Firearm Projectiles Prohibited by Illinois State Law as of January 1, 2002 Public Act 92-0423, which amends the Illinois Criminal Code of 1961 by changing Sections 24-2.1, 24-2.2, 24.3.2, lists the following firearm projectiles as prohibited and provides the following definitions.
Armor Piercing Bullet
Dragon's Breath Shotgun Shell
Bolo Shell
Flechette Shell Armor Piercing Bullet
Any handgun bullet or handgun ammunition with projectiles or projectile cores constructed entirely (excluding the presence of traces of other substances) from tungsten alloys, steel, iron, brass, bronze, beryllium copper or depleted uranium, or fully jacketed bullets larger than .22 caliber designed and intended for use in a handgun and whose jacket has a weight of more than 25% of the total weight of the projectile, and excluding those handgun projectiles whose cores are composed of soft materials such as lead or lead alloys, zinc or zinc alloys, frangible projectiles designed primarily for sporting purposes, and any other projectiles or projectile cores that the U. S. Secretary of the Treasury finds to be primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes or industrial purposes or that otherwise does not constitute "armor piercing ammunition" as that term is defined by federal law. The definition contained herein shall not be construed to include shotgun shells. Dragon's Breath Shotgun Shell: Any shotgun shell that contains exothermic pyrophoric mesh metal as the projectile and is designed for the purpose of throwing or spewing a flame or fireball to simulate a flamethrower. Bolo Shell: Any shell that can be fired in a firearm and expels as projectiles 2 or more metal balls connected by solid metal wire. Flechette Shell: Any shell that can be fired in a firearm and expels 2 or more pieces of fin-stabilized solid metal wire or 2 or more solid dart-type projectiles. In addition to the above prohibited projectiles, Section 24.1. (a) (3) and (a) (7) (iii) and Section 24.1.(a) (11), unchanged by Public Act 92-0423, list the following as prohibited. Section 24.1. (a) A person commits the offense of unlawful use of weapons when he knowingly: (3) Carries on or about his person or in any vehicle, a tear gas gun projector or bomb or any object containing noxious liquid gas or substance, other than an object containing a non-lethal noxious liquid gas or substance designed solely for personal defense carried by a person 18 years of age or older. (7) (iii) Any bomb, bomb-shell, grenade, bottle or other container containing an explosive substance of over one-quarter ounce for like purposes, such as, but not limited to, black powder bombs and Molotov co*cktails or artillery projectiles; Section 24.1. (a) (11) Sells, manufactures or purchases any explosive bullet. For purposes of this paragraph (a) “explosive bullet” means the projectile portion of an ammunition cartridge which contains or carries an explosive charge which will explode upon contact with the flesh of a human or an animal. “Cartridge” means a tubular metal case having a projectile affixed at the front thereof and a cap or primer at the rear end thereof, with the propellant contained in such tube between the projectile and the cap.
