Penalties for firearm violations under federal law become increasingly harsh depending on the severity of the offense, whether the accused has a prior history of firearm offenses, and whether the weapon violation was committed during the course of another federal crime, such as a bank robbery or drug trafficking crime. In general, many first-time federal firearm violations can carry penalties ranging from up to five to 10 years in prison.  Sometimes the mandatory minimum for repeat offenders can be as high as 25 years of imprisonment.