15 U.S.C. § 1245
Section 1245 · Ballistic knives
Amended 2 times on record
Applied in 2 court decisions — leading case United States v. Polizzi (2008)
Most recently applied in United States v. Polizzi (April 2008)
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
Whoever in or affecting interstate commerce, within any Territory or possession of the United States, within Indian country (as defined in section 1151 of title 18), or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States (as defined in section 7 of title 18), knowingly possesses, manufactures, sells, or imports a ballistic knife shall be fined as provided in title 18, or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
Whoever possesses or uses a ballistic knife in the commission of a Federal crime of violence shall be fined as provided in title 18, or imprisoned not less than five years and not more than ten years, or both.
The exceptions provided in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of section 1244 of this title with respect to switchblade knives shall apply to ballistic knives under subsection (a) of this section.
As used in this section, the term “ballistic knife” means a knife with a detachable blade that is propelled by a spring-operated mechanism.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Amendments
1988—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100–690, §6472(1), substituted “in or affecting interstate commerce, within any Territory or possession of the United States, within Indian country (as defined in section 1151 of title 18), or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States (as defined in section 7 of title 18), knowingly possesses, manufactures, sells, or imports” for “knowingly possesses, manufactures, sells, or imports”.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 100–690, §6472(2), struck out “or State” after “Federal”.
Effective Date
Section 10004 of Pub. L. 99–570 provided that: “The amendments made by this title [enacting this section, amending section 1716 of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure, and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 1241 of this title] shall take effect 30 days after the date of enactment of this title [Oct. 27, 1986].”