The Illinois melting point law bars federally licensed firearms dealers, importers, manufacturers, and pawnbrokers from selling or delivering a handgun whose barrel, slide, frame, or receiver is a die casting of zinc alloy or any other nonhomogeneous metal that melts or deforms below 800 degrees Fahrenheit. It is codified at 720 ILCS 5/24-3(A)(h), and a violation is a Class 4 felony.1Illinois General Assembly. 720 ILCS 5/24-3 – Unlawful Sale or Delivery of Firearms The restriction runs against licensed sellers. It does not criminalize a private owner who already has one of these handguns at home.
How the 800-Degree Standard Works
The statute sets an objective, testable line. A handgun fails if any one of four components — barrel, slide, frame, or receiver — is a die casting of zinc alloy or another nonhomogeneous metal that melts or deforms below 800°F.1Illinois General Assembly. 720 ILCS 5/24-3 – Unlawful Sale or Delivery of Firearms A single non-compliant part puts the whole gun inside the prohibition. That matters because some low-cost designs pair a steel barrel with a zinc-alloy frame; the mixed build does not save the gun.
Standard firearm-grade steel melts above 2,500°F, and aluminum alloys used in quality handgun frames typically exceed 1,100°F. Zinc alloys often called Zamak (zinc, aluminum, magnesium, and copper) melt at roughly 720 to 790°F, which places them below the statutory cutoff. “Nonhomogeneous metal” in the statute refers to alloys and composite metals with an inconsistent internal structure, the kind cheaply produced by die casting, where molten metal is injected into molds at high volume. The resulting parts can look solid but lack the internal consistency to withstand repeated firing.
The statute defines a “handgun” as a firearm designed to be held and fired with a single hand, including a combination of parts from which one can be assembled. Rifles and shotguns are outside the law’s reach.
Who the Law Actually Binds
The operative language is “while holding any license” under the federal Gun Control Act of 1968. That limits paragraph (h) to people with a Federal Firearms License: dealers, importers, manufacturers, and pawnbrokers.1Illinois General Assembly. 720 ILCS 5/24-3 – Unlawful Sale or Delivery of Firearms A licensed Illinois gun shop cannot stock, sell, or deliver a handgun whose covered parts fail the temperature test. A private citizen who already owns one is not committing an offense under this paragraph by keeping it.
Other Illinois firearms rules still apply to any transfer. Both parties to a private sale need a valid Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card, and the seller must verify the buyer’s card through the Illinois State Police.2Illinois State Police. Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) The melting-point statute itself does not block a private transfer of a non-compliant handgun, but the FOID framework governs how any transfer has to happen.
Which Handguns Fail the Test
Illinois does not publish a list of banned models. The rule is performance-based: it describes a metallurgical standard, not a catalog. Whether a given handgun violates the law depends on the material composition of its barrel, slide, frame, and receiver.
In practice, the handguns most commonly associated with the restriction are the cheap die-cast pistols that gave rise to the “Saturday Night Special” nickname. From the 1970s into the 1990s, a cluster of Southern California manufacturers known collectively as the “Ring of Fire” companies — Lorcin Engineering, Bryco Arms, Davis Industries, Raven Arms, and Phoenix Arms — mass-produced inexpensive zinc-alloy handguns that often retailed for under $100. They fired, but zinc-alloy frames could deform after relatively few rounds, and the low melting point left components susceptible to heat-related stress during normal use.
If you need to know whether a specific pistol fails the test, the answer lies in the metallurgy of its covered parts, not in a model name on a government list.
Penalty for a Dealer Violation
A licensed dealer, importer, manufacturer, or pawnbroker who knowingly manufactures, sells, or delivers a non-compliant handgun to an unlicensed person commits a Class 4 felony.1Illinois General Assembly. 720 ILCS 5/24-3 – Unlawful Sale or Delivery of Firearms A Class 4 felony carries a prison term of one to three years, with fines available under the state’s unified sentencing code.3Illinois General Assembly. 730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-45 – Class 4 Felonies; Sentence
The knowledge requirement matters. The statute reaches a dealer who “knowingly” does any of the prohibited acts, so a seller with no idea a frame was die-cast zinc alloy has a potential defense. Ignorance becomes harder to sustain when the retail price and manufacturer themselves point to the material.
What the Law Does Not Do
Several misreadings of this statute are common, and each can lead to the wrong decision.
- It does not ban possession. Owning a zinc-alloy handgun in Illinois is not a crime under paragraph (h). The provision targets commercial transactions by licensed entities.
- It does not contain a law enforcement exemption for this specific rule. The law enforcement exemption inside 720 ILCS 5/24-3 sits in paragraph (g), which addresses waiting periods, not paragraph (h). An FFL cannot sell a non-compliant handgun to a police officer under this paragraph any more than to anyone else.1Illinois General Assembly. 720 ILCS 5/24-3 – Unlawful Sale or Delivery of Firearms
- It does not include a curio or relic carve-out. Federal curio-and-relic classifications are a separate regulatory framework and do not override Illinois’s restriction on commercial sales.
- It does not reach rifles or shotguns. The defined term is “handgun” — a firearm designed to be held and fired with one hand.
If You Already Own One
You are not in legal jeopardy from possession alone. The practical catch is that no Illinois FFL can lawfully accept the handgun for resale to unlicensed buyers, which closes off the ordinary consignment or trade-in route. Realistic options:
- Keep it. Possession is lawful as long as you hold a valid FOID card. You are not required to surrender a handgun solely because its components fall below the melting-point standard.
- Surrender it to law enforcement. Many Illinois police departments accept unwanted firearms, and some agencies hold periodic buyback events where you can turn in firearms with no questions asked. Contact your local department about its process.
- Transfer it out of state. A transfer to a resident of another state without a similar restriction may be possible, but it must go through a federally licensed dealer in the recipient’s home state to comply with federal law. Talk to an FFL holder before attempting it.
- Have it decommissioned. A licensed gunsmith can permanently disable the firearm by welding the barrel, removing the firing pin, and otherwise rendering it inoperable. Inspection and decommissioning typically run between $35 and $100 depending on the work.
One deadline worth keeping in mind: if your FOID card is revoked for any reason, Illinois law requires you to dispose of all firearms within 48 hours of receiving the revocation notice and to complete a Firearm Disposition Record disclosing the location of each firearm or the name and FOID number of the person taking custody.