5380

VETOES

Article 27 - Crimes and Punishments

481C.

(a) (1) In this section, the following words have the
meanings indicated.

(2)  "Rifle" means a weapon designed or
redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from
the shoulder and designed or redesigned and made or remade
to use the energy of the explosive in a fixed metallic
cartridge to fire only a single projectile through a rifled
bore for each single pull of the trigger.

(3)  "Short-barreled shotgun" means a shotgun
having one or more barrels less than 18 inches in length and
any weapon made from a shotgun (whether by alteration,
modification, or otherwise) if such weapon as modified has
an overall length of less than 26 inches.

(4)  "Short-barreled rifle" means a rifle having
one or more barrels less than 16 inches in length and any
weapon made from a rifle (whether by alteration,
modification, or otherwise) if such weapon, as modified, has
an overall length of less than 26 inches.

(5)  "Shotgun" means a weapon designed or
redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from
the shoulder and designed or redesigned and made or remade
to use the energy of the explosive in a fixed shotgun shell
to fire through a smooth bore either a number of ball shot
or a single projectile for each single pull of the trigger.

(6)  The terms short-barreled shotgun and
short-barreled rifle do not include:

(i) Antique firearms as defined in § 36F
(a) (1) of this article;

(ii) Any device which is neither designed
nor redesigned for use as a weapon, which is redesigned for
use as a signaling, pyrotechnic, line throwing, safety, or
similar device; or

(iii) Any firearm which is incapable of
discharging a shot by means of an explosive and incapable of
being readily restored to a firing condition.

(b) A EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (C), A person
may not possess a short-barreled rifle or short-barreled
shotgun [unless the person has registered it with United
States government in accordance with the United States

statutes].