Ok. Here is the relevant text on assault weapons
2) 'Assault weapon' means a firearm with any of the following characteristics:
(a) all semiautomatic action, centerfire rifles with a detachable magazine with a capacity of twenty-one or more rounds;
(b) all semiautomatic shotguns with a folding stock or a magazine capacity of more than six rounds, or both;
(c) a firearm which has been modified to be operable as an assault weapon as defined in this item; and
(d) any part or combination of parts designed or intended to convert a firearm into an assault weapon, including a detachable magazine with a capacity of twenty-one or more rounds, or any combination of parts from which an assault weapon may be readily assembled if those parts are in the possession or under the control of the same person.
'Assault weapon' does not include weapons that do not use fixed cartridges, weapons that were in production prior to 1898, manually operated bolt-action weapons, lever-action weapons, slide-action weapons, single-shot weapons, multiple-barrel weapons, revolving-cylinder weapons, semiautomatic weapons for which there is no fixed magazine with capacity of twenty-one or more rounds available, semiautomatic weapons that use exclusively en bloc clips, semiautomatic weapons in production prior to 1954, rimfire weapons that employ a tubular magazine, a firearm that use .22 caliber rimfire ammunition, or an assault weapon which has been modified either to render it permanently inoperable or to permanently make it a device no longer defined as an assault weapon.
Section 2 (a) [all semiautomatic action, centerfire rifles with a detachable magazine with a capacity of twenty-one or more rounds; ] seems to contradict 'Assault weapon' does not include? semiautomatic weapons for which there is no fixed magazine with capacity of twenty-one or more rounds available,
Other than that the language used to define specific weapons is the same as far as I can tell, with the usual changes in punctuation attendant upon any revision (commas for parentheses, stuff like that).
The other major change is in redefining the charges on a concealed weapon from a misdemeanor to a felony. This in itself is not as worrying as the potential for abuse inherit in this change, as by SC law (16-23-405) ???weapon? means firearm (rifle, shotgun, pistol, or similar device that propels a projectile through the energy of an explosive), a knife with a blade over two inches long, a blackjack, a metal pipe or pole, or any other type of device or object which may be used to inflict bodily injury or death.?
Anyone who has ever had a decently taught self defense course knows you can do a lot of damage with a set of car keys, a ball point pen, or even a rolled up newspaper. and if a cop gets a case of the arse and charges you which would you rather have to fight, a felony or misdemeanor? And how many of you own baseball bats? Just a little food for thought
(yes i know i'm paranoid. 1) I've had to deal with somethign like this before (everything up to half my kitchen utensils got confiscated) and 2) read my tagline)
