SAP Gloves - Yes or No in Texas?

[apopka2012]

Sec. 46.01. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
(1) "Club" means an instrument that is specially designed, made, or adapted for the purpose of inflicting serious bodily injury or death by striking a person with the instrument, and includes but is not limited to the following:
(A) blackjack;
(8) "Knuckles" means any instrument that consists of finger rings or guards made of a hard substance and that is designed, made, or adapted for the purpose of inflicting serious bodily injury or death by striking a person with a fist enclosed in the knuckles.
Sec. 46.05. PROHIBITED WEAPONS.
(a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly possesses, manufactures, transports, repairs, or sells:
(6) knuckles;

Been spending hours looking for a simple yes or no if weighted gloves are legal to have in Texas. Found messages going both ways, item is sold on Ebay & Amazon with no warnings, & the laws wording I pullled from the web site that sent me here still has me confused. There is no one piece of solid material but the lead granular particles sewn into the knuckle area seems to make this a grey area. Can anyone tell me 100% for sure one way or the other if I can posses these gloves legally in Teas? Thank You.

 

[GlockOwner]

Not a 100% answer, but just my guess:

The definition of knuckles would probably make these gloves legal because they are to protect fingers, not "designed, made, or adapted for the purpose of inflicting serious bodily injury or death by striking a person with a fist enclosed in the knuckles."

Like I said, that is just my guess based on how the law reads, but there are plenty of people on the forum that can chime in with a more definitive answer

 

[CanTex]

My guess. If you have no other valid reason to be wearing them and you use these to hit someone, "adapted for the purpose of inflicting" may come into play.

So, if your job required finger protection that these provided, at work or on the job would be a reason to own/have. If you buy them for Friday at the bar... not so legal...

 

[apopka2012]

I guess I'll just say I might or might not of bought a pair before the year 2000 hit along with other survival related stuff. (I was a mainframe computer operator & saw two years of frenzied retrofit on our software. It seemed more then possible things were going to change a little.) Now I'm older & fatter so they don't fit (never used them anyway) & I'm thinking of selling them, but don't want to if they have the same penalty as a live hand grenade. They were low cost & are worth $10-$15 I would say now, but not if they are illegal in Texas. Hence my dilemma & looking for the correct answer one way or the other.

 

[London]

I doubt you'll get a clear answer on this until you speak to a prosecutor. The gloves don't have finger rings so they aren't knucks. They could be considered a club, although it would be pretty ridiculous for the state to try to claim gloves are a club.

Those motorcycle gloves the crotch-rocket guys wear are lighter than sappers, more protective and every bit as destructive. They are essentially legal brass knuckles. Just something to consider.

 

[Charlie]

Look for case law regarding the knuckles, sap gloves, saps, etc.

 

[Bithabus]

Those gloves are specifically designed to inflict serious bodily injury by striking a person.

However, the answer to your question is that yes they are legal to have (possess). Though a motivated LEO and prosecutor could get you for carrying them in certain instances, IMO.

 

[apopka2012]

Thanks, I was leaning to that answer from everything I've read & seen on web sites selling them since yesterday. I can't even get them on my piggy fingers anymore so it wasn't a question of using them & getting in trouble. I just wanted to sell them & not break the law for possessing them.

 

[London]

Smart man.