The following nomenclature is the result of the 1999 Federal Weapons Act, enacted under martial law in the United States in an attempt to curb crime and the risk of coup d'état during this very turbulent period. It marks the end of a long period of laxity in US legislation regarding the possession and carrying of firearms and weapons of war. The pro-gun lobbies had for the time been allowed, in the name of the amendment, to allow any American citizen to possess sufficient armament to ensure his own protection (this protection including, if necessary, to fight against the federal government if the latter were to fail in its obligations). This potential for warfare included, in most states, the possession of heavy weapons of war, such as machine guns, assault rifles, rocket launchers or mortars. In 1999, the army decided that anything that could really worry it (especially the weapons mentioned above) should be banned from civilians. The right to bear arms, for its part, benefited from the latest technological advances to make it more controlled : the only weapons authorized to circulate in the street are now registered, listed and their ballistic signature is known by the police.
These measures have effectively reduced crime. Illegal weapons have become a burden for criminals, who must acquire them for at least twice their real price on the black market and constantly conceal them during frequent police checks. But nothing prevents those who live outside the law from amassing an arsenal that is as reprehensible as it is destructive. It is for this reason, among others, that honest people (or at least those who want to appear as such) must comply with a law that, without completely disarming them and thus making them vulnerable, imposing a narrow judicial stranglehold on them.
This classification establishes strict barriers between legally portable, legally purchasable weapons and those prohibited for circulation in a civilian setting.
Class A
Non-lethal weapons. Sale to minors with parental authorization. Tasers, anti-aggression bombs, weapons with non-lethal ammunition, edged weapons less than 15 centimeters long, some light dart launchers, hand throwing weapons (shuriken, throwing knives), bows and crossbows.
Note : even though a bow is a lethal weapon, it has been classified in this category for consistency. It was difficult to control the traffic and circulation of bows and knives.
Class B :
Legally transportable weapons. These are conventional ammunition pistols with a firepower less than or equal to the standard 12 mm bullet. Small caliber shotguns or non-automatic dart guns or edged weapons less than 46 cm in length also fall into this category.
Class C :
Weapons offered for sale, but not authorized to carry : assault rifles with a firepower less than the standard 7.62 ammunition with combustible cartridge, heavy shotguns, shotguns with pump, guns with a caliber greater than 12 mm, all edged weapons with a length greater than 46 cm.
Class D :
Weapons for strictly military use : grenade launchers, heavy assault rifles or very large handguns of equivalent power, lasers, heavy assault rifles, machine guns, missile launchers, anti-armor weapons, weapons undetectable by metal detectors.
Class A weapons are available for sale. Minors may obtain them with the consent of their parents or legal guardian.
The sale of class B and C weapons is limited to stores with a municipal authorization. Anyone purchasing a weapon in these two categories must show identification and will receive a declaration of weapon possession form. In any case, the shopkeeper will notify the police of his purchase. Any weapon sold from individual to individual must be declared at the police station where a form will be given to the buyer.
Anyone who sells a weapon without a police authorization, who omits or falsifies his or her declaration of possession of a weapon, or who sells or possesses Class D material, will be punished with imprisonment for 3 to 12 years in a High Surveillance District or will be deported. (Priority 2)
Will be punished by imprisonment from 1 month to 2 years in the Low Surveillance District and/or a fine of $500 to $1000 any individual who cannot present the weapons supposed to be in his possession. (Priority 5)
The carrying of weapons on public streets is limited to Class A and B weapons. For Class B weapons, the application must be filed at the police station within two days of the date of purchase of the weapon. The application fee for an application to carry a weapon is set at $25. The registration of a weapon consists of storing in police records the identity of the owner of a weapon, its type, serial number and ballistic fingerprint (except in the case of shotguns). An identification number is laser-engraved on the weapon for this purpose. This data is confidential and any modification to the weapon that affects it must be reported.
Police will not grant a firearms licence to anyone who has been convicted of a Priority 5 or higher offence in the last 12 months, or to anyone undergoing treatment for a serious mental disorder.
Class C weapons must be transported exclusively from the store to the purchaser's home. It must be in its original packaging.
Police forces may seize any material transported on public street if it visibly constitutes a risk to public order. This is commonly seen for crossbows, bows or throwing knives.
Will be punished by imprisonment from 1 month to 10 years in the Low Surveillance District and/or a fine of $300 to $1000 for carrying a weapon without authorization or who has disguised the ballistic signature of the weapon or its identification number. (Priority 5)
Any person who fails to produce his or her firearms licence immediately to the police force will be fined a lump sum of $300. (Priority 6)
The ammunition accepted on the public highway is the standard bullets commonly sold in approved shops. All armour-piercing, explosive or fragmentation ammunition is prohibited and is subject to the penalties set out in the previous article. Electrothermal upgrading is illegal.
Any equipment not installed at the time of purchase to increase the firepower of a weapon, to mask its ballistic signature or increase damage to the user is prohibited. In the event of a major modification (change of caliber, barrel), the weapon must be re-registered by the police.
Weapons carried on public voice or private property must be carried for strictly self-defense purposes, to prevent a crime or injury to the shooter or a third party. Devices such as gun cameras or 22-chip cameras are strongly encouraged to simplify possible litigation.
Will be punished with imprisonment from 6 months to five years in the Middle Surveillance District and a personality readjustment treatment and/or braindance treatment any person who has used a weapon without legitimate reason in a public place, even if this use has not caused injury or damage. (Priority 4)
Any private place (restaurant, discotheque...) or corporate residence area may be subject to a gun ban at the discretion of the owner or security officials. Any breach of these rules may be subject to a complaint for carrying a weapon illegally on private property.
Any foreign national passing through the United States must comply with the laws on the carrying of weapons and therefore declare any weapon carried in the country, which will be either registered or consigned, depending on its category and the criminal record of its bearer.
The owner of a firearm is responsible for its use and will be charged with any assault committed with a firearm registered in his name. In this regard, any theft or loss of a weapon must be duly reported to a police station as soon as possible.
A fine of $200 to $400 will be imposed on anyone who has misplaced or had a weapon stolen through negligence.
The municipality of a city reserves the right to grant authorizations to possess or carry weapons of any class to any person or organization that can justify this obligation on a personal level. This includes, but is not limited to, registered bodyguards, guards on duty in front of a building, law enforcement officers, rapid assistance medical services or surveillance militias.