Ohio Dangerous Ordnance licence (31 round law)

[Willie Lowman]

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/2923.18

Has anyone applied for this licence to posses dangerous ordnance? A centerfire firearm with a capacity of more than 31 rounds is considered dangerous ordinance.

Is there a form that the sheriff would have for this?

 

[Fisher]

A centerfire firearm with a capacity of more than 31 rounds is considered dangerous ordinance.

If you're asking if you need this permit to own a gun with a magazine that holds 31 or more rounds. I didn't see that in the link you supplied.

If you are looking to order explosives and need the permit. Then I think the local sheriff is a good place to start.

Jim

 

[Willie Lowman]

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/2923.11

(E) "Automatic firearm" means any firearm designed or specially adapted to fire a succession of cartridges with a single function of the trigger. "Automatic firearm" also means any semi-automatic firearm designed or specially adapted to fire more than thirty-one cartridges without reloading, other than a firearm chambering only .22 caliber short, long, or long-rifle cartridges.

(K) "Dangerous ordnance" means any of the following, except as provided in division (L) of this section:

(1) Any automatic or sawed-off firearm, zip-gun, or ballistic knife;

(2) Any explosive device or incendiary device;



So firearms with a capacity over 31 rounds and exploding targets (Tannerite) are dangerous ordnance.

 

[Fisher]

Willie since that was a different link I didn't see the additional information.

(A) Upon application to the sheriff of the county or safety director or police chief of the municipality where the applicant resides or has his principal place of business

I think the information above points you in the right direction. I believe they sell the exploding targets (Tannerite) at most sporting goods stores. To me that is interesting and makes me ask the question. Why isn't the stores asking to see the permit or at least making the buyer aware of the required permit.

Jim

 

[amd6547]

You can own all the 31-plus mags you want...you break the law if you load them and put them in the firearm.
There is a bill in the legislature right now to eliminate this.

 

[Armorer-at-Law]

As they taught us in law school, read on . . .

(L) "Dangerous ordnance" does not include any of the following:

(1) Any firearm, including a military weapon and the ammunition for that weapon, and regardless of its actual age, that employs a percussion cap or other obsolete ignition system, or that is designed and safe for use only with black powder;

(2) Any pistol, rifle, or shotgun, designed or suitable for sporting purposes, including a military weapon as issued or as modified, and the ammunition for that weapon, unless the firearm is an automatic or sawed-off firearm;

(3) Any cannon or other artillery piece that, regardless of its actual age, is of a type in accepted use prior to 1887, has no mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, or other system for absorbing recoil and returning the tube into battery without displacing the carriage, and is designed and safe for use only with black powder;

(4) Black powder, priming quills, and percussion caps possessed and lawfully used to fire a cannon of a type defined in division (L)(3) of this section during displays, celebrations, organized matches or shoots, and target practice, and smokeless and black powder, primers, and percussion caps possessed and lawfully used as a propellant or ignition device in small-arms or small-arms ammunition;

(5) Dangerous ordnance that is inoperable or inert and cannot readily be rendered operable or activated, and that is kept as a trophy, souvenir, curio, or museum piece.

(6) Any device that is expressly excepted from the definition of a destructive device pursuant to the "Gun Control Act of 1968," 82 Stat. 1213, 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(4), as amended, and regulations issued under that act.

 

[Willie Lowman]

That's great except

Any pistol, rifle, or shotgun, designed or suitable for sporting purposes, including a military weapon as issued or as modified, and the ammunition for that weapon, unless the firearm is an automatic or sawed-off firearm;

Does no good when

"Automatic firearm" also means any semi-automatic firearm designed or specially adapted to fire more than thirty-one cartridges without reloading

 

[johnwilliamson062]

Yes you do need a license. Your local Sheriff is who you get it from. He probably does not have any on hand. It is actually an Ohio Fire Marshall form. $50/ 5 years in most cases. You also need them for ANY belt fed gun. OFCC has some good info on it in their forums. I can get you some more info if you are serious. I have pretty much all of it saved somewhere. I might even have ascan of the form, although it is a triplicate carbon copy deal so you probably can't use the scanned image. Might convince the Sheriff it is a real thing though.
It is may issue and you can not get it from an adjacent county like CCW, so if your sheriff won't sign you are SOL with no relief.

