Crazy rules in Washington?

[Ken Cross]

I find it interesting that there is a new proposed law in Washington State that defines flare launchers as assault weapons. It requires annual licensing, classes every 3 years, and storage in a locked box.
SB 5444 - 2017-18 and House Bill 1387. See page 5 line 39.

No matter how you feel about assault weapons I think we call can agree that flare launchers aren't it. I wrote my representative.

Ken

 

[dlochner]

Wasn't sure if you were using "rules" as a noun or verb and whether it was the state or the district. In either case, the posting title was appropriate.

They probably got classified as a weapon because the flare guns take a 12 gauge shot gun shell. Of course if you fired a shotgun shell in a flare gun you will probably end up with self-inflicted wounds from the gun blowing up.

A flare launched at close range towards an intruder on your boat might well be a deterrent. Some cruisers who do not carry traditional guns do keep flare guns handy for just that purpose.

 

[justsomeguy]

"Assault weapon is a term used in the United States to define some types of firearms. The definition varies among regulating jurisdictions, but usually includes semi-automatic firearms with a detachable magazine and a pistol grip, and sometimes other features such as a flash suppressor or barrel shroud."

I think maybe it's a money-grab.

Idiot legislators can't even spell muzzle "brake", for Pete's sake.

http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2017-18/Pdf/Bills/House Bills/1387.pdf

Damn I miss the war room!

 

[Michael Davis]

Emergency equipment in a locked box!!!! Oh where did I put that key???? Here you have to jump through hoops to have a short gun but you have to have one of those. Are all politicians crazy?

 

[dlochner]

Are all politicians crazy?

Not all are crazy, just a few key players.

This is what happens when knee jerk laws are introduced, the consequences, both intended and unintended, are completely thought through. Both sides of the aisle are equally guilty.

If you keep the key in the lock of the lock box, you'll always know where it is.

 

[Rick D]

Write Boat US to see if they can do some negotiation.

 

[jssailem]

If you keep the key in the lock of the lock box, you'll always know where it is.

I never did that, but I did have an issue when the battery was low and the electronic code failed to open the box where the emergency key was kept....

Ken's post just supports the rational for calling this the Left Coast.

Damn I miss the war room!

I never participated in the War Room, but I'm sure it was a sporty place.

 

[Ron20324]

Then there are the metal barrel liners that lets you shoot .410. /// "Flash suppressors? Isn't that the whole idea of a flare gun? ...or maybe they are not supposed to "flash" until at a certain altitude. I flash a lot better when I'm high. /// Be advised if this passes, there will be another 5 dollars a year added to your boats registration fees. /// And you saw what happened to the bad boat near the end of "Captain Ron"? /// Next they will want to limit flare gun magazines to three rounds.

 

[Kings Gambit]

Possibly, somebody in WA state government just got around to watching the movie Dead Calm, and figured that flares in the hands of terrorists, or perhaps school children, could be used as dangerous weapons, etc., so decided to regulate them out of existence.

 

[Charles Erwin]

Ken et al

Please read the text again. The passage in question says the item must have three characteristics. The restricted device must be (1) a semiautomatic rifle, (2) that has the capacity to accept a detachable magazine,and (if flares are involved) (3) that has a grenade launcher or flare launcher.

So unless your flare gun matches all three characteristics, it is not an assault weapon.

By the way - my flare gun does not look anything like that.

Charles

 

[My Mistress]

Y'all need to come sailing in Texas. We ain't got that kind of stupid (yet).

 

[kloudie1]

Ohhhh Come on guys.. All you rich yacht owners.. just trying to make waves ! (we always tried to make Waves when I was in the Navy!)
Shows what ya get when you elect folks who've never been out of a city and, heaven forbid, outside for any length of time.. No clue do these folks have.. I'd think there might be something in the Coastie regs that require the flare to be accessible quickly..?
EDIT: I read the text and agree with Charles.. your flare launcher would have to be part of a rifle to qualify under this rule.

 

[Gunni]

What we have here is a classic case of Cabin Fever. Hang in there boys, the Spring Equinox is 30 days out and soon we'll be sweating in the sun with barely a care!

 

[Ken Cross]

Ken et al

Please read the text again. The passage in question says the item must have three characteristics. The restricted device must be (1) a semiautomatic rifle, (2) that has the capacity to accept a detachable magazine,and (if flares are involved) (3) that has a grenade launcher or flare launcher.

So unless your flare gun matches all three characteristics, it is not an assault weapon.

By the way - my flare gun does not look anything like that.

Charles

Page 5 line 39 "V1 A grenade launcher or flare launcher"

That's under the heading " on line 27 "Assault weapon means: "
As I said, I wrote my representative.
Ken

 

[Charles Erwin]

(27) "Assault weapon" means: (a) A semiautomatic rifle that has the capacity to accept a detachable magazine and has one or more of the following: (i) . . . (vi) A grenade launcher or flare launcher;" These items are written in the conjunctive (means and) not as you read it in the disjunctive (to mean or)

Notice that only one of those six other features is "a grenade launcher or flare launcher." This means the device must have all three characteristics - only one of which is that it has a flare launcher.

The legal calculus is as follows: Is your flare gun a semiautomatic rifle? - No it is a pistol. Does it have a detachable magazine? No it is a single shot. Does it have a (separate) flare launcher? No it is itself a flare launcher. Your flare gun meets -0- of the three indispensable tests and so is not an assault weapon. And even if it met the last test that is only one out of three so your flare gun is still not an assault weapon.

Charles

 

[rgranger]

If you keep the key in the lock of the lock box, you'll always know where it is.

Quote of the day....

 

[dlochner]

Ken,

It is important to read the out line and the paragraph numbers.

In plain English, an assault rifle is a semiautomatic rifle that can accept a detachable magazine and has one of a number of characteristics including a grenade or flare launcher.

In order for one of our plastic flare guns to be classified under Assault Weapons, it must have a detachable magazine. Mine does not have a detachable magazine nor have I ever seen one that does have a detachable magazine. They are all single shot guns.

Further down the law, under paragraph 27(g):
"Assault weapon" does not include antique firearms, any firearm that has been made permanently inoperable, or any firearm that is manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action.
Again, every flare gun that I have seen is manually operated and thus excluded from the assault rife category.

Contributing to the confusion is that the draft document is not formatted well. The subparagraphs should be indented to clearly set them apart from the rest of the document. It would be easier to read and understand if it was formatted thusly (some copy edited for brevity):

27) "Assault Rifle" means

(a) A semiautomatic rifle that has a detachable magazine and one of these characteristics:

(i) A pistol grip
(ii) A thumbhole stock
(iii) A folding or telescoping stock
(iv) and so forth......
​

Easy to get confused.

 

[Ken Cross]

Okay, I didn't read it that way. Perhaps if it were properly formatted as you suggested, that may be true.
As it's written I would have only attributed the items as one of the 3 found in (a on line 28) and the attributes below as seperate definitions.

At any rate, I'd hate to be the test case with a felony hanging on me waiting for the courts to sort it out.
Ken

 

[rgranger]

This thread got me thinking....

... and I found this youtube where someone shot a 12ga shotgun shell in an Orion flare gun.

 

[Calif. Ted]

I think if I take the bayonet off my SKS and put it on the flare pistol the rifle is no longer an assault weapon but the flare pistol is ???