---
title: HB 1127. Crimes; offense of unlawful possession of parts of a machine gun; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1127
cite_as: HB 1127, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1127
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1127.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1127/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72681
date: 2026-02-04
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1127.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1127
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-02-02
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Omari Crawford
- Anne Westbrook
- Mary Oliver
- Scott Holcomb
- Inga Willis
- Yasmin Neal
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1127/2025
upstream_id: 2104326
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- gun laws
- machine guns
- weapons possession crimes
- firearm regulations
---
# HB 1127. Crimes; offense of unlawful possession of parts of a machine gun; provide
## Text
House Bill 1127
By: Representatives Crawford of the 89th, Westbrook of the 163rd, Oliver of the 84th,
Holcomb of the 101st, Willis of the 55th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Part 2 of Article 4 of Chapter 11 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to possession of dangerous weapons, so as to provide for the offense of
unlawful possession of parts of a machine gun; to provide for punishment; to provide for an
exemption; to revise and provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to repeal
conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Part 2 of Article 4 of Chapter 11 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to possession of dangerous weapons, is amended by revising Code Section
16-11-121, relating to definitions, as follows:
"16-11-121.
As used in this part, the term:
(1) 'Dangerous weapon' means any weapon commonly known as a 'rocket launcher,'
'bazooka,' or 'recoilless rifle' which fires explosive or nonexplosive rockets designed to
injure or kill personnel or destroy heavy armor, or similar weapon used for such purpose.
The Such term shall also mean a weapon commonly known as a 'mortar' which fires high
explosive from a metallic cylinder and which is commonly used by the armed forces as
an antipersonnel weapon or similar weapon used for such purpose. The term shall also
mean a weapon commonly known as a 'hand grenade' or other similar weapon which is
designed to explode and injure personnel or similar weapon used for such purpose.
(2) 'Machine gun' means any weapon which shoots or, is designed to shoot, or can be
readily converted to shoot, automatically, more than six shots one shot, without manual
reloading, by a single function of the trigger.
(3) 'Parts of a machine gun' means:
(A) The frame or receiver of any such weapon;
(B) Any part designed and intended solely and exclusively, or combination of parts
designed and intended, for use in converting a pistol into a machine gun; or
(C) Any combination of parts from which a machine gun can be assembled if such
parts are in the possession or under the control of a person.
(4) 'Person' means any individual, partnership, company, association, or corporation.
(4)(5) 'Sawed-off rifle' means a weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, and
intended to be fired from the shoulder; and designed or redesigned, made or remade, to
use the energy of the explosive in a fixed metallic cartridge to fire only a single projectile
through a rifle bore for each single pull of the trigger; and which has a barrel or barrels
of less than 16 inches in length or has an overall length of less than 26 inches.
(5)(6) 'Sawed-off shotgun' means a shotgun or any weapon made from a shotgun whether
by alteration, modification, or otherwise having one or more barrels less than 18 inches
in length or if such weapon as modified has an overall length of less than 26 inches.
(6)(7) 'Shotgun' means a weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended
to be fired from the shoulder; and designed or redesigned, and made or remade, to use the
energy of the explosive in a fixed shotgun shell to fire through a smooth bore either a
number of ball shot or a single projectile for each single pull of the trigger.
(7)(8) 'Silencer' means any device for silencing or diminishing the report of any portable
weapon such as a rifle, carbine, pistol, revolver, machine gun, shotgun, fowling piece, or
other device from which a shot, bullet, or projectile may be discharged by an explosive."
SECTION 2.
Said part is further amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"16-11-123.1.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'possession' means actual or constructive custody
or control, including, but not limited to, manufacturing, obtaining, receiving, selling,
offering for sale, or using.
(b) No person shall have in his or her possession parts of a machine gun except as
provided in Code Section 16-11-124.
(c) A person commits the offense of unlawful possession of parts of a machine gun when
he or she knowingly has in his or her possession parts of a machine gun, and, upon
conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than
five years."
SECTION 3.
Said part is further amended in Code Section 16-11-124, relating to exemptions from
application of part, by adding a new paragraph to read as follows:
"(6) A manufacturer licensed and qualified to manufacture and maintain an inventory of
machine guns under the Gun Control Act of 1968, 82 Stat. 1213-2 (18 U.S.C.
Sections 921-934) and National Firearms Act, 68A Stat. 725 (26 U.S.C.
Sections 5841-5862), that is acting pursuant to and in accordance with such provisions."
SECTION 4.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Georgia House bill would make it a crime to possess parts that could be used to build or convert a gun into a machine gun, punishable by one to five years in prison, with an exemption for federally licensed manufacturers.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia law already restricts possession of machine guns and other dangerous weapons under O.C.G.A. § 16-11-121. This bill rewrites the definition of 'machine gun' so it covers any weapon that shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily converted to shoot more than one shot per trigger pull without reloading, replacing the old six-shot threshold. It also adds a brand-new definition for 'parts of a machine gun,' covering frames, receivers, conversion parts, and any combination of parts from which a machine gun could be assembled.
The bill then creates a new crime, unlawful possession of parts of a machine gun, in a new Code section 16-11-123.1. Anyone who knowingly possesses such parts, defined broadly to include manufacturing, obtaining, receiving, selling, or using them, could face one to five years in prison. The bill also adds an exemption for manufacturers federally licensed under the Gun Control Act and National Firearms Act to make and stock machine guns.
### What it does
- Lowers the legal threshold for what counts as a 'machine gun' from more than six shots to more than one shot fired automatically without manual reloading.
- Expands the machine gun definition to include weapons that 'can be readily converted to shoot' automatically, not just weapons already designed that way.
- Creates a new definition of 'parts of a machine gun,' covering frames, receivers, conversion parts, and combinations of parts that could be assembled into a machine gun.
- Creates a new crime of unlawfully possessing parts of a machine gun, punishable by one to five years in prison.
- Defines 'possession' broadly to include manufacturing, obtaining, receiving, selling, offering for sale, or using the parts.
- Exempts manufacturers federally licensed under the Gun Control Act of 1968 and National Firearms Act from the new possession ban.
### Who it affects
Gun owners, gun parts sellers, and firearms manufacturers in Georgia are affected, especially anyone who owns pistol conversion devices, machine gun receivers, or component parts. Federally licensed machine gun manufacturers are specifically exempted. Prosecutors and courts would apply the new crime and penalty.
### Why it matters
People who currently own certain firearm parts, such as conversion devices or receivers, could face new felony exposure of one to five years in prison even without a complete machine gun. The lowered shot threshold also broadens which weapons already count as machine guns under Georgia law.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 16-11-121 to redefine 'machine gun' as firing more than one shot automatically per trigger pull, down from six, and adds weapons 'readily converted to shoot' automatically.
- Section 1 also adds a new definition of 'parts of a machine gun,' including frames, receivers, pistol-conversion parts, and any assemblable combination of parts.
- Section 2 creates new Code Section 16-11-123.1, making knowing possession of machine gun parts a crime punishable by one to five years in prison.
- Section 2 defines 'possession' to include manufacturing, obtaining, receiving, selling, offering for sale, or using the parts.
- Section 3 amends the exemptions in O.C.G.A. § 16-11-124 to exclude federally licensed machine gun manufacturers acting under the Gun Control Act of 1968 and National Firearms Act.
- Section 4 repeals conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-02-02)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-02-04)
- Sponsors: Omari Crawford, Anne Westbrook, Mary Oliver, Scott Holcomb, Inga Willis, Yasmin Neal
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72681
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1127.md?full=1