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The Michigan Court of Appeals, in an 18-page opinion, declined to interfere with a 1931 law that carries a five-year prison term for simply having brass knuckles, also known as metallic knuckles.

A “ban on the possession of metallic knuckles falls within the historical tradition of prohibiting the concealed carry of metallic knuckles as a dangerous and unusual weapon,” Judge Christopher Murray wrote in a 3-0 opinion Tuesday.

Brass knuckles are usually a single set of rings that fits on someone’s hand. A punch can inflict serious injuries.

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[-] HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works 46 points 1 week ago

America is weird af. Ban brass knuckles but allow semi-automatic weapons that kill thousands every year.

Weird. As. Fuck.

[-] TheReturnOfPEB@reddthat.com 8 points 1 week ago

People will still sell them labeled as key-chains or paperweights.

[-] P00ptart@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

This guy capitals.

[-] ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

They have been doing this for years. They add a little bump and sell it as a belt buckle, or add a little notch and sell it as a bottle opener. Most insane is it is fine to put a knife blade on it and sell it as a knife.

[-] ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 1 week ago

I've got an antique real pair that belonged to my grandpa. They don't make em like this anymore.

[-] josefo@leminal.space 8 points 1 week ago

Obviously the answer to the paradox is to have semi-automatic brass knuckles invented.

[-] Rekorse@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 week ago

You do realize america is almost entirely built on weapons manufacturing right?

[-] lumony@lemmings.world 13 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I just did some looking into this.

Apparently defense contractors get paid twice.

  1. They get paid by taxpayers when they get the contract.
  2. They get paid by foreign nations when the equipment is sold.

It's so fucked beyond belief, I hope this generation can do something about it.

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[-] hakunawazo@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

Reggie Kray on the other side of the sea about self defense:

[-] Yokozuna@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

Yep, they sell them as belt buckles. I got one at a gun show because it was cheap, figured why not. I eventually looked up the legality and I would be better off legally if I carried a pistol. Actually crazy lol.

[-] danhab99@programming.dev 2 points 1 week ago

Afaik it's because there's absolutely no other applications for brass knuckles to work. You can only assault people with brass knuckles.

Fire-arms can be used for "defence" and "hunting".

[-] ProdigalFrog@slrpnk.net 4 points 1 week ago

If someone attacks you first, and you slip on the brass knuckles before defending yourself, then surely that would be a defensive use?

[-] danhab99@programming.dev 1 points 1 week ago

Yeah this is that kind of rules-lawyering grey area that everybody's too busy to deal with. It's the same issue with the assault rifles and large mags.. they're very clearly weapons of war but they look like guns and all* guns can be used for hunting.

[-] VitoRobles@lemmy.today 2 points 1 week ago

My dude, you never been hunting until you punch the lights out of a deer.

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[-] pleasegoaway@lemm.ee 12 points 1 week ago

The US looks stupider and stupider with each passing day.

Brass knuckles? No no.

Automatic weapons? A citizen’s right.

The world is laughing at you.

[-] scoobford@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 week ago

Automatic weapons are regulated and cost more than a new car. Our firearms laws are lax and have many problems, but that isn't one of them.

[-] Professorozone@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago

No switch blades, no brass knuckles, oh well, guess they'll just have to shoot each other.

The solution is clearly to start carrying brass knuckle guns.

[-] The_Caretaker@lemm.ee 9 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Michigan also forbids pepper spray and stun guns. They interpret the right to bear arms as the right to make gun manufacturers rich. By the way, a pistol also fits in one hand and can be used to inflict serious injury. Pistols also get used to ambush people. Ever heard of armed robbery?

[-] Cattail@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

i never got that. arms shouldn't be limited to firearms, clearly the founding fathers fought with swords and bayonets so that would have been on their mind

[-] Scott_of_the_Arctic@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

Pretty sure fingers are part of the arms but ok.

[-] Fedizen@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

What the fuck is wrong with judges?

[-] MTK@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

But we still have the right for BEAR arms right??

[-] jordanlund@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

They're going to be surprised if it gets to the Supreme Court:

https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/577/411/

“the Second Amendment extends, prima facie, to all instruments that constitute bearable arms, even those that were not in existence at the time of the founding,”

Woman bought a stun gun to protect herself from an abusive ex. State of MA charged her saying that stun guns didn't exist back in the day, and were "dangerous and unusual" so the 2nd amendment doesn't apply.

[-] HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 week ago

Another weird af hypocrisy where MA didn't want stun guns to count but assult rifles were A-OK.

It truly is a wonder how America has lasted this long.

[-] P00ptart@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

America lasted this long simply from momentum and good courtesy after WW2. That's literally it.

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[-] The_Caretaker@lemm.ee 1 points 1 week ago

By the logic of Massachusetts, you only have a right to a muzzle loader and a sword then. What would they say if I were walking around in Boston with a katana or a British officer's sabre?

Why would you buy a foreign sword and take a job away from a decent, hardworking American blacksmith?

[-] P00ptart@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

Those existed at the time. You're also free to choose from axes, clubs and blades to giant semi-automatic crossbows. Sorry, sorry no giant crossbows, that tech was lost by then.

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[-] Hobbes_Dent@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

Of course bear arms don’t fit. They’re for fingers, and human ones at that though perhaps a cub could surprise a few.

[-] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

I mean, I don't know about you, but my trained attack bears have custom machined brass knuckles. only the best for my trained bears.

[-] The_Caretaker@lemm.ee 2 points 1 week ago

Sap gloves are easy to make and not obvious. A pair of gloves with powdered lead sewn into little pouches over the knuckles and along the knife edge of the hand. A slap or punch will quickly put someone on the floor. Lots of cops wear them. You can get them online.

[-] hemko@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 week ago

Metallic only? So you could make one from alternative material, like composites?

[-] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

composites tend to not react well to impacts. The reason brass is used, also, is because it's heavy and adds significantly more force.

I would suggest making a cestus, you can also buy "weighted gloves"... which a lot of cops just love, which are gloves with pockets over the knuckles weighted with lead.

The advantage to the cestus is you could say it was for historical reenactment, and you're just LARPing or something.

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this post was submitted on 22 Mar 2025
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