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Ok, so I get two or three private messages a month asking things like "how do I make my AR15 fully automatic," and "how do I buy a machine gun?". I figure it is time to go ahead and make a thread about it with details, and maybe a mod can sticky it. Anyways, here goes-
1. To own a machine gun, first of all you need money. Machine guns were banned in 1986, so only ones manufactured and registered prior to that year are transferable. Because of this, the cheapest machine gun you can buy is about $3,200. An m16 costs about $15,000 and so do AKs. An uzi is about 8k, and a beltfed m60 will cost you about 30k+. Owning an MG is not cheap, plus you have to buy ammo for it.
2. Find one for sale. Next you need to pay for it and begin the paperwork. You must fill out 2 ATF form 4s in duplicate (the forms can be found online). *Then get two passport photos and attach them, along with a set of FBI fingerprint cards. You also need to attach a $200 check or money order, as it costs $200 for the infamous "tax stamp" associated with class III stuff. Then fill out a certification of compliance. The final and hardest step is to get the local chief of law enforcement to sign your form 4s (a number of people can sign, for more information do a quick google search on who can sign a form 4). In Dallas county they will not sign. It is also worth noting that if an individual in the same state as you is selling the item, it is not necessary to go through a dealer.
3. You then submit all the paperwork, and about 3 to 4 months later the forms come back to your dealer and you can pick up your machine gun after filling out a 4473.
*Forming a trust or a corporation allows you to bypass the law enforcement signature, as well as the photos and finger print cards. You must however mail out a copy of the trust and the certification of trust. See the "Forming a Trust" sticky for more details.
There is no way around the pre 86 thing. No registration, no permit, nothing. To buy an MG, it had to be registered with the ATF prior to May of 1986. Because of this, you have to pay to play. Only holders of a federal firearms license who pay an extra fee to be a class III dealer can buy machine guns made after 1986. If you are not a class III dealer and you posses or make a machine gun that is not registered, it is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison and forfeiture of the individual's right to own or possess firearms in the future. The ATF does not play around here, and if you even have the parts to construct a machine gun and the gun they would go with, this is considered constructive intent and is the same as if you had an unregistered machine gun.
Anyways, I hope that helps. If you are in the market for something full auto, there are a couple of good places to look. Some of my favorites are-
This is a good site run by a good guy who has good prices. Also, all of his stuff is on a form 3 so it will transfer tax free to your dealer.
A classifieds website for NFA firearms. Great stuff on there if you are selling or buying.
A site much like the subguns board, but the layout is not quite as good.
1. To own a machine gun, first of all you need money. Machine guns were banned in 1986, so only ones manufactured and registered prior to that year are transferable. Because of this, the cheapest machine gun you can buy is about $3,200. An m16 costs about $15,000 and so do AKs. An uzi is about 8k, and a beltfed m60 will cost you about 30k+. Owning an MG is not cheap, plus you have to buy ammo for it.
2. Find one for sale. Next you need to pay for it and begin the paperwork. You must fill out 2 ATF form 4s in duplicate (the forms can be found online). *Then get two passport photos and attach them, along with a set of FBI fingerprint cards. You also need to attach a $200 check or money order, as it costs $200 for the infamous "tax stamp" associated with class III stuff. Then fill out a certification of compliance. The final and hardest step is to get the local chief of law enforcement to sign your form 4s (a number of people can sign, for more information do a quick google search on who can sign a form 4). In Dallas county they will not sign. It is also worth noting that if an individual in the same state as you is selling the item, it is not necessary to go through a dealer.
3. You then submit all the paperwork, and about 3 to 4 months later the forms come back to your dealer and you can pick up your machine gun after filling out a 4473.
*Forming a trust or a corporation allows you to bypass the law enforcement signature, as well as the photos and finger print cards. You must however mail out a copy of the trust and the certification of trust. See the "Forming a Trust" sticky for more details.
There is no way around the pre 86 thing. No registration, no permit, nothing. To buy an MG, it had to be registered with the ATF prior to May of 1986. Because of this, you have to pay to play. Only holders of a federal firearms license who pay an extra fee to be a class III dealer can buy machine guns made after 1986. If you are not a class III dealer and you posses or make a machine gun that is not registered, it is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison and forfeiture of the individual's right to own or possess firearms in the future. The ATF does not play around here, and if you even have the parts to construct a machine gun and the gun they would go with, this is considered constructive intent and is the same as if you had an unregistered machine gun.
Anyways, I hope that helps. If you are in the market for something full auto, there are a couple of good places to look. Some of my favorites are-
This is a good site run by a good guy who has good prices. Also, all of his stuff is on a form 3 so it will transfer tax free to your dealer.
A classifieds website for NFA firearms. Great stuff on there if you are selling or buying.
A site much like the subguns board, but the layout is not quite as good.
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