Denver AWB - What exactly is illegal/legal?

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Tim Currie

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Hey all, just wondering from those in the know what you can and can not have in Denver city/county?

As I understood it... rifles with more than 20 round mags are what is illegal and not just any pistol grip rifle with a detachable mag (a la California). Is this correct? Can you simply buy an AK style rifle and ONLY have 20 round mags for it? What about FAL's that come with 20 rounders standard?

So what CAN you buy in Denver?

Thanks guys :)

TC
 
Nobody seems to really know around here. There is a gun shop on Colfax within Denver city limits that sells AKs and ARs though :confused:
 
Anyone? Bueller..?


If nobody has anything else do you know where I can go to find out? Anyplace that has more Denver gun owners?
 
simpleguy said:
Ok, from what I just read it is the sale of these items that is not legal, not the possession......did I miss something?

Unfortunately, you missed something. Sadly, as I understand it, sale or possession of rifles that can accept magazines of more than 20 rounds -- even if you don't have a 20-rounder in them -- are banned in the City of Denver. :cuss:

Possession of assault weapons unlawful. It shall be unlawful to
carry, store, keep, manufacture, sell or otherwise possess within the City and
County of Denver a weapon or weapons defined herein as assault weapons

The exclusion does not apply to law enforcement, or regular joes who possessed and registered their "assault weapons" before the law took effect

Tim Currie said:
So what CAN you buy in Denver?

Here you go:

All weapons that do not use fixed cartridges, all weapons that were
in production prior to 1898, all manually operated bolt-action
weapons, all lever-action weapons, all slideaction weapons, all
single- shot weapons, all multiple-barrel weapons, all revolving
cylinder weapons, all semiautomatic weapons for which there is no
fixed magazine with capacity of twenty-one (21) or more rounds
available, all semiautomatic weapons that use exclusively en bloc
clips, all semiautomatic weapons in production prior to 1954 and
all rimfire weapons that employ a tubular magazine.

(2) Any firearm that uses .22 caliber rimfire ammunition.

Plus there is a laundry list of specifically prohibited firearms.

Specific prohibited assault weapons. It is unlawful to carry,
store or otherwise possess within the City and County of Denver any of the
following weapons which are hereby declared to be assault weapons except
as provided in and subject to all the provisions of this section:

(1) All of the following specified rifles:

a. Norinco, Mitchell and Poly Technologies Avtomat Kalashnikovs
(all models).
b. Action Arms Israeli Military Industries UZI and Galil.
c. Beretta AR-70 (SC-70).
d. CETME G3.
e. Colt AR-15 and CAR-15.
f. Daewoo K-1, K-2, Max 1 and Max 2.
g. Fabrique Nationale (FN/FAL, FN/LAR and FNC. [sic]
h. FAMAS MAS223.
i. Heckler & Koch HK-91, H-93 [sic], HK-94 and PSG-1.
j. MAC 10 and MAC 11.
k. SKS with detachable magazine.
l. SIG AMT, SIG 500 Series and SIG PE57.
m. Springfield Armory BM59 and SAR-48.
n. Sterling MK-6 and SAR.
o. Steyr AUG.
p. Valmet M62, M71S and M78.
q. Armalite AR-180 Carbine.
r. Bushmaster Assault Rifle (armgun).
s. Calico M-900 Assault Carbine.
t. Mandall THE TAC-1 Carbine.
u. Plainfield Machine Company Carbine.
v. PJK M-68 Carbine.
w. Weaver Arm Nighthawk.

(2) All of the following specified pistols:

a. Action Arms UZI.
b. Encom MP-9 and MP-45.
c. MAC 10 and MAC 11.
d. INTRATEC TEC-9.
e. Mitchell Arms Spectre Auto.
f. Sterling MK-7.
g. Calico M-900.

(3) All of the following specified shotguns:

a. Franchi SPAS 12 and LAW 12.
b. Gilbert Equipment Company Striker 12.
c. Encom CM-55.

So, like adamz said, almost everything fun is banned. My source: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/user/wbardwel/public/nfalist/denver_ordinance.txt

Tim Currie said:
Anyplace that has more Denver gun owners?
Perhaps you could try over at RMGO

Good luck.
 
So.....Denver County is the only place with an AWB? Do they have travel type laws for passing through? What if you were on a county west of Denver and you wanted to go to that long distance range that is a bit east of Denver?
 
i've researched a bit because I am moving to the Denver Area in May

Located ~3/4 down the page

http://rmgo.org/faq/DenverOrd.shtml

In bold down there...im not a lawyer. Would 'non-resident' apply to anybody with a non-'Denver'(non Denver County Colorado County Map) address?




(e) Possession of assault weapons unlawful. It shall be unlawful to

carry, store, keep, manufacture, sell or otherwise possess within the City and County of Denver a weapon or weapons defined herein as assault weapons, except that this subdivision shall not apply to:

(1) Any federal, state or local government agency or to any sworn members

of said agencies acting within their official capacities.

(2) Any assault weapon which is being used as a movie prop for any motion

picture or television program which is being filmed in whole or in part within the City and County of Denver if, prior to such use, the police department is notified in advance in writing of the date, time, location, production schedule and days upon which such use shall take place and the type and serial numbers of the firearms.

