Source: http://smartgunlaws.org/gun-laws/federal-law/classes-of-weapons-ammunition/machine-guns-automatic-firearms/
Timestamp: 2017-01-20 05:42:51
Document Index: 334954805

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 921', '§ 479', '§ 5845', '§ 5845', '§ 479', '§ 5841', '§ 5841', '§ 5841', '§ 479', '§ 5841', '§ 479', '§ 5841', '§ 5812', '§ 479', '§ 922', '§ 5812', '§ 479', '§ 922', '§ 922', '§ 478', '§ 5812', '§ 5861', '§ 5811', '§ 5851', '§ 5845', '§ 479', '§ 922', '§ 922', '§ 5861', '§ 478', '§ 922', '§ 478', '§ 479', '§ 5802', '§ 479', '§ 5845', '§ 5845', '§ 5845', '§ 5801', '§ 479', '§ 5861', '§ 922', '§ 479', '§ 5844', '§ 5841', '§ 479', '§ 5861', '§ 922', '§ 479', '§ 5841', '§ 5841', '§ 479', '§ 479', '§ 479', '§ 479', '§ 479', '§ 5845', '§ 479', '§ 5841', '§ 5841', '§ 5822', '§ 479', '§ 5861', '§ 922', '§ 479', '§ 5821', '§ 479', '§ 5851', '§ 5842', '§ 5842', '§ 479', '§ 5861', '§ 5843', '§ 479', '§ 479', '§ 5861', '§ 5848', '§ 479', '§ 5848', '§ 479', '§ 923', '§ 922', '§ 478', '§ 5861', '§ 5871', '§ 479']

Federal Law on Machine Guns & Automatic Firearms | Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence
[A]ny weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot, without manually reloading, by a single function of the trigger. The term shall also include the frame or receiver of any such weapon, any part designed and intended solely and exclusively, or combination of parts designed and intended, for use in converting a weapon into a machinegun, and any combination of parts from which a machinegun can be assembled if such parts are in the possession or under the control of a person.1
The National Firearms Act of 1934 (“NFA”) imposes a tax on the making and transfer of machine guns and certain other weapons, as well as a special occupational tax on persons and entities engaged in the business of importing, manufacturing and dealing in those weapons. (The NFA distinguishes between “making” a weapon, and “manufacturing” a weapon. Only a registered NFA manufacturer can “manufacture” a machine gun; other persons who construct machine guns are “making” them, according to the NFA.2 ) As detailed below, the law also requires the registration of all machine guns.
While the NFA was enacted by Congress as an exercise of its authority to tax, the underlying purpose of the law was to curtail, if not prohibit, transactions in machine guns and certain other weapons.3 Congress found these firearms pose a significant crime problem because of their frequent use in crime, and the $200 making and transfer taxes were considered quite severe at the time and adequate to discourage or eliminate transfers in these firearms.4 The $200 tax has not changed since 1934.
Transferring a machine gun: With certain limited exceptions, the NFA requires anyone transferring a machine gun to register it with ATF. (The NFA put this responsibility, along with the $200 tax discussed below, on the transferor, rather than the transferee, in an effort to deter all transfers of machine guns.12 ) In order to register a machine gun, a transferor must obtain authorization from ATF prior to the transfer in accordance with ATF regulations.13
The Firearm Owners’ Protection Act
On May 19, 1986, as part of the Firearm Owners’ Protection Act (“FOPA”), Congress banned the transfer and possession of machine guns with two exceptions:25
Notes18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(23); 27 C.F.R. § 479.11. See also 26 U.S.C. § 5845(b). ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5845(i); 27 C.F.R. § 479.11. ⤴︎Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Dept. of Justice, National Firearms Act Handbook 9-15, June 2007. ⤴︎Id. ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5841(b). ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5841(a). ⤴︎As part of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, ATF was transferred from the Treasury Department to the Department of Justice, effective January 24, 2003. National Firearms Act Handbook, supra, at 3. ⤴︎Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Brochure of the National Firearms Act Branch. ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5841(a). See also 27 C.F.R. §§ 479.84, 479.101, 479.105. ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5841(e); 27 C.F.R. § 479.101(e). ⤴︎Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice, Semiannual Report to Congress: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives, April 1, 2007-September 30, 2007, available at: http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/semiannual/0711/atf.htm. ⤴︎National Firearms Act Handbook, supra, at 1. ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5841(b). The procedure for obtaining authorization from ATF for a transfer of a machine gun and registering a transferred machine gun is set forth at 26 U.S.C. § 5812(a); 27 C.F.R. § 479.84 et seq. ⤴︎See 18 U.S.C. § 922(b)(4). ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5812(a). ⤴︎27 C.F.R. § 479.85. ⤴︎18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(3), (5), (b)(3); National Firearms Act Handbook, supra, at 55. ⤴︎18 U.S.C. § 922(b)(4). ⤴︎27 C.F.R. §§ 478.98, 478.145. ⤴︎26 U.S.C. §§ 5812(b), 5841(c). It is unlawful to transfer a machine gun in violation of the NFA, or to receive or possess a machine gun that is not registered to that person in compliance with the NFA, or that was transferred to the person in violation of the NFA. 26 U.S.C. § 5861. ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5811. ⤴︎26 U.S.C. §§ 5851-5853. ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5845(j); 27 C.F.R. § 479.11. ⤴︎National Firearms Act Handbook, supra note 1, at 57-58. ⤴︎18 U.S.C. § 922(o). ⤴︎18 U.S.C. § 922(o)(2)(B). See also 26 U.S.C. § 5861(d); 27 C.F.R. §§ 478.36, 479.105. ⤴︎18 U.S.C. § 922(o)(2)(A); 27 C.F.R. §§ 478.36, 479.105. ⤴︎27 C.F.R. § 479.105. ⤴︎National Firearms Act Handbook, supra note 1, at 25. State and local police organizations may register machine guns acquired through seizure, forfeiture, or abandonment. National Firearms Act Handbook, supra note 1, at 23. ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5802; 27 C.F.R. § 479.31 et seq. An “importer” is any person who is engaged in the business of importing or bringing firearms into the United States. 26 U.S.C. § 5845(l). A “manufacturer” is any person who is engaged in the business of manufacturing machine guns. 26 U.S.C. § 5845(m). A “dealer” is any person, not a manufacturer or importer, who is engaged in the business of selling, renting, leasing, or loaning machine guns and includes pawnbrokers who accept machine guns as collateral for loans. 26 U.S.C. § 5845(k). ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5801; 27 C.F.R. § 479.31 et seq. If the importer’s or manufacturer’s gross receipts per taxable period are less than $500,000, this tax may be reduced to $500. It is unlawful to engage in business as an importer, manufacturer, or dealer of machine guns without having paid this tax or registered with ATF. 26 U.S.C. § 5861(a). ⤴︎18 U.S.C. § 922(o); 27 C.F.R. § 479.105(c). With respect to machine guns, the NFA’s more lenient provisions regarding importation were superseded by the FOPA. See 26 U.S.C. § 5844. ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5841(b). The procedure for obtaining ATF authorization for the importation of a machine gun and for registering a newly imported machine gun is set forth at 27 C.F.R. § 479.112. ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5861(k). ⤴︎18 U.S.C. § 922(o); 27 C.F.R. § 479.105(c). ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5841(b). ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5841(c). The procedure for obtaining authorization from ATF for the manufacturer of a machine gun and for registering a newly manufactured machine gun are available at 27 C.F.R. § 479.103. ⤴︎27 C.F.R. § 479.105(d). ⤴︎27 C.F.R. § 479.22. ⤴︎See 27 C.F.R. §§ 479.110 et seq., 479.193. ⤴︎27 C.F.R. § 479.118. ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5845(i); 27 C.F.R. § 479.11. ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5841(b). ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5841(c). The procedure for obtaining authorization from ATF for the making of a machine gun and for registering a newly made machine gun are available at 26 U.S.C. § 5822; 27 C.F.R. § 479.62 et seq. ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5861. ⤴︎18 U.S.C. § 922(o). ⤴︎27 C.F.R. § 479.105(e). ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5821; 27 C.F.R. § 479.61. ⤴︎26 U.S.C. §§ 5851-5853. ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5842(a). ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5842(b). See 27 C.F.R. § 479.102. ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5861. ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5843. ATF’s regulations regarding these records are set forth at 27 C.F.R. § 479.131. ⤴︎27 C.F.R. § 479.141. ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5861. ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5848(a); 27 C.F.R. § 479.23. ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5848(b); 27 C.F.R. § 479.23. ⤴︎“Collectors” of firearms are licensed pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 923. ⤴︎18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(4); 27 C.F.R. § 478.28. ⤴︎26 U.S.C. § 5861. ⤴︎26 U.S.C. §§ 5871-5872; 27 C.F.R. § 479.182. ⤴︎ 117,000