Colorado legal term
Gas-operated semiautomatic handgun in Colorado Criminal Law
Current through 2026 Colorado legislative session
In Colorado criminal law, “Gas-operated semiautomatic handgun” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the Colorado criminal code.
What does “Gas-operated semiautomatic handgun” mean in Colorado criminal law?
"Gas-operated semiautomatic handgun" means any semiautomatic handgun that harnesses or traps a portion of the high-pressure gas from a fired cartridge to cycle the action using any of the following: (I) A long-stroke piston system in which gas is vented from the barrel to a piston that is mechanically fixed to the bolt group and moves to cycle the action; (II) A short-stroke piston system in which gas is vented from the barrel to a piston that moves separately from the bolt group so that the energy is imparted through a gas piston to cycle the action; (III) A system that traps and vents gas fr (C.R.S. § 18-12-116)
Statutes defining or using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.