English
Español451. Definitions
As used in this chapter, unless the context clearly requires otherwise-
(a) ‘Ammunition‘ means any bullet, cartridge, projectile, buckshot, or any load placed or which may be placed in a firearm to be discharged.
(b) ‘Commissioner‘ means the Police Commissioner of the Virgin Islands.
(c) ‘Concealed firearm or handgun‘ means a firearm or handgun that is covered, hidden, or secreted in a manner that the public would not be aware of its presence and is readily accessible for immediate use.
(d) ‘Department‘ means the U.S. Virgin Islands Police Department (V.I.P.D.).
(e) ‘Handgun‘ means a firearm as defined in subsection (f) which has a barrel that does not exceed 12 inches, whether loaded or unloaded.
(f) ‘Firearm‘ means any device by whatever name known, capable of discharging ammunition by means of gas generated from an explosive composition, including any zip and ghost guns and air gas or spring gun or any ‘BB‘ pistols or ‘BB‘ guns that have been adapted or modified to discharge projectiles as a firearm.
(g) ‘Crime of violence‘ means the crime of, or the attempt to commit, murder in any degree, voluntary manslaughter, rape, arson, discharging or aiming firearms, mayhem, kidnapping, assault in the first degree, assault in the second degree, assault in the third degree, robbery, burglary, unlawful entry or larceny.
(h) ‘Dealer in firearms and/or ammunition‘ means any person engaged in the business of selling firearms and/or ammunition, for a profit or gain.
(i) ‘Gunsmith‘ means any person who engages in the business of repairing, altering, cleaning, polishing, engraving, blueing or performing any mechanical operation on any firearm on an individual order basis.
(j) ‘Automatic weapon‘ means any firearm, as defined in subsection (f) that has the capacity to fire more than one shot without manually reloading with a single pull of the trigger.
(k) ‘Semi-Automatic weapon‘ mean any firearm, as defined in subsection (f) that has the capacity to fire one shot with each pull of the trigger without manually reloading.
(l) ‘Conversion kit‘ means any part or combination of parts designed and intended for use in converting any firearm into an automatic weapon, and any combination of parts from which an automatic weapon can be assembled if the parts are in the possession or under the control of a person.
(m) ‘Assault rifle‘ means a selective-fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge, including, but not limited, to the following characteristics:
(1) It must be an individual weapon with provision to fire from the shoulder (i.e. a buttstock); and
(2) It must be capable of selective fire; and
(3) It must have an intermediate-power cartridge-more power than a pistol but less than a standard rifle or battle rifle; and
(4) Its ammunition must be supplied from a detachable magazine.
(n) The term ‘electric weapon or device‘ means any device which, through the application or use of electric current, including buttery operated devices, is designed, redesigned, used, or intended to be used for offensive or defensive purposes, the destruction of life, or the infliction of injury.
(o) ‘Zip gun‘ or ‘ghost gun‘ means a home-made device that does not have a serial number and consists of a barrel, breechblock, or any other configuration that has a firing mechanism capable of discharging ammunition.
