An NFA firearm is any type of firearm that falls under specific definitions that are set forth by the National Firearms Act. In order to properly categorize these NFA firearms, definitions based on the physical dimensions, designs, functions, and configurations are used. Additionally firearms can also be grouped under a specific type such as rifles, shotguns, machine guns, or any other type of weapon. One key aspect of certain definitions is that the weapon can be made to be readily restored to fire. What this means is that even if you have a weapon that is incapable of firing in its present condition, if it’s possible to restore it to firing condition then it will be considered an NFA firearm. The key phrase here being readily restorable. Weapons that have been welded shut, plug welded, or had their barrels welded to the receiver are in many cases not readily restorable and are not classified as NFA firearms. Let’s look at three classifications: shotguns, rifles, and what’s known as any other weapon or AOW.



A shotgun is normally a hunting type firearm that is typically not considered an NFA firearm. A shot gun that has a barrel length that is less than 18 inches long, however, is considered an NFA firearm and subject to the NFA regulations. Additionally any weapon that has been crafted from a shotgun with an overall length of less than 26 inches or a barrel that is less than 18 inches is also considered an NFA regulated firearm.



A rifle is typically not considered an NFA firearm. A rifle does however fall under NFA regulations if it’s barrel is less than 16 inches in length. Like the shotgun any weapon made from a rifle with an overall length that’s less than 26 inches or has a barrel length that is less than 16 inches is considered an NFA firearm and subject to regulations.



The any other weapon category includes weapons or devices that can be concealed and discharged. These are unique weapons that include devices like umbrella guns, pen guns, or knife guns for instance. To this any other weapon category you can also add any type of smooth bore barreled pistol or revolver, that’s intended to fire a shotgun shell.

Tags: any other weapon, aow, barrel length, knife gun, machine guns, national firearms act, NFA, pen gun, restorable weapon, revolver, rifles, shotguns, umbrella gun, welded

There was a time when you didn’t need to have a federal gun license to buy firearms. It’s true, there was in fact a time when you didn’t need a federal gun license to purchase any type of firearms. Up until 1934, almost anyone in the United States was allowed to purchase any type of firearm, including machine guns, short barrel rifles (SBR), short barreled shotguns (SBS), noise suppressors, and destructive devices (DD). And then right around the time that Prohibition ended, the national firearms act was enacted. What this did was to collect a mandatory excise tax on the transfer of all title to weapons. It also required that these same weapons be registered.



The fact that this all occurred around the time of Prohibition indicates that these laws were enacted in order to combat organized crime. After all Prohibition didn’t actually stop the flow of alcohol, it just put the legitimate, legal alcohol distributors out of business and transferred the business to organized crime.



The National Firearms Act requires that any transfer of firearms across state lines gets reported to the Department of Justice. Not only do you have to report the transportation of weapons, you’re charged a transfer tax to do so. Some may argue, and rightfully so, that like a lot of laws that are designed to regulate, this one falls short of it’s original goal of hampering organized crime, and adds undue restrictions, costs, and difficulties to lawful American citizens.



Fast-forward to the gun control act of 1968. This new omnibus act attempts to regulate firearms owners and any interstate commerce involving firearms. It does this by restricting the transfer of firearms to licensed manufacturer’s dealers and importers. Up until 1968, there was no federal gun license required per se. But this changed with the introduction of the federal firearms license or FFL in the Gun Control Act of 1968. Now there is a clear and defined set of rules and requirements that must be followed in order for a law abiding citizen to do deal in firearms or to purchase certain firearms that have been included on a list of weapons categorized by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives.

Tags: BATFE, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives, dd, dealer, destructive devices, federal firearms license, ffl, gun control act of 1968, importer, machine guns, national firearms act, NFA, sbr, sbs, short barrel rifles, short barrel shotguns