How to own a legal machine gun in the US

Yes a private individual may buy and legally own a full auto machine gun or suppressor in this country...
It is a common misconception that machine guns cannot be owned by law-abiding citizens. This comes from the creation of a variety of confusing laws that have made purchasing a full-auto gun more difficult than purchasing a "normal" gun. But, if you can comply with the law, you may qualify to own a machine gun.

First a brief history: In May of 1986, certain laws went into effect that made it illegal for 'civilians' to own fully automatic firearms that were manufactured AFTER THAT DATE. Many fully automatic weapons manufactured, registered and tax paid BEFORE MAY, 1986, MAY BE OWNED BY AND SOLD TO INDIVIDUALS. The full-auto guns that may be owned by individuals are called 'transferable'. Some states DO NOT allow machine gun ownership at all, no matter when the gun was made, but many states do.

To purchase a transferable machine gun, you must meet certain requirements (generally the same as when you purchase another gun, but with additional scrutiny), fill out special paperwork (called a 'form 4'), and pay a $200, one-time, transfer tax. Every time a machine gun is transferred, the $200 tax must be paid-- usually by the purchaser. The steps to take to purchase a transferable machine gun are:

1.Find a dealer locally who can assist you in all phases of the transfer. This should go beyond helping you fill out the paperwork: they should help you locate the gun if it isn't in stock and allow you to shoot the gun while your paperwork is being processed by the BATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms). It will usually take 4-6 weeks for the dealer to get the gun from another dealer if they don't already have it in stock (due to BATF paperwork delays).

2.Get your fingerprints (either by a police dept. or by a qualified fingerprinter, two imprints are needed) and two passport sized pictures taken. These will be used to perform a comprehensive criminal background check on you.

3.Have your local dealer help you fill out an "Application for Tax Paid Transfer And Registration Of Firearm" for, known as a "form 4".

4.You must have the signature of the Chief Law Enforcement (CLEO) officer that has jurisdiction over the municipality in which you live on the form 4. This could be the City Chief or the County Sheriff, for example. This is usually not a problem-- in machine gun friendly states. The form 4, CLEO signature, 2 fingerprint cards, 2 pictures, and a $200 check (your one-time transfer tax) must all be mailed to the BATF and an approved tax stamp returned before you may take possession of the gun. This may take anywhere from 2 to 5 months.

Now here's the bad part... this takes gun ownership to a whole new level! and price range...
Just to give you an idea how much I'm talking about here just a random sampling

HK 51B 308 TRANSFERABLE
$33,000.00

VECTOR UZI TRANSFERABLE
$8,499.99

Colt M16A1 Transferable Machine Gun
$18,999.99

Krinkov 7.62x39 Transferable
$19,999.99

HK MP5 Like New
$16,999.99

RPB Mac 10 9MM Transferable
$3,999.99

and just to be silly
RAMO M2 .50BMG With Mount
$31,999.99

Trust me as a retired Marine all of these weapons are well out of my price range but if you have the money it can be done...

Something else to think about... At these prices...now you know why black market gun running is such big business...

Just one of the many


[edit on 22-10-2009 by DaddyBare]

Buddy of mine here in the Republic of Texas went this route for a few silencers and other goodies....but he told me he also had to set up a corporation and name himself the principal beneficiary or somesuch??? That's way too much trouble, plus you are on so many watch lists it's not even funny....PLUS as you mentioned you've got to be rich to pull it off!

I was just wondering how exactly you get a double post.

I guess I did it.

*double post*

[edit on 10/22/2009 by ThaLoccster]

Where I live, you can go to any gun store or pawn shop and buy full auto ak-47's, AR15's and the like. You just need to pass a background check and not be a felon.

It's the same here in Georgia for fully automatic weapons and for silencers.

The difference is that it costs $300.00 for the license here

In desperate times the weapon can easily be converted to fully automatic if necessary.

If the poop hits the fan nobody will be checking permits.

As much as I enjoy shooting a fully automatic weapon it does get very expensive these days. And with a low supply of ammo in the stores I'll practice with semi automatic ands that's still expensive.

Silencers are fun to play with also.

reply to post by Signals


This buddy of your didn't need to do that... most likely his was using a shell corp like an LLC to limit his liability... if someday the fed did come after that machine gun it would be own by this corp and not his person weapon.. get it... helps to be rich so you do stuff like that

reply to post by dizziedame


Your right Ammo has been in short supply but the good news, with hunting seasons starting those stocks are starting to come back...
Even one of my fav places to get bulk is restocking their dwindling supplies
CHeaper Than Dirt

Originally posted by ThaLoccster
Where I live, you can go to any gun store or pawn shop and buy full auto ak-47's, AR15's and the like. You just need to pass a background check and not be a felon.

