"The definitions : The actual law : As should be plainly obvious , this is an almost total ban on all semi-automatic weapons in the City of Columbus , not just those that have been traditionally considered 'assault weapons ' ( automatic firearms ) . Note definition ( L ) ( 2 ) . Almost every semi-automatic pistol is included in that definition . Whether an all-out ban on guns is good or bad ( or constitutional ) , or an assault-weapons ban is good or bad ( or constitutional ) , it should be obvious to any reader that the Columbus city council is trying to push through an all-out ban on guns by calling this an assault weapons ban ."
"-- -- -- -- At first glance this statute seems to merely track the now-expired federal AW ban , and I would watch out to see if its supporters are selling it as such . It is in reality far more restrictive than the expired federal ban ! I donÂ ’ t know if it is being sold as merely a Â “ common sense state enactment of the old federal ban that expired and no longer protects us , Â ” but if it is , then here is why that argument is fraudulent : The old federal ban was far less restrictive because it defined an AW ( in addition to some firearms deemed automatically an AW ) as having 2 or more of the cosmetic features , while this new statute says it needs only 1 cosmetic feature . That is a significant difference which allows this proposed law to capture many more firearms than the old federal ban . It looks like the old federal ban definitions were used as a template for this new statute , but whoever wrote it decided to change it down to 1 offending cosmetic feature knowing full well it would ban far more firearms . If I were you I would let my legislator know this difference . For comparison , here are the AW definitions from the old federal AW ban : 18 U.S.C . Â§ 921 is a listing of how terms are defined in the firearms offenses portion of the Code , and it defines a federally banned AW as follows : ( 30 ) The term `` semiautomatic assault weapon `` means - ( A ) any of the firearms , or copies or duplicates of the firearms in any caliber , known as - ( i ) Norinco , Mitchell , and Poly Technologies Avtomat Kalashnikovs ( all models ) ; ( ii ) Action Arms Israeli Military Industries UZI and Galil ; ( iii ) Beretta Ar70 ( SC-70 ) ; ( iv ) Colt AR-15 ; ( v ) Fabrique National FN/FAL , FN/LAR , and FNC ; ( vi ) SWD M-10 , M-11 , M-11/9 , and M-12 ; ( vii ) Steyr AUG ; ( viii ) INTRATEC TEC-9 , TEC-DC9 and TEC-22 ; and ( ix ) revolving cylinder shotguns , such as ( or similar to ) the Street Sweeper and Striker 12 ; ( B ) a semiautomatic rifle that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least 2 of - ( i ) a folding or telescoping stock ; ( ii ) a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon ; ( iii ) a bayonet mount ; ( iv ) a flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor ; and ( v ) a grenade launcher ; ( C ) a semiautomatic pistol that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least 2 of - ( i ) an ammunition magazine that attaches to the pistol outside of the pistol grip ; ( ii ) a threaded barrel capable of accepting a barrel extender , flash suppressor , forward handgrip , or silencer ; ( iii ) a shroud that is attached to , or partially or completely encircles , the barrel and that permits the shooter to hold the firearm with the nontrigger hand without being burned ; ( iv ) a manufactured weight of 50 ounces or more when the pistol is unloaded ; and ( v ) a semiautomatic version of an automatic firearm ; and ( D ) a semiautomatic shotgun that has at least 2 of - ( i ) a folding or telescoping stock ; ( ii ) a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon ; ( iii ) a fixed magazine capacity in excess of 5 rounds ; and ( iv ) an ability to accept a detachable magazine . ( 4 ) for any person , other than a licensed importer , licensed manufacturer , licensed dealer , or licensed collector , to transport in interstate or foreign commerce any destructive device , machinegun ( as defined in section 5845 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 ) [ this being the tie-in to the NFA tax ban on machine guns ] Note , by the way , that these definitions still exist in the US Code and have NOT been repealed or have expired . What expired was a portion of another statute , which made it a crime to possess these weapons . For reference , that statute is 18 U.S.C . Â§ 922 [ which lists several acts committed with firearms considered to be crimes . The AW ban added the following language , which has since expired but still exists in the Code ] : ( v ) ( 1 ) It shall be unlawful for a person to manufacture , transfer , or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon . ( 2 ) Paragraph ( 1 ) shall not apply to the possession or transfer of any semiautomatic assault weapon otherwise lawfully possessed under Federal law on the date of the enactment of this subsection . ( 3 ) Paragraph ( 1 ) shall not apply to - ( A ) any of the firearms , or replicas or duplicates of the firearms , specified in Appendix A to this section , as such firearms were manufactured on October 1 , 1993 ; ( B ) any firearm that - ( i ) is manually operated by bolt , pump , lever , or slide action ; ( ii ) has been rendered permanently inoperable ; or ( iii ) is an antique firearm ; ( C ) any semiautomatic rifle that can not accept a detachable magazine that holds more than 5 rounds of ammunition ; or ( D ) any semiautomatic shotgun that can not hold more than 5 rounds of ammunition in a fixed or detachable magazine . The fact that a firearm is not listed in Appendix A shall not be construed to mean that paragraph ( 1 ) applies to such firearm . No firearm exempted by this subsection may be deleted from Appendix A so long as this subsection is in effect . ( 4 ) Paragraph ( 1 ) shall not apply to - ( A ) the manufacture for , transfer to , or possession by the United States or a department or agency of the United States or a State or a department , agency , or political subdivision of a State , or a transfer to or possession by a law enforcement officer employed by such an entity for purposes of law enforcement ( whether on or off duty ) ; ( B ) the transfer to a licensee under title I of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 for purposes of establishing and maintaining an on-site physical protection system and security organization required by Federal law , or possession by an employee or contractor of such licensee on-site for such purposes or off-site for purposes of licensee-authorized training or transportation of nuclear materials ; ( C ) the possession , by an individual who is retired from service with a law enforcement agency and is not otherwise prohibited from receiving a firearm , of a semiautomatic assault weapon transferred to the individual by the agency upon such retirement ; or ( D ) the manufacture , transfer , or possession of a semiautomatic assault weapon by a licensed manufacturer or licensed importer for the purposes of testing or experimentation authorized by the Secretary . ( w ) ( 1 ) Except as provided in paragraph ( 2 ) , it shall be unlawful for a person to transfer or possess a large capacity ammunition feeding device . ( 2 ) Paragraph ( 1 ) shall not apply to the possession or transfer of any large capacity ammunition feeding device otherwise lawfully possessed on or before the date of the enactment of this subsection . ( 3 ) This subsection shall not apply to - ( A ) the manufacture for , transfer to , or possession by the United States or a department or agency of the United States or a State or a department , agency , or political subdivision of a State , or a transfer to or possession by a law enforcement officer employed by such an entity for purposes of law enforcement ( whether on or off duty ) ; ( B ) the transfer to a licensee under title I of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 for purposes of establishing and maintaining an on-site physical protection system and security organization required by Federal law , or possession by an employee or contractor of such licensee on-site for such purposes or off-site for purposes of licensee-authorized training or transportation of nuclear materials ; ( C ) the possession , by an individual who is retired from service with a law enforcement agency and is not otherwise prohibited from receiving ammunition , of a large capacity ammunition feeding device transferred to the individual by the agency upon such retirement ; or ( D ) the manufacture , transfer , or possession of any large capacity ammunition feeding device by a licensed manufacturer or licensed importer for the purposes of testing or experimentation authorized by the Secretary . ( 4 ) If a person charged with violating paragraph ( 1 ) asserts that paragraph ( 1 ) does not apply to such person because of paragraph ( 2 ) or ( 3 ) , the Government shall have the burden of proof to show that such paragraph ( 1 ) applies to such person . The lack of a serial number as described in section 923 ( i ) of this title shall be a presumption that the large capacity ammunition feeding device is not subject to the prohibition of possession in paragraph ( 1 ) ."
"through an all-out ban on guns by calling this an assault weapons ban ."
"possession in paragraph ( 1 ) ."