Uniform Machine Gun Act, Act No. 80, §§ 1-14, 1935 Ark. Acts 171-75.

"ACT 80.

'AN ACT Relating to Machine Guns, and to Make Uniform the Law With Reference Thereto.'

Be It Enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas;

SECTION 1. 'Machine Gun' applies to and includes a weapon of any description by whatever name known, loaded or unloaded, from which more than five shots or bullets may be rapidly, or automatically, or semi-automatically discharged from a magazine, by a single function of the firing device. 'Crime of Violence' applies to and includes any of the following crimes or an attempt to commit any of the same, namely, murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, rape, mayhem, assault to do great bodily harm, robbery, burglary, housebreaking, breaking and entering, and larceny.

'Person' applies to and includes firm, partnership, association or corporation.

SECTION 2. Possession or use of a machine gun in the perpetration or attempted perpetration of a crime of violence is hereby declared to be a crime punishable by imprisonment in the state penitentiary for a term of (not less than twenty years).

SECTION 3. Possession or use of a machine gun for offensive or agressive purpose is hereby declared to be a crime punishable by imprisonment in the state penitentiary for a term of (not less than ten years).

SECTION 4. Possession or use of a machine gun shall be presumed to be for offensive or aggressive purpose;

(a) when the machine gun is on premises not owned or rented, for bona fide permanent residence or business occupancy, by the person in whose possession the machine gun may be found; or

(b) when in the possession of, or used by, an unnaturalized foreign-born person, or a person who has been convicted of a crime of violence in any court of record, state or federal, of the United States of America, its territories or insular possessions; or

(c) when the machine gun is of the kind described in Section 8 and has not been registered as in said section required; or

(d) when empty or loaded pistol shells of 30 (.30 in. or 7.63 mm.) or larger caliber which have been or are susceptible of use in the machine gun are found in the immediate vicinity thereof.

SECTION 5. The presence of a machine gun in any room, boat, or vehicle shall be evidence of the possession or use of the machine gun by each person occupying the room, boat, or vehicle where the weapon is found.

SECTION 6. Nothing contained in this act shall prohibit or interfere with

1. the manufacture for, and sale of, machine guns to the military forces or the peace officers of the United States or of any political subdivision thereof, or the transportation required for that purpose;
2. the possession of a machine gun for scientific purpose, or the possession of a machine gun not usable as a weapon and possessed as a curiosity, ornament, or keepsake;
3. the possession of a machine gun other than one adapted to use pistol cartridges of 30 (.30 in. or 7.63 mm.) or larger caliber, for a purpose manifestly not aggressive or offensive.

SECTION 7. Every manufacturer shall keep a register of all machine guns manufactured or handled by him. This register shall show the model and serial number, date of manufacture, sale, loan, gift, delivery or receipt, of every machine gun, the name, address, and occupation of the person to whom the machine gun was sold, loaned, given, or delivered, or from whom it was received; and the purpose for which it was acquired by the person to whom the machine gun was sold, loaned, given or delivered, or from whom received. Upon demand every manufacturer shall permit any marshal, sheriff or police officer to inspect his entire stock of machine guns, parts, and supplies therefor, and shall produce the register, herein required, for inspection. A violation of any provision of this section shall be punishable by a fine of (not less than .......hundred dollars).[1]

SECTION 8. Every machine gun now in this State adapted to use pistol cartridges of 30 (.30 in. or 7.63 mm.) or larger caliber shall be registered in the office of the (Secretary of state), on the effective date of this act, and annually thereafter. If acquired hereafter it shall be registered within 24 hours after its acquisition. Blanks for registration shall be prepared by the (secretary of state), and furnished upon application. To comply with this section the application as filed must show the model and serial number of the gun, the name, address and occupation of the person in possession, and from whom and the purpose for which the gun was acquired. The registration data shall not be subject to inspection by the public. Any person failing to register any gun as required by this section, shall be presumed to possess the same for offensive or aggressive purpose.

SECTION 9. Warrant to search any house or place and seize any machine gun adapted to use pistol cartridges of 30 (.30 in. or 7.63 mm.) or larger caliber possessed in violation of this act, may issue in the same manner and under the same restrictions as provided by law for stolen property, and any court of record upon application of the (district attorney), shall have jurisdiction and power to order any machine gun, thus or otherwise legally seized, to be confiscated and either destroyed or delivered to a peace officer of the State or a political subdivision thereof.

SECTION 10. If any provision of this act or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the act which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this act are declared to be severable.

SECTION 11. This act shall be so interpreted and construed as to effectuate its general purpose to make uniform the law of those states which enact it.

SECTION 12. This act may be cited as the Uniform Machine Gun Act.

SECTION 13. All acts or parts of acts which are inconsistent with the provisions of this act are hereby repealed.

SECTION 14. WHEREAS, under the present law of the state of Arkansas the officers of the state are powerless to effectively combat crime, therefore, it being necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is hereby declared, and this act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval."

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[1] This is exactly how it is written in the original text, and there is no explanation or footnote.

Acts Concurrent Resolutions, Memorials and Proposed Constitutional Amendments of the Fiftieth General Assembly of the State of Arkansas Passed at the Regular Session Held at the Capitol in the City of Little Rock, Arkansas, Convening on the 14th Day of January, 1935, and Adjourning on the 14th Day of March, 1935  Little Rock: AR: Democrat Printing & Litho. Co., 1935), 171-175. Act 80—An Act Relating to Machine Guns, and to Make Uniform the Law With Reference Thereto, §§ 1-14. Approved February 26, 1935.