2013 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 53 - Crimes
Chapter 943 - Offenses Against Public Peace and Safety
Section 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 (1) possesses or uses a machine gun for an offensive or aggressive purpose, or (2) notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (3) of subsection (h) of this section, transfers, sells or gives a machine gun to a person under sixteen years of age, including the temporary transfer of a machine gun to such person for use in target shooting or on a firing or shooting range or for any other 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 Emergency Services and Public Protection 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; P.A. 09-62, S. 1; P.A. 11-51, S. 134.)

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; P.A. 09-62 amended Subsec. (c) to designate existing provision prohibiting a person from possessing or using a machine gun for offensive or aggressive purpose as Subdiv. (1) and add Subdiv. (2) prohibiting a person from transferring, selling or giving a machine gun to person under 16 years of age; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, “Commissioner of Public Safety” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection” in Subsec. (g), effective July 1, 2011.

See Secs. 29-27 to 29-38, inclusive, re permits for pistols and revolvers.

See Sec. 54-33a et seq. re searches.

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.