Posted: 12/15/2007 1:24:35 AM EDT
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I tried reading CA DOJ's DD Law, but it's just giving me a headace. Does anyone here have any other reliable sources (or leagalese-english translations)? I'm mostly interested in whether smoke (be it hand- or launcher-fired) and non-emergency flares (the sparkly kind) are considered DD's here. And on a related note, is it even remotely possible to get the Federal DD Tax to fly in CA for a 40mm or 37mm launcher? Experience counts for more than opinion in this case, as we all have opinions, but I've never heard of anyone legally having this in CA. |
From experience... DOJ issues a Destructive Device Collectors Permit which is all you'd need to buy Form 4 or make Form 1 DDs. The permit is expensive to qualify for (high security threshold for qualification) and a few hundred bucks yearly to maintain. A necessary evil if you want DDs, but the only downside is that you are not permitted to actually shoot your DDs. Basically for display only. Call the DOJ Firearms Permits/Licensing Unit and ask for an application packet. Read it carefully. ETA: This permit does NOT require the usual LE, gov't or enterainment affiliations, you need only be a collector. |
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STATE NFA RESTRICTIONS Here is my attempt to list what state allows what in terms of NFA weapons. The "Y" indicates state law allows private individuals to own the weapon in question. Most of the "Y" states require the weapons be possessed in compliance with federal law to be legal under state law. Some of the "N" states may allow only police officers to possess them, or dealers, or neither. Basically if the privileged class was so narrow, by statute, I said "N". In many states the class of folks able to own NFA weapons is narrow by practice (California), or because no law enforcement officers will sign the certification needed for a transfer to an individual. Some of the "N" states may also have grandfathered weapons, the "N" applies to a current transaction. Some "N" states may also allow unserviceable weapons. Some states may regulate one or more of these weapons as handguns. KEY MG - machine gun SI - sound suppressor (silencer) SR - short barreled rifle SG - short shotgun AOW - any other weapon LBDD - large bore destructive device EXPDD - explosive, incendiary or poison gas destructive device STATEMG SI SR SG AOWLBDD EXPDD Comments AK Y Y Y Y Y Y Y AL Y Y N N Y Y ? AR Y Y Y Y Y Y ? (state registration of pistol cal. MG's over .30) AZ Y Y Y Y Y Y Y CA Y N Y Y Y Y Y (requires discretionary and rarely issued permit for mg, lbdd or expdd from state Dept. of Justice; no AOW pen guns; C&R sg, sr only) CO Y Y Y Y Y Y Y (requires state explosives permit for expdd) CT Y Y Y Y Y Y ? (no select fire mg's-full auto's only, after 1993 assault weapon ban, state registration of mg's) DE N N Y N Y Y N (no smooth bore pistol AOW's) FL Y Y Y Y Y Y Y GA Y Y Y Y Y Y Y (no incendiary expdd's) HI N N N N N N N IA N Y Y Y Y Y Y (only si, sr, sg, lbdd and expdd designated as collector's items by the Comm'r of Public Safety - they use the ATF C&R list) ID Y Y Y Y Y Y Y IL N N N N Y ? N IN Y Y Y N Y Y N KS N N Y N Y Y N DEWAT machine guns are OK. KY Y Y Y Y Y Y ? LA Y Y Y Y Y Y Y (mg's require a permit to purchase - war relics only; mg's, sr, si, sg and some expdd's require a permit to purchase) MA Y N Y N N Y N (license for mg's required; 1998 law bans covert firearms (AOW's), short shotguns) MD Y Y Y Y Y Y N (mg's must be registered) ME Y Y Y Y Y Y Y MI Y N Y Y Y Y Y (FFL needed to own machine guns; no incendiary expdd; C&R sr, sg only) MN Y N Y Y Y Y ? (C&R mg, sg only, registration required) MO Y N Y Y Y N N (C&R mg, sr, sg only to non-FFL holders; FFL holders (including C&R) any mg, sr, sg) MS Y Y Y Y Y Y Y (as of 7/1/00, silencers are legal, but must be registered with the state) MT Y Y Y Y Y N N (state law banning silencers and requiring pistol cal. mg's over .30 be registered with state