Texas-Book-Gun Law Armed And Educated - Flipbook - Page 80
Note that due to this phrasing, possession of the NFA item itself is
no longer inherently a crime; possessing the item without it being
registered, however, is still a crime. This means a law enforcement
official would need reasonable suspicion that you did not register
the item to inquire about your registration status; as opposed to
previously when you could theoretically be arrested and have to show
up in court with your tax stamp proving registration. Functionally,
however, it is always a good idea to carry around your proof of NFA
compliance any time you are in possession of your weapon.
There are also zip guns (a term which includes any device which
was not originally a firearm, but is adapted to become and act like
one) which are illegal without exception. Zip guns are absolutely
prohibited. See Tex. Penal Code § 46.05.
This section of the Penal Code also makes illegal other weapons such
as chemical dispensing devices and armor-piercing ammunition.
Under federal law, the same firearms that are prohibited weapons
under state law without registration are regulated by the National
Firearms Act. These firearms include:
• Short-barreled shotguns;
• Short-barreled rifles;
• Machine guns;
• Firearm silencers or suppressors;
•Weapons or devices capable of being concealed on the person
from which a shot can be fired;
•Pistols or revolvers having a smooth bore (as opposed to rifled
bore) barrel designed to fire a fixed shotgun shell;
• Pistols or revolvers with a vertical handgrip;
Legal Definitions And Classifications Of Firearms: What Is Legal? | 69