(3) It shall be an affirmative defense to charges brought under this

section that the transportation of an assault weapon:


(a) Is through the city by a nonresident who is in legal possession of an

assault weapon; or


(b) Is by a person carrying a permit issued under subsection (f) and the

transportation is for one (1) of the following purposes:

i. In aid of the civil power when thereto legally summoned;

ii. To a bona fide hunting trip for wild game, or to a legitimate sporting

use of such weapon, including shooting matches or target trap or skeet shooting. All weapons carried for such purposes shall be unloaded;

iii. While transporting such weapon to or from a place for sale outside

the city or for repair. All weapons carried for such purposes shall be unloaded at all times;

iv. As a member of the armed forces of a state or of the federal

government while engaged in the lawful performance of duty;

v. In conjunction with moving personal property, including such weapon,

from an old residence to a new residence. All weapons carried for such purposes shall be unloaded at all times.

(f) Conditional exception. Any person over the age of twenty-one (21)

years who obtained an assault weapon legally prior to the effective date of this section may obtain a permit to keep, store and possess said assault weapon.......
 
I didn't want to post the whole wording of the law in my initial message. However, it's important to note that in addition to the laundry list of specifcally banned rifles, the law includes as banned:

(4) Other models by the same manufacturer that are identical to firearms listed in subdivisions (1), (2) or (3) except for slight modifications or enhancements,
including, but not limited to, a folding or retractable stock; adjustable sight; case deflector for left-handed shooters; shorter barrel; wooden, plastic or metal stock;
larger clip size; different caliber provided the caliber exceeds .22 rimfire; or bayonet mount.

(5) Firearms which have been redesigned from, renamed, renumbered or patterned after one (1) of the listed firearms in subdivisions (1), (2), (3) or those described
in subdivision (4) regardless of the company of production or distribution or the country of origin or any firearm which has been manufactured or sold by another
company under a licensing agreement to manufacture or sell the identical or nearly identical firearms as those listed in subdivisions (1), (2), (3) or those described in
subdivision (4) regardless of the company of production or distribution or the country of origin.


That pretty much covers ANY AK, including those in 5.45 or 5.56, as well as any AR-15.


And, no, it's not the sale, it's possesion that's banned.

You should be OK driving through Denver, as long as the rifle is transported unloaded and in a locked case.
 
Keep in mind that the actual city/county of Denver is a small part of the entire Denver Metro area ... most people that live in "Denver" actually live in Broomfield, Thornton, Arvada, Aurora, Englewood, etc.

The entire Denver Metro Area is in like 10 counties and is made up of a couple dozen separate cities ... all of which allow ownership of "Assault" weapons.

So as long as you don't live in the actual city/county of Denver you're fine.
 
Damnit, how lame. If I move I want to live downtown...


Rapidfire_85 -

Are you planning on having your "address" outside the county limits somehow while uh...."staying" most of the time in Denver?
 
roscoe said:
What is even worse is that they banned the state CCW in Denver.

Thankfully, at least that part is not true.

The State pre-emption clause prevented Denver from refusing to issue CCW permits on a "shall issue" basis. Any Denver resident who applies and qualifies for a permit MUST be issued one. You can apply through the Denver Police Department after you establish residency. Cost is $152.50, and it typically takes a couple of months to actually receive the permit.
 
And what of persons who already own such weapons and live in the Nazi Denver Metro area? Poor bastards everywhere are sitting idly while the rights that so many have fought and died to protect are incrementally stripped away! This is just another tragedy. Those of us who choose to live outside of a Peoples Republic in the states that have not succeded from the Union count ourselves very fortunate. The Victims who live under Tyranny will one day have to stand up and be Real Men or their children will never know the freedom that is America.
 
Damnit, how lame. If I move I want to live downtown...
You can live close to downtown and not be actually in Denver.

Wheat Ridge and Lakewood (just west of downtown) and Englewood (just south of downtown) still maintain some of that downtown feel.

Commerce City (just north of downtown) is a rather industrial area (so you might find loft like space there).

I'd avoid Aurora just east of downtown ... its one of the areas you're most likely to NEED an AR.



The most important thing that ALL Colorado gun owners need to remember is that one of the architects of the Denver AWB IS CURRENTLY IN THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION!
 
I wouldn't worry about it much. I frequent the Denver area gunshops on a very regular basis and spend much of my time conversing with store owners/employees and patrons. Thus far, I have not heard of anyone being prosecuted with the provisions of the ban. It's the kind of news that would get mentioned.
 
Wait. Can't any rifle with a detachable magazine accept magazines with a capacity over 21 rounds?

This would make 1911s and such illegal too!
 
Tim Currie

No, we (long time girlfriend and I) are planning to move to a suburb south or west of denver (littleton/centennial/golden/highlands ranch maybe)

On a side note, if you looking to move there and want some info, check the forums at http://www.city-data.com (its the blue icon on the 'header' of the webpage, there are some decent 'neighborhood opinions' there.

:)
 
Yeah thanks I've been using that site to look into different areas.

Huh... so sounds like the law isn't really enforced? Not that I'd like to find out...
 
Looks like a rather poorly written law to me, particularly since it doesn't seem to ban clone guns.

For example an HK-91 is illegal, but it would appear that a PTR-91 isn't banned. The Colt AR-15 might be banned, but it says nothing about a Rock River LAR-15. What about a Robarm XCR? They also missed the Valmet M76.

Unless there is specific language written somewhere in the law to ban clone type guns, or ban guns by features (detachable mag, pistol grip, etc.) this law has enough holes to drive a jumbo jet through. Idiots.
 
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