Politics and personal preferences aside, the fact remains that some weapons are prohibited from civilian ownership and others are available only with a federal permit.
Typically, the permit costs $200 and requires an FBI/ ATF background check toward the applicant. When the restrictions were introduced in the 1970’s, two hundred bucks was enough money to prohibit anyone other than the avid enthusiast from owning such weapons. In today’s economy, the money is no longer an issue, but the background check prohibits unreliable people from legally obtaining restricted weapons.
At some point in time, some bored congressman is going to recognize how inflation has affected the value of $200 and raise that price. If you are a responsible gun owner with an interest in specialty weapon designs, now is the time to apply. Let’s take a look at a few of the most popular:
Suppressors
Suppressors are arguably the most misunderstood gun accessory. People who don’t own guns see a James Bond movie and think a “silencer” makes a gun more quiet than firing a medieval English longbow. As ridiculous as that sounds, people believe it rather than understanding that what a suppressor really does is muffle the sound of the explosion which powers the bullet, and delays the sonic boom of a bullet reaching the speed of sound.
There is some debate as to how a suppressor affects a weapon’s performance, but it absolutely makes a gun more comfortable to fire and practice with. Owning a suppressor requires a federal permit, which you can have for $200 and the ability to pass the FBI background check you already passed in order to purchase the gun.
Fully Automatic Weapons
In spite of public perception, you can in fact own a fully automatic weapon as a civilian. Again, two hundred bucks and the ability to pass an ATF background check is all that’s required. As far as anyone knows, the current Trump administration has no intention of changing the law, but it’s hard to predict how the sway of politics might change. If you’ve ever wanted a fully automatic weapon, now is the time to get one before laws change.
Gun Sales by Non-Dealers
It’s simple enough to buy a gun from a licensed dealer, or sell a gun to a licensed dealer. Selling between private civilians, or giving a gun as a gift to a trusted family member, becomes more complicated. There is no established federal law for this, as it’s regulated individually with state restrictions which define your responsibility upon the transfer of a weapon.
Federal law, accompanied by state laws, defines how many transactions you can make in a given year before needing to become licensed as a dealer. As always, the best advice here is to research the law according to where you live, know and understand how such laws apply to your situation, and abide by those laws.
In the meantime, stay safe, enjoy shooting, and keep your guns clean!
~ Firearm Daily
