What Guns Are Banned in Connecticut? Models, Features, and Penalties

Connecticut bans a long list of firearms by name, outlaws semi-automatic guns that carry certain military-style features, caps magazine capacity at 10 rounds, and prohibits suppressors, sawed-off shotguns, bump stocks and similar rate-of-fire devices, unserialized “ghost guns,” and armor-piercing or incendiary .50 caliber ammunition. Machine guns and short-barreled rifles are tightly restricted rather than flatly banned. If you are trying to figure out what guns are banned in Connecticut, the answer runs across several categories, and the penalties for getting it wrong range from a misdemeanor to a felony with mandatory prison time.

Assault Weapons Banned by Name

Connecticut’s named-model bans came in three waves.

The 1993 list covers dozens of specific firearms, including the Colt AR-15, AK-47 variants, the UZI family, MAC-10 and MAC-11 types, and the TEC-9. Any selective-fire weapon capable of fully automatic or burst fire is also covered.¹

The 2013 expansion added nearly 50 semi-automatic centerfire rifles produced on or before April 4, 2013, including AR-10 and AR-15 platform rifles from Bushmaster, DPMS, Rock River Arms, Smith & Wesson, and Ruger, plus AK-pattern rifles from numerous manufacturers. Named pistols include the Draco AK-47, several AR-15 pistol variants, the Kel-Tec PLR-16, and the Sig Sauer P516 and P556. The only named shotgun from 2013 is the IZHMASH Saiga 12 in all variants. Copies or duplicates with the same capabilities as any named firearm are also banned.¹

In 2023, Public Act 23-53 expanded the definition again, sweeping in firearms previously sold as “CT-Other” configurations along with additional models.²

Assault Weapons Defined by Features

A gun doesn’t need to be on any list to count as an assault weapon. Connecticut uses a one-feature test: for most semi-automatic firearms, a single prohibited feature combined with a detachable magazine is enough.

A semi-automatic centerfire rifle that accepts a detachable magazine is an assault weapon if it has any one of these:¹

A folding or telescoping stock
A pistol grip or thumbhole stock (any grip that lets a finger other than the trigger finger sit below the action)
A forward pistol grip
A flash suppressor
A grenade or flare launcher

A semi-automatic pistol that accepts a detachable magazine is an assault weapon if it has any one of these:¹

A magazine attaching outside the pistol grip
A threaded barrel capable of accepting a flash suppressor, forward grip, or silencer
A barrel shroud that lets the shooter hold the barrel area without getting burned (a standard slide doesn’t count)
A second handgrip

A semi-automatic pistol with a fixed magazine over 10 rounds is also classified as an assault weapon regardless of other features. For shotguns, any semi-automatic model that accepts a detachable magazine or has a revolving cylinder falls under the ban.¹

Magazines Over 10 Rounds

Connecticut prohibits any magazine, belt, drum, feed strip, or similar device that holds more than 10 rounds, regardless of what firearm it fits.³

Four categories are excluded:

Devices permanently altered so they cannot hold more than 10 rounds
.22 caliber tube feeding devices
Tubular magazines in lever-action firearms
Permanently inoperable magazines

Selling, importing, or transferring a large capacity magazine is a class D felony. Simple possession is a class D felony for anyone otherwise ineligible to own firearms, and a class A misdemeanor for everyone else.³

Suppressors, Sawed-Off Shotguns, Machine Guns, and Short-Barreled Rifles

These items are grouped together under the federal National Firearms Act, but Connecticut treats them very differently.

Suppressors are banned. Possessing a silencer is a class D felony under § 53a-211.⁴ A separate statute also prohibits using a silencer while hunting.⁵ Connecticut is one of a handful of states where civilian suppressor ownership is illegal even with a federal NFA tax stamp.

Sawed-off shotguns are banned. Possession is a class D felony under § 53a-211, regardless of federal NFA registration.⁴ Under federal definitions, that means a shotgun with a barrel under 18 inches or an overall length under 26 inches.⁶

Machine guns are presumptively illegal but can be owned under strict conditions. Any firearm that shoots more than one round with a single trigger pull qualifies, and the definition extends to conversion parts.⁷ Possessing one for an offensive or aggressive purpose carries 5 to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $1,000. The law presumes offensive purpose if the gun is on property you don’t own or rent, if it’s unregistered, or if compatible ammunition is found nearby. Federal law allows transfer to civilians only for machine guns manufactured and registered before May 19, 1986,⁸ and Connecticut additionally requires the owner to register the weapon annually with the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, providing the model, serial number, and details about how and why the gun was acquired.

