An Act to Update the Statutory Definition of "Machine Gun" and Prohibit Possession of a Rapid-fire Device

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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 677
S.P. 292 In Senate, February 25, 2025
An Act to Update the Statutory Definition of "Machine Gun" and
Prohibit Possession of a Rapid-fire Device
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on February 20, 2025. Referred to the Committee
on Judiciary pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator CARNEY of Cumberland.
Cosponsored by Representative LEE of Auburn and
Senators: DUSON of Cumberland, LAWRENCE of York, RAFFERTY of York, ROTUNDO
of Androscoggin, Representatives: BECK of South Portland, DOUDERA of Camden,
GRAMLICH of Old Orchard Beach, SACHS of Freeport.

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1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 17-A MRSA §1051, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1975, c. 499, §1, is repealed
3 and the following enacted in its place:
42. As used in this chapter, "machine gun" means:
5 A. A weapon of any description, by whatever name known, loaded or unloaded, that
6 is capable of discharging a number of projectiles in rapid succession by one manual or
7 mechanical action on the trigger or firing mechanism; or
8 B. Any part designed and intended solely and exclusively, or combination of parts
9 designed and intended, for use in converting a weapon into a machine gun, including,
10 but not limited to:
11 (1) A device that, when installed in or attached to a firearm, allows the firearm to
12 discharge 2 or more shots with a single pull of the trigger;
13 (2) A device that applies force to a firearm’s trigger bar to prevent it from limiting
14 the weapon to firing only one round each time the trigger is depressed; or
15 (3) A power-driven device that, when installed in or attached to a firearm,
16 repeatedly activates the trigger of the firearm through the use of a crank, a lever or
17 any other part that is turned in a circular motion.
18Sec. 2. 17-A MRSA §1060 is enacted to read:
19§1060. Possession of rapid-fire device
201. A person is guilty of possession of a rapid-fire device if, without authority to do so,
21 that person knowingly possesses a rapid-fire device.
222. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms
23 have the following meanings.
24 A. "Rapid-fire device" means a device, part or combination of parts that is not a
25 machine gun and that materially increases the rate of fire of a semi-automatic firearm
26 above the rate of fire of the semi-automatic firearm absent the device, part or
27 combination of parts, including, but not limited to:
28 (1) A device that, when installed in or attached to a firearm, increases the rate of
29 fire of the firearm by using energy from the recoil of the firearm to generate a
30 reciprocating action that facilitates repeated activation of the trigger;
31 (2) A device that, when installed in or attached to a firearm, fires both when the
32 trigger is pulled and on release of the trigger; or
33 (3) A manual device that, when installed in or attached to a firearm, repeatedly
34 activates the trigger of the firearm through the use of a crank, a lever or any other
35 part that is turned in a circular motion.
36 B. "Semi-automatic firearm" means a firearm that:
37 (1) Upon the initiation of the firing sequence, fires the first chambered cartridge
38 and uses a portion of the energy of the firing cartridge to:
39 (a) Extract the expended cartridge case;
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1 (b) Chamber the next cartridge; and
2 (c) Prepare the firing mechanism to fire again;
3 (2) Requires a separate movement for each individual operation of the trigger or
4 firing mechanism; and
5 (3) Is not a machine gun.
63. Possession of a rapid-fire device is a Class D crime.
7SUMMARY
8 This bill modifies the provision of the Maine Criminal Code defining "machine gun"
9 to include any part or combination of parts designed and intended for use in converting a
10 weapon into a machine gun.
11 The bill enacts a provision that makes it a Class D crime for a person to knowingly
12 possess a rapid-fire device without authority to do so. A rapid-fire device is a device, part
13 or combination of parts that is not a machine gun and that materially increases the rate of
14 fire of a semi-automatic firearm above the rate of fire of the semi-automatic firearm absent
15 the device, part or combination of parts.
16 With respect to the definitions of "machine gun" and "rapid-fire device," the bill
17 provides a nonexhaustive list of examples describing the types of devices that would satisfy
18 each general definition.
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