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Smetánka Jakub. 2021 ‘New Category A-I and Over-limit Magazines.’ Amendment to the Weapons Act II. Prague: LEX Association. 3 January

Relevant contents

The subject of the second article on the amendment of the Arms Act is the creation of a new category A-I. This category includes some weapons and ammunition that have been moved to it from categories A and B.

Self-propelled weapons that have been converted to self-loading weapons (still cat. B)

There are quite a few of these weapons. Most self-loading guns that use the main parts of cat. A, are assembled from separate parts that have already been modified before the weapon is assembled. The weapon is therefore assembled as a category B. Thus, only weapons and separate main parts which have been registered as category A in the central register of weapons and then changed to category B fall under category A-I. If you have such a weapon, you do not have to register it again - under the transitional provisions, current holders of Category A-I weapons are automatically considered to be the rightful owners and holders of the exemption.

Self-loading guns for centrefire ammunition, in which the appropriate over-limit magazine is inserted (until now Cat. B)

In this case it is not a separate type of weapon. The category of the weapon is determined by the capacity of the magazine that is inserted into it; this type of exception therefore realistically means the possibility to buy and use the appropriate over-capacity magazine for the weapon (20+ rounds for short weapons, 10+ for long weapons).

Long, self-loading, centrefire ammunition weapons originally designed for shoulder firing, equipped with a folding, retractable or tool-less removable shoulder rest, whereby when folded, retracted or removed the length of the weapon is less than 600 mm and its functionality is not affected (previously Cat. B)

This category, which is taken directly from the Weapons Directive, is so internally inconsistent as to be essentially inapplicable. A long weapon is defined (also directly in the Directive) as a weapon whose overall length is greater than 600 mm. It follows that if the weapon is still longer than 600 mm when the buttstock is folded, retracted or removed, then it is not a category A-I weapon because it is longer than 600 mm; on the other hand, if it is shorter than 600 mm when the buttstock is folded, retracted or removed and its functionality is not affected, then it is also not a category A-I weapon because it is not a long weapon.

Gas-operated or expansion-operated, except for the permitted production version specified in the implementing legislation (still Cat. A)

These are mainly weapons used for film and theatre purposes. For these, it is not always possible to comply with the conditions of permissible production design which would allow their classification in category D. The law has therefore previously classified them in category A; the amendment reclassifies them in the lower category A-I.

Ammunition for short-bullet firearms with a shock projectile or a projectile designed to increase the wounding effect (previously Cat. A).

This is ammunition that is typically intended for self-defense purposes. It is characterised by increased wounding (i.e. higher stopping power) and reduced penetration (i.e. less threat to bystanders).

ID: Q14372

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