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Any laws limiting civilian carry of machine guns?

leeland

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2009
Messages
90
Location
Davis County, ,
Doing stress testing on the new LoweWolf clone Glock frames gave me an excuse to exercise my SOT and manufacturing license. The result is I now have a few full-auto Glocks (all fully legal of course). I was wondering if any laws would prevent me from carrying one (I haven't found anything yet).

My first few hundred rounds, left me feeling like it would never be controllable, but after more tinkering and practice, I find that I now get nice fist sized 3rd groups each time I pull the trigger.

The modified 17C would carry well, and I'm thinking the pimped out 17L with a pile of 30rd mags would make a heck of a car defense gun.

PS. I can post a few pics if anyone is interested.
 

JoeSparky

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Joined
Jun 20, 2008
Messages
3,621
Location
Pleasant Grove, Utah, USA
Only laws in Utah that I am aware of is YOU CAN'T LEGALLY CONCEAL IT! Must be Open carried or securely encased!
Be sure to follow all the BATFE regulations related to.....



See my post below.... Did not find statute making concealment of a fully automatic firearm with a concealed carry permit illegal. Did find penalties for concealing a SBR or SBS even with a permit!
 
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leeland

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2009
Messages
90
Location
Davis County, ,
Only laws in Utah that I am aware of is YOU CAN'T LEGALLY CONCEAL IT! Must be Open carried or securely encased!

I'll continue looking, but if you could point me to this law I'd really appreciate it. In any case, If I did ever carry it, it would be open carry with the selector switch set to single shot.
 

JoeSparky

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Joined
Jun 20, 2008
Messages
3,621
Location
Pleasant Grove, Utah, USA
I'll continue looking, but if you could point me to this law I'd really appreciate it. In any case, If I did ever carry it, it would be open carry with the selector switch set to single shot.

I did a search of the Utah State law repository at http://le.utah.gov and only found a definition of a "fully automatic weapon" and a penalty for transferring a fully automatic weapon to a minor, so I have over stated. It would seem to be legal with a concealed carry permit to CONCEAL a fully automatic firearm BUT NOT a SBR or SBS!

http://le.utah.gov/~code/TITLE76/htm/76_10_050904.htm

76-10-509.4. Prohibition of possession of certain weapons by minors.
(1) A minor under 18 years of age may not possess a handgun.
(2) Except as provided by federal law, a minor under 18 years of age may not possess the following:
(a) a sawed-off rifle or sawed-off shotgun; or
(b) a fully automatic weapon.
(3) Any person who violates Subsection (1) is guilty of:
(a) a class B misdemeanor upon the first offense; and
(b) a class A misdemeanor for each subsequent offense.
(4) Any person who violates Subsection (2) is guilty of a third degree felony.

Amended by Chapter 80, 1995 General Session

and

http://le.utah.gov/UtahCode/getCodeSection?code=76-10-509.5

76-10-509.5. Penalties for providing certain weapons to a minor.
(1) Any person who provides a handgun to a minor when the possession of the handgun by the minor is a violation of Section 76-10-509.4 is guilty of:
(a) a class B misdemeanor upon the first offense; and
(b) a class A misdemeanor for each subsequent offense.
(2) Any person who transfers in violation of applicable state or federal law a sawed-off rifle, sawed-off shotgun, or fully automatic weapon to a minor is guilty of a third degree felony.

Amended by Chapter 94, 1994 General Session


Here is what I found related to concealment of short barrelled rifles or short barrelled shotguns, NOT FULLY AUTOMATIC FIREARMS . See (3) below.

http://le.utah.gov/~code/TITLE76/htm/76_10_050400.htm

76-10-504. Carrying concealed dangerous weapon -- Penalties.
(1) Except as provided in Section 76-10-503 and in Subsections (2), (3), and (4), a person who carries a concealed dangerous weapon, as defined in Section 76-10-501, including an unloaded firearm on his or her person or one that is readily accessible for immediate use which is not securely encased, as defined in this part, in or on a place other than the person's residence, property, a vehicle in the person's lawful possession, or a vehicle, with the consent of the individual who is lawfully in possession of the vehicle, or business under the person's control is guilty of a class B misdemeanor.
(2) A person who carries a concealed dangerous weapon which is a loaded firearm in violation of Subsection (1) is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
(3) A person who carries concealed a sawed-off shotgun or a sawed-off rifle is guilty of a second degree felony.
(4) If the concealed firearm is used in the commission of a violent felony as defined in Section 76-3-203.5, and the person is a party to the offense, the person is guilty of a second degree felony.
(5) Nothing in Subsection (1) or (2) shall prohibit a person engaged in the lawful taking of protected or unprotected wildlife as defined in Title 23, Wildlife Resources Code of Utah, from carrying a concealed weapon or a concealed firearm with a barrel length of four inches or greater as long as the taking of wildlife does not occur:
(a) within the limits of a municipality in violation of that municipality's ordinances; or
(b) upon the highways of the state as defined in Section 41-6a-102.

Amended by Chapter 362, 2009 General Session
 

leeland

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2009
Messages
90
Location
Davis County, ,
6 to the body and 3 to the head...

I can just imagine the prosecuting attorney's words now:
Not only did he hide his evil black pistol loaded with cop killer bullets, but it was fully automatic weapon like our military uses to dispatch the enemy quickly and totally. :uhoh:

Honestly, this exact sort of scenario has played out in my mind as well. Although I'm having a lot of fun with them, I think it is unlikely I will ever carry them for defensive purposes. My initial concern was the fear of having stray rounds go places I didn't intend (the first full mag dump resulted in a couple rounds hitting the ceiling baffles -- indoor range). Now that it is under control, my fear is that the cycle rate is just too high (my minimum shot burst when set to auto is 3 rounds). My goal should I ever have to use a weapon defensively would be to STOP the attacker not KILL them. If one round is enough, then I sure don't want to be putting three in them. Heaven forbid I blank out and run the oft practiced failure to stop drill on the poor bugger (Prosecutor: "6 to the body and 3 to the head?!")

Also, years of practicing trapping the trigger to the rear is a hard habit to break. At 22rds/sec cycle rate, even the 33rd sticks go empty fast when you momentarily "forget" to release the trigger.


Prosecutor: "Now tell the jury again why you put 33rds in the poor victim?" Ummmmm... trapping the trigger. :(

Defense: "Tell the jury why you ONLY put 33rds in the crackhead home invader threatening to kill your wife?" I forgot to grab a second mag. :)
 
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