Indiana Grenade Launcher Laws

[MickeyBlueEyes]

I would LIke to jump in and clarify what is required by the state and the ATF. Any Anti-Personell round, even a sand bag round is required to have a DD tax stamp. 37mm can shoot flares and smoke without being registered, you can even make grappling hooks launcher rounds and other things non Anti-Personnel. ANY ANTI-PERSONNEL round makes that weapon a DD. A shotgun shell conversion makes that a DD. A beehive round makes that a DD. An incindiary, buckshot, flechette, grenade, high explosive, and any other round that make it go boom when it hits is a DD.

 

[BumpShadow]

I would LIke to jump in and clarify what is required by the state and the ATF. Any Anti-Personell round, even a sand bag round is required to have a DD tax stamp. 37mm can shoot flares and smoke without being registered, you can even make grappling hooks launcher rounds and other things non Anti-Personnel. ANY ANTI-PERSONNEL round makes that weapon a DD. A shotgun shell conversion makes that a DD. A beehive round makes that a DD. An incindiary, buckshot, flechette, grenade, high explosive, and any other round that make it go boom when it hits is a DD.

Do you mean the weapon needs to be registered or the rounds themselves. Not an expert, but I'm 99% sure it's the weapon only that needs paperwork. Not a bad investment really. You going to pay at least a couple of grand anyway, whats 200 more bucks?

Also, go to [this site] first, they sell to cilivians I think, plus cheaper then autoweapons. Also go [here] for shells, check out the CANNON round, 4 ga. shotgun!

 

[IndyGunner]

buckshot?

 

[BumpShadow]

buckshot?

Uhhhhh...

What about buckshot? Does it taste good? Does it go well on a boat? in a coat? What?

 

[IndyGunner]

Uhhhhh...

What about buckshot? Does it taste good? Does it go well on a boat? in a coat? What?

.

I would LIke to jump in and clarify what is required by the state and the ATF. Any Anti-Personell round, even a sand bag round is required to have a DD tax stamp. 37mm can shoot flares and smoke without being registered, you can even make grappling hooks launcher rounds and other things non Anti-Personnel. ANY ANTI-PERSONNEL round makes that weapon a DD. A shotgun shell conversion makes that a DD. A beehive round makes that a DD. An incindiary, buckshot, flechette, grenade, high explosive, and any other round that make it go boom when it hits is a DD.

 

[1911Shooter]

A friend of mine bought one of those when he got back from Iraq. He wanted it to shoot flares, smoke and explosive rounds. Well he bought a used 40mm M203 with smoke and flare rounds included and it ended up being fun for the first couple of times out and then when he had to start buying the rounds, he sold it. It was great but you have to feed it to make it fun. Feeding it turned out to be not so fun. From what I was told by him, the rounds are hard to find, expensive when you find them, and then you get hit with the 25 dollar hazmat fees to ship them. Also you may find one here one there so its not like you get hit with only one shipping fee. This is all what I have been told by him and I personally have never looked to confirm. I just figured I would tell you what he has found. I hope this little story helped someone atleast.

 

[BumpShadow]

This Thread is too confusing. It sounds like for most of the post only the launcher and HE rounds needed paperwork. Is this the case or not?

 

[BumpShadow]

Large bore Destructive Devices (i.e. street sweepers, mortars, etc) are not, but explosive Destructive Devices (i.e. grenades, bombs, etc) are prohibited by state law.

IC 35-47.5-2-4
"Destructive device"
Sec. 4. (a) "Destructive device" means:
(1) an explosive, incendiary, or overpressure device that is
configured as a:
(A) bomb;
(B) grenade;
(C) rocket with a propellant charge of more than four (4)
ounces;
(D) missile having an explosive or incendiary charge of
more than one-quarter (1/4) ounce;
(E) mine;
(F) Molotov cocktail; or
(G) device that is substantially similar to an item described
in clauses (A) through (F);
(2) a type of weapon that may be readily converted to expel a
projectile by the action of an explosive or other propellant
through a barrel that has a bore diameter of more than one-half
(1/2) inch; or
(3) a combination of parts designed or intended for use in the
conversion of a device into a destructive device.
(b) The term does not include the following:
(1) A pistol, rifle, shotgun, or weapon suitable for sporting or
personal safety purposes or ammunition.
(2) A device that is neither designed nor redesigned for use as a weapon.

