Banned Weapons: What Not To Buy, Own or Shoot

In search of criminal lawyers? Columbus, Ohio, attorneys Yavitch & Palmer are ready to help

If you’re a weapons enthusiast, you picked a great place to live. Ohio is one of the most liberal states when it comes to gun laws. In fact, just recently, the Ohio Senate passed a bill that allows Ohioans to use noise suppressors on their weapons for hunting purposes.

However, it’s important to remember that when you’re given an inch, you can still get in trouble for taking a mile. Despite Ohio’s liberal gun laws, they are still certain weapons and items that are illegal.

Here is a list of items that you should avoid purchasing and using in the state of Ohio:

Automatic firearms

‘Automatic’ refers to the firing rate of a given weapon. For instance, most handguns and pistols are semi-automatic, meaning that every bullet you’d like to fire requires one trigger pull. Automatic weapons only require the trigger to be pulled and held in position to expend every round in the magazine.

Ohio law permits the recreational use of fully automatic weapons. But it’s far more complicated than walking into a gun store with an ID and a credit card. At a minimum, it’s a process that requires a separate legal entity and specific permission from certain law enforcement figures.

Sawed-off firearms

It is not necessarily illegal to modify weapons by sawing off the stock or barrel, thus artificially shortening their length. But there are specific guidelines that dictate the length of a gun’s barrel and the overall length of the firearm. This is to prevent people from making traditionally large weapons such as shotguns and rifles easier to conceal in public locations.

Ballistic knives

A ballistic knife is a type of spring loaded blade that can be fired over a distance at the flick of a switch. Knives such as this can be standalone weapons or attachments to other weapons, like a bayonet. Regardless, these sorts of blades are banned in Ohio. If you’re not sure if a knife you own or are interested in is legal in this state, you should brush up on Ohio’s knife laws.

Explosives, including plastic explosives, bombs, and dynamite

Even most fireworks are still illegal in Ohio, so it should come as no surprise that explosives of this nature are banned.

Military weapons and ammunition, including rocket launchers, mortars, mines or grenades

You’d think this would be a no-brainer, but gun and weapon enthusiasts are always looking for ways to get around the red tape and add a rare item to their collection. However, it’s best to avoid circumnavigating the law unless you want to be charged with criminal weapon possession.

Ammunition banned by the ATF

Ohio is also very liberal with its ammunition laws. In fact, pretty much any ammo that’s legal in the US is legal in Ohio. However, if a type of ammunition is banned by The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, it’s illegal in Ohio.

If you’re facing weapon possession charges, contact Yavitch & Palmer

Because Ohio has such encompassing gun laws, there can be some gray areas when it comes to what you can and can’t have, or what constitutes ‘dangerous ordnance.’ If you’re not sure whether a type of weapon or ammunition is legal, it’s best to not take the chance and simply avoid it.

However, if you find yourself being charged with criminal weapon possession, contact our experienced criminal lawyers in Columbus, Ohio. We’ll hear your side of the story and dig through Ohio’s weapon laws to get you the best result possible.

Contact Yavitch & Palmer at 614-224-6142, or use our online form to schedule an appointment at our downtown Columbus office.