Obtaining Your Federal Firearms License - Title II Weapons and the National Firearms Act
On
your journey to obtaining your Federal Firearms License, (FFL), you'll
undoubtedly run across a multitude of acronyms, confusing definitions,
and merely plain dense legalese. At first, the job of getting an FFL
might seem insurmountable, but it's not. Don't let this be considered a
deterrent. As cryptic as these regulations seem, when you familiarize
yourself with the terminology and basic ideas behind them, obtaining a
license becomes much easier. Bearing that in mind, let's discuss the NFA
and the kinds of weapons covered by it. The Bulls Eye LLC
When
confronted with firearms, you'll often stumble upon the word NFA
firearms or NFA weapons. It stands for the National Firearms Act and is a
law which had been enacted in 1934. Besides this law demand the
mandatory registration of all the Title II weapons, it will require that
the excise tax be paid on the manufacture and sale or transfer of those
weapons. It takes that any transfer of title II weapons across state
lines is to be reported towards the Department of Justice. Which is
another important facet of this law.
Just what exactly
are Title II weapons you may ask? Well, within the eyes from the
government, there are two kinds of weapons--Title I and Title II. Title I
weapons are primarilyshotguns and rifles, and handguns. Title II
weapons are machine guns, silencers, short barreled shotguns, short
barreled rifles, as well as the some other weapon category, (AOW).
They're often called class 3 weapons. Which is one common misconception
regarding Title II weapons. This really is wrong, there is absolutely no
class 3 weapon. class 3 refers to the class 3 SOT, a special class of
license that's needed to turn into a dealer of NFA firearms.
Now
that you know a bit about the NFA, and the two kinds of weapons, let's
look a little closer in the Title II weapons that are included in the
NFA.
Machine gun--This is any gun with the ability to
discharge more than one cartridge from one trigger pull. Also included
in this category would be the parts that comprise a machine gun.
Short
barreled shotgun, (SBS)--This includes any smooth bore shotgun with a
barrel length of less than 18" or perhaps an overall length of lower
than 26"
Short barreled rifle, (SBR)--Similar to the
Short barreled shotgun, the short barreled rifle is any rifled bore
firearm that has a general duration of lower than 26", or perhaps an
overall barrel length of less than 16".
Silencers--Included in this are any devices or parts that can silence, muffle, or disguise the sound of any portable firearm. Gun Store Aurora, CO
Destructive
Device, (DD)--This category encompasses two separate classes. The very
first covers grenades or explosive devices, poison gas weapons, or bombs
and incendiary devices. The 2nd class covers large bore, non-sporting
firearms. By definition anything that's not employed for sporting using a
bore over 1/2" falls under this class.
Some other
Weapons (AOW)--This category is made for parts and weapons that don't
fit another categories. It covers any shoulder fired weapon with a
barrel length between 12"-18". These may be either smooth or rifled
bore. Additionally, it covers smooth bore pistols, cane guns, and pen
guns.
This is simply a general overview and must by no
means be looked at as definitive. If you're unsure or need specific
answers, check directly with the Bureau of Alcohol,Firearms and Tobacco,
and Explosives. Their technology branch can definitively answer all of
your questions.