IC 35-47.5-5-2
Destructive devices
Sec. 2. A person who knowingly or intentionally:
(1) possesses;
(2) manufactures;
(3) transports;
(4) distributes;
(5) possesses with the intent to distribute; or
(6) offers to distribute;
a destructive device, unless authorized by law, commits a Class C felony.
As added by P.L.123-2002, SEC.50.



For a 40mm launcher, this is true. However, 37mm launchers, for which no anti-personnel rounds are readily available, are sold as "flare launchers" and are unregulated.



If it's explosive/anti-personnel, this is true. And such rounds would also be forbidden by state law as mentioned above. However, 40mm inert/training/marking rounds are unregulated, as are fixtures like the "Beehive," which allow a 40mm grenade launcher to simultaneously fire 20-some rounds of .22LR...

If you're looking at dropping the coin on a real 40mm grenade launcher (DD), then LMT is the only way to fly.
Lewis Machine & Tool Company :: www.lewismachine.net

If you are willing to settle for a 37mm launcher, there are a number of manufacturers out there, and prices come WAY down.

If a bee hive is ok, then why is buckshot not? It's basically the same thing.

 

[BumpShadow]

This is a quote from a guy who makes and sells 40mm ammo for a living, username grog. This was posted from another forum. See [this site]

And [his website]

No 40mm round requires a tax stamp except HE/HEDP. Buying one would be difficult, but making one on a Form 1 would not. It would be a simple matter of getting your CLEO to sign off, unless you have a Trust, and having the proper storage magazine on your property.

Further more, in the safty section of said website, he talks about this very subject,

Anti-Personnel Rounds

One major ground rule is, if you go the cheap route, do not possess any rounds that are anti-personnel in nature, along with your launcher. No buckshot, no flechette, no rubber ball or shot, no wooden baton, no rubber baton. Nothing that is not a signal or gas. If you do, it is a felony IF your launcher is not registered as a destructive device with BATF. Even if you don’t have an anti-personnel round, if you fire your launcher at someone, you will be charged with possession of an unregistered destructive device, and anti personnel ammunition. Wanna know why? Because you used your perfectly legal flare and perfectly legal flare launcher in an anti personnel role. It’s very easy to prove intent with use. REMEMBER: Possession of an unregistered 37mm launcher AND antipersonnel ammunition together is illegal, unless the launcher is registered.

If you ask me, the 200.00 to register it is a pretty good investment. 37mm ammunition itself is not considered a destructive device UNLESS it contains over ¼ oz of explosive. 37mm buckshot, flechette wood baton, rubber baton, wood ball and so on, are perfectly legal to possess, and sell. It is the possession of those AND an unregistered launcher that will land you in jail. Possession of those two items makes the LAUNCHER a destructive device. NOT the ammo. You cannot make and sell ammunition for a DD without the tax stamp, as you would then qualify as a manufacturer.

 

[troy28]

This Thread is too confusing. It sounds like for most of the post only the launcher and HE rounds needed paperwork. Is this the case or not?

The last few post clear a lot of this up. Bottom line in IN. HE rounds would need a DD stamp but are illegal in IN. A 40MM has to be registered as a DD. A 37mm should be registered to remove the grey area of the law where the citizen will lose in court.

Personally if you are going to do it do it right and get a quality M203 (Colt, Shivak, LMT...). Then get the the 12ga & 26.5mm adapters, a couple beehives, some smokes, flares, CS, baton, and a practice round or two. None of these rounds need an individual tax stamp and are fun to shoot.

If you do decide to get the real deal 40MM make sure you educate yourself before speaking with your C3 dealer. This is an item that is more of an enthusiast/collector area that gets limited exposure. Some C3 dealers flat out do not know, some think they know and are wrong, and some will make a phone call to order it and start your paper work that day. It took 3 dealers to find one that was properly educated and did the transaction like it was one of the 5 .22LR cans he sells a day.