You can't load the mags even if they are not inserted into the gun, even one round, and you can not insert the empty mags into the gun. Once you do the gun is henceforth "dangerous ordinance," technically.

 

[dajowi]

I must be out of the loop. What is a ballistic knife?

 

[44 AMP]

A "ballistic knife" (there are varying legal definitions) is basically a knife that "shoots" the blade.

A couple of decades back (ok, maybe longer, my memory on this is a bit fuzzy), the Soviets introduced a special "knife". It had a powerful spring in the handle and could shoot the blade (like a spear gun).

I'm pretty sure the concept has been around a while, the only one I ever actually know was a real thing was the Soviet one. Some of these knives, fully functional, were sold in the US after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Pretty quickly they were classified as "ballistic knives" and regulated, the only legal way to get one nowdays (as far as I know) is in kit form. If you assemble it into a "shooting knife", you are most likely breaking the law.

Some places may allow them as "shooters", with permits, check your local laws CAREFULLY before you posess one. Even in unassembled kit form.

 

[shortwave]

Thanks for the informative thread Willie Lowman.

Was not aware of this ordinance.

 

[Armorer-at-Law]

This is the stupidest thing in Ohio's gun laws and needs to be fixed.

 

[johnwilliamson062]

I believe ballistic knife also includes spring loaded OTF automatic knives. Some can defeat body armor(I have heard).
I have attached a copy of the form, BSSA-1. It says printed 2001 and this is a copy of one I received about a year ago so I am guessing they don't use it much. BSSA stands for Buckeye State Sheriffs Association, the Sheriff lobby/union or something. They are the one that must be contacted for the form, but it must be sent to state fire marshall by Sheriff. It is approximately 5"X8". How do you fill out the form? No one really seems to know. Some have permitted their magazines, other their guns, someone claimed they had to permit the gun and each magazine separately. Another had multiple items on one permit. My Sheriff agreed to "Glock Style Magazines" when I spoke with him. I wanted to use in multiple firearms and possibly multiple calibers. It seems that as long as the Sheriff signs it you are OK no matter what it says. Someone didn't have to pay for it. I tried look up the thread on OFCC that had all the details, but I wasn't able to find it. May be on BFA I will look some more and post it if I find it.

There was a bill introduced this session to change Ohio's definition of an automatic weapon to match the federal definition. I am not sure how it has fared. Not many people are supportive(money, phone calls, letters, etc). I held off getting a license until I see how that ends up.

 

[johnwilliamson062]

Not the thread I was looking for, but some information. At the end of the day you just have to ask your Sheriff anyways. Whatever he says is pretty much how it works. Since people started to figure out you can put a trigger crank on belt fed semi-auto MG conversions and get a lot of firepower off a tripod the license has become more common in Ohio. Ohio Rapid fire marketed 1919A4 conversions a bit before they went under and that increased prevalence also.

 

[Willie Lowman]

Thank you for this information, johnwilliamson062.

I will be calling my Sheriff on monday when he is in his office. If I get a chance to meet with him I will be asking for such a licence. I don't think it will be much of a problem, he has signed for a transferable machine gun form 4 for me. It's just an odd licence, it seems like most haven't heard of it.

 

[Willie Lowman]

HB 191 was introduced in June to do away with the 31 round limit.

http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/8965

I don't know what the status of this bill is now. Haven't spent the time to search it more.

 

[johnwilliamson062]

I looked it up on several forums and sponsor testimony went well, but no progress described after. Nothing ever happens on these until the last few days when lobbyist start to make threats.

 

[Willie Lowman]

Update

I called my Sheriff's Office yesterday and spoke with the Captain. Had to explain what it was I was after by citing the exact sections of the Ohio Revised Code this is laid out in. Once I had explained what I wanted they knew what form I needed.

I went in today and got my Dangerous Ordnance licence. Wasn't any trouble, just took some time.

 

[Garycw]

So do I understand that the bill has passed or still pending.? Last time I was in buds retail store they informed me I could not buy anything with over 31 round mag because I had Ohio drivers license.

 

[Willie Lowman]

The bill (HB 191) is pending. I went ahead and got my D.O. licence because it was driving me nuts to only load 31 rounds in a belt fed gun.