What are the Laws Concerning the Wearing of 'Bullet Belts' in the U.S.A?

[Cromlech]

Just as the title says, does anybody know? Here is a question that was posed on a Heavy-Metal forum that I frequent:

While we are talking about the political and legal aspects, can anyone point me in the direction of a site with the ATF guidelines concerning bullet belts? I want to print em out so I can show em to cops if they try and confiscate my belt

I have advised him that it is probably not a good idea to wear one at an airport, in court, or hospitals et cetera, but does anyone know any set-in-stone laws regarding this?

 

[Jim March]

There are a very few states where the components of ammo, even if not live, require minimal "gun certificate papers" to own. Massachussets is one such.

A basic rule of thumb - go to this page:

http://www.gun-nuttery.com/rtc.php

As of 2006, see the states in blue and green? You're real unlikely to have a problem with non-functional ammo as a fashion statement. Red or yellow means heavier gun control zones - you'll be OK in some such as California, others...bit of a crapshoot, esp. the further towards the east coast you get...Mass, NY (especially New York City), New Jersey, real bad "in general", dunno about this case 'cept in Mass, that's trouble. Illinois may be a problem.

 

[Cromlech]

Wow, quick reply - cheers mate! This should be just the thing to explain it for me.

Interesting and useful website too.

 

[Jim March]

Understand, that page is a decent general predictor of how "gun friendly" the states are. Blue and green means widespread and unbiased access to carrying loaded concealed handguns on your person. Green means no permit needed, blue means there's a permit but it's easy to get by passing a background check and (usually) a bit of training.

As you can see, that idea is spreading.

The remaining yellow (permits issued on a very elitist and sometimes racist basis) and red (no legal carry at all) states are the "hardcore holdouts" of major grade gun control and are hence more likely to be trouble.

But you can't fully predict based on that.

There may be a blue state or two with old laws still on the books about ammo possession without a permit, "ammo" including non-firing. I kinda doubt it but if it's going to happen anywhere it'll be on the east coast, North Carolina, Connecticut are two I'd check on. Get west of the Mississippi, generally safer...'cept for Hawaii which is culturally very East-Asian, socialistic and VERY anti-self-defense. Possible trouble there.

 

[Cromlech]

Yeah, that sounds reasonable to me. I have advised him to use his noggin when it comes to specific places, as it's better to be safe than sorry.

Wearing a bullet belt isn't exactly my idea of fashion anyway, but hey, whatever floats their boat!


Cheers again, mate.

 

[beerslurpy]

Are you sure you arent confusing a bandolier with a belt of ammo?

One is a wearable belt that has slots for ammunition. The other is wearable but the links are made to facilitate feeding the ammunition into a specific type of gun. Belts can be metal or cloth, fixed or disintigrating (disintegrating ones fall off and are ejected as you fire the gun)

 

[MatthewVanitas]

Though it would take an hour or two of effort, it may be well worth the trouble (legally speaking) to pull the bullets out of live .22LR rounds and reload them into spent .22LR casings. That way, there would be no possible legal issues, since the "ammo" would be totally inert.

-MV

 

[Jim March]

He's from England. No possibility this is anything other than "punk fashion", which involves pre-made articles of clothing with professionally assembled "ain't gonna fire" ammo. Real shell and bullet, the best will have sand inside, the "primer" will be burned out first with a lighter and then stuffed in. Cheaper will have no primer at all, empty shell, possibly a hole in the side of the shell.

Trust me. You can buy stuff like that at any punk/goth supply place, England or America. The Haight-Ashbury district in San Francisco had like half a dozen places with stuff like that for the punk and "leather" scene (which in SF is pretty "out there").

I knew a guy who was into that look, wore this heavily spiked bracelet. I told him he might be arrested as a "terror wrist".

 

[Cromlech]

I may be from England, but the person that posed this question is an American.

http://www.metal-archives.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=20092&start=0

I don't mean a bandolier, I mean an ammo belt that has been fitted with a buckle.

. . .exactly what it says on the tin.

 

[Jim March]

Right. Well we're definately talking "fashion statement", in which case the rounds SHOULD be "duds" (non-firing) and will be if professionally made. If amateur made...well, it wouldn't be THAT dangerous but not something I'd recommend.

 

[Cromlech]

Cheers guys.

 

[NukemJim]

Though it would take an hour or two of effort, it may be well worth the trouble (legally speaking) to pull the bullets out of live .22LR rounds and reload them into spent .22LR casings. That way, there would be no possible legal issues, since the "ammo" would be totally inert.

An Illinois lawyer ( Progun ) informed of the oddity that you can be arrested for having an fired .22 case on you in Chicago. Seems there is a section of Chicago city code/law that does not allow any "component of ammunitation to be legal. Since the fired .22 brass is a "component" of the original ammunition unless you have a city permit for a gun of that particular calibre you ban be busted.*

Now having said that I used to work as a bouncer in a new wave club in Chicago with many of the patrons wearing ammo accessories ( I thought the chicks wearing the bullet accessories were much sexier than the chicks who wore the razor blade accessories ) I never saw or heard of CPD ever asking/looking/arresting anyone about ammo accessories. If a CPD officer wants to arrest you that bad, they will. I doubt that most CPD has ever heard of that particular reg with the exception of CAGE.

I see ammo accessories for sale all the time in Chicago. There was a store that would only sell 10 links as unit and you had to put it together yourself but this was supposedly because of the National AWB.

NukemJim


*Unless you have a city registration. New registrations for handguns and most rifles, many shotguns have not been accepted since the mid 80's with the exceptions of CPD, Armed Security, and crooks{Chicago Aldermen} )

 

[geekWithA.45]

It's a bad idea, as a fashion statement, even when lawful.

If you have extra ammo pursuant to lawfully open carrying, its reasonable and explainable.

If you're doing it as a fashion statement,

a) you're not really armed...AND you've made yourself a target. The whole "I'm a tough guy festooned with cartridges so look out! But no not really thing" just doesn't work for me*.
b) probable cause to terry stop you just went through the roof.
c) the subsequent explanation you offer will sound lame and fall flat.



*So you should probably mention to your friend that 1 in 10 people or more that he meets on the street actually IS armed, and are laughing hysterically at him in the privacy of their own minds.

 

[armoredman]

If you wore crossed bandoliers and a sombrero in AZ, people would snicker, but nobody would panic. They might ask you when your next show is, though....
Now, if you wore crossed linked belts of ammo, or a linked belt for a trouser belt, make sure to spike your hair, wear lots of black leather and lipstick. Then you're just weird Goth.
BUT, if you're just wearing a couple of ammo belts in street clothes, toting an MG42, even our gun friendly cops might stop you to ask what's up, and where's your tax stamp. They won't confiscate, if you're legal, but they might be curious, and then again, knowing AZ cops, they just might ask to shoot it, too.

 

[Cromlech]

Hahaha, yeah I see what you mean. Maybe I'll post a link to this thread, so he gets a good idea of what to expect.

 

[TheArchDuke]

Man I used to wear a bullet belt in my days in a metal band. I never had a problem.


One time years ago I wore it with my Pizza Hut uniform when I worked there just to get a reaction out of my boss. She laughed and told me to take it to the car.