American Samoa § 46.4201 - Definitions.

§ 46.4201. Definitions.

(a) “Blackjack” means any instrument that is designed or adapted for the purpose of stunning or inflicting physical injury by striking a person, and which is readily capable of lethal use. (b) “Deface” means to alter or destroy the manufacturer’s or importer’s serial number or any other distinguishing number or identification mark. (c) “Explosive weapon” means any explosive, incendiary, or poison gas bomb or similar device designed or adapted for the purpose of inflicting death, serious physical injury, or substantial property damage; or any device designed or adapted for delivering or shooting such a weapon. (d) “Firearm” means any weapon that is designed or adapted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive. (e) “Firearm silencer” means any instrument, attachment, or appliance that is designed or adapted to muffle the noise made by the firing of any firearm. (f) “Gas gun” means any gas ejective device, weapon, cartridge, container or contrivance other than a gas bomb, that is designed or adapted for the purpose of ejecting any poison gas that will cause death or serious physical injury but not any device that ejects mace or other repellant or temporary incapacitating substance. (g) “Intoxicated” means substantially impaired mental or physical capacity resulting from introduction of any substance into the body. (h) “Knife” means any dagger, dirk, stiletto, or bladed hand instrument that is readily capable of inflicting serious physical injury or death by cutting or stabbing a person. For purposes of this chapter, “knife” does not include an ordinary pocket knife with no blade more than 4″ in length. (i) “Knuckles” means any instrument that consists of finger rings or guards made of a hard substance that is designed or adapted for the purpose of inflicting serious physical injury or death by striking a person with a fist enclosed in the knuckles. (j) “Machine gun” means any firearm that is capable of firing more than 2 shots automatically, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger. (k) “Projectile weapon” means any bow, crossbow, pellet gun, slingshot, or other weapon that is not a firearm, which is capable of expelling a projectile that could inflict serious physical injury or death by striking or piercing a person. (1) “Rifle” means any firearm designed or adapted to be fired from the shoulder and to use the energy of the explosive in a fixed metallic cartridge to fire a projectile through a rifled bore by a single function of the trigger. (m) “Short barrel” means a barrel length of less than 16″ for a rifle and 18″ for a shotgun, or an overall rifle or shotgun length of less than 26″. (n) “Shotgun” means any firearm designed or adapted to be fired from the shoulder and to use the energy of the explosive in a fixed shotgun shell to fire a number of shot or a single projectile through a smooth-bore barrel by a single function of the trigger. (o) “Spring gun” means any fused, timed, or nonmanually controlled trap or device designed or adapted to set off an explosion for the purpose of inflicting serious physical injury or death. (p) “Switchblade knife” means any knife which has a blade that folds or closes into the handle or sheath, and (1) that opens automatically by pressure applied to a button or other device located on the handle or (2) that opens or releases from the handle or sheath by the force of gravity or by the application of centrifugal force. Research Guide: MPCC 16.010, 23 ASC1—15.