YES. This metal assembly that a machinist can make in 20 minutes, or a homeowner could make with a hack saw and hand drill is defined as a machine gun and sells for upwards of $20,000.
Posted on 07/07/2016 10:09:21 AM PDT by rktman
I love machine guns. They don’t call the selectors on automatic firearms “fun switches” for nothing, and I have yet to hand off a machine gun to someone and have it not bring a smile to their face (it brings me joy exposing people to full auto for the first time). For the sake of this article, the word “machine gun” will meet the ATF’s definition: Any weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger.
(Excerpt) Read more at thefirearmblog.com ...
Can anyone buy one, or are there special regulations?
I thought they were made illegal in the 1930’s.
YES. This metal assembly that a machinist can make in 20 minutes, or a homeowner could make with a hack saw and hand drill is defined as a machine gun and sells for upwards of $20,000.
bump to see where this thread goes
“Just have lots of cash to buy one. Lots of it.”
Indeed. But machine guns make great investments since only about 250,000 machine guns were registered with the NFA prior to October 1986, making them legally transferable.
But interestingly enough, there’s another, less expensive, means of legally owning fully automatic firearms, namely obtain a Class II manufacture’s license, which entitles you to manufacture full auto “samples”. As long as you maintain the license, you can maintain your ownership and use of said samples. However, those samples can never be transferred to anyone other than the military or a police agency, but no big loss since they didn’t cost much to make anyway, generally being conversions of one sort or another.
Other than a Slidefire, there are a lot of regulations involved. Special tax stamp, approval by local county sheriff, paperwork to ATF that can take months. Then the select fire weapon is going to be expensive since the only ones in civilian hands are a limited number that can’t be increased under current law. The old supply and demand thing.
Slidefire requires you to hold the weapon in an unnatural way in order for the rounds to cook off. So aimed fire is not very easy.
The US military has a long history of believing in aimed fire. A select fire weapon is really only good for a squad sized organization to lay down covering fire to allow withdrawal or advance, for ambushes, etc. Otherwise it wastes a lot of ammo.
Most people can buy one. Some states prohibit them. First, find one for sale and make the deal with the current owner, then find an FFL dealer that can do a Class III transfer, then apply for and pay a $200 tax. In 6-9 months if there are no problems with the background check, you’ll get notice that you can take ownership of the machine gun. ANY machine gun will be expensive because Congress passed a law in 1986 that made manufacture of new machine guns for civilians illegal. Any machine gun you buy will be older than that.
“Can anyone buy one, or are there special regulations?”
both, actually.
https://www.google.com/search?q=legal+ownership+of+machine+guns&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
I thought they were made illegal in the 1930’s.
They were not made illegal in the 1930s. The National Firearms Act of 1934 imposed a $200 tax stamp on all full auto firearms, short barreled rifles, short barreled shotguns, and suppressors.
Because Congress knew the Constitution in 1934, they knew that they could not ban those items, but they could tax the hell out of them. In 1934, $200 is equivalent to $3440 today, effectively banning those items from a depression-struck populace, yet still allowing the rich to do as they pleased.
Fortunately for us, the $200 tax has never been adjusted for inflation. Unfortunately for us, the process to acquire the tax stamp includes an extremely thorough background check, passport photos, and up to a year or more waiting for the BATFE to process the paperwork.
Because of the tax stamp, all automatic weapons are registered with the Federal government. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed the Firearm Owners Protection Act into law that included the provision that no new automatic firearms can be entered into the registry, effectively freezing the existing supply of automatic firearms to those already registered prior to the effective date of the FOPA.
Because no new automatic firearms can be added to the registry, the existing ones have skyrocketed in price. Classic supply and demand economics at work.
Many states prohibit automatic firearms, so they could be illegal in your state, but they are not illegal at the Federal level.
"Life is short. Live full auto!"
Whenever I discuss firearms with others who aren't that familiar with them I always bring up the issue of the legality of full autos and what it takes to finally buy one.
Then to end the conversation I'll ask them what they think the cost of an M-16 in "Good condition" might be. They have absolutely no idea and when I tell them, their jaws hit the floor........
Whenever I discuss firearms with others who aren't that familiar with them I always bring up the issue of the legality of full autos and what it takes to finally buy one.
Then to end the conversation I'll ask them what they think the cost of an M-16 in "Good condition" might be. They have absolutely no idea and when I tell them, their jaws hit the floor........
If you read the article it pretty well lays it out. Some states are a definite NO. Others yes. But, yeah, if you don’t have any kind of criminal record and after a lengthy process, anybody can own one. IF you have the money. They are not cheap these days by any means. Here’s a site that sells machine guns. Gaze at the prices,
http://www.collectorsfirearms.com/class-iii-full-auto/
Oops, sorry for the double post
LOL! I did see one on gunbroker.com for the low low price of $18,000. And to think, when you join some branches of the military, they just “give” you one.
They were never made absolutely illegal. You can get one if you jump thru all the hoops...........................
Because of the tax stamp, all automatic weapons are registered with the Federal government. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed the Firearm Owners Protection Act into law that included the provision that no new automatic firearms can be entered into the registry, effectively freezing the existing supply of automatic firearms to those already registered prior to the effective date of the FOPA.
The Congress has carefully avoided the banning of weapons over the years, but the 1986 Act effectively banned automatic weapons and should be declared unconstitutional either by the courts or the court of public opinion. The simplicity of full auto makes this entire game just that a game of gotcha by BATFE, based on interpretation of rules, and tyranny of government to disarm the public of weapons that for years were legal. Sort of like the banning and limitations on Fireworks all in the name of public safety spelled government tyranny.
Bonehead move. I had been looking at an UZI 9mm w/22 conversion kit for $1,600 at Ray's Guns, Louisville, KY. Thanks to Reagan, that gun's now about ten times that price.
The Founders wanted citizens to have the same arms as the military so that we could withstand an oppressive govt. Ronnie made that impossible.
Full auto is very useful for hitting moving “targets”.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.