Rhode Island Assault Weapons Ban:
How the Feature Test Applies to Rifles, Pistols, and Shotguns

Rhode Island's assault weapons ban, enacted as Chapter 281 of the 2025 Public Laws and codified at RIGL chapter 11-47.2, takes effect July 1, 2026. It defines what it bans by characteristics, not by a list of named models. The "feature test" people read about is real, but it is narrower than most online summaries claim, and it applies differently to rifles, pistols, and shotguns. This guide walks through how the enacted statute classifies each type. It is general information about the statutory text, not legal advice about any specific firearm.

The Definition Is Built by Firearm Type

The statute's definition of a "prohibited firearm" in RIGL 11-47.2-1^[1] is a list of categories. Which category applies depends first on whether the firearm is a rifle, a pistol, or a shotgun. There is no named-models list, so a firearm is covered only if it fits one of the statutory categories below.

Rifles: the One-Feature Test

A semi-automatic rifle is a prohibited firearm if it has a fixed magazine capacity over 10 rounds, or if it accepts a detachable magazine and has at least one of these features: a folding or telescoping stock, a bayonet mount, a grenade launcher, a barrel shroud, a pistol grip or thumbhole stock, or a flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor. This one-feature test is the part most people mean when they talk about the "feature test," and it is written for rifles.

One exclusion applies: a semi-automatic rifle with an attached tubular device that operates only with .22 caliber rimfire ammunition is not covered. That exclusion is for tubular-fed .22 rifles. It does not reach a .22 rifle that feeds from a detachable magazine.

Pistols: Only a Fixed Magazine Over 10 Rounds

For pistols, the enacted statute has a single trigger: a semi-automatic pistol with a fixed magazine capacity exceeding 10 rounds is a prohibited firearm. There is no feature test for pistols. A semi-automatic pistol that feeds from a detachable magazine is not a prohibited firearm under this law, regardless of a threaded barrel, a thread-protector cap, or any other feature. The feature list above belongs to the rifle category and does not reach a detachable-magazine pistol.

Shotguns

A semi-automatic shotgun with a fixed magazine capacity over six rounds is covered, and any shotgun with a revolving cylinder is covered.

A Catch-All

Separately, any semi-automatic firearm that can accept a belt ammunition feeding device is a prohibited firearm, whatever its type.

Worked Examples

These illustrate how the statutory text applies to categories of firearms. They are not advice about any particular firearm.

• AR-pattern rifle with a detachable magazine and a pistol grip: covered, because it is a rifle that accepts a detachable magazine and has a listed feature.
• Standard Ruger 10/22 carbine with a detachable magazine and no listed features: not covered. It is a detachable-magazine rifle, but it has none of the listed features. The .22 chambering does not exempt it, because the tubular-only exclusion does not apply to a detachable-magazine rifle.
• A 10/22 with a threaded barrel or a folding stock: covered, because that feature satisfies the rifle one-feature test.
• Semi-automatic .22 target pistol with a detachable magazine and a threaded muzzle, such as a Ruger Mark IV: not covered. It is a pistol that feeds from a detachable magazine, and there is no pistol feature test, so the threaded muzzle is not relevant.
• Semi-automatic pistol with a fixed magazine over 10 rounds: covered, under the single pistol trigger.

The Misconception: the Bill That Was Introduced vs the Law That Passed

Many online summaries, and even some AI answers, state that Rhode Island's ban covers a detachable-magazine pistol with a threaded barrel, an arm brace, a barrel shroud, or a magazine located outside the grip. That language is real, but it comes from the bill as originally introduced (2025-S 0359), which contained a full pistol feature test, a possession ban, and a registration scheme. The General Assembly replaced that bill with Substitute A before passage, and Substitute A removed the pistol feature test, the possession ban, and registration. The enacted law is Substitute A, codified as Chapter 281. So when a summary describes a pistol feature test, it is describing the introduced bill, not the law that is in force.

What the Law Does and Does Not Do

RIGL 11-47.2-2^[2] bans the manufacture, sale, offer to sell, transfer, and purchase of prohibited firearms as of July 1, 2026. It does not ban possession, and the enacted law has no registration requirement. A person who lawfully possesses a prohibited firearm may sell or transfer it only to a federally licensed dealer or to an individual outside the state who may lawfully possess it. A firearm that is not a prohibited firearm under the categories above is not subject to any of these restrictions and may be bought, sold, and transferred in Rhode Island under the ordinary handgun or long-gun process.

Two Separate Laws People Confuse With the Ban

Magazines are governed by a different statute. RIGL 11-47.1^[3] bans the possession of any magazine over 10 rounds, independent of whether the firearm itself is a prohibited firearm. Suppressors are also separate. RIGL 11-47-20^[4] bans suppressors outright, even with a federal tax stamp, although a threaded barrel and a thread-protector cap are legal to own on their own.

A Pending Proposal to Watch

In the 2026 session, H8073 and its Senate companion S2710 would add possession to the existing ban and give owners until December 31, 2026 to sell covered firearms to a dealer or move them out of state. As of mid-2026 these bills have not passed. They work from the same enacted definition, so they would not add a pistol feature test.

Confirming a Specific Firearm

This guide explains the statutory categories. It is not legal advice, and the classification of a specific firearm can turn on its exact configuration. For a definitive answer about a particular firearm, consult the Rhode Island State Police Firearms Unit or a Rhode Island firearms attorney before buying, selling, transferring, or bringing it into the state.