WA HB 1240 (Assault Weapons Ban)

[Catshooter]

Did not see this shit coming when I moved away in '08.

Damn glad I did now.

[idahojess]

Meanwhile, let's get rid of sentencing enhancements for selling drugs in school zones, using firearms in crimes, involving minors in gang crime and other destructive, victimizing behavior.

Washington will soon be a much safer place.


https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?B...itiative=false

[Lester Polfus]

Here's what I'm trying to figure out. Currently assault rifle is defined as:

Semiautomatic assault rifle" means any rifle which utilizes a portion of the energy of a firing cartridge to extract the fired cartridge case and chamber the next round, and which requires a separate pull of the trigger to fire each cartridge.

The new bill bans a bunch of guns by name, but also provides this definition

(iv) A semiautomatic, center fire rifle that has the capacity to 5 accept a detachable magazine and has one or more of the following:
6 (A) A grip that is independent or detached from the stock that 7 protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon. The 8 addition of a fin attaching the grip to the stock does not exempt the 9 grip if it otherwise resembles the grip found on a pistol;10 (B) Thumbhole stock;11 (C) Folding or telescoping stock;12 (D) Forward pistol, vertical, angled, or other grip designed for 13 use by the nonfiring hand to improve control;14 (E) Flash suppressor, flash guard, flash eliminator, flash hider, 15 sound suppressor, silencer, or any item designed to reduce the visual 16 or audio signature of the firearm;17 (F) Muzzle brake, recoil compensator, or any item designed to be 18 affixed to the barrel to reduce recoil or muzzle rise;19 (G) Threaded barrel designed to attach a flash suppressor, sound 20 suppressor, muzzle break, or similar item;21 (H) Grenade launcher or flare launcher; or22 (I) A shroud that encircles either all or part of the barrel 23 designed to shield the bearer's hand from heat, except a solid 24 forearm of a stock that covers only the bottom of the barrel;25 (v) A semiautomatic, center fire rifle that has a fixed magazine 26 with the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds;

I'm not sure if the new definition supersedes the old one, or if it is in addition to.

[idahojess]

Here's what I'm trying to figure out. Currently assault rifle is defined as:

Semiautomatic assault rifle" means any rifle which utilizes a portion of the energy of a firing cartridge to extract the fired cartridge case and chamber the next round, and which requires a separate pull of the trigger to fire each cartridge.

The new bill bans a bunch of guns by name, but also provides this definition

(iv) A semiautomatic, center fire rifle that has the capacity to 5 accept a detachable magazine and has one or more of the following:
6 (A) A grip that is independent or detached from the stock that 7 protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon. The 8 addition of a fin attaching the grip to the stock does not exempt the 9 grip if it otherwise resembles the grip found on a pistol;10 (B) Thumbhole stock;11 (C) Folding or telescoping stock;12 (D) Forward pistol, vertical, angled, or other grip designed for 13 use by the nonfiring hand to improve control;14 (E) Flash suppressor, flash guard, flash eliminator, flash hider, 15 sound suppressor, silencer, or any item designed to reduce the visual 16 or audio signature of the firearm;17 (F) Muzzle brake, recoil compensator, or any item designed to be 18 affixed to the barrel to reduce recoil or muzzle rise;19 (G) Threaded barrel designed to attach a flash suppressor, sound 20 suppressor, muzzle break, or similar item;21 (H) Grenade launcher or flare launcher; or22 (I) A shroud that encircles either all or part of the barrel 23 designed to shield the bearer's hand from heat, except a solid 24 forearm of a stock that covers only the bottom of the barrel;25 (v) A semiautomatic, center fire rifle that has a fixed magazine 26 with the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds;

I'm not sure if the new definition supersedes the old one, or if it is in addition to.

My reading of it that it is in addition to. If you download the bill, you can see that the old definition was "(38)(a) "Semiautomatic assault rifle" means any rifle which utilizes a portion of the energy of a firing cartridge to extract the fired cartridge case and chamber the next round, and which requires a separate pull of the trigger to fire each cartridge."

That's still there, but renumbered. The new definition is up higher, under 2(a): "Assault weapon." which then has a list of enumerated firearms, plus other guns such as semiauto shotguns with pistol grips, semiauto pistols with threaded barrels, etc.

So I think we can still buy "semiautomatic assault rifles" that don't fit into the definition of "assault weapons" in 2(a). Maybe 10-22s (as long as over 30 inches)?

It does look like my 10 year-old M&P 22 pistol with a threaded barrel fits into the definition of assault weapon. Which of course, makes sense.

[Borderland]

The first definition (I-1639) was intended for the purchase of semi-auto rifles, which was legal with certain restrictions.

ANY RIFLE WHICH UTILIZES A PORTION OF THE ENERGY OF A FIRING CARTRIDGE TO EXTRACT THE FIRED CARTRIDGE CASE AND CHAMBER THE NEXT ROUND, AND WHICH REQUIRES A SEPARATE PULL OF THE TRIGGER TO FIRE EACH CARTRIDGE. "SEMIAUTOMATIC ASSAULT RIFLE" DOES NOT INCLUDE ANTIQUE FIREARMS, ANY FIREARM THAT HAS BEEN MADE PERMANENTLY INOPERABLE, OR ANY FIREARM THAT IS MANUALLY OPERATED BY BOLT, PUMP, LEVER, OR SLIDE ACTION.

The latest definition in 1240 addresses certain firearms, that are not to be sold or transferred in WA.

(2)(a) "Assault weapon" means: (i) Any of the following specific firearms regardless of which company produced and manufactured the firearm:

They are clearly defining certain firearms and features.

One law addresses rifles and the latest addresses firearms.

At least that's my interpretation.

A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. WC

Dealers are going to have to get legal advice on this to figure out what they can sell, which won't be much of anything.

[whomever]

My guess is that Borderland has it. So in practical terms, you can still buy the Ruger PC carbine that doesn't have a threaded barrel - but you still have to take the safety class etc for 'semiautomatic assault rifles'. But you can't buy one with a threaded barrel, because the threaded barrel makes it an 'assault weapon'.

I think you can buy a threaded barrel 10/22: it is a 'semiautomatic assault rifle', but it isn't an 'assault weapon' because it is not centerfire.

I also don't think you can buy semiauto centerfires with fixed mags > 10 rounds, regardless of features. But I don't think there are any of those :-).


But yes, clear as mud. I may well be wrong.

[Navin Johnson]

Shotgun 7 rounds

I think a semi hunting rifle (like BAR) ok as long as 30”. However not sure one could put a can on it if it cannot have threaded barrel?

They had people who knew a lot about guns involved in this thought as they have covered a LOT of stuff.

Thank you all the femy men and hairy women of Seattle

[idahojess]

I like Jason Rantz's take:

https://mynorthwest.com/3872332/rant...sault-weapons/

[Paul Blackburn]

They will never quit.

The 2A is exactly why AOC is going after Clarence Thomas.

Within a couple more generations the US will be disarmed.

Perhaps not even that long...

[idahojess]

This is interesting. It's not clear to me whether the House is not agreeable to the Senate committee amendment that allows people who have "assault weapons" to leave the state and come back with the same ones, or if they don't like the Senate floor amendment that allows folks in the military to bring them. Or both. Or gun owners in general.



https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?B...alse&Year=2023