repealed 4/23/99) NE Y Y Y Y Y Y N NC Y Y Y Y Y Y Y (sheriff's permit required for mg's; must be FFL holder (including C&R) for mg, si, sr, sg lbdd and expdd, or fall into another exception, see comments below) ND Y Y Y Y Y Y Y (fed. "licensees" required to register all NFA weapons with state when possessed for "protection or sale") NH Y Y Y Y Y Y Y NJ Y N N N Y N N (mg requires discretionary and rarely issued permit from state court) NM Y Y Y Y Y Y Y NV Y Y Y Y Y Y Y NY N N N N Y Y N (AOW smooth bore handguns are allowed, on a state pistol license) OH Y Y Y Y Y Y Y OK Y Y Y Y Y Y Y OR Y Y Y Y Y Y Y (no incendiary expdd's) PA Y Y Y Y Y Y N RI N N N N Y Y ? SC Y Y Y Y Y Y ? In 2001, S.C. law was changed to permit all Federally registered items SD Y Y Y Y Y Y Y TN Y Y Y Y Y Y ? TX Y Y Y Y Y Y Y UT Y Y Y Y Y Y Y VA Y Y Y Y Y Y Y (state registration of all mg's) VT Y N Y Y Y Y Y WA N Y N N Y Y N (silencer may not be used on a gun) WI Y Y Y Y Y Y Y (permit required for expdd, no incendiary expdd's; no pistol caliber mg's w/o permit) WV Y Y Y Y Y Y ? WY Y Y Y Y Y Y ? ------------------------------------------------------------ A Note about NFA Weapons and California As a general rule the definitions of NFA weapons, as regulated in California, track exactly the federal definitions, and categories. Cal. Penal Code Sec. 12020(a) prohibits the possession of, among other things, AOW's (Any other Weapons) and short shotguns and short rifles. Subsection (b) lists exemptions to the application of (a). Subsection (b)(7) of section 12020 exempts any "firearm or ammunition" lawfully possessed under federal law and on the C&R list. Subsection (b)(8), exempts ALL AOW's except "pen guns." Subsection b(2) is the exemption for the movie permit for short shotguns and short rifles with the procedure for its issuance found at section 12095. In short, Californians can legally possess any AOW, except a pen gun, as long as it is possessed in compliance with federal law, and as long as it isn't classified as an assault weapon (SB 23 treats some semiauto pistols with dual pistol grips, AOWs under federal law, as prohibited assault weapons). Likewise they can possess any C&R listed short rifle or short shotgun. Short shotguns and short rifles are defined at (c)(1) and (c)(2) respectively; the definitions are essentially the same as federal law. HOWEVER, unlike the feds, California courts have ruled that the length of a rifle with a folding stock is measured with the stock folded, not extended, as the feds do. So a gun that is not a short rifle under federal law may be one under California law. See People v. Rooney, 17 Cal.App.4th 1207 (1 Dist. 1993). Any firearm whose possession is otherwise prohibited by subsection (a) is ok, under b(7), if the gun is a C&R one and lawfully possessed under federal law. This would not provide an exemption to the requirement for a state permit for a machine gun, as 12020(a) does not regulate mg's. That is section 12220 (ban) and 12230 et seq. (permits). Rules for DD's are at section 12301 et seq. Silencers are regulated at section 12500 et seq. The state Department of Justice has discretionary authority to issue permits to possess DD's or machine guns, and does not issue them to collector-civilians. Civilians are totally prohibited from owning silencers. |
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37mm launchers have been allowed in CA for some time. They are not considered DD, or even firearms. Just be careful to follow the AW laws if you want to attach one to a rifle. They can't go on a detachable mag semi auto. Ten Percent Firearms is selling one, and other companies sell them as well. 40mm launchers are another story. The actual receiver for the 40mm launcher is not a DD by itself, and transfers like any other standard Title 1 firearm receiver. But if you build it into a 40mm launcher, you have made a DD, which would be a problem. Supposedly you can buy 37mm tubes for these, and then you would be OK with regards to the federal issues. |