Short-barreled rifles are legal with proper federal NFA registration, which includes a $200 tax stamp and ATF approval. A short-barreled rifle has a barrel under 16 inches or an overall length under 26 inches.⁶ The Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection has acknowledged that some firearms previously sold as “CT-Other” configurations may now classify as short-barreled rifles under federal rules, and owners should verify their status.⁹

Bump Stocks and Other Rate-of-Fire Devices

Connecticut bans any device that increases a semi-automatic firearm’s rate of fire beyond one round per trigger pull. The statute reaches three categories:¹⁰

Bump stocks, which use recoil energy to make the trigger function repeatedly
Trigger cranks, which repeatedly pull the trigger through a crank or lever
Binary trigger systems, which fire a round on both the trigger pull and the trigger release

Selling, transferring, or manufacturing these is prohibited outright. A first possession offense is a class D misdemeanor; any subsequent offense is a class D felony.¹⁰

Ghost Guns and Unserialized Firearms

Connecticut prohibits manufacturing, selling, importing, or possessing any firearm without a unique serial number. As of January 1, 2024, simple possession is illegal. Anyone who lawfully owned one before that date had to either declare it to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection or request and affix a state-issued serial number by that same deadline.²

Penalties here are steep. Possessing an unserialized firearm that is also an assault weapon or machine gun, or possessing one while you are a prohibited person, is a class C felony with mandatory prison time. For an otherwise-eligible owner who simply never obtained a serial number, the offense drops to a class C misdemeanor. Possessing an unserialized unfinished frame or lower receiver is a class C felony with two years of mandatory, non-suspendable imprisonment.

Banned Ammunition

Two types of ammunition are illegal: armor-piercing bullets and incendiary .50 caliber bullets. Distributing, transporting, importing, selling, or giving either to anyone is a class D felony, with a first offense chargeable as a class A misdemeanor. Carrying a firearm loaded with armor-piercing or incendiary .50 caliber rounds is a class D felony with no first-offense reduction.¹¹

If You Already Owned One: Grandfathering Deadlines

Connecticut lets people who legally owned now-banned firearms or magazines before the ban date keep them, but only if they registered on time. Miss the deadline and possession becomes illegal no matter when you bought the gun. All of the deadlines below have passed.

Assault Weapon Certificates of Possession

Pre-1993 assault weapons (the original named list): application for a Certificate of Possession was due by October 1, 1994.¹²
2013-expanded assault weapons (the second named list and the feature-based bans): registration was due by January 1, 2014.¹²
2023-expanded assault weapons (including “CT-Other” firearms and newly covered models): registration was due by April 30, 2024.²

Anyone who registered an assault weapon under an earlier ban is treated as having registered the same weapon under later expansions and does not need a new certificate.² Active-duty military members stationed outside Connecticut when a deadline hits generally get 90 days after returning to file. Someone who moves to Connecticut with a lawfully owned assault weapon has 90 days to permanently disable it, sell it to a licensed dealer, or take it out of state.

Large Capacity Magazine Declarations

Magazines lawfully possessed before April 5, 2013, could be kept if declared to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. The original declaration deadline was January 1, 2014, and a later window allowed undeclared magazines to be registered by January 1, 2024.³ Both deadlines have passed, and possessing an undeclared large capacity magazine is now a criminal offense.

Penalties at a Glance

Classifications turn largely on whether the person was otherwise eligible to possess firearms and whether they tried to comply with registration rules.

Possessing an assault weapon is a class D felony carrying up to five years in prison, with one year that cannot be suspended or reduced. A first-time offender can get the charge reduced to a class A misdemeanor by proving lawful possession before the relevant ban date and compliance with storage and transport rules.¹³

Possessing a large capacity magazine is a class D felony for prohibited persons and a class A misdemeanor for everyone else; selling or transferring one is a class D felony across the board.³ Possessing a machine gun for an offensive purpose carries 5 to 10 years and a fine up to $1,000, with failure to register creating a presumption of offensive purpose.⁷

For context, a class D felony in Connecticut carries up to five years in prison and a fine up to $5,000. A class A misdemeanor carries up to one year and a fine up to $2,000.

Driving Through Connecticut With a Banned Firearm

Federal law offers some protection for travelers passing through. Under the Firearm Owners Protection Act, you can transport a firearm through a restrictive state if the gun is unloaded and stored where it is not readily accessible from the passenger compartment. If the vehicle has no separate trunk or cargo area, the firearm and ammunition must be in a locked container other than the glove compartment or center console.¹⁴

This safe harbor applies only to through-travel. Stop in Connecticut for anything beyond brief, travel-related needs like gas or food and you risk losing the federal protection and falling under state law. Carrying an assault weapon or large capacity magazine that is legal in New Hampshire but banned in Connecticut is a serious felony if state law applies, so plan routes and stops accordingly.

1
Justia. Connecticut Code 53-202a – Assault Weapons: Definitions
2
Connecticut General Assembly. Summary of State Gun Laws
3
Justia. Connecticut Code 53-202w – Large Capacity Magazines
4
Connecticut General Assembly. Gun Control
5
Justia. Connecticut Code 26-75 – Silencer on Firearms
6
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 5845 – Definitions
7
Justia. Connecticut Code 53-202 – Machine Guns
8
Connecticut General Assembly. Summary of State and Federal Machine Gun Laws
9
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. ATF Final Rule FAQ
10
Justia. Connecticut Code 53-206g
11
Justia. Connecticut Code 53-202l – Armor Piercing and Incendiary 50 Caliber Bullets
12
Justia. Connecticut Code 53-202d – Certificate of Possession of Assault Weapon
13
Connecticut General Assembly. Chapter 943 – Offenses Against Public Peace and Safety
14
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 926A – Interstate Transportation of Firearms