is a bow considered a firearm???

[BlueBillStacker]

cant use a gun for the next year but i was wondering if a bow and arrow is considered as a firearm???

[Jameson]

Only in some cities.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Bo and Luke Duke style

I'd check with authorities before I take the advice of some online rubes.

[Scoot]

I'd check with authorities before I take the advice of some online rubes.

Excellent advice.

Most states that won't allow you to posses a firearm won't allow you to bowhunt either. But, like Ralph suggested, I'd check with the authorities on this.

[jentz]

LinoLakes and this question??

If the courts ordered you to NOT possess Firearms and your question pertains to that order,Then yes you can use a bow.No bbgun.No blackpowder,No firearm at all!! But a bow is legal.

[Scoot]

Actually the federal regs that preclude most conviced felons from owning a firearm do not apply to muzzleloaders or bb guns- they primarily apply to center fire weapons. Also, it is the state, not the feds, that will not allow you to get an archery license (in most cases). Like Ralph suggested, talk to the local authorities, get names, dates, and document the info so you cover your bases.

[Powerstroke]

Not sure if it is from MN law or fed law, I'll have to look it up, but owning a BB gun after being prohibited is ILLEGAL and will get you an automatic 60 month stretch. Its a go directly to jail card. No officer discretion in that one.

If the prohibition to possessing a firearm is a court order, you need to talk to your PO. I wouldn't call us a bunch of online rubes (thanks Ralph), but that's the best way to know.

[Scoot]

Thanks Powerstroke. I spoke with an ATF agent about this a few weeks ago- he knew the federal regs inside and out (and I mean he REALLY knew them... it was a little scary actually!) According to him, the federal regs did not apply to archery, muzzleloader, bb gun, etc. But, many of the state regs did. So, what referring to must be a state reg. I know the state regs regarding this vary quite a bit from state to state...

[Powerstroke]

You are 100% correct about the fed regs. The states are allowed to be more restrictive and MN is one of them.

The only way to know the rules is to have your exact court order. There are seperate definitions for "dangerous weapon", "replica weapons", "antique weapons" and a few other random things. BB guns and starter pistols are covered under replicas and replicas are usually prohibited too.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Powerstroke, I was including myself in that category--no offense

[Powerstroke]

I know, I'm laughing about it!

[pulleye16]

I knew someone how was unable to have a firearm but was able to use Bow in MN.

[fasternu]

Do you REALLY want to trust legal advice on a message board? I think there are better options when it comes to MY future!

[dbl a]

Gunpowder must be involved to be a firearm. That is why convicted felons can still bowhunt.

[Powerstroke]

Gunpowder does not define a firearm. If you've never read the law, please don't speculate. Each state may use different definitions, because those actual definitions are spelled out in the laws. They get amended all the time to include or exclude things. In MN, gunpowder has nothing to do with the definition of a firearm.

[pulleye16]

Do you REALLY want to trust legal advice on a message board? I think there are better options when it comes to MY future!

Hey, it's a good place to start! It can lead to an answer!

[sdpikehntr]

I would contact the states attorney or county attorney and then the PO if there is one involved. Don't mess with the law once you have been sentenced! Get it on paper from the state or county attorney which ever one was involved and make sure you have that in a safe place; its the CYA form (Cover Your A$$).

[magnum mike]

FYI - In my home town by statute, a bow, bb gun and even slingshot is considered a firearm.

[LightningBG]

Per MN Statute (2009)

Subd. 19.Firearm.

"Firearm" means a gun that discharges shot or a projectile by means of an explosive, a gas, or compressed air.

Like mike stated. Individual towns may have variations in regard to city/county ordinances.

[psepuncher]

I don't know but I found this law

When you pass a cow in Pine Island, Minnesota it is illegal not to tip your hat.

[vister]

I don't know but I found this law

When you pass a cow in Pine Island, Minnesota it is illegal not to tip your hat.

it's also illegal to spit on the sidewalk in Bertha!!

Just because towns/cities may consider a bow a firearm, doesn't necessarily mean it is a firearm. The deer opener is called firearms opener. Not gun and bow opener. I don't think bows are firearms. But then again, thinking isn't knowing!!

[bottom-bouncer]

Powerstroke didnt minnesota acually change this law a few years ago so that people who cannot possess a firearm can no longer have a muzzy either? I thought that they had to close this loop hole.

[Powerstroke]

I was trying to find the muzzy line in the statutes and I couldn't. I know this was a big deal a couple years ago.

Unfortunately, as I learned in my statutes class, these laws are written by our legislature and they don't always end up in the obvious places. Certain laws get passed on unrelated bills and then relevant information ends up in several chapters of the statutes. I know where most of the actual violations are, but finding all the definitions and rules is hard to do unless you're someone who specializes in those laws. This is exactly why different lawyers specialize in certain parts of the law. Its too hard to know it all.

That's why I say the only true way to know the answer to this question is to have your court order and talk to your lawyer and PO. They will make it very clear to you how to stay out of trouble.

[Tom7227]

Under the state definition of a firearm a muzzleloader is in fact a firearm and cannot be possessed by people who are prohibited from possessing firearms. The definition of a firearm was quoted above.

