Sec. 53-202. Machine guns.
Sec. 53-202. Machine guns. (a) As used in this section: (1) "Machine gun" shall
apply to and include a weapon of any description, loaded or unloaded, which shoots, is
designed to shoot or can be readily restored to shoot automatically more than one projectile, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger, and shall also include
any part or combination of parts designed 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 of or under the control of a person. (2) "Crime of violence"
shall apply to and include any of the following-named crimes or an attempt to commit
any of the same: Murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, sexual assault and sexual assault
with a firearm, assault in the first or second degree, robbery, burglary, larceny and riot
in the first degree. (3) "Projectile" means any size bullet that when affixed to any cartridge case may be propelled through the bore of a machine gun.
(b) Any person who possesses or uses a machine gun in the perpetration or attempted
perpetration of a crime of violence shall be imprisoned not less than ten years nor more
than twenty years.
(c) Any person who possesses or uses a machine gun for an offensive or aggressive
purpose shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not less than
five years nor more than ten years or be both fined and imprisoned.
(d) The possession or use of a machine gun shall be presumed to be for an offensive
or aggressive purpose: (1) When the machine gun is on premises not owned or rented,
for bona fide permanent residence or business occupancy, by the person in whose possession the machine gun was found; or (2) when in the possession of, or used by, an unnaturalized foreign-born person, or a person who has been convicted of a crime of violence
in any state or federal court of record of the United States of America, its territories or
insular possessions; or (3) when the machine gun is of the kind described in subsection
(g) hereof and has not been registered as therein required; or (4) when empty or loaded
projectiles of any caliber which have been or are susceptible of use in the machine gun
are found in the immediate vicinity thereof.
(e) The presence of a machine gun in any room, boat or vehicle shall be presumptive
evidence of the possession or use of the machine gun by each person occupying such
room, boat or vehicle.
(f) Each manufacturer shall keep a register of all machine guns manufactured or
handled by the manufacturer. Such register shall show the model and serial number,
and the date of manufacture, sale, loan, gift, delivery or receipt, of each machine gun,
the name, address and occupation of the person to whom the machine gun was sold,
loaned, given or delivered, or from whom it was received and the purpose for which it
was acquired by the person to whom the machine gun was sold, loaned, given or delivered. Upon demand, any manufacturer shall permit any marshal or police officer to
inspect such manufacturer's entire stock of machine guns, and parts and supplies therefor, and shall produce the register, herein required, for inspection. Any person who
violates any provision of this subsection shall be fined not more than two thousand
dollars.
(g) Each machine gun in this state adapted to use projectiles of any caliber shall be
registered in the office of the Commissioner of Public Safety within twenty-four hours
after its acquisition and, thereafter, annually, on July first. Blanks for registration shall
be prepared by said commissioner and furnished upon application. To comply with this
subsection, the application as filed shall show the model and serial number of the gun,
the name, address and occupation of the person in possession, and from whom and the
purpose for which the gun was acquired. The registration data shall not be subject to
inspection by the public. Any person who fails to register any gun as required hereby
shall be presumed to possess the same for an offensive or aggressive purpose. The
provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any machine gun which has been registered under the provisions of subsection (f) and which is still in the actual possession
of the manufacturer.
(h) No provision of this section shall apply to: (1) The manufacture of machine guns
for sale or transfer to the United States government, to any state, territory or possession of
the United States or to any political subdivision thereof or to the District of Columbia;
(2) the possession of a machine gun rendered inoperable by welding of all critical functioning parts and possessed as a curiosity, ornament or keepsake; or (3) a machine gun
acquired, transferred or possessed in accordance with the National Firearms Act, as
amended, provided such machine gun shall be subject to the provisions of subsection
(g) of this section.
(1949 Rev., S. 8509; 1963, P.A. 652, S. 10; P.A. 76-336, S. 19; P.A. 77-614, S. 486, 610; P.A. 84-200; P.A. 00-99, S.
118, 154; P.A. 01-195, S. 69, 181.)
History: 1963 act deleted provisions re issuance of search warrant and order for confiscation; P.A. 76-336 redefined
"crime of violence" to delete rape, mayhem, housebreaking, breaking and entering and assault "to do great bodily harm"
and to add sexual assault, sexual assault with a firearm and assault in the first or second degree; P.A. 77-614 replaced
commissioner of state police with commissioner of public safety, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 84-200 replaced numeric
Subsec. indicators with alphabetic indicators, replaced alphabetic Subdiv. indicators with numeric indicators, amended
Subsec. (a) by redefining machine gun, including riot in the first degree as a crime of violence and adding a definition of
"projectile", amended Subsec. (b) by providing a minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, amended Subsec. (c) by
providing a maximum fine of $1,000 and a minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years or both a fine and imprisonment,
amended Subsecs. (d) and (g) by replacing pistol shells or cartridges of 30 or larger caliber with "projectiles of any caliber",
and amended Subsec. (h) by adding Subdivs. (2) and (3) re exceptions for machine guns rendered inoperable by welding
of all critical functioning parts and machine guns acquired, transferred or possessed in accordance with the National
Firearms Act; P.A. 00-99 deleted reference to sheriff in Subsec. (f), effective December 1, 2000; P.A. 01-195 made technical
changes in Subsec. (f), effective July 11, 2001.
See Secs. 29-27 to 29-38, inclusive, re permits for pistols and revolvers.
See Sec. 54-33a et seq. re searches.
Cited. 237 C. 348.
Cited. 9 CA 330. Cited. 17 CA 556. Cited. 25 CA 433. Cited. 44 CA 40.
Subsec. (c):
Cited. 224 C. 163.
Cited. 26 CA 698.