46-18-224. Additional sentence for offense committed while carrying a handgun loaded with armor-piercing ammunition. (1) If the provisions of 46-1-401 have been complied with, a person who has been found guilty of an offense in which bodily injury occurred or was attempted or threatened and who knowingly used or carried a handgun loaded with armor-piercing ammunition during the commission of the offense must, in addition to the sentence for the offense, be sentenced to a term of imprisonment in the state prison of not less than 5 years or more than 25 years, except as provided in 46-18-222.
     (2) An additional sentence prescribed by this section must run consecutively to the sentence provided for the offense, and except as provided in 46-18-222, the sentence may not be suspended and imposition of it may not be deferred.
     (3) For purposes of this section:
     (a) "armor-piercing ammunition" means ammunition which, if fired from a handgun under the test procedure of the national institute of law enforcement and criminal justice standard for the ballistics resistance of police body armor promulgated December 1978, is capable of penetrating bullet-resistant apparel or body armor meeting the requirements of Type IIA of Standard NILECJ-STD-0101.01 as formulated by the United States department of justice and published in December 1978; and
     (b) "handgun" means any firearm, including a pistol or revolver, originally designed to be fired by the use of a single hand.

     History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 392, L. 1983; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 524, L. 2001.