Harry S. Truman photo

Proclamation 2776—Enumeration of Arms, Ammunition, and Implements of War

March 26, 1948


By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Whereas section 12(i) of the joint resolution of Congress approved November 4, 1939, provides in part as follows (54 Stat. 11; 22 U.S.C. 452(i):

The President is hereby authorized to proclaim upon recommendation of the (National Munitions Control) Board from time to time a list of articles which shall be considered arms, ammunition, and implements of war for the purpose of this section * * *

Now, Therefore, I, Harry S. Truman, President of the United States of America, acting under and by virtue of the authority conferred upon me by the said joint resolution of Congress, and pursuant to the recommendation of the national Munitions Control Board, and in the interest of the foreign-affairs functions of the United States, hereby declare and proclaim that the articles listed below shall, on and after April 15, 1948, be considered arms, ammunition, and implements of war for the purposes of section 12 of the said joint resolution of Congress:

CATEGORY I - SMALL ARMS AND MACHINE GUNS

Rifles, carbines, revolvers, pistols, machine pistols, and machine guns (using ammunition of caliber .22 or over); barrels, mounts, breech mechanisms and stocks thereof.

CATEGORY II - ARTILLERY AND PROJECTORS

Guns, howitzers, cannon, mortars, and rocket launchers (of all calibers), military flame throwers, military smoke, gas, or pyrotechnic projectors; barrels, mounts and other components thereof.

CATEGORY III - AMMUNITION

Ammunition of caliber .22 or over for the arms enumerated under (I) and (II) above; cartridge cases, powder bags, bullets, jackets, cores, shells (excluding shotgun); projectiles and other missiles; percussion caps, fuses, primers and other detonating devices for such ammunition.

CATEGORY IV - BOMBS, TORPEDOES AND ROCKETS

Bombs, torpedoes, grenades, rockets, mines, guided missiles, depth charges, and components thereof; apparatus and devices for the handling, control, discharge, detonation or detection thereof.

CATEGORY V - FIRE CONTROL EQUIPMENT AND RANGE FINDERS

Fire control equipment, range, position and height finders, spotting instruments, aiming devices (gyroscopic, optic, acoustic, atmospheric or flash), bombsights, gun sights and periscopes for the arms, ammunition and implements of war enumerated in this proclamation.

CATEGORY VI - TANKS AND ORDNANCE VEHICLES

Tanks, armed or armored vehicles, armored trains, artillery and small arms repair trucks, military half tracks, tank recovery vehicles, tank, destroyers; armor plate, turrets, tank engines tank tread shoes, tank bogie wheels and idlers therefor.

CATEGORY VII - POISON GASES AND TOXICOLOGICAL AGENTS

All military toxicological and lethal agents and gases; military equipment for the dissemination and detection thereof and defense therefrom.

CATEGORY VII - PROPELLANTS AND EXPLOSIVES

Propellants for the articles enumerated in Categories III, IV, and VII; military high explosives.

CATEGORY IX - VESSELS OF WAR

Vessels of war of all kinds, including amphibious craft, landing craft, naval tenders, naval transports and naval patrol craft, armor plate and turrets therefor; submarine batteries and nets, and equipment for the laying, detection, and detonation of mines.

CATEGORY X - AIRCRAFT

Aircraft; components, parts and accessories therefor.

CATEGORY XI - MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT

(a) Military radar equipment, including components thereof, radar countermeasures and radar jamming equipment; (b) Military stereoscopic plotting and photo interpretation equipment; (c) Military photo theodolites, telemetering and Doeppler equipment; (d) Military super-high speed ballistic cameras; (e) Military radiosondes; (f) Military interference suppression equipment; (g) Military electronic computing devices; (h) Military miniature and sub-miniature vacuum tubes and photoemissive tubes; (i) Military armor plate; (j) Military steel helmets; (k) Military pyrotechnics; (1) Synthetic training devices for military equipment; (m) Military ultra-sonic generators; (n) All other material used in warfare which is classified from the standpoint of military security.

Effective April 15, 1948, this proclamation shall supersede Proclamation 2717, dated February 14, 1947.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States of America to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington this 26th day of March in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and forty-eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and seventy-second.

Signature of Harry S. Truman

HARRY S. TRUMAN

By the President:

G. C. MARSHALL,

Secretary of State.

Harry S Truman, Proclamation 2776—Enumeration of Arms, Ammunition, and Implements of War Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/287941

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