Muzzle Loaded and Black Powder Firearms

Crimes involving muzzle loaded or black powder guns qualify as “firearms” or “guns” or “pistols” under Minnesota Law and can be the basis for prosecution. This is contrary to the “street” wisdom about muzzle loaded or black powder guns which are less stringently regulated under Federal Law.

The muzzle loaded or black powder firearm issue requires a review of several statutes. Minn. Stat. §624.712 Subd. 3 defines “Antique firearm”:

means any firearm, including any pistol, with a matchlock, flintlock, percussion cap, or similar type of ignition system, manufactured before 1899 and any replica of any firearm described herein if such replica is not designed or redesigned, made or remade, or intended to fire conventional rimfire or conventional center-fire ammunition, or uses conventional rimfire or conventional center-fire ammunition which is not readily available in the ordinary channels of commercial trade.

Minn. Stat. §624.715 specifically excludes “antique firearms” from the controls contained in Minn. Stat. §624.713 and .714. However, the exclusion only applies to “antique firearms which are carried or possessed as curiosities or for their historical significance or value.” There is no statutory or case law definition of “curiosities” in Minnesota. It is clear that the legislative intent was to restrict possession and transportation of muzzle loaded or black powder guns, and that the “curiosity and historical” language in the statute is meant to impose a significant limitation on the exclusion created for these weapons. Literally, a person who is prohibited from possessing a firearm cannot legally use a muzzle-loaded weapon even for hunting purposes. Certainly such a person could not carry such a firearm while it was loaded in an urban area.

[Tom7227]

Here's the law on non-lethal firearms IMO:

Part 1

Non-lethal firearms

Application of various statutes when the weapon is a non-lethal firearm can also be confusing. “Non-lethal firearms” include BB guns, pellet guns and the relatively new phenomena ‘soft air’ guns. In the first 10 weeks of 2006 the Saint Paul Police reported 67 cases where non-lethal firearms were used in criminal activity. In March 2007 the Saint Paul City Council adopted an ordinance prohibiting possession of non-lethal firearms in public places.

The majority of BB gun and pellet guns fire projectiles that are .177 inches in diameter. There are a few rifle pellet guns that fire projectiles that are .20 inches in diameter. “Soft air” guns fire projectiles that typically are made of plastic and are 6mm in diameter, or .243 inches. Minn. Stat. 97A.015 Subd. 19 defines firearms as a gun that discharges shot or a projectile by means of an explosive, gas or compressed air. Using this definition most BB guns, nearly all pellet guns, and soft air guns are firearms. Minn. Stat. 624.7181 that defines a BB gun as “device that fires or ejects a shot measuring .18 of an inch or less” and thus creates an exception for those guns as it relates to a charge for carrying such a weapon in a public place. The charge is a gross misdemeanor. Soft air guns, due to the size of the projectile, fall within the definition of firearm.

Many people are unaware of the types of airguns and pellet guns that are available, and therefore underestimate the danger those weapons represent. The Daisy Red Rider - a spring powered device- is what many people remember from their childhood. There currently is a huge array non-lethal firearms that look and feel like hunting rifles and pistols. Muzzle velocity of available airguns ranges from 280 feet per second (fps) for a Daisy Red Rider, to 1100 fps for some models available from several manufacturers. As comparison, a .22 caliber short rifle round has a muzzle velocity of 900 fps. Charging policies for cases involving airguns could take the ‘danger’ of these guns into consideration. A good source of information on the specifications of various airguns is available from the Web Sites of the various manufacturers. Examples are: http://www.daisy.com/shopping http://shortyusa.com/index.html http://www.crosman.com/site/catalog/crosman/softair http://www.airsplat.com/ http://www.daisy.com/airstrike/

Perhaps the most troubling aspect of these cases is the danger the items represent because of they way they are designed and manufactured. Many if not all of the currently available BB gun pistols look exactly like “real” guns. The manufacturers for example go so far as to name the guns in ways that relate them to particular models of Beretta, Smith and Wesson and Glock pistols. Many of these guns are powered by CO2 canisters and are capable of up to 425 fps and firing up to multiple rounds without reloading. Models are even available with scopes and real laser sights.

Another fairly recent phenomena are “soft air” guns. These guns again look exactly like ‘real guns’ and they shoot a 6mm metal or plastic pellet. The guns use spring activated compressed air but shoot at a very low velocity. They can be purchased for as little as $25 at a K-Mart. Since the shot that is fired is .24 inches in diameter these guns are not BB guns. They are firearms under the existing laws in Minnesota.

The problem of non-lethal guns in Saint Paul seems to be growing substantially. A recent analysis was done involving 67 individual instances where police encountered non-lethal guns. The data came from police reports from the first 10 weeks of 2006. They include eight instances where non-lethal guns were found in schools or on school grounds, 19 instances where they were found in homes, and one each in a public housing area and a city recreation center. Juveniles were involved in 21 of the cases as either the suspect or the victim. The guns were pointed at people or people were shot in 15 of these cases. There were 20 cases where either car windows or house windows were shot out. The non-lethal guns were used in two car jackings and two armed robberies. The guns were recovered in five cases where police were executing search warrants or where felons were carrying the guns.