An Act to require the taking and destruction of dangerous weapons in certain cases, and for other purposes
PL 82-260 (S.493), enacted 02/20/1952

PUBLIC LAW 260-FEB. 20, 1952 
[66 S T A T , 
Appropriation. 
and storage purposes, and for general monument uses in connection 
with the National monuments of the Southwest, the property near 
Globe, Arizona, known as the Gila Pueblo. 
For such acquisition, and 
expenses incidental thereto, there is authorized to be appropriated not 
to exceed $75,000. 
Approved February 12, 1952. 
February 20, 1952 
[S. 493] 
Public Law 260 
CHAPTER 47 
AN ACT 
To require the taking and destruction of dangerous weapons in certain cases, 
and for other purposes. 
Dangerous weap-
ons, D. C. 
47 Stat. 650. 
"Dangerous ar-
ticle." 
Unlawful posses-
sion, etc. 
Discovery by po-
lice officer. 
Claim for posses-
sion. 
Appeal. 
Disposition of 
dangerous article. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That the Act entitled 
"An Act to control the possession, sale, transfer, and use of pistols and 
other dangerous weapons in the District of Columbia, to provide pen-
alties, to prescribe rules of evidence, and for other purposes"', approved 
July 8, 1932 (D. C. Code, 1940 edition, sees. 22-3201 to 22-3216), is 
hereby amended by adding at the end thereof the following new 
section: 
"SEC. 18. (a) As used in this section, the term 'dangerous article' 
means (1) any w^eapon such as a pistol, machine gun, sawed-off shot-
gun, blackjack, slingshot, sandbag, or metal knuckles, or (2) any 
instrument, attachment, or appliance for causing the firing of any fire-
arms to be silent or intended to lessen or muffle the noise of the firing of 
any firearms. 
"(b) A dangerous article unlawfully owned, possessed, or carried is 
hereby declared to be a nuisance. 
" (c) When a police officer, in the course of a lawful arrest or lawful 
search, discovers a dangerous article which he reasonably believes is 
a nuisance under subsection (b) he shall take it into his possession 
and surrender it to the property clerk of the Metropolitan Police 
Department. 
"(d) (1) Within thirty days after the date of such surrender, any 
person may file in the office of the property clerk of the Metropolitan 
Police Department a written claim for possession of such dangerous 
article. Upon the expiration of such period, the property clerk shall 
notify each such claimant, by registered mail addressed to the address 
shown on the claim, of the time and place of a hearing to determine 
which claimant, if any, is entitled to possession of such dangerous 
article. 
Such hearing shall be held within sixty days after the date 
of such surrender. 
"(2) At the hearing the property clerk shall hear and receive evi-
dence with respect to the claims filed under paragraph (1). There-
after he shall determine which claimant, if any, is entitled to possession 
of such dangerous article and shall reduce his decision to writing. 
The 
property clerk shall send a true copy of such written decision to each 
claimant by registered mail addressed to the last known address of 
such claimant. 
"(3) Any claimant may, within thirty days after the day on which 
the copy of such decision was mailed to such claimant, file an appeal 
in the municipal court for the District of Columbia. 
If the claimant 
files an appeal, he shall at the same time give written notice thereof to 
the property clerk. 
If the decision of the property clerk is so appealed, 
the property clerk shall not dispose of the dangerous article while 
such appeal is pending and, if the final judgment is entered by such 
court, he shall dispose of such dangerous article in accordance with the 
66 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 261-FEB. 29, 1952 
judgment of such court. 
The municipal court for the District of 
Columbia is authorized to determine which claimant, if any, is entitled 
to possession of the dangi^rous article and to enter a judgment ordering 
a disposition of such dangerous article consistent with subsection (f). 
"(4) If there is no such appeal, or if such aijpeal is dismissed or 
withdrawn, the property clerk shall dispose of such dangerous article 
in accordance with subsection (f). 
"(5) The property clerk shall make no disposition of a dangerous 
article under this section, whether in accordance with his own decision 
or in accordance with the judgment of the nuuiicipal court for the Dis-
trict of Columbia, until the United States attorney for the District of 
Columbia certifies to him that such dangerous article will not be needed 
as evidence. 
"(e) A person claiming a dangerous article shall be entitled to its 
possession only if (1) he shows on satisfactory evidence that he is the 
owner of the dangerous article or is the accredited representative of the 
owner, and that the ownership is lawful; and (2) he shows on satis-
factory evidence that at the time the dangerous article was taken into 
possession by a police officer it Avas not unlawfully owned and was not 
unlawfully possessed or carried by the claimant or with his knowletlge 
or consent; and (3) the receipt of possession by him will not cause the 
article to be a nuisance. 
A representative is accredited if he has a 
power of attorney from the owner, 
"(f) If a person claiming a dangerous article is entitled to its pos-
session as determined under subsections (d) and (e), possession of 
such dangerous article shall be given to such person. 
If no person so 
claiming is entitled to its possession as determined under subsections 
(d) ancr(e), or if there be no claimant, such dangerous article shall be 
destroyed. 
In lieu of such destruction, any such serviceable dangerous 
article may, upon order of the Commissioners of the District of Colum-
bia, be transferred to and used by any Federal or District Government 
law-enforcing agency, and the agency receiving same shall establish 
property responsibility and records of these dangerous articles. 
"(g) The property clerk shall not be liable in damages for any 
action performed in good faith under this section." 
Approved February 20, 1952. 
Right to posses-
sion. 
Nonliability. 
Public Law 261 
CHAPTER 49 
JOINT RESOLUTION 
Designating September 17 of eacli year as "Citizensliip Day". 
February 29, 1952 
[H.J.Rea. 314] 
Resolved hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the United 
States of Anierica in Congress assembled, That the I7th day of Sep-
tember of each year is hereby designated as "Citizenship Day" in 
commemoration of the formation and signing, on September 17, 1787, 
of the Constitution of the United States and in recognition of all who, 
by coming of age or by naturalization have attained the status of 
citizenship, and the President of the United States is hereby author-
ized to issue annually a proclamation calling upon officials of the 
Government to display the flag of the United States on all Government 
buildings on such day, and inviting the people of the United States to 
observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with 
appropriate ceremonies. 
That the civil and educational authorities of States, counties, cities, 
and towns be, and they are hereby, urged to make plans for the proper 
observance of this day and for the full instruction of citizens in their 
D e s i g n a t i o n of 
"C i t i z e n s h i p 
Day". 
Proclamation. 
Observance.