automatic opening pocket knife. What are the legalities concerning possesion of these things?

"automatic opening pocket knife" I like it. Sounds much more pc that switch blade. Can't help you out though. I wouldn't worry the cop would have to be quite the asshole to bust a good person for owning a "automatic opening pocket knife".

PC for one-sided switchblade.

I am far from being a legal expert, but I think these are supposed to be a LE item only. I assume you're talking about a real knife like the Benchmades or Spydercos.  All the gunstores I frequent won't even show you one if you are not LE.

Dealers at the gunshows seem to be 50/50. some say LE only. Some say they know of no restrictions.

So I guess it's kinda up to the buyer to do his homework. I probably haven't helped you at all, huh?[:)]

For years I've heard that automatic knives are illegal. What is odd that in all my years as a police officer I never saw a state statute or federal law prohibiting them. Now obviously I nor anyone can know all of the laws. But I did make an effort to be as informed as possible and have a masters in criminal justice. Makes me go Hmmmmmmmmmmm. I wonder if this is not one of those urban legends that got out of hand.

They are against the law in California.(what isn't?)

California outlawed throwing stars and nunchucks as well as just about anything that was shown in a kung fu or gang movie back in the early seventies.  Used to be a felony to be caught with a switchblade and only a misdemeanor to be carrying a gun. Now just about everything is a felony here.  Good thing or we wouldn't have the low crime rate we enjoy. [rolleyes]

it depends on the state

in CA they are legal heres the catch thu blade under 3 inches. a 3 inch switch blade what a joke.

AZ there legal.

hell i bought one when i first got my id card a POS one but i always  wanted one

Check your local ordinances. We have a city ordinance prohibiting them as "deadly" weapons.

In Alabama it is legal to carry one if you have a concealed weapon(pistol) permit.

I bought 3 at a gunshow in Nashville. Two for me and one for my father. For $15 bucks apiece you can't beat it. I'm not sure if they are illegal here or not. Screw em I say. I have a god given right to defend myself and I will nomatter what. They would come in very handy if someone were to grab you from behind and all you could do is use one hand to open it up and defend yourself. I carry it around with me but I don't pull it out and play with it in public. Its just one of those back up things incase something were to happen. I say enjoy it and not worry about it. Have you ever been stopped by a cop and asked to empty your pockets for no reason? I don't go around looking for trouble so I don't worry about it unless trouble is looking for me. Then at least I have a chance. Its not fair that cops get to carry all the cool stuff for selfdefense and we have to rely on our bare hands. Its kinda like cops are always ready for trouble, they can call for backup and have 10 buddies there to back them up with a few hundred rounds of ammo but we stand alone and can only use pepper spray or a pistol with 10 politically correct rounds..LOL

My first "real" arrest, when I was 18, was for possession of a switchblade knife. That was in California, and they were pretty excited to have caught me. It was my first offense, so it ended up being dropped to a Disturbing The Peace charge(a misdemeanor).

In California, a concealed handgun was a misdemeanor, and a concealed switchblade was a FELONY.

I'm pretty sure the laws are still the same.

Here in Arizona on the other hand, I can buy an automatic knife from the Matco Tool guy, or the knife store in the mall, or wherever. It's legal. They can be owned by any adult, and carried if somewhat exposed.

An Arizona CCW allows you to conceal Weapons of all sorts, not just handguns. This includes Auto-knives, shotguns, belt-feds, whatever...[:D]

Treetop-  a couple years ago they made carrying a handgun a felony, I'm pretty sure.  Glad you're free.

[blue]oops[/blue]

Trade it for a KelTec 32. You will be better off in a real defense situation and any subsequent trial situation. You would probably break even in a LEO shakedown/police station scenario.

Just not PC, nobody seems to know the true legalities..

[blue]I was attempting to reply to your post, not edit it. Sorry.[:)][/blue]
I've gotten a couple of those, too. Luckily they were all misdemeanors.

It's strange to think that I've got a Police record now, but had I been in AZ instead of CA since I was 18, everything else being equal, none of the arrests would've happened.

Here in oregon we can buy and carry auto knives, in fact Benchmade is right down the street from me and they have quite a few models in production. Also a collectors licence is all you need to own these in just about every state. I carry one every day, don't leave home without it.[:D]

That's because all of the gun shops you frequent [b]SUCK.[/b] There is no such thing as a good gun shop in Oklahoma City (I heard Southwest Shooters tell a guy that it was illegal to buy a new pistol barrel for his S&W N frame w/o an FFL).

This is a Benchmade copy. Cost me $10. I think it was a steal since the only diference I can tell between the two is that mine doesn't say Benchmade. This is no cheap-ass Mexican switchblade and I didn't buy it for self-defense.I bought it for use as a tool. There are times at work when it would be nice to be able to effortlessly open a knife, one-handed, in order to cut an inannimate object.

Yes this is true. The Outdoor America store has no inventory and when they do the prices are so outrageous only Bill Gates could buy anything there.

Cool deal.  Got a pic?  At that price you'd be smart to go back tomorrow and snag another 1-2...I am sure those of us in legal states might be willing to "acquire" one from you..  :)

Yeah, it was really hard to decide if I wanted to spend $859.95 PLUS 7.375% sales tax for a basic Bushmaster at Outdoor America or have my FFL buddy receive a $710 ArmaLite. Really tough. Off topic, but if every one of these gun shops and OKC gun shows would dry up and blow away, I wouldn't lose any sleep.

