Why is this pistol not legal in MN?

[destron]

Hey guys,

I'm new to firearms and looking at picking up a 22 to take to the range for cheap practice - so ive been looking at my options (Ruger SR22 is at the top of my list) and while browsing I happened to notice that something like the below is not legal in MN.. My question to you is.. Why is something like this not legal in MN?

H&K 416 22LR PISTOL 9" 20RD
http://grabagun.com/handguns/semi-automatic/h-k-416-22lr-pistol-9-20rd-blue.html
http://www.thegunsource.com/item/188857_UMAREX_Handguns_Pistols_HK_416_22LR_PISTOL_9_20RD_BLUE.aspx [also says illegal in MN]



Its a semi-automatic pistol...

ive been looking at our gun laws.. (of which I find the silencer/suppressor law to make me most )..

A handgun includes a weapon designed to be fired by the use of a single hand and with an overall length less than 26 inches, or having a barrel of a length less than 18 inches in the case of a shotgun or having a barrel of a length less than 16 inches in the case of a rifle.

It is a felony, with certain limited exceptions, to own, possess, or operate a machine gun, short-barreled shotgun, trigger activator, or machine gun conversion kit. The
maximum penalty for this offense is five years imprisonment and/or a $10,000 fine. Minn. Stat. § 609.67

..what am I missing? ..trying to learn as much as I can! thanks in advance!

[TTS]

I can't confirm this, but one of the distributors at the shooters show mentioned something about the low melting point of the frame?

It is a gross misdemeanor for a federally licensed firearms
dealer to sell or for any person to manufacture or assemble,
in whole or in part, a “Saturday night special” pistol. A
“Saturday night special”pistol means any pistol (other than
an antique firearm, air gun, or toy gun) that is made of any of
the following materials:
< any material having a melting point of less than 1,000
degrees Fahrenheit;
< any material having an ultimate tensile strength of less
than 55,000 pounds per square inch; or
< any powdered metal having a density of less than 7.5
grams per cubic centimeter.
Minn. Stat. §§ 624.712; 624.716

[photogpat]

I can't confirm this, but one of the distributors at the shooters show mentioned something about the low melting pint of the frame?

It is a gross misdemeanor for a federally licensed firearms
dealer to sell or for any person to manufacture or assemble,
in whole or in part, a “Saturday night special” pistol. A
“Saturday night special”pistol means any pistol (other than
an antique firearm, air gun, or toy gun) that is made of any of
the following materials:
< any material having a melting point of less than 1,000
degrees Fahrenheit;
< any material having an ultimate tensile strength of less
than 55,000 pounds per square inch; or
< any powdered metal having a density of less than 7.5
grams per cubic centimeter.
Minn. Stat. §§ 624.712; 624.716

This...its receiver is a "Saturday Night Special", or close enough to one that the manufacturer doesn't want to test it to meet MN standards.

[destron]

I did see something about Melting points (see section "Saturday Night Specials") on page 13 of this doc -http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hrd/pubs/firearms.pdf

That makes sense - ill see what I can find out about the barrel - the frame says Polymer..

edit: so its the receiver? hmm - do manufacturers post information about "Melting Points"? I havent seen anything about em yet..

[TTS]

Makes me wonder how polymer pistols get by...

[photogpat]

Its the frame, not the receiver...my bad...polymer pistols all have a steel (or other passing metal alloy) frame.

[destron]

found this thread about melting points - reading through it's posts - viewtopic.php?f=9&t=22308

[TTS]

Its the frame, not the receiver...my bad...polymer pistols all have a steel (or other passing metal alloy) frame.

They must take a very loose view on what constitutes a "frame"

Wait...Am I trying to apply logic to gun laws....

[JoeH]

Saturday Night Special laws are elitist and racist. The early gun laws were enacted to keep guns out of the hands of poor blacks.

[TTS]

Ahhh, I see from the other thread:

Subd. 4.Saturday night special pistol. "Saturday night special pistol" means a pistol other than an antique firearm or a pistol for which the propelling force is carbon dioxide, air or other vapor, or children's pop guns or toys, having a frame, barrel, cylinder, slide or breechblock:
(1) of any material having a melting point (liquidus) of less than 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, or

(2) of any material having an ultimate tensile strength of less than 55,000 pounds per square inch, or

(3) of any powdered metal having a density of less than 7.5 grams per cubic centimeter.

[Scratch]

What about the Plum Crazy lowers? Can you make a pistol from one of those? Does this apply to pistols only not rifles so Plum crazy lowers are fine for rifles?

Or maybe this gun has a poly upper?

[TTS]

I think the key point is that Glocks, Plum Crazy, etc don't turn into a liquid at below 1000 degrees... A gooey gel, maybe...but not a liquid.

Pot metal will turn into a liquid at those temps.

[Scratch]

I think the key point is that Glocks, Plum Crazy, etc don't turn into a liquid at below 1000 degrees... A gooey gel, maybe...but not a liquid.

Pot metal will turn into a liquid at those temps.

So the gun the OP posted about is pot metal? I thought it said polymer?

[Pezhead]

It's come up before on the issue of .22's. Single action revolver and 1911 type if I remember.

[TTS]

I think the key point is that Glocks, Plum Crazy, etc don't turn into a liquid at below 1000 degrees... A gooey gel, maybe...but not a liquid.

Pot metal will turn into a liquid at those temps.

So the gun the OP posted about is pot metal? I thought it said polymer?

So it is... the plot thickens