I believe The ATF does not allow fully automatic weapons to be sold anywhere in the USA with out the special paperwork, background check and money for the permit.

If I am mistaken please show link.

reply to post by ThaLoccster


Where do you live? I just may want to relocate

Just so there's no misunderstanding

the AR 15 is a Semi auto version of the M16 no special licences required
same deal with the AK... you can buy shears and trigger sets to change your semi to full auto but they view that shear or trigger assembly as the machine gun... so yes you would have to file the paperwork and apply for the tax stamp...

No I'm not a Class III dealer but I am a gunsmith,

Just to add... I once thought it would be fun to get an auto trigger assembly for my .22 ruger.10/22.. .22's are cheap...Well I thought it would be cheap ...until I looked up the prices for that assembly... just over $6,000

[edit on 22-10-2009 by DaddyBare]

Originally posted by ThaLoccster
Where I live, you can go to any gun store or pawn shop and buy full auto ak-47's, AR15's and the like. You just need to pass a background check and not be a felon.

If you live in America, you're wrong. Not every gun store, and no pawn shop that I know of, is a Class III dealer. You have to be one to sell transferable machine guns, unless it's a face-to-face private sell, and then that still MUST be done through a Class III dealer.

I think you are confused, you said you can buy full auto AR15s. There are no full auto AR15s unless it has a registered Drop-in Auto-Sear. AR15s are manufactured as semi-auto. If they were full-auto they would be M-16s or M-4s. And what many think are AK-47s are really AKMs. Just because those guns look like their full-auto counterparts, doesn't mean they are full-auto, too.



If someone wants to get in on the full-auto game without going bankrupt, I suggest British Sterlings. I've found them for less than $6000. An M-16 will run you anywhere from $16,000 to $30,000.

Or go to Pakistan. You can pick up a milled-receiver Ak-47 for about $300! But good luck getting it back into the US.

[edit on 10/22/2009 by loki41872]

reply to post by ThaLoccster
Where is that where you live? Is it easy that a Canadian can buy from there?


Sounds too good to be true, I wonder where there's a state close to Southwest Canada I could go and just buy up a nice assault rifle off a road stand... (fingers crossed)

Don't we have a right in the USA to "keep and bear arms"? Whose palms got greased when laws started to cause registration and prohibit certain arms from being sold or traded without restriction. To me, "arms" means everything from a peashooter, pigsticker, shotgun or cannon. We the People are so happy just to have some guns and weapons... but we are warned that if you modify your gun a certain way or if you acquire a certain firearm without paying a tax and giving ID that it becomes a felonious act. My question is: Why? Why should the govt know exactly what arms you keep? Why the restrictions?

I know, I know, we are an ignorant race of advanced simians. Can't be trusted to choose the right foods either, so we have a tax on sodapop now and beaucoup taxes on tobacco to help us behave better.

Does anyone else sense the discrepancy? The language in the US Bill of Rights is plain and clear.

Originally posted by DaddyBare
reply to post by Signals

 

This buddy of your didn't need to do that... most likely his was using a shell corp like an LLC to limit his liability... if someday the fed did come after that machine gun it would be own by this corp and not his person weapon.. get it... helps to be rich so you do stuff like that

The benefit to that method has to do with counties that may not allow individual to own a Class 3 Weapon. Here in the Houston area-Harris county can be an issue. Now, if the Corporation is disolved then in order to transfer the weapon to yourself you would still have to pay an addtional transfer tax.

There is one gun that you do not need the ATF permit for and you do not have to pay the $200.

Any Gatling gun that is hand cranked is not classed as a machine gun even though they can be capable of the same firing rate. (after SHTF you could put a motor on it)

There is two ways to get a Gatling gun buy one "very expensive"

There other is become a machinist with good gunsmiths training and build your own.
www.gatlingguns.net...

I know of someone that got the plans for a old 45.70 Gatling gun and used them to build one in .410 shotgun
he can put more projectiles down range then many machine guns.
he loads his .410 shells with 3 .40 round balls

I have given some consideration to getting a tax stamp to own an SBR, I would really like a 12 inch barrelled Sig or AK, those 16 inch barrels are just a tad too long for me.

But the requirement to get a permit for a suppressor is just plain ridiculous. I have heard that in Scandinavia it is considered socially responsible to shoot with a suppressor.

One recent case here in the US saw a firefighter given a felony conviction for taping a 2 liter soda bottle over the end of his .22LR rifle.

Now that's just nuts.