The way I remember it from my CCW class is, you need to have a CCW to carry an Auto-Knife. I plan on buying a Benchmade w/Axis-lock, opens real easy and don't have to worry about it when going into Ohio.

ARChoo, this is from the Texas Penal Code.  

§46.05. Prohibited weapons.

(a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly possesses, manufactures, transports, repairs, or sells:

(1) an explosive weapon;

(2) a machine gun;

(3) a shortbarrel firearm;

(4) a firearm silencer;

(5) a switchblade knife;

(6) knuckles,

(7) armor piercing ammunition;

(8) a chemical dispensing device; or

(9) a zip gun.

(b) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that the actor's conduct was incidental to the performance of official duty by the armed forces or national guard, a governmental law enforcement agency, or a correctional facility.

(c) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that the actor's possession was pursuant to registration pursuant to the National Firearms Act, as amended.

(d) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this section that the actor's conduct:

(1) was incidental to dealing with a switchblade knife, spring blade knife, or shortbarrel firearm solely as an antique or curio; or

(2) was incidental to dealing with armor piercing ammunition solely for the purpose of making the ammunition available to an organization, agency, or institution listed in Subsection (b).

(e) An offense under this section is a felony of the third degree unless it is committed under Subsection (a)(5) or (a)(6), in which event, it is a Class A misdemeanor.

I personally could care less.  

Ok Jim so gunstores suck if they try to turn a profit?

Anyone can beat retail if they have an FFL buddy. I bought my FAL straight from DSA for $810 instead of paying the $999 plus tax from the OAS, but they wouldn't be is business long without any markup. Can your buddy get me a Ruger Vaquero, a Benelli M1 super 90, a T/C Contender and a gold-plated Desert Eagle first thing Monday morning? Probably not, but Outdoor America can.

I am willing to pay a little extra for inventory and availibity. 9 times out of 10 if I see a new gun that is coming out, they already have one I can handle and look over.

Did you have some other problem with them or are you basing your opinion soley on price?

This is off topic, and will go nowhere but you started it.

Well, it is [b]OFF[/b] topic and I'm not looking to start a flame war. However, I don't begrudge anyone who is looking to make a profit (we've all got mortgages, groceries, and utilities), but I'd rather that they not make the [b]ENTIRE[/b] profit off of me. Price isn't the only consideration here, but a lot of the [b]RUDENESS[/b] and [b]LACK[/b] of service after the sale. I don't have a problem with paying a little more for things from quality people (a little kindness goes a long way), but I'll be damned if I'll pay a big mark up [b]AND[/b] get treated like a bag of dirt to boot. If Outdoor America, formerly known as Fred Baker Firearms, was a good customer service oriented outfit, I wouldn't have a problem with plunking down $860 for a $700 gun. Their big problem is the same as [b]ALL[/b] of the other OKC-area gun shops: high prices, rude service, and sucky "advice." I don't see a problem with [b]SHOWING[/b] someone a knife even if the aren't going to make the sale because of legalities, etc., but keep their interpretations to themselves. I once had one of those morons at Outdoor America expound on why VV powder was bad, to which I replied, "So you've loaded a lot of it?" His answer, "Well no, but I've heard..." You get my drift. The gun shows are an even bigger joke. Seven dollars down the drain at the fairgrounds to look at waterpiks and Rugers priced over and above the [b]SUGGESTED[/b] retail. If you'd like to discuss the (lack of) merits of these "gun" shops, by all means email me. Saavy?

I used to live in OKC before I moved to TX. I feel your pain. There's a definate lack of retail firearm oulets there. Yer best bet would be to buy everything off the net and have it delivered to a friendly FFL. The only good thing about OKC is that its only 1.5 hrs from the Tulsa gun show. Now that puppy is HUGE.

I have also seen the exact same knife at the OKC shows .My coworker in OKC bought one and he wasn't an LEO.

ditto

The big Wanenmacher show in T-town is all right; definitely worth the turnpike toll. It's interesting in that Outdoor America's parent, FBF, Incorporated, is a DISTRIBUTOR, but their store charges a hefty mark up on things. The general attitude is "take it or leave it" (forget asking for a special order) and "now we've got your money, get the hell out." Doesn't leave me with a warm feeling, that's for sure (and NO, I don't help Wal-Fart out). A local gunsmith? HA!!!!!!!! Forget that notion. My gun room now looks like a gunsmith's room anymore that I've had to accumulate so many tools and learn how to do a lot of basic items. Back on topic, please excuse the diversion. 455SD, I replied to your email, but it was bounced back due to an inactivated account. Send me another address to which I can reply.

[img]http://128.242.218.34/pvk/b-sw1251.jpg[/img]

This is it. A S&W clone but half my blade is serated. $74.95.

Those are handy knives. A couple of guys where I used to work had those. There are times it seems that they are worth their weight in gold when your hands are full.

Hey guy..remember me from the "Ft. Knox" thread?  I have my CCW in Ky... Took a local 1 day class.