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is it ok to own or/and buy swords?
- Thread Starter nethack
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(I'm new here--hello everyone.) I live in Chicago, Illinois, in Hyde Park, near the U of C. I would like to know if it is legal to own and buy a sword online in my area. Thanks a lot!
From what I've seen, here are relevant sections. I wonder whether a sword would constitute a "deadly weapon" since, by definition, it's more deadly than a knife! Typically the swords are replicas and not true swords but I wonder about applicability even if it were since the below statute seems to require an intent to use. Good question.
Illinois Criminal Code of 1961.
(720 ILCS 5/Art. 24 heading)
ARTICLE 24. DEADLY WEAPONS
(720 ILCS 5/24‑1) (from Ch. 38, par. 24‑1)
Sec. 24‑1. Unlawful Use of Weapons.
(a) A person commits the offense of unlawful use of weapons when he knowingly:
(2) Carries or possesses with intent to use the same unlawfully against another, a dagger, dirk, billy, dangerous knife, razor, stiletto, broken bottle or other piece of glass... or any other dangerous or deadly weapon of like character...
Sec. 33A‑1. Legislative intent and definitions.
(c) Definitions.
(1) "Armed with a dangerous weapon". A person is considered armed with a dangerous weapon for purposes of this Article, when he or she carries on or about his or her person or is otherwise armed with a Category I, Category II, or Category III weapon.
(2) A Category I weapon is a handgun, sawed‑off shotgun, sawed‑off rifle, any other firearm small enough to be concealed upon the person, semiautomatic firearm, or machine gun. A Category II weapon is any other rifle, shotgun, spring gun, other firearm, stun gun or taser as defined in paragraph (a) of Section 24‑1 of this Code, knife with a blade of at least 3 inches in length, dagger, dirk, switchblade knife, stiletto, axe, hatchet, or other deadly or dangerous weapon or instrument of like character. As used in this subsection (b) "semiautomatic firearm" means a repeating firearm that utilizes a portion of the energy of a firing cartridge to extract the fired cartridge case and chamber the next round and that requires a separate pull of the trigger to fire each cartridge.
(3) A Category III weapon is a bludgeon, black‑jack, slungshot, sand‑bag, sand‑club, metal knuckles, billy, or other dangerous weapon of like character.
Thanks for the reply!
Hmm, doesn't the statute doesn't seem to say anything about buying or owning a sword...my friend in Chicago owns one, but of course doesn't carry it around except for on Halloween with her children, as part of a costume. She uses it for decoration and for chopping plastic bottles.
Thanks a lot, though!
Hmm, doesn't the statute doesn't seem to say anything about buying or owning a sword...my friend in Chicago owns one, but of course doesn't carry it around except for on Halloween with her children, as part of a costume. She uses it for decoration and for chopping plastic bottles.
Thanks a lot, though!
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