The Term “Machine Gun” Could Soon Include Semi-Automatic Rifles In Maine
BY Herschel Smith
5 years ago
A bill proposed by Rep. Victoria Doudera (D – Camden) would redefine what a “machine gun” is under state law. The Maine Legislature has attempted, without success, to pass more than a dozen laws that would impact Maine gun owners since the new Democrat majority was ushered in alongside Governor Janet Mills.
Rep. Doudera’s bill is one of a new group of proposals that will be considered by the Legislative Council on October 23. It is currently labeled LR 2829 “An Act To Amend the Definition of the Term “Machine Gun”” on the website of the Maine Revisor of Statutes.
Under current criminal code, unlawful possession of a “machine gun” is considered a substantive offense and subject to seizure and confiscation.
Maine Revised Statutes Title 17-A: Part 2, Chapter 43
§1053. Confiscation and seizure of machine gun“Any machine gun possessed in violation of section 1051 is declared to be contraband and is subject to forfeiture to the State. Any law enforcement officer shall have the power to seize the same with due process.”
The definition of a “machine gun” subject to confiscation and seizure under state law is as follows:
Maine Revised Statutes Title 17-A: Part 2, Chapter 43
§1051. Possession of machine gun“A weapon of any description, by whatever name known, loaded or unloaded, which is capable of discharging a number of projectiles in rapid succession by one manual or mechanical action on the trigger or firing mechanism.”
By changing the definition of a “machine gun” to encompass more of the firearms owned by Mainers, Rep. Doudera’s proposal could also make those newly defined “machine guns” subject to confiscation and seizure, turning owners of those firearms into criminals under the new law.
Rep. Doudera’s proposal is subject to approval by a majority of the Legislature’s Legislative Council at their meeting on October 23. The council is comprised of the members of House and Senate leadership from both parties, with six Democrats and four Republicans. Senate President Troy Jackson Chairs the council, with Speaker Sara Gideon serving as Vice Chair.
A contact in Maine sends this in response.
Yup;
Our “dear” Governor and the rest of the almost all, Dem contingency up here
will be spending a good piece of this next year unraveling all of the good
that was signed in by Lepage.They intend to “do something” about AR’s/AK’s, eliminate the private sale
and “Constitutional Carry”.All this as Maine was just determined to be the safest state in the Union
with New Hampshire and Vermont in very close contention for the same.…another solution in search of a problem.
Of course it doesn’t matter that a semi-automatic firearm isn’t a machine gun. Lying is just another tactic used by the left. And by the way, after banning machine guns, what did you thing was next? You didn’t believe the controllers would ever be happy without your total disarmament, did you?
On October 24, 2019 at 8:05 am, Fred said:
I think I’ve found the root of the problem.
Victoria, Janet, and Sara now barren grandmothers need, yes they have a need that they are attempting to satisfy, need to nanny you and keep you safe and wipe your nose and clean your boo boo and insist on telling boys not play too rough with dangerous toys. You must be kept safe at all cost, this is their innate need.
I would simply ignore them or tell them to shut up and make you a sam’ich. Why are they even in charge of anything except for being grandmother to their families? This will change after the war, it must be a primary goal of the war to rid ourselves of nannies in charge of governments by ending suffrage. Sadly we might be too far gone into the Enlightenment to ever put this wickedness back in the bottle. The Pauline doctrines must need be applied again if the West is ever to come back.
On October 24, 2019 at 8:39 am, Johnny Gee said:
You realize that every time you pull the trigger on a shotgun you are discharging multiple projectile right?
Unless your firing slugs of course. This is an awful definition.
On October 24, 2019 at 8:50 am, ragman said:
The differences between the communists and patriots are irreconcilable. They are smart enough to know this and they know we must be disarmed before all of the nannies that Fred describes can take care of us. They will stop at nothing to accomplish their goals. The least of which are total disarmament followed by complete control over every Citizen. Communists simply can’t deal with people enjoying their lives without assistance from the nanny state. The fact that fiercely independent Americans have survived just fine for hundreds of years without help from the big-city do gooders is totally foreign to them. They want civil war? It will last about a week after the Great Unwashed cut off their power, water, food deliveries, fuel, &TC. Everything the city uses comes from the country and it will be very easy to isolate the communist enclaves. Good luck with their “war” once that happens.
On October 24, 2019 at 8:54 am, F.T. said:
What is happening in Maine?????
It doesn’t have a gun violence problem like other states do. I live in Ma. and go to Maine often. I have a Maine concealed carry permit for Non Resident.
There are many, many semi auto rifles up there. How are they going to deal with those already there.
The only proper and correct answer is for the State of Maine use the definition of a Machine Gun that the ATF does and the same for a semi auto rifle. Maine should not be allowed to go off the tracks and make up some unreal definition of a Machine gun to go after lawful rifles. In fact, Maine lawmakers should just go do something else because you don’t even have a problem. The law makers are the problem, just like in MA. We have the most ignorant, stupid, out of their mind law makers in MA.
On October 24, 2019 at 6:59 pm, JFP said:
Its not just shotguns, that definition could go after airguns, bb guns, crossbows, any thing that fires “projectiles” in rapid succession.
On October 24, 2019 at 8:53 pm, Jeffersonian said:
Yes, Fudd, that means granpa’s Woodsmaster and that Sweet Sixteen Humpback too.
On October 27, 2019 at 2:44 pm, Berserker Artillery Barrage said:
“Those skilled in WAR bring the enemy to the field of battle and are not brought there by him.”
Sun Tzu