Five ‘Destructive Devices’ That Are Illegal to Own in Montana

My original plan was to write about illegal weapons in Montana.

But the fact is, there aren't many. Twenty-one states have outlawed brass knuckles, but they're completely legal to possess in Montana. Many states have restrictive knife laws, but in the Treasure State, almost anything goes.

Switchblades are illegal if the blade is longer than 1.5 inches, but if you can vouch as a "verified collector" (basically by letting your local sheriff's department know), you can own a switchblade with minimal headache.

Firearms are the obvious top weapon for violent crimes in the US, but bad guys also seem to like their knives. The FBI's 2019 report revealed that 17.5% of aggravated assault cases in the US were inflicted with knives or other "cutting instruments".

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A Pro-Second Amendment State

Montana is generally very pro-2A (even most of the "libs" own firearms), and as a result, we have some of the least restrictive gun laws. Permitless concealed carry became legal in 2021, and there are no state-specific restrictions on magazine capacity.

Federal law still applies.

Swords, nunchucks, cat-o'-nine-tails, throwing stars, baseball bats in your car- all are legal in Montana. Of course, Montana must abide by federal regulations when it comes to fully automatic guns and sawed-off shotguns, and we have to comply with the tax stamp and paperwork necessary for owning a suppressor. So what can't we own? Montana Code 45-8-332 lays out what is a no-no.

Tracer rounds.

Many years ago I may have allegedly stumbled onto a couple boxes of 7.62 tracer rounds at a gun show. We may have allegedly shot them off in the winter over a frozen lake in southwest Montana at night. They may have been incredibly fun to shoot. Tracer rounds are illegal to own in Montana, so perhaps I completely made up that story. However, shotgun tracer rounds ARE legal.

Can I have a grenade in Montana?

Um, no. The law is quite clear on this. It states, "a bomb, grenade, explosive missile, or similar device or a launching device therefore" are not allowed.

Anything greater than .60 caliber.

The .50 BMG is a hoot to shoot, albeit an expensive day at the range with shells typically costing over $3 per round. However, anything over .60 caliber (except for shotguns) is illegal in Montana.

No RPGs either?

Nope. You'll have to leave these to the XBox, because "a rocket, rocket-propelled projectile, or similar device of a diameter greater than 0.60 inch or a launching device therefore and a rocket, rocket-propelled projectile, or similar device containing an explosive or incendiary material or any other similar chemical substance other than the propellant for the device" may not be owned or used in Montana.

Molotov Cocktails

A little bit of gasoline, a bottle, and a rag cork soaked in fuel is a fiery combination. Known as a Molotov cocktail, these are a no-no in Big Sky Country. Of course, anything can be used as a weapon (a car, a rock, a pair of scissors, your bad-ass MMA skills), and what you use to hurt someone may be classified as a deadly weapon when it comes to the courts and prosecutors.