2018 Rhode Island General Laws
Title 11 - Criminal Offenses
Chapter 11-47 Weapons
Section 11-47-2 Definitions.

§ 11-47-2. Definitions.

When used in this chapter, the following words and phrases are construed as follows:

(1) "Antique firearm" is defined as that term is defined under the provisions of 18 U.S.C. § 921.

(2) "Binary trigger" means a device that replaces a standard trigger on a semi-automatic weapon and is designed to fire one round on the pull of the trigger and another round upon release of the trigger.

(3) "Bump-fire stock" means any device that replaces a semi-automatic weapon's standard stock and is designed to slide back and forth rapidly, harnessing the weapon's recoil to rapidly fire the weapon.

(4) "Crime of violence" means and includes any of the following crimes or an attempt to commit any of them: murder, manslaughter, rape, first- or second-degree sexual assault, first- or second-degree child molestation, kidnapping, first- and second-degree arson, mayhem, robbery, burglary, breaking and entering, any felony violation involving the illegal manufacture, sale, or delivery of a controlled substance, or possession with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver a controlled substance classified in schedule I or schedule II of § 21-28-2.08, any violation of § 21-28-4.01.1 or § 21-28-4.01.2 or conspiracy to commit any violation of these statutes, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault or battery involving grave bodily injury, or assault with intent to commit any offense punishable as a felony; upon any conviction of an offense punishable as a felony offense under § 12-29-5.

(5) "Firearm" includes any machine gun, pistol, rifle, air rifle, air pistol, "blank gun", "BB gun", or other instrument from which steel or metal projectiles are propelled, or that may readily be converted to expel a projectile, except crossbows, recurve, compound, or longbows, and except instruments propelling projectiles that are designed or normally used for a primary purpose other than as a weapon. The frame or receiver of the weapon shall be construed as a firearm under the provisions of this section.

(6) "Fugitive from justice" means any person who has fled from any state, territory, the District of Columbia, or possession of the United States to avoid prosecution for a crime of violence or to avoid giving testimony in any criminal proceeding.

(7) "Licensing authorities" means the board of police commissioners of a city or town where the board has been instituted, the chief of police or superintendent of police of other cities and towns having a regular organized police force, and, in towns where there is no chief of police or superintendent of police, it means the town clerk who may issue licenses upon the recommendation of the town sergeant, and it also means any other person or body duly authorized by the city or town charter or by state law.

(8) "Machine gun" means any weapon that shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger. The term also includes the frame or receiver of the weapon, any combination of parts designed and intended for use in converting a weapon into a machine gun, and any combination of parts from which a machine gun can be assembled if the parts are in the possession or under the control of a person.

(9) "Person" includes an individual, partnership, firm, association, or corporation.

(10) "Pistol" includes any pistol or revolver, and any shotgun, rifle, or similar weapon with overall length less than twenty-six inches (26"), but does not include any pistol or revolver designed for the use of blank cartridges only.

(11) "Sawed-off rifle" means any rifle with overall length of less than twenty-six inches (26") or barrel length of less than sixteen inches (16").

(12) "Sawed-off shotgun" means any shotgun with overall length of less than twenty-six inches (26") or barrel length of less than eighteen inches (18").

(13) "Sell" includes let or hire, give, lend, and transfer, and "purchase" includes hire, accept, and borrow, and "purchasing" shall be construed accordingly.

(14) "Trigger crank" means a trigger actuator that attaches to the trigger of a semi-automatic weapon and causes the weapon to fire by turning the crank handle.

History of Section.
(P.L. 1927, ch. 1052, § 1; G.L. 1938, ch. 404, § 1; P.L. 1950, ch. 2452, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 11-47-2; P.L. 1959, ch. 75, § 1; P.L. 1974, ch. 184, § 1; P.L. 1975, ch. 278, § 1; P.L. 1988, ch. 660, § 1; P.L. 1989, ch. 542, § 7; P.L. 1991, ch. 333, § 1; P.L. 1995, ch. 153, § 1; P.L. 1996, ch. 275, § 1; P.L. 2012, ch. 213, § 1; P.L. 2012, ch. 232, § 1; P.L. 2018, ch. 5, § 1; P.L. 2018, ch. 